en on his trail until
this noon, when I lost it, and had good reason to believe that he had
cut across the country, intending to join a gang of bushrangers,
secreted in the forest. I thought that I should get information from the
old stockman; so I concluded to ride to his hut.

"To my surprise I saw that your horses were confined in the cattle pen,
and after frightening the old fellow's daughter almost to death, I
learned from her that you had been gone for two days on some kind of
treasure seeking, in which her father was to take the lead and point out
the money. I feared that, you had got caught in some kind of a trap, set
by the frequenters of these woods; so I determined, as I was no longer
on the trail of the murderer, to take a look at your operations, and, if
possible, lend a hand in getting the gold."

Murden laughed when he spoke of the treasure, and we almost feared that
he suspected us of keeping the secret from him.

"But where did you meet the stockman?" we asked.

"I am coming to the point of my narrative. We halted barely long enough
to water the animals, and get something to eat--in the latter, let me
assure you, the woman was pleased to lend her aid, and supplied us with
meat enough to feed a regiment; and when I told her that we did not need
so much, she begged that we would take what we did not want to her
father and Mr. Smith."

"To whom?" we asked, astonished.

"To Mr. Smith," replied Murden, gravely.

"Ho, ho, Smith!" we cried, "you have, it seems, been making a conquest,
and now, for the first time, we are to hear of it."

"I assure you," stammered Smith, "I had no idea that--"

"How long has it been going on, Smith?" we cried.

"There is nothing in it, I assure you; I never said much to her, any
way, and what few compliments I have paid her, are in fact--"

"Intended to mean nothing. Very well, Mr. Smith, I shall take care to
put the lady on her guard, the next time I see her," said Murden,
pretending to be serious.

"No, don't do that," cried Smith in alarm, "because I don't know but I
shall marry her, yet."

"Ah, if that is the case, I'll not interfere on any account. But
remember, I'm to be asked to the wedding."

"I'll not forget," Smith said; and after that affair was satisfactorily
concluded, Murden went on with his story.

"I accepted of her offering, and agreed to convey a portion of a baked
lamb to her friend Mr. Smith, and I am bound to say that neither of you
gentle