re gravely gone through with, and I found that the grass
where they terminated bore no indications of having been disturbed. I
shook my head and expressed a decided opinion that no ground had been
broken there for a year, at the least calculation. Fred was of my
opinion, and began to have serious doubts of the truth of the story of
Gulpin.

I was still hopeful, and glanced over the opening to see if I could
discover signs of the earth having been recently disturbed. While I was
thus occupied, Rover was scratching among the bones which were
plentifully strewed around, and a sudden thought occurred to me. I
consulted the compass, and was glad to find that my surmises were not
contrary to the dying confession of Gulpin.

I paced off ten paces in a south-east direction, and the last step
brought me exactly in the midst of the bones and ashes of the
bushrangers.

I seized a spade and struck it into the ground, and was about to call my
companions' attention to the spot, when a sharp report was heard near at
hand, in the bushes, and a musket ball whizzed within two inches of my
head.

We were all too much accustomed to life in the bush to remain in open
ground when an unseen enemy was disposed to exercise his skill on one of
us, so that in less than half a second's time we were under cover, and
watching with tolerably sharp eyes for the first movement of the man who
had attempted to riddle my carcass with his confounded bullet.

For half an hour we waited, and not a leaf stirred. The dog had ranged
through the forest, and once, by his peculiar howl, we thought some
mishap had befallen him, but beyond a few spots of blood on his nose, he
appeared to be quite unharmed, and seemed anxious to again go in search
of our enemy.

Fearful that his life would be endangered, I kept him near me, and for
another half hour we waited, motionless, in anticipation of an attack,
yet none came.

Presently I heard a slight noise behind me, and turning suddenly, with
my rifle presented, I found that the muzzle was lodged against the head
of the stockman, who had been reconnoitring in the vicinity, and yet so
quietly that I was not aware that he had left the bush under which he
sought shelter.

"I have examined the bushes carefully, and no signs of a bushranger are
to be seen," the old man said, laying the long gun which he was
accustomed to use by his side, and brushing off a few specks of dust
which had collected on the barrel.

"It