olter, and get Reginald to come with me," answered Harry.

"Reginald! He's no use; he will never keep up with you, and the chances
are that he is pitched off before you have galloped a mile. Get Mr
Hayward or Sandy to go with you," said Paul.

"They are both away just now," answered Harry; "but why can't you get a
fresh horse and go yourself?"

"Look here," the girls heard Paul say; "one of the black fellows dashed
a spear, and gave me this ugly scratch on the side, and I should be
foolish to attempt riding so far. I must go in and get mother to doctor
it."

The young ladies, on hearing this, were naturally much alarmed. Mary
was about to call to her brothers, but they were already beyond hearing;
so she, followed by the rest of the party, hastened to the house that
she might break the intelligence to her mother.

CHAPTER FIVE.

PAUL COMES HOME WOUNDED--PREPARE FOR AN EXPECTED ATTACK--HECTOR
MISSING--THE BOYS GO IN SEARCH OF HIM--BIDDY GIVES THE ALARM--ROB AND
EDGAR AGREE TO KEEP WATCH--THE WAY THEY DO SO--ARRIVAL OF THE BLACK
POLICE AND THEIR OFFICER.

As soon as Mary arrived at home she told her mother what she had heard;
and lint, salve, and bandages were speedily got ready.

Paul's pale cheek when he arrived showed that he was suffering
considerably, though he made light of the wound.

"Oh! it's nothing!" he said, trying to laugh. "A black fellow's spear
merely grazed my side, though had not Polly swerved at that moment it
would have stuck into her neck."

"It is a mercy, my boy, that it did not strike you in the back," said
Mrs Hugh Berrington, examining the wound, which she thought far more
severe than Paul was inclined to suppose it.

"I had been looking after some cattle which had strayed from one of the
herdsmen, a new hand," he said, "when I suddenly found myself close to a
mob of strange blacks, the very same, I suspect, Harry and I met with
when hunting up Old Bolter. Knowing the imprudence of trusting myself
among them, I immediately turned my horse's head and galloped off, but
not until several spears had been hurled at me. I felt one pop through
my clothes, but I thought that it had given me only a slight scratch.
On reaching Jenkins's station, wishing to warn him of the vicinity of
the black fellows, I looked about everywhere, but could not find him,
and therefore came on that information might be sent to the police
without delay, in order that they might proceed in search of the