rt myself to the police of Sydney, for I was determined
to win all the honor, or sustain all the disgrace, of an encounter with
Darnley. Perhaps afterwards I felt sorry that I had not obtained
assistance, but I never acknowledged it to those in authority. I made an
excuse that was considered sufficient for my course, and there the
matter rested.

"About twelve o'clock on the day that we reached Sydney, we discovered
our men trudging along the road, disguised in a manner that at first
almost deceived me, and I called myself well acquainted with the persons
of Darnley and Steel Spring. I allowed them to get within a few feet of
us, when I suddenly called upon them to stop. Up to this time it was
evident that neither suspected us, but upon my speaking, I saw Darnley's
hand thrust into his bosom, and I knew what he was searching for.

"'You are our prisoners,' I said, covering the person of Darnley with a
pistol that I had never known to fail me.

"'You are mistaken in your men,' he answered, edging away from my horse.

"'It's no mistake," I replied; "I arrest you, Black Darnley, for the
murder of two miners.'

"Still keeping my eyes upon the bushranger, and suffering my men to
attend to Steel Spring, who cowed as though overwhelmed by despair, I
disengaged one foot from the stirrup, and was just about dismounting,
when I saw the villain draw a pistol and aim at me. He was so quick that
I had no time to defend myself; but his rapid movement started the
horse, and he shied just enough to save me and receive the contents of
the pistol.

"The poor brute bounded and dashed against my companions, overturning
two of them, and nearly unhorsing the other; and while I was picking
myself up from the road, where I had been thrown, I heard a hoarse
laugh, and saw Darnley and Steel Spring bounding over a fence that
enclosed a number of acres of growing grain.

"Frantic with rage, I sighted them with my pistol, but the cap alone
exploded; and before I could draw another, the murderers were out of
sight. I looked towards my companions, to ask why they did not use their
weapons, and I found that two of them were just picking themselves up
from the middle of the road, and the third was going towards Sydney at a
rapid rate, and in despite of his utmost exertions to stop the animal
upon which he was mounted.

"I shouted to the men to follow me, but only one obeyed; the other had
broken an arm in his fall, and was groaning over it pit