ir first impulse would be to mount
their horses and gallop off.

Our great object, therefore, was to prevent them from doing this, and
unless they had kept their animals saddled and bridled, we had still a
prospect of succeeding.

CHAPTER NINE.

Darkness was coming on, but we had still light sufficient to see our
way, and should we not come up with the bushrangers at once, they might
be off, and we should find it a hard matter to overtake them. We had
gone on for some minutes, expecting every instant to discover them, when
Toby stopped.

"Dey dare," he said, pointing to a rocky knoll which rose just above the
wood through which we were making our way. The reason they had not
mounted their horses was now apparent, for we caught sight of the
animals scampering away in the distance. The outlaws had probably taken
up this position under the idea that they could effectually defend
themselves against us, evidently not knowing the numbers composing our
party. The instant we emerged from among the trees, several bullets
came flying past our heads. By a simultaneous impulse we fired in
return.

"On, on! before they have time to reload," cried Bracewell.

We dashed forward with our pistols in our hands. When we reached the
knoll, not a man was to be seen on his feet, but three lay dead or dying
among the rocks. At that instant a fourth sprang up with a rifle in his
hand with which he was taking aim at Bracewell, when, before he had time
to pull the trigger, the overseer fired and he fell. I had recognised
Vinson, and as I rode up, I observed the look of agony and despair which
overspread the countenance of my former school-fellow. I think he must
have known me, but he was unable to speak, and before I could dismount
he had ceased to breathe.

It was a sad end of a mis-spent life, and yet at one time Cyril Vinson
was one of the most admired and sought after in a fashionable circle.
Among the bodies we discovered that of the big bushranger, while we
found that of the man who first fired a short distance from the knoll,
where he had fallen and died before he had been able to reach his
companions.

One of the gang only escaped, but Toby declined to go in search of him
until the following morning, as he could not, he said, traverse the
forest at night.

At daylight we followed him up, but found that he had managed to catch
one of the horses, and for the time had made good his escape.

We got back to the stat