ch
to find out, and what there is, he's not likely to tell me. From
what you say, I should guess that he had had a bad master, and had
run away."

"But the captain said he had good testimonials," Miss Hudson
persisted.

"As to testimonials," the gentleman said, "anyone can write a
testimonial."

"How suspicious you are, Captain Wilson!" the girl laughed. "That's
the worst of being a police officer, and having to do with
criminals. You think whoever you come across is a rogue, until you
find out he is an honest man. Now, I think everyone is honest, till
I find him out to be a rogue."

"My way is the safest," the officer laughed. "At any rate, on board
this ship there are five rogues to each honest man."

"Ah, but that's not a fair average," the girl objected. "Of course,
in the colony one has to be careful, considering that half the
shepherds and stockmen are convicts, and I must own that the
natives are nearly all thieves; but how could it be otherwise, when
England sends all its rogues out to us? You see, when free labour
gets more abundant, and we can do without convicts, the colonists
will protest against it."

"Very likely they will," the officer agreed; "but what is England
to do, if she has nowhere to send her rogues?"

"That is her business," Miss Hudson said carelessly. "There is no
reason why they should be shoved on to us. In the old time, when
there were no colonies, England managed somehow, and I suppose she
could do so again."

"She managed in a very short way," Captain Wilson said. "She hung
them as fast as she caught them. It did not matter much what the
offence was, whether stealing a loaf or killing a man; but she
could hardly go back to that, now."

"No, she could not," Miss Hudson agreed; "but I have no doubt she
can find something useful for them to do, when she has to keep them
at home.

"Don't you think so, captain?"

"I daresay she could," the captain answered. "Certainly, if I were
a colonist living in a lonely part of the country, I should object
to transportation for, what with the natives and bush rangers and
bad characters generally, no one can say their life is safe."

"Oh, it's not so bad as that, captain!" Miss Hudson said
indignantly. "You are giving the place a bad character."

"I think Captain Wilson will agree it's a true one," the captain
said, smiling.

"Eh, Captain Wilson?"

"I am afraid so," the latter replied. "I know they keep me pretty
busy. However, afte