go down, and see what destruction has been done," said
Alice. "Who would have thought to see such times as these!"

"Stay a little," said the Doctor, "and let us watch these gentlemen's
motions. Where can they be going nor'-west--straight on to the
mountains?"

"I am of opinion," said Sam, "that they are going to lie up in one of
the gullies this evening. They are full of drink and madness, and they
don't know what they are about. If they get into the main system of
gullies, we shall have them like rats in a trap, for they can never get
out by the lower end. Do you see, Doctor, a little patch of white road
among the trees over there? That leads to the Limestone Gates, as we
call it. If they pass those walls upwards, they are confined as in a
pound. Watch the white road, and we shall see."

The piece of road alluded to was about two miles off, and winding round
a steep hill among trees. Only one turn in it was visible, and over
this, as they watched, they saw a dark spot pass, followed by a crowd
of others.

"There they go," said Sam. "The madmen are safe now. See, there comes
Desborough, and all of them; let us go down."

They turned to go, and saw Jim coming towards them, by the route that
Sam had come, all bespattered with clay, limping and leading his new
grey horse, dead lame.

He threw up his hat when he saw them, and gave a feeble hurrah! but
even then a twinge of pain shot across his face, and, when he was
close, they saw he was badly hurt.

"God save you, my dear sister," he said; "I have been in such a state
of mind; God forgive me, I have been cursing the day I was born. Sam, I
started about three minutes after you, and had very nearly succeeded in
overhauling the Doctor, about two miles from here, when this brute put
his foot in a crab hole, and came down, rolling on my leg. I was so
bruised I couldn't mount again, and so I have walked. I see you are all
right though, and that is enough for me. Oh my sister--my darling
Alice! Think what we have escaped!"

So they went towards the house. And when Major Buckley caught sight of
Alice, riding between Doctor Mulhaus and Sam, he gave such a stentorian
cheer that the retreating bushrangers must have heard it.

"Well ridden, gentlemen," he said. "And who won the race? Was it
Widderin, or the Arabian, or the nondescript Sydney importation?"

"The Sydney importation, sir, would have beaten the Arabian, barring
accident," said Jim. "But, seriously speaking,