ghed uneasily, but did not stir. 'Comedown, curse you!' cried
the other with sudden ferocity; and, springing to his feet, he seized
Dick, and brought him heavily to the ground over his horse's rump. 'Lie
there, or, by God, I'll scatter your brains on the grass!' said the
juggler. 'The first man that moves will peg out a claim in hell
to-night,' he continued, leading the horse away, and walking backwards
himself, with the revolver pointed. No man doubted his word. Dick
crouched on the ground, staring after him, furious, but quite beaten.
Suddenly the robber sprang to the horse's back with a clean jump. 'Now,
that is what I call damn good sleight of hand, Brigalow!' he cried; and,
producing a short, heavy green-hide whip from his shirt, he lashed the
horse mercilessly, and went riding at a breakneck pace down the gully,
heading for the distant timber.

'Tricked!' cried the ex-trooper, jumping to his feet--' tricked by the
great Blue Bunyip! Tricked like a kid!' He turned and ran for the
troopers.

'I surmise Mr. Solo was lurkin' behind them there whiskers,' said a tall,
thin Californian, when the party had somewhat recovered the surprise.

Jim started, recalling the encounter with Long Aleck in the Melbourne
bar.

'Was that Solo, do you think?' he asked.

'Dead cert' replied the Californian. 'Them's his playful ways.'

'If you guessed it, why didn't you give a hint?'

'Not knowin', can't say; but it's just pawsible I ain't pushin' myself
forward as a target this spring.'

Done found this indisposition to interfere in 'other people's business'
very marked amongst the diggers; and their toleration of notorious
evildoers was a pronounced feature of their easy-going character,
encouraged, no doubt, by their contempt for the law, which appealed to
them only as an instrument of oppression.

'This means a gallop for the troopers,' said Mike.

'They'll run him down!' ejaculated Jim at a venture.

'The man occupyin' my socks is bettin' ten ounces agin all the feathers
off a wart-hog that they don't,' answered the Californian.

'But look at the weight he carries!'

'You're a bright boy--a most remarkably bright boy!' drawled the
American, 'an' I guess you'll pick up a heap o' knowledge afore you die
out, but up to now you don't know much about Solo. He kin ride like the
devil, an' fight like the hosts of hell, an' he's ez full o' tricks ez a
pum'kin's full o' pips. I tell you, Amurka's proud of her son.'

'Who sez