e remark
of approval or disapproval was uttered, they could not make up their
minds how to proceed. Several of them would have given much to peep
into the notebook which those quiet-looking young men held in their
hands. Refreshing themselves and their steeds at a stock-keeper's hut,
they returned home late in the evening, satisfied that a large amount of
rascality had been going forward, and that it would require great
judgment and determination on their part to put matters to right. The
next day and the following were employed in the same manner. Each day
confirmed them more and more in their opinion. For the present,
however, they could only watch the proceedings of the men under them.
They could not dismiss the whole of them, nor could they ascertain who
were the most guilty. That the overseer was a great scoundrel they had
no doubt, and they therefore agreed that he must at once be got rid of.
James had written an account of the state of things to Mr Prentiss, but
doubted whether to entrust it to Larry Killock, who had so completely
identified himself with the other men, that they thought it probable he
might give it to them to read, and so put them on their guard. They
were still in this state of doubt when the time arrived for Larry to
take his departure. They were sitting in the hut at supper, the work of
the day over, no one but Sam being near, when the Irishman put his head
in at the door. Looking round, and assuring himself that they were the
only occupants of the building, he approached them with his former civil
manner.

"It's all pretence, yer honours," he whispered, with his hand to his
nose. "They're big rascals, every mother's son of them; and I'd give my
right hand to be allowed to stop, if I thought that they'd be doing you
any mischief; but I don't think they'll dare to work you harm. The
worst of them hasn't come yet, and when he does, he'll try to make you
believe that he's the most honest man alive. But, whist, there's some
one coming. If you'd have the goodness to kick me out of the hut, and
call me an impudent thief of the world, it would keep up appearances."

The brothers heartily thanked the Irishman; but were not obliged to
fulfil his last request, as he managed to run out of the hut before any
one appeared. The following evening, while they were sitting as before,
at supper, a horse's hoofs were heard approaching, and soon afterwards a
man of middle age, dressed in the usual