ver be took.'

'Not alive!' says Starlight, rather grim and gloomy-looking; then he
walks off by himself.

We stabled Rainbow, of course, for a week or two after this--being in
training it wouldn't do to turn him out straight at once. Hardy as he
was, no horse could stand that altogether; so we kept him under shelter
in a roughish kind of a loose box we had knocked up, and fed him on
bush hay. We had a small stack of that in case we wanted to keep a horse
in--which we did sometimes. In the daytime he was loose in the yard.
After a bit, when he was used to the weather, he was turned out again
with his old mob, and was never a hair the worse of it. We took it easy
ourselves, and sent out Warrigal for the letters and papers. We expected
to knock a good bit of fun out of them when they came.

Sure enough, there was the deuce and all to pay when the big Sydney
papers got hold of it, as well as the little 'Turon Star' and the
'Banner'.

Was it true that the police had again been hoodwinked, justice derided,
and the law set at defiance by a gang of ruffians who would have been
run down in a fortnight had the police force been equal to the task
entrusted to them? Was the moral sentiment of the country population so
perverted, so obliterated, that robbers and murderers could find safe
harbourage, trustworthy friends, and secret intelligence? Could they
openly show themselves in places of public resort, mingle in amusements,
and frequent the company of unblemished and distinguished citizens; and
yet more, after this flagrant insult to the Government of the land, to
every sacred principle of law and order, they could disappear at will,
apparently invisible and invulnerable to the officers of the peace and
the guardians of the public safety? It was incredible, it was monstrous,
degrading, nay, intolerable, and a remedy would have to be found
either in the reorganisation of an inefficient police force or in the
resignation of an incapable Ministry.

'Good for the "Sydney Monitor",' says Starlight; 'that reporter knows
how to double-shot his guns, and winds up with a broadside. Let us see
what the "Star" says. I had a bet with the editor, and paid it, as it
happened. Perhaps he'll temper justice with mercy. Now for a start:--

That we have had strong casts from time to time and exciting
performances at our local theatres, no one will deny; but perhaps the
inhabitants of Turon never witnessed a more enthralling melodrama