hese coves was up to,
nor stand by and see 'em done, which was more. This time we made up our
mind to go back to the Hollow and drop out of notice altogether for a
bit, and take a rest like.

We hadn't heard anything of Aileen and the old mother for weeks and
weeks, so we fixed it that we should sneak over to Rocky Flat, one at a
time, and see how things were going, and hearten 'em up a bit. When
we did get to the Hollow, instead of being able to take it easy, as we
expected, we found things had gone wrong as far as the devil could send
'em that way if he tried his best. It seems father had taken a restless
fit himself, and after we were gone had crossed Nulla Mountain to some
place above Rocky Flat, to where he could see what went on with a strong
glass.

Before I go further I might as well tell you that, along with the
whacking big reward that was offered for all of us, a good many coves as
fancied themselves a bit had turned amateur policemen, and had all kinds
of plans and dodges for catching us dead or alive. Now, men that take
to the bush like us don't mind the regular paid force much, or bear them
any malice. It's their duty to catch us or shoot us if we bolt, and ours
to take all sorts of good care that they shan't do either if we can help
it.

Well, as I was sayin', we don't have it in for the regulars in the
police; it's all fair pulling, 'pull devil pull baker', some one has
to get the worst of it. Now it's us, now it's them, that gets took or
rubbed out, and no more about it.

But what us cross coves can't stand and are mostly sure to turn nasty
on is the notion of fellows going into the manhunting trade, with us for
game, either for the fun of it or for the reward. That reward means the
money paid for our blood. WE DON'T LIKE IT. It may seem curious, but we
don't; and them as take up the line as a game to make money or fun out
of, when they've no call to, find out their mistake, sometimes when it's
a deal too late.

Now we'd heard that a party of four men--some of them had been gaol
warders and some hadn't--had made it up to follow us up and get us one
way or the other if it was to be done. They weren't in the police, but
they thought they knew quite as much as the police did; and, besides,
the reward, 5000 Pounds, if they got our lot and any one of the others,
was no foolish money.

Well, nothing would knock it out of these chaps' heads but that we were
safe to be grabbed in the long run trying to