e dead revenge themselves upon the
living if so disposed?"

"If that is your belief, how do you reconcile the fact of your having
killed so many bushrangers, and yet escape their persecutions?" I
inquired.

"Simply because the bad have not the power to injure the good."

I laughed so heartily at the explanation, that even my friend suffered
his grim visage to relax a little.

"You may smile," he said, "but it's just as I tell you."

I saw that he was in earnest, so let the matter drop--but the
conversation was afterwards renewed and discussed in all its lights and
bearings, but still without arriving at any satisfactory conclusion.

It was near twelve o'clock when we reached the river, which was about
three feet deep and forty wide. After hunting for some time we
discovered the ford, and crossed without difficulty. We found ourselves
in an immense grazing district, where ten thousand sheep could have been
pastured without trouble or fear of their suffering for food.

The difficulty which we then experienced was to find the right path that
was to lead us to the salt lick, but even that was overcome at length,
and we galloped along the trail which we supposed that Bill meant, with
bright anticipations of a successful termination of our mission.

Suddenly Mr. Brown reined up, and called to me to stop a moment.

"If I am not mistaken," he said, pointing with his whip towards a
cluster of gum tress and bushes that stood upon a small mound near our
right, "I saw a human being dodge behind one of those trees, after
watching us for a few minutes."

"Let us make an examination," I replied. "We want no spies upon our
actions in this matter, and if we are to be followed, we had better find
out what is wanted." I turned my horse's head as I spoke, and was
riding in the direction indicated, when my friend stopped me.

"Don't be rash in this matter, for we don't know how many men are
concealed in that clump of bushes, watching our movements. Let us ride
on and stop when concealed by those trees in the distance. From that
place we can watch movements in this quarter securely."

I considered Mr. Brown's advice the best, and we adopted it without
further discussion. Once or twice I looked back, but I could see nothing
that would excite suspicion, and I began to think that my friend's fears
were groundless.

When once concealed, however, beneath the shadow of the trees we
dismounted, and watched patiently--and were present