tion arrived
in great alarm, stating that he had been beset the previous evening by a
party of white men on horseback, who, taking his gun and ammunition, his
week's supply of provisions and everything else, they could lay hands on
in the hut, had lashed him hand and foot, threatening that if he gave
information of their visit, they would return and kill him.
Fortunately, soon after they had gone a shepherd arrived, but he had
been afraid at first to leave the hut lest they should put their threat
into execution. Waiting till daylight, he had followed their tracks for
some distance, when he had hurried back to bring us information of the
robbery. His idea was, that having supplied themselves with arms, they
intended to pillage some of the larger stations, but how he arrived at
this conclusion he did not say. His account was sufficiently clear to
make us resolve to follow them up, and to try and put a stop to their
career. Whether or not they were led by our former acquaintance, the
big bushranger, and that unhappy fellow Vinson, we could not tell; but
from the description the hut-keeper gave of two of the men who had
attacked him, we strongly suspected that such was the case.

As there was no time to be lost, we at once organised a party to set out
in search of the fellows. The only black on whom we could rely to act
as a scout was our own attendant Toby, who volunteered, without
hesitation, to accompany us. The party consisted of the three elder
Strongs, Bracewell, Guy, and I, and two men from the station, with Toby.
All of us were mounted, and we agreed to call on our way at Captain
Mason's to get further reinforcements, thinking it not unlikely that the
bushrangers had already paid him a visit, or if not that they were
lurking in the neighbourhood.

As we rode fast we arrived at the captain's before the evening. He had
seen nothing of the bushrangers; but we found the family somewhat in a
state of alarm, as a shepherd had come in with the information that a
keeper on one of the captain's stations had been killed in his hut the
previous night, and that he himself had narrowly escaped with his life.

Captain Mason, therefore, gladly reinforced us with a couple of men; he,
however, thinking it prudent to remain to defend his house, lest, during
our absence, the daring ruffians might venture to attack it.

Riding towards the hut, we hoped that we might come upon the track of
the outlaws. In this we were not mi