hand out what you've got about you. You may think yourself
fortunate if we leave you the clothes on your back, but we don't want
them. Do as I tell you, down on your knees and stay there, while I feel
your pockets."

As may be supposed I did not carry much money in the bush, but on
leaving home I had put a couple of sovereigns in my pocket. My rifle,
of course, I expected to lose.

While the bushranger was performing the operation of cleaning me out, a
savage bull-dog approached, and I thought was going to fly at me, but I
found his eyes were directed towards some object at my back, which
proved to be my faithful Carlo, who, however ready to do battle in my
cause, thought it prudent, in the presence of a superior force, to yield
to circumstances.

All this time I could not see what was happening to the dominie, but I
concluded that he would wisely not attempt to make any resistance, and
that he was being cleaned out as I was. I did not again hear his voice,
and as the bushranger swore that he would shoot me through the head
should I move, I thought it as well not to look round lest he should put
his threat into execution. The fellow who had taken my horse now picked
up my gun and carried it off to a short distance. Two of them then
produced a rope, intending, I concluded, to treat the dominie and me as
they had Bracewell.

As the man who stood over me returned his pistol to his belt, I took a
glance round to try and ascertain what had become of my companion, but
he was nowhere to be seen, and I feared, therefore, that they intended
to bind him to a tree at such a distance that we could hold no
communication with each other. My dog Carlo was also not to be seen; I
felt, however, nearly sure that the bushrangers had not carried him off.
I had often remarked his peculiar sagacity, and hoped that, finding he
could do me no good, he had kept out of the way to avoid the risk of
being either killed or captured. I soon found that my anticipations
were correct. The bushranger now holding a pistol to my head made me
get up and walk to a tree some distance from the track, so that should
any travellers pass by I should not be discovered. I might have acted a
more heroic part had I struggled desperately, seized a pistol, and
attempted to blow out the brains of one of the ruffians; but as I felt
that it was more than likely I should lose my own life, I considered it
wiser to yield with calmness and dignity.

The villa