ter the table was cleared away, we lighted our pipes and
planned the business which was to occupy us early the next morning. Our
arrangements were soon completed and agreed upon. We readily came to the
conclusion to unload all of our baggage excepting what we should want
while absent; and instead of taking eight oxen, we concluded to take
only four, as that number could be provided for much easier than all of
them. We also concluded to leave our horses, and let the old man's
daughter keep her eyes on them during the day, and confine them in the
enclosure which was used for herding sheep during the night.

With this idea, we began making our preparations for an early start. Our
shovels and pickaxes were articles which we should want in digging, and
three days' provisions were also placed upon the cart, together with our
bedding and mosquito bars to prevent the insects from eating us alive
during our sleeping hours.

Our rifles were also examined, and at length satisfied that we were
ready for an early start, we bid our host and daughter good night and
retired to our usual sleeping place, under the cart, with Rover at our
feet, ready to give notice of the slightest appearance of danger.

It was still dark when the stockman aroused us, but a pale light in the
eastern heavens showed that day would soon break. Although we were tired
with our long journey, yet we did not stand a second call, and in an
hour's time after being aroused, we had despatched our hastily cooked
breakfast, and were on the road and urging the cattle towards the dark
and sombre appearing woods where the gang of Black Darnley had been
signally defeated.

It was about eight o'clock when we reached the place where we had
entered formerly. Every thing appeared as we had left it. The forest
path seemed to have been untrodden since the day when we had made a
funeral pile of the remains of the bushrangers, yet there was one
peculiarity that struck me as rather odd--the entire absence of parrots,
whose croakings used to attract our attention, and whose plumage, gaudy
and varied, commanded our admiration.

While Smith unyoked the cattle and chained them to a tree, under which a
good supply of grass was to be had, I took my rifle, and calling to
Rover, started towards the bushrangers' camp, or rather where it had
stood before we had given it to the flames.

I had not walked ten rods before I thought I saw the figure of a man
glide from behind a tree and dis