at its normal level.

"Look at that, boss."

He pointed to a triangular indentation, which, with footmarks, was
imprinted in the soft yellow sand at the foot of a small boulder; and
taking the butt of his Winchester rifle, fitted it into the impression.

"Some feller with Winchester rifle been sit down here, boss, and light
his pipe. See, he been scrape out pipe," and he indicated some partially
consumed shreds of tobacco and some ashes which were lying on the sand.

"Ah, I see, Jacky," and a cold chill of horror went through him as
he thought of Sheila being in the power of such a fiend as Sandy. The
myalls would in all likelihood want to kill and eat her, but Sandy or
Daylight would probably wish to keep her a captive. And that Jacky
was correct in his surmise there could be but little doubt--both the
outlawed ex-policemen had Winchesters, taken from the Chinese packers
whom they had murdered.

"Go on, Jacky, my boy, for God's sake!" he said hoarsely, placing his
hand on the blackboy's shoulder. "Missie may be killed if we do not
hurry."

"No fear, boss!" replied Jacky with cheerful confidence, as he proceeded
to strip. "You 'member what I told you 'bout that white woman myall
blacks take away with them long time ago when ship was break up near
Cape Melville, and they find her lying on beach? They didn't kill
her--these myall nigger like White Mary {*} too much. I don't think
these fellow will kill Missie. I think it Daylight or Sandy will want
her for _lubra_. {**} Take off boots, boss."

Grainger pulled off his knee boots, and threw them up on the bank,
and then he and Jacky short-hobbled the horses, and let them feed. The
blackboy had stripped himself of every article of clothing, except the
remnants of his shirt, which he had tied round his loins; over it was
strapped his leather belt with its cartridge pouch.

"Come on, boss," and then instead of crossing the creek as Grainger had
imagined he would, he led the way along the same side, explaining that
the myalls, expecting--but not fearing--pursuit, would do all that they
could to make the pursuers believe that they had walked up through the
creek for a certain distance, and then crossed over to the opposite
side. The gins{***} and picaninnies, he said, were not with the party
that had seized Sheila, neither were there any dogs with them.

* "White Mary"--A white woman.

** Wife.

*** Gins. Synonymous with _lubra_--i.e., a wife.

"