loss of the crops you have planted, and possibly of
your house; but as you have saved all your animals, the loss will be
comparatively small and easily repaired."

"Whether large or small," Mr. Renshaw said, "we cannot hesitate over it.
It will, as you say, be out of the question to live here exposed at any
instant to attack, and never knowing what the day or night may bring
forth. The house has not cost above a hundred pounds, and we must put up
with that loss. We are fortunately in a very much better position than
most settlers in having a reserve to fall back upon, so there will be
no hesitation on my part in taking this step. The furniture is worth
more than the hut, but I suppose that must go too."

"Not necessarily, Mr. Renshaw. We cannot get away now; for although we
can defend ourselves well enough here, we could not make our way down
through the woods to Mitford's without great risks. They are accustomed
to bush fighting, and as they are still five to one against us, it would
be a very serious matter to try to fight our way down. I think that we
have no choice but to remain where we are until we are either relieved
or are perfectly certain that they have made off. In either case we
should then have ample time to make our preparations for retiring, and
could strip the house and send everything down in boats or
bullock-carts, and might even get up the potatoes, and cut such of the
crops as are ripe, or nearly ripe, and send them down also.

"The corps that has been got up among the settlers will be sure to join
in the expedition for the punishment of these scoundrels, and indeed it
is most probable that all able-bodied settlers will be called out. In
any case I think I shall chip in, as the Americans say. I shall have an
opportunity of going into little explored tracts in the interior and
adding to my collections; and to tell you the truth, I feel anxious to
take a part in revenging the massacres that these treacherous natives
have committed. Unless they get a sharp lesson the lives of the settlers
in all the outlying districts in the colony will be unsafe."

Wilfrid glanced at Mr. Atherton and nodded, to intimate that he should
be willing and ready to join in such an expedition; but he thought it
better to say nothing at present. The two Allens, however, said at once
that if obliged to quit their clearing they would join one of the
irregular corps for the defence of the colony.

"We shall get pay and rations