won't
shake hands on it. It may lead to nothing."

All was now excitement in the small and smoky bedroom. The jackeroo had
appeared on the scene from his own room, to which his sensitive soul
ever banished him betimes. All were on their feet but Bethune, who
retained the only chair, but with eyes like half-sheathed blades, and
head at full-cock.

"Did you follow it up?" asked the sergeant.

"Yes, a bit."

"Where did you strike it?"

"I'll tell you what: you shall be escorted to the spot."

"Um!" said the sergeant; "not by all hands, I hope?"

"By Mr. Spicer and nobody else. I'd come myself, only I've found other
fish to fry. Look here, Spicer," continued Rigden, clapping the
storekeeper on the shoulder; "you know the clay-pans in the
horse-paddock? Well, you'll see my tracks there, and you'd better follow
them; there are just one or two of the others; but on the soft ground
you'll see the one as plain as the other. You'll have to cross the fence
into Butcher-boy; you'll see where I crossed it. That's our
killing-sheep paddock, Harkness; think your man could kill and eat a
sheep?"

"I could kill and eat you," said the sergeant cordially, "for the turn
you've done me."

"Thanks; but you wait and see how it pans out. All I guarantee is that
the tracks are there; how far they go is another matter. I only followed
them myself as far as the tank in Butcher-boy. And that reminds me:
there'll be a big muster to-morrow, Spicer. The tank in Butcher-boy's as
low as low; the Big Bushy tanks always go one worse; we'll muster Big
Bushy to-morrow, whether or no. I've been meaning to do it for some
time. Besides, it'll give you all the freer hand for those tracks,
sergeant: we shall be miles apart."

"That's all right," said the sergeant. "But I should have liked to get
on them to-night."

"The moon's pretty low."

Harkness looked out.

"You're right," he said. "We'll give it best till morning. Come, mate,
let's spell it while we can."

The rest separated forthwith. Bethune bade his future brother-in-law
good-night without congratulation or even comment on the discovery of
the tracks. Rigden lingered a moment with his lieutenants, and then
remarked that he had left his coat in the harness-room; he would go and
fetch it, and might be late, as he had letters to write for the mail.

"Can't I get the coat, sir?" asked the willing jackeroo.

Rigden turned upon him with unique irritation.

"No, you can't! You can go t