e writing; there was no more. I could see what Gracey
meant, and wished over and over again that I had the chance of going
straight, as I'd wished a thousand times before, but it was too late,
too late! When the coach is running down hill and the break's off, it's
no use trying to turn. We had all our plan laid out and settled to the
smallest thing. We were to meet near Eugowra Rocks a good hour or two
before the escort passed, so as to have everything ready. I remember the
day as well as if it was yesterday. We were all in great buckle and very
fit, certainly. I don't think I ever felt better in my life. There must
be something out-and-out spiriting in a real battle when a bit of a
scrimmage like this sent our blood boiling through our veins; made us
feel as if we weren't plain Dick and Jim Marston, but regular grand
fellows, in a manner of speaking. What fools men are when they're
young--and sometimes after that itself--to be sure.

We started at daylight, and only stopped once on the road for a bite
for ourselves and to water the horses, so that we were in good time. We
brought a little corn with us, just to give the horses something; they'd
be tied up for hours and hours when we got to the place pitched on. They
were all there before us; they hadn't as good horses by a long chalk as
we had, and two of their packers were poor enough. Jim and I were riding
ahead with Starlight a little on the right of us. When the fellows saw
Rainbow they all came crowding round him as if he'd been a show.

'By George!' says Burke, 'that's a horse worth calling a horse, Captain.
I often heard tell of him, but never set eyes on him before. I've two
minds to shake him and leave you my horse and a share of the gold to
boot. I never saw his equal in my life, and I've seen some plums too.'

'Honour among--well--bush-rangers, eh, Burke?' says Starlight cheerily.
'He's the right sort, isn't he? We shall want good goers to-night. Are
we all here now? We'd better get to business.'

Yes, they were all there, a lot of well-built, upstanding chaps, young
and strong, and fit to do anything that a man could do in the way of
work or play. It was a shame to see them there (and us too, for the
matter of that), but there was no get away now. There will be fools
and rogues to the end of the world, I expect. Even Moran looked a bit
brighter than he did last time. He was one of those chaps that a bit of
real danger smartens up. As for Burke, Daly, and H