rne."

I knew what he wanted me to do, but I feared that we should waste too
much valuable time. He looked hard at me to see if I was not intending
to urge him to take the lady with us, but as I smoked on in silence, he
did not continue the conversation.

We were all tired enough at sundown to stretch our weary limbs upon the
ground, and endeavor to sleep in peace for one night. To prevent our
being surprised, sentinels were stationed around the hut, with orders to
keep their eyes open, and report if any thing of a suspicious character
was seen.

Whether they acted up to the orders is more than I know, but of one
thing I'm positive. After I rested my head upon my knapsack, I did not
awaken until I felt a hand laid upon my shoulder, when, starting up, I
found that Murden was standing by my side.

"Day is just breaking," he said; "I am sorry to disturb you, but you
know we must be on the march to Melbourne by sunrise. Have breakfast
with us for the last time, and then we'll to the saddle."

I could not resist the temptation, and when I had packed my blankets, I
found that the policemen had nearly completed their arrangements for
breakfast, and were feeding the prisoners with the remnants of last
night's repast.

Coffee was swallowed hastily, and then the clear, ringing notes of the
bugle gave the signal for bringing up the horses.

"You surely don't intend to make these poor devils walk all the way?" I
asked of the lieutenant, just before he started.

"They will have to walk until we come across teams on the road to
Melbourne, and then I shall let them ride. There is no other way that I
can do," he replied.

Even while we were talking, the bugle sounded to mount, so anxious were
the men to reach the city.

"There will be a large amount of money placed to your credit," Murden
said. "Remember that each bushranger killed or taken prisoner is worth
one hundred pounds."

"We hope we shall never be poor enough to ask for it," Fred replied.

"I hope that you never will be in want, certainly," Murden said, "but I
do hope that your sensibilities will not prevent you from accepting that
which is legally your own. I have no time to argue with you more, but in
less than a month I shall be at Ballarat, when we will further discuss
the subject."

"You will have business there at that time?" I asked.

"I think that I shall. The miners have suddenly become convinced that it
is not right to pay government taxes for the p