much for him, I suppose. Anyhow, down he tumbles in a dead faint. Aileen
rushed over and lifted up his head. I got some water and dabbed it over
him. After a bit he came to. He raises himself on his elbows and looks
at Aileen. Then he smiles quietly and says--

'I'm quite ashamed of myself. I'm growing as delicate as a young lady. I
hope I haven't given you much trouble.'

When he got up and walked to the verandah he quite staggered, showing he
was that weak as he could hardly walk without help.

'I shall be all right,' he said, 'after a week's riding again.'

'And where are you going when you leave this place?' she asked. 'Surely
you and my brothers never can live in New South Wales after all that has
passed.'

'We must try, at all events, Miss Marston,' Starlight answered, raising
up his head and looking proud. 'You will hear something of us before
long.'

We made out that there was no great chance of our being run into at the
old place. Father went on first with Crib. He was sure to give warning
in some way, best known to father himself, if there was any one about
that wasn't the right sort. So we went up and went in.

Mother was inside. I thought it was queer that she didn't come outside.
She was always quick enough about that when we came home before, day or
night. When I went in I could see, when she got up from her chair, that
she was weak, and looked as if she'd been ill. She looked ever so much
older, and her hair was a lot grayer than it used to be.

She held out her arms and clung round my neck as if I'd been raised from
the dead. So I was in a kind of a way. But she didn't say much, or ask
what I was going to do next. Poor soul! she knew it couldn't be much
good anyway; and that if we were hunted before, we'd be worse hunted
now. Those that hadn't heard of our little game with the Momberah cattle
would hear of our getting out of Berrima Gaol, which wasn't done every
day.

We hadn't a deal of time to spare, because we meant to start off for the
Hollow that afternoon, and get there some time in the night, even if
it was late. Jim and dad knew the way in almost blindfold. Once we got
there we could sleep for a week if we liked, and take it easy all roads.
So father told mother and Aileen straight that we'd come for a good
comfortable meal and a rest, and we must be off again.

'Oh! father, can't Dick and Jim stop for a day?' cries out Aileen. 'It
does seem so hard when we haven't seen Dick for such