d had other work in view, we gagged him, and had just
secured the wretch, when a low growl from the hound attracted our
attention.

"If this is the leader," whispered Smith, "you had better let me have a
clip at him first, as he is a man of great strength, and a regular
dare-devil!"

"You may pin his arms, while Jack looks out for his feet," replied Fred.

"I understand," answered Smith, and we fell back into the darkest shade
of the bushes, as Jim came in sight.

He walked with a hasty step towards the spot where his companions were
drinking, and we knew that they must be getting drunk quite fast, for
more than once had we heard their voices mingled with oaths and
execrations.

We stole after him, following on tiptoe to prevent our steps from being
audible, and at a given signal, threw ourselves upon his burly form.

Although taken by surprise, he readily shook us off and gained his
liberty. Once did he free one of his arms from Smith's embrace, and
brought it down upon that unfortunate man's head with a clang that
sounded as though he had fractured his skull; the stout-hearted
Englishman only clung the closer.

Once the bushranger, by his desperate struggles, freed his neck from
Fred's vice-like compression; but instead of using his voice in calling
for help, as a more cowardly man would have done, he uttered fierce
invectives and expressions of defiance.

We bore him to the earth and closed his mouth, and threatened with
steel, but he still defied us; and not until his limbs were securely
bound, and a piece of Smith's flannel shirt was thrust into his mouth,
and the hound standing over him, expressing, by his deep growls, the
most intense desire to taste the robber's flesh, did he become calm and
submit to his fate with resignation.

"Curse you," muttered Smith, "what have you done with my goods?"

"Never mind the goods now, Smith," said Fred. "We shall find them all, I
think, when we capture the gang. Do you take care of the prisoners, and
above all things, keep them quiet. Jack and myself will take a near
survey of the rest of the robbers, and then return."

"I'll keep them quiet--never fear," replied Smith, and he glanced
towards his long knife in an unmistakable manner.

We followed the edge of the stream along for a few rods--each step
bringing us nearer the voices which we had heard while lying in ambush;
and although the bushrangers were sensible enough not to build a fire to
reveal their locati