else
for miles. They do say," she added, dropping her voice, "the place is
haunted. Jackson of Noogabbin was along here a month back, and he told
me how the cattle broke camp all along o' the ghost. He seed 'un wi' his
own eyes, a great white thing on a trottin' cob it was. Clean through
the camp it rode moanin', moanin', an' the cattle just broke like mad."

"Oh, yes--I dessay," said the man, "and when them cattle were mustered,
there was a matter o' fifty head missin', I 'll bet. Now if that ghost
comes along my way I shall just put a bullet in him sure as my name's
Ned Kirton. So there, old lady, put that in your pipe and smoke it. Come
along, Nell, my girl--don't be so stingy with that liquor, the old woman
'll make us pay for it, you bet. Why, Nell, I ain't seen such a pretty
pair o' eyes this many a long day. Give us just one--"

He had caught her roughly by the shoulder, and bent down to kiss her,
but the girl drew back with a low cry that brought Fisher to her aid.

"Let her alone, Ned," he said with a muttered oath.

"Right you are, boss," laughed the other. "There 's a darned sight too
much milk and water there for my taste; I like 'em with a spice o' the
devil in 'em, I do. But if that 's your taste--well, fair's fair an'
hands off, says I."

"It ain't much good, boss," said another man. "She's Gentleman Jim's
gal, she is, and I shouldn't sleep easy if I so much as looked at her."

"Gentleman Jim," he repeated, and the bitterness in his heart none of
his comrades guessed. "Gentleman Jim I heard of yesterday, somewhere
about the head waters of the Murray--no danger from him."

Bill, being a cattle man, cleared his throat and his brain by a
good string of oaths--resonant oaths worthy of a man from the back
blocks--and then gave it as his opinion that Gentleman Jim's being
seen among the ranges yesterday, was no guarantee that he would not be
lifting cattle far on the plains to-day.

"Not our cattle," said Fisher grimly. "We set a watch, and the first
thing--man or beast, or ghost--that comes down among the cattle, we
shoot on sight. D'ye hear that, mother?" and he turned to the old woman,
who merely shook her head and groaned.

"It's old I am--old--old--old. It isn't the likes o' us as 'll touch yer
beasts."

And Nellie slipped outside the door, and looked wistfully and anxiously
across the plain, at the cattle now peacefully grazing on the salt-bush,
and at the mocking mirage in the far distance. N