ever,
seemed to be telling them that they were cowards, and at last the whole
party whirling round their spears more fiercely than before, rushed
towards the hut. Rudge's finger was on the trigger, and so was Tom's,
when a faint shout was heard in the distance, like an echo of theirs.
It was repeated, and another was heard as if from a different direction.

"Don't fire, Mat," cried Rudge; "see, the black fellows are running.
Thank God that we have not had to shed man's blood."

"And let us thank Him that our lives have mercifully been saved," said
Sarah, as they opened the door of the hut, from which not a black was to
be seen.

In another minute Mr Ramsay and Sam and Bob rode up to the door, and
Mr Harlow and several men appeared at a little distance. Mr Ramsay
was inclined to follow the blacks, and to kill some of them, but Mr
Harlow begged that he would not hurt them, as he was sure that they were
set on by some one else, and that at all events they were ignorant
savages, and knew no better.

STORY FIVE, CHAPTER 5.

Mr Ramsay praised Rudge and Tom Wells for the way that they had behaved
in defending the hut, and old Mat also for having stuck by his sheep,
instead of running away. After listening to the account Troloo had to
give, he was sure that they had been set on by others. He determined
therefore to ride on and speak to them with some of his men.

Mr Harlow was about to offer to accompany him, when Sarah's cry of,
"Oh, my children--my children, what are to become of them?" made him
turn to her, and promise to set out at once in search of them.

Joseph wished to go, but his friends would not let him.

"No," said Mr Harlow, "you must stay and take care of your wife and
daughter. We will take Sam and Wells, and two of my men, and Troloo.
He will be of more help than all the rest of us, I suspect. If the
blacks have found them, which I don't think they have, he will get them
back; and if they have wandered off into the woods, he will trace them
out."

Troloo at once understood what was required of him, and the two parties
without delay set out, while Joseph and Sarah remained behind.

Troloo was the only person on foot, and he went hunting about like a
pointer ranging a field, looking out for the tracks of the children. He
soon found them, and quickly ran along the edge of the creek till he
came to the place where they had crossed. He then went on, pointing out
to Mr Harlow the hill which the