le with his left.

The funeral procession slowly wound its way in a westerly direction
among the black rocks over the softest and smoothest ground to avoid
making any noise. There was no telling what stockman or
cattle-stealer the devil might send at any moment to meet the
murderer among the lonely Rises, and even in the darkness his
horrible burden would betray him. Nosey was disturbed by the very
echo of his horse's steps; it seemed as if somebody was following him
at a little distance; perhaps Julia, full of woman's curiosity; and
he kept peering round and looking back into the darkness. In this
way he travelled about a mile and a half, and then dismounting,
lowered the body to the ground, and began to look for some suitable
hiding place. He chose one among a confused heap of rocks, and by
lifting some of them aside he made a shallow grave, to which he
dragged the body, and covered it by piling boulders over and around
it. He struck several matches to enable him to examine his work
carefully, and closed up every crevice through which his buried
treasure might be visible.

The next morning Nosey was astir early. He had an important part to
act, and he was anxious to do it well. He first examined the axe and
cleaned it well, carefully burning a few of Baldy's grey hairs which
he found on it. Then he searched the floor for drops of blood, which
he carefully scraped with a knife, and washed until no red spot was
visible. Then he walked to Baldy's and pretended to himself that he
was surprised to find it empty. What had happened the previous night
was only a dream, an ugly dream. He met an acquaintance and told him
that Baldy was neither in his hut nor with his sheep.

The two men called at old Sharp's hut to make enquiries. The latter
said, "I seen Baldy's sheep yesterday going about in mobs, and nobody
to look after them." Then the three men went to the deserted hut.
Everything in it seemed undisturbed. The dog was watching at the
door, and they told him to seek Baldy. He pricked up his ears,
wagged his tail, and looked wistfully in the direction of Nosey's
hut, evidently expecting his master to come in sight that way.

The men went to the nearest magistrate and informed him that the
shepherd was missing. A messenger went to the head station.
Enquiries were made at the township, and it was found that Baldy had
been to Nyalong the previous day, and had left in the evening
carrying two bottles of gin.