I must have a look at mine. I had to
roll it up in my swag, and it wants loading.'

'Mine's a good tool,' says Jim, bringing out a splendid-looking
revolver--one of these new Dean and Adams's. 'I can make prime shooting
at fifty yards; but I hope to God I shan't want to use it.'

'There's no fear yet a bit,' says I; 'but it's as well to be ready. I'll
load before we go any farther.'

I loaded and put her back in the belt. We were just going to push on
when we heard the sound of galloping, and round a patch of scrub comes
a horseman at full speed. When he sees us he cuts off the road and comes
towards us.

There was only one horse that carried himself like that, even when
he was pulling double. We spotted him the same second. Rainbow and
Starlight on him! What in thunder makes him ride like that?

When he came closer we saw by his face that something was up. His eyes
had the gloomy, dull fire in them that put me in mind of the first time
I saw him when he came back wounded and half dead to the Hollow.

'Don't stop to talk, boys,' he sings out, without stopping, 'but ride
like the devil. Head to the left. That infernal Warrigal has laid the
police on your track, Dick. They were seen at Willaroon; may be up at
any minute.'

'Where's Warrigal now?' I said, as we all took our horses by the head
and made for a patch of dark timber we could see far out on the plain.

'He dropped when I fired at him,' says Starlight; 'but whether the poor
beggar's dead or not I can't say. It isn't my fault if he betrays any
one again.'

'How did it come out?'

'I was tired of waiting at that confounded hotel--not a soul to speak
to. I rode back as far as Kate's, just to see if you had passed. She
didn't know me a bit.'

'The deuce she didn't! Why, she broke out on me and Jim. Said something
about you and Warrigal too.'

'Wonderful creatures, women,' says he, thoughtful-like; 'and yet I used
to think I understood them. No time to do anything, though.'

'No; the nearest police station's a day off. I'd give a trifle to know
who's after us. How did you find out Warrigal's doubling on me? not that
it matters now; d--n him!'

'When I talked about going back he was in a terrible fright, and raised
so many objections that I saw he had some reason for it; so I made him
confess.'

'How did he do it?'

'After we'd passed Dandaloo, and well inside the West Bogan scrubs, he
picked up a blackfellow that had once been a tracker; gave him