."

The black quickly understood that we had some matter of importance to
communicate, but it took much longer to make him comprehend what we
wanted him for. Paddy, however, succeeded at length; and he set off
with us for the village.

On arriving, that there might be no mistake, I took Pullingo into the
house and showed him the children's empty beds, and then pointed along
the shore in the direction they were supposed to have taken. He thought
for some minutes, and then looking about, found a piece of rope: he soon
made us understand that it was much too short for what he wanted, and
seemed highly pleased when we took him into the store-house, where he at
once selected a long coil. He then touched Mudge, Burton, Doyle, and me
on the shoulder, and signified that he wished us to accompany him.
Before setting out, however, he made signs that he should like something
to eat, and seemed highly pleased when we gave him some broiled fish,--
which he quickly swallowed, though he had had a quantity of kangaroo
flesh on the previous evening.

My father would have accompanied us, but was unwilling to leave my
mother. "I entrust the search to you, Mudge," he said; "and I am sure
that you will spare no effort to recover the children, should their
lives have been mercifully preserved."

Pullingo having inquired by signs whether we were ready, we set out.
Instead, however, of taking the way along the shore, he turned up the
river towards his own camp, and then ascended the cliff.

"I wonder, after all, whether he really understands that we are in
search of Edith and Pierce," I observed to Paddy Doyle.

"No doubt about it, sir," was the answer; "you'll see when we get to the
top that he'll go along the cliff. Maybe he knows some way down that we
haven't discovered; or there is some place or other into which he thinks
the children have tumbled and can't get out again."

On reaching the top of the cliff, however, Pullingo, instead of keeping
close to the edge, started off in a direction which would lead us, I
saw, to a spot some way along the coast, beyond the point, I calculated,
where the bushranger had fallen over. Had I not been so anxious about
the fate of my brother and sister, I should have been amused at the air
of importance with which the savage strutted on at the head of the
party, evidently feeling himself infinitely superior to us. He held a
lance in his left hand; a tall feather was stuck in his bushy hair; n