going to let this feller confess Ben, 'cos I believe he's half
priest or parson, and I think it's hard if a man can't have a little
religion occasionally."

"Tie the prisoner up again," said Nosey, sternly, laying his hand
carelessly upon a pistol which was stuck in his belt.

"Shan't do any thing of the kind," replied the robber, firmly. "Old Ben
is going to die, and he wants religion before he starts. I'm not the one
to refuse him."

"Once more I tell you to make the prisoner fast to the tree," cried
Nosey, drawing the pistol and cocking it.

"Look a-here--is that your game?" demanded the humane robber; "let me
tell you that you had better put up the barker, 'cos I've got one that
can speak when it's told to."

The old bushranger drew a pistol and held it in his hand for a moment,
and then, turning to his companions, said,--

"You ain't going to see me shot 'cos I want to 'friend as good a man as
was ever transported? How do we know how soon we may want a prayer or
two to help fix things up in the other world."

"Let him have the prayers," muttered the gang, with one accord. "What
harm can they do?"

Thus backed up, the old robber, who had formerly been a sailor,
continued to unbind my hands, while Nosey replaced his pistol without
further remonstrance.

I knelt by the side of the dying man, but he was past consciousness, and
no longer appeared to heed what was going on around. His tongue had
swollen to such an extent that his jaws were open to their fullest
width, and it was impossible to close them. His eyes were set and nearly
concealed in their sockets, so rapidly had his face bloated from the
effects of the poisonous virus that was coursing through his veins.

I spoke to him, but he did not heed me, and in answer to the robbers'
questions, I predicted his speedy death. They received the news with
great coolness, and fell back to their old occupation of smoking pipes,
leaving me alone with the body.

For a few minutes I sat there endeavoring to relieve the poor fellow's
sufferings by welting his lips with water, and while I was thus engaged
I was startled by hearing a slight rustling in the bushes; I looked up,
thinking that the companion of the dead snake was about to visit us in
search of its mate, and as I did so, I caught a glimpse of the wrinkled
face of the stockman. I did not start or manifest symptoms of surprise,
for I had lived too long in a country where Indians were my nearest
neighbors