and Harry and Mrs. Haddon were
seated, hatless and breathless, and filled his friends with alarm.

'Please, Harry, Downy says 'Ready!'' blurted Dick.

Harry sprang to his feet and made for the door.

'That mens he's discovered something important, mother.' he said as he
passed out.

Dick followed, leaving the women astonished and curious, slipped away
around the fence enclosing Harry's home, and made off towards the other
end of the township. His intention was to warn Ephraim Shine of the
danger that threatened. He did not doubt but that Rogers, if he fell into
the hands of the troopers, would tell all.

There was a light burning in Shine's skillion, and Dick's knock was
answered by Miss Chris, who wore her hat and was on the point of leaving
for her home at Summers'.

'I want your father,' said Dick quickly. 'The troopers 'r' after him.
Tell him to bolt.'

'Dickie--Dickie, whatever do you mean?' cried Christina, greatly
agitated.

The next moment she was thrust aside and Shine appeared, showing a drawn
gaunt face, the skin of which looked crinkled and yellow in the candle
light, like old parchment.

'What's that?' he gasped. 'Who wants me?'

'You're found out,' said Dick, drawing back, shocked by the ghastly
appearance of the man. 'They're after Rogers. They've got him by this, I
expect, an' they'll soon have you if you don't make a bolt fer it.'

Shine uttered a wailing cry and Dick turned and fled again, afraid of
being seen in the vicinity of the searcher's abode by Downy or any of his
men. Looking back he saw that the house was now in darkness, and surmised
that Ephraim had taken advantage of his warning to escape into the bush.

When Harry Hardy and the trooper rode up to Shine's house half an hour
later, they found the place deserted. The door was on the latch, and the
interior gave no indication of a hurried departure, but the searcher was
nowhere to be seen.

'It's all right,' said Harry, 'he'll be somewhere about the township.
I'll take a trip round an' see if I can hit on him, if you'll stay here
an' keep watch.'

'Right,' said the sergeant, 'but you'd best drop in on Downy and let him
know. If our man gets wind of what's happened he'll skedaddle.'

'If he doesn't we'll nab him at the mine at one.'

Harry found that Downy had disposed of his prisoner, having converted the
cellar at the Drovers' Arms into a lock-up for the time being, and
smuggled Joe Rogers in so artfully that McMahon's p