land, and then returned cautiously to the bridge for the purpose of
relieving the ghost of his distress, but, to our surprise, Mr. Brown's
gray horse and the supernatural gentleman were not to be seen.

"If the d----d humbug has not run off with my horse!" muttered my
friend, indignant at his loss.

"I don't believe it," I replied; "he has probably retired to the shade
of those palm trees, seeing that no chance presented itself for getting
the animal to us."

"I hope so," Mr. Brown said, "but fear the fellow is a horse thief, and
having accomplished his object, will never return to this locality."

I didn't think so, but there was no use attempting to convince Mr. Brown
of his error, and while we were discussing the matter, we had the
supreme dissatisfaction of seeing ten well-armed men _debouch_ from the
group of palm trees, and, with heads bent to the ground, follow the
tracks of our horses towards the bridge.

"We are in a pretty condition for a siege," muttered my friend as he
thought of the bushrangers attempting to starve us into a surrender,
knowing very well that they would never attack us in our almost
invulnerable position.

"Be quiet, and let us watch their motions," I replied.

We were not so far from the main land but we could hear every word if
spoken in an ordinary tone, for, as I said before, the night was
unusually calm and quiet.

"D----n it, don't I know a horse's track from a bullock's?" we heard one
of the bushrangers say, as though he was remonstrating with his
companions. "I tell you here's the prints of three horses' feet, and
I'll leave it to any native in Australia. I've taken lessons from 'em in
my lifetime, I have."

If the fellow's story was correct, he could not have learned from a more
patient race, for the Australians can track a man through a wilderness,
and can see signs of footprints that a European would never discover. If
a blade of grass is turned, the native stops and examines it, and can
tell within a few hours the length of time that has expired since it was
trodden on. If half a dozen grains of sand are displaced from the
burning prairies, the native sets himself at work, and can tell what
kind of an animal has passed that way, and whether fat or lean, alarmed
or unconcerned. They can find their way through a wilderness, and resist
hunger and thirst with marvellous fortitude; and while others sink under
the influence of burning heat, the native Australian, with head ba