ut we're so sure of his returning almost immediately," urged Betty.

"Not so sure o' that, lass. No, we durstn't risk it, an' I can't think
of anything else. Poor Tolly! he'll stand a bad chance, for he's sure
to come gallopin' up, an' singin' at the top of his voice in his usual
reckless way."

"Cudn't we stick up a bit o' paper in the way he's bound to pass, wid a
big wooden finger to point it out and the word `notice' on it writ big?"

"Oh! I know what I'll do," cried Betty. "Tolly will be sure to search
all over the place for us, and there's one place, a sort of half cave in
the cliff, where he and I used to read together. He'll be quite certain
to look there."

"Right, lass, an' we may risk that, for the reptiles won't think o'
sarchin' the cliff. Go, Betty; write, `We're off to Simpson's Gully, by
the plains. Follow hard.' That'll bring him on if they don't catch
him--poor Tolly!"

In a few minutes the note was written and stuck on the wall of the cave
referred to; then the party set off at a brisk trot, Paul, Betty, and
Flinders in the cart, while Fred rode what its owner styled the spare
horse.

They had been gone about two hours, when Stalker, alias Buxley, and his
men arrived in an unenviable state of rage, for they had discovered
Flinders's flight, had guessed its object, and now, after hastening to
Bevan's Gully at top speed, had reached it to find the birds flown.

This they knew at once from the fact that the plank-bridge, quadrupled
in width to let the horse and cart pass, had been left undrawn as if to
give them a mocking invitation to cross. Stalker at once accepted the
invitation. The astute Bevan had, however, anticipated and prepared for
this event by the clever use of a saw just before leaving. When the
robber-chief gained the middle of the bridge it snapped in two and let
him down with a horrible rending of wood into the streamlet, whence he
emerged like a half-drowned rat, amid the ill-suppressed laughter of his
men. The damage he received was slight. It was only what Flinders
would have called, "a pleasant little way of showing attintion to his
inimy before bidding him farewell."

Of course every nook and corner of the stronghold was examined with the
utmost care--also with considerable caution, for they knew not how many
more traps and snares might have been laid for them. They did not,
however, find those for whom they sought, and, what was worse in the
estimation of some