tions he cut the
thongs which bound me to the tree.

"You looked so pale that I thought that was the first thing to do," said
Guy, as he supported me in his arms, and gradually let me sink down on
the ground, for I could not stand. "Hector is looking after the
dominie, he is even in a worse condition than you are."

"I am fearfully thirsty," I said.

"I knew you must be," he replied, applying a water-bottle to my mouth.

The draught, which was tolerably cool, had an almost instantaneous
effect, and I was at once able to get up on my feet.

"We thought something had happened when Carlo, rushing back, came
barking and pulling at our trousers; and as soon as we could catch our
horses, in spite of the lameness of mine, we started off. We could not
travel fast at night, but immediately day broke we galloped on; and I am
thankful indeed, my dear Maurice, to find you uninjured--but how did you
get into this plight?"

I briefly told him of the way the bushrangers had stuck me up.

"The villains! I wish that we could find them. Now, get up on my
horse, and we will go to where I left Hector and the dominie. We'll
breakfast as soon as we can reach a water-hole. We passed one a little
way back, and we must then try and get on to Bracewell's as soon as
possible."

With his assistance, I mounted his horse, and we soon reached the spot
where Hector was attending to the dominie, who was slowly recovering. I
really believe, from the condition he was in, that he would soon have
died. One of the ruffians had struck him over the head with the butt of
his pistol, but he had suffered more from fear than from the blow, for
he fully believed that they were going to put him to death. He was
lifted on Hector's horse, and we soon reached the water-hole. The fire
was quickly lighted, and after a good breakfast on a paddy-melon--a
small species of kangaroo--which Hector had shot the previous evening,
we felt greatly revived, and fully able to continue the journey; indeed,
I felt myself as strong as ever. Guy and Hector ran alongside the
horses, and we made good progress. We had reached an open part of the
country, when we caught sight of a figure seated on a fallen log. His
back was towards us, and he did not appear to notice our approach;
indeed, so motionless did he sit, that he might have been mistaken for a
bronze statue. He had not a rag round his body, but on his shoulders
were a number of raised marks, produced by maki