," said Jimmy, nodding his head
solemnly, feeling that at last he had got a serious hearing, and hoping
to hear no more about the mare.

"But the girl--the girl! Where's the girl?"

"That one myall hit him gin along a cobra big fellow nulla-nulla? Gin
tumble down."{1}

"But--my God! what 'd you leave her there for?"

"Myall got 'em nulla-nulla for this fellow."

"You brute!" cried Turner, "why didn't you bring her with you?"

"Only got 'em one yarramen," said the blackfellow nonchalantly. There
was only one horse, he had taken it and saved his skin. He had come to
warn the white man of the destruction of his dwelling, but he did not
count the half-caste girl of any value one way or another. The blacks
would attack the hut at sundown when they saw the coast clear.

1 A blackfellow has hit the woman over the head with a big
stick or club. The woman is dead.

The white man would be angry at the destruction of his hut, he had
ridden after him to tell him, and also because safety lay with the white
man; but the girl--if there had been a horse in the little paddock, he
might possibly have brought her out of danger, but even as a blackfellow
he looked with contempt on a half-caste; and as a woman--well, a woman
was worth nothing as a woman. There were plenty more to be got. He lay
down on the ground, and lazily stretched himself out at full length.
There was nothing more to be got out of him.

Stanesby kicked him, and went for his horse.

"This is terrible!" he said, in a hoarse, husky whisper. "That poor
child! Old man, I ought to have taken your advice. My God! Why did you
let me leave her?"

Turner was saddling his own horse, and asking himself the self-same
question. That girl's blood was on his head he felt, and yet--and
yet--it was no business of his. Stanesby had declared all safe.

"What are you going to do?"

"Going straight back, of course."

"We'll be too late. Jimmy certainly said at sundown."

"He may be wrong, you know; besides, there's no trusting these devils.
They might have changed their minds. You 'll help me, old man, won't
you?"

"Of course."

It took but a few moments to prepare for that journey back. Each man saw
that his revolvers were loaded, saddled his horse, and they were ready.
The horse Jimmy had ridden was done.

"Shall we leave him?" said Stanesby, contemptuously stirring him with
his foot.

"No, by Jove! no," said his companion, "we must have him. He knows