, and laid them out there?
Were Daly and Moran with him? This looked like Moran's damnable work.

We looked and looked. I rubbed my eyes. Could it be real? The sky was
dark, and the daylight going fast. The mountain hung over us black and
dreadful-looking. The wind whimpered up and down the hillside with
a sort of cry in it. Everything was dark and dismal and almost
unnatural-looking.

All four men were lying on their backs side by side, with their eyes
staring up to the sky--staring--staring! When we got close beside them
we could see they had all been shot--one man through the head, the rest
through the body. The two nearest to me had had their hands tied; the
bit of rope was lying by one and his wrist was chafed.

One had been so close to the man that shot him that the powder had burnt
his shirt. It wasn't for anything they had either, for every man's notes
(and one had four fives and some ones) were pinned to them outside of
their pockets, as if to show every one that those who killed them wanted
their blood and not their money.

'This is a terrible affair, boys,' said Starlight; and his voice sounded
strange and hoarse. 'I never thought we should be mixed up with a deed
like this. I see how it was done. They have been led into a trap. Your
father has made 'em think they could catch him; and had Daly and Moran
waiting for them--one on each side of this hole here. Warrigal'--for he
had tied up his horse and crept up--'how many bin here?'

Warrigal held up three fingers.

'That one ran down here--one after one. I see 'em boot. Moran stand
here. Patsey Daly lie down behind that ole log. All about boot-nail
mark. Old man Ben he stand here. Dog bite'm this one.'

Here he stooped and touched a dead man's ankle. Sure enough there was
the mark of Crib's teeth, with the front one missing, that had been
kicked down his throat by a wild mare.

'Two fellow tumble down fust-like; then two fellow bimeby.
One--two--three fellow track go along a flat that way. Then that one get
two horses and ridem likit Fish River. Penty blood tumble down here.'

This was the ciphering up of the whole thing. It was clear enough now.
Moran and Daly had waited for them here, and had shot down the two first
men. Of the others, it was hard to say whether they died in fair fight
or had been taken prisoners and shot afterwards. Either way it was bad
enough. What a noise it would make! The idea of four men, well known
to the Government, and eng