ing Big Hill on a certain day were 'stuck up
by Wall's gang and robbed.' Every man Jack that came along for hours
was made to stand behind a clump of trees with two of the gang guarding
them, so as the others couldn't see them as they came up. They all had
to deliver up what they'd got about 'em, and no one was allowed to stir
till sundown, for fear they should send word to the police. Then the
gang went off, telling them to stay where they were for an hour or else
they'd come back and shoot them.

This would be on the western road, perhaps. Next day a station on the
southern road, a hundred and twenty miles off, would be robbed by the
same lot. Money and valuables taken away, and three or four of the best
horses. Their own they'd leave behind in such a state that any one could
see how far and fast they'd been ridden.

They often got stood to, when they were hard up for a mount, and it was
this way. The squatters weren't alike, by any manner of means, in their
way of dealing with them. Many of them had lots of fine riding-horses
in their paddocks. These would be yarded some fine night, the best taken
and ridden hard, perhaps returned next morning, perhaps in a day or two.

It was pretty well known who had used them, but nothing was said; the
best policy, some think, is to hold a candle to the devil, especially
when the devil's camped close handy to your paddock, and might any time
sack your house, burn down your woolshed and stacks, or even shoot at
your worshipful self if he didn't like the way you treated him and his
imps.

These careful respectable people didn't show themselves too forward
either in giving help or information to the police. Not by no means.
They never encouraged them to stay when they came about the place, and
weren't that over liberal in feeding their horses, or giving them a hand
in any way, that they'd come again in a hurry. If they were asked about
the bush-rangers, or when they'd been last seen, they were very careful,
and said as little as possible.

No one wonders at people like the Barnes's, or little farmers, or the
very small sort of settlers, people with one flock of sheep or a few
cows, doing this sort of thing; they have a lot to lose and nothing
to get if they gain ill-will. But regular country gentlemen, with big
properties, lots of money, and all the rest of it, they're there to
show a good example to the countryside, whether it paid for the time or
whether it didn't; and all us