e he usually banked.
I can see dear old father now, standing with his rifle in his hand at
the dining-room window, and Mr. Wentworth standing beside him. They were
firing away at three men who were as much in earnest as my father and
his manager were."

"And what happened?" asked Cicely breathlessly, as Kate stopped to look
round for her polishing cloth.

"Father killed one man, the two others got away, not, however, before
Mr. Wentworth had shot away the forefinger of the leader. We found it
after they had gone, lying on the path beside the cattle-yard. He was a
terrible fellow, the leader of that bushranging crew. He went by the
name of Wolfgang. He may be alive now, I don't know. I have not heard of
any depredations committed by him for two or three years now."

"And I hope you never will," said Cicely with a shudder. "Kate, have you
done all you want to do here? I should so like to finish that letter to
send off by to-day's mail."

"Then go. I'll just stay to lock up. You haven't much time if you want
Sam Griffiths to take it this afternoon."

Cicely jumped up without another word, and climbed the ladder.

Kate lifted the case of fish-knives into the safe, and stretched out her
hand for the other articles without turning her head. She felt her hand
clutched as in a vice by fingers cold as ice. She turned sharply round.
Cicely was at her side with lips and cheeks devoid of colour.

"Good gracious, Cicely! what is the matter? How you startled me!" said
Kate in a vexed tone.

Cicely laid one cold, trembling, finger upon her cousin's lips.

"He has seen us--he has been looking down on us," was all she could
articulate.

"Who? What do you mean?" But Kate's voice was considerably lowered.

"The bushranger Wolfgang. He--he has seen all the silver!"

Kate broke into a nervous laugh. "I think you are dreaming, Cicely. How
do you know you saw Wolfgang? And how could he see us down here?"

"It is no dream," answered Cicely in the same husky whisper. "Kate, as I
climbed the ladder quickly I saw the face of a man disappear from the
trap-door, but not before I caught sight of the forefinger missing off
the hand that held one side of the trap-door. Kate, Kate, it was
Wolfgang. He has been staring down at us."

Kate looked up wildly at the opening above. It was free from all
intruders now. She locked every article into the safe without uttering a
word; then said, "Come."

Together they mounted the ladder; together