s hands and knew it; but the ride was a race against odds, and
there was no time to heed.

He was breasting the rise of what he believed to be the last of the
ridges he would have to cross, when the laboured breathing of his horse
told him it was almost done. Leaning forward in his saddle, he patted it
on the neck and spoke to it as a man who has realised the companionship
between himself and a favourite horse will do. Responding to the
encouragement, it mounted to the summit of the ridge and quickened its
pace as it felt it was on level ground again. But where the other ridges
had been flat on the top, this one was little more than a razor-back. No
sooner was the ascent completed than the descent began. The horse caught
in its stride to steady itself, tripped, stumbled, and came down. Durham
was flung over its head like a stone from a catapult.

Fortunately he came to the ground on the broad of his back, though with
such force that he was momentarily stunned. His horse picked itself up
and stood trembling and panting long before he was able to scramble to
his feet. Even when he did so his head was spinning and he could barely
stand.

With unsteady steps he went to his horse and took hold of the bridle. To
attempt to ride it further was obviously out of the question, and he led
it slowly down to the bottom of the slope, tethering it securely to a
tree in the shelter of the gully. Then, pulling himself together, he
set off up the opposite slope on foot.

His head was still swimming from the concussion of his fall, and into it
there came the humming he had experienced after his adventure at
Taloona. It made him so dizzy that he sank down on a boulder, resting
his head on his hands until the humming and throbbing should pass. As he
sat there came a sound to his ears which made him start to his feet,
forgetful of the giddiness, forgetful of everything save the sound and
all that it signified.

Through the silence of the bush came the measured tread of a walking
horse.

It was evidently crossing the gully below, for, as he listened, the pace
quickened to a trot and then to a canter and then became suddenly faint
and muffled.

In an instant Durham read the significance of it. The horse had crossed
the gully on to level ground and, urged by its rider, had cantered out
of hearing. Exactly such a thing would happen were the gully he had
crossed the one which came out on to the level sandy margin of the pool.

The reali