Hurry through your suppers, men, and bring up
the animals. In fifteen minutes we start, and there will be no rest
until we reach Boomerang River."

"Come and share my supper--there's not much of a variety, but what there
is you are welcome to," Murden said, turning to us, after he had given
his order.

"You did well," whispered Fred, as we followed the officer to the hut;
"don't let him grow cold."

"We've said enough for once; let him allude to the subject the next
time, or he will suspect," Fred rejoined, in the same low tone; and
without renewing the conversation, we sat down upon the floor of the
hut, and ate our beefsteak, broiled upon coals, and drank our strong
coffee, with a peculiar relish.

There was no allusion to the dead robber we had just buried, and, in
fact, Murden already appeared to have forgotten that there ever existed
such a person. But if his memory was so defective, mine was not, and I
could hear the last words of the bushranger ringing in my ears, as he
gasped for breath, and exclaimed, "Ten paces in the south--"

The gold cross, too, which I had taken from the dead man's neck, seemed
to sear my bosom, and parch the skin, so heated did I fancy it grew when
my thoughts wandered to the dying man and his buried treasure.

"What are we to do with these goods, which make such a display?" I asked
of Murden, glancing around at the miscellaneous collection which
surrounded us.

"Return all but the wine and provisions to the hole from whence they
came, and let government send after them," answered Murden.

"And the wine?" I asked.

"We'll take it with us, and drink it on our way to the city. We shall,
by that means, prevent some other party from being led into temptation."

Many hands made light work of returning the goods to the secret cell, as
there was not much formality in stowing them, and then the floor boards
were replaced, and we were ready to start on our long journey.

"Are we all ready?" asked our commander.

"All ready, sir," was the answer, and a loud crack of Smith's whip, as
he touched up one of the leading oxen, which appeared too eager to start
before the word was given, made us think of the time when we first left
Melbourne under his guidance.

"Then forward we go!" cried Murden; and we had got some paces from the
hut, when a shrill voice exclaimed,--"O, don't leave me--go to
thunder--who cares for bushrangers? Bimbo--Bimbo--where's Bimbo?" "I
had forgotten the parrot; w