ecoiled a step.

Then he swore a big black oath, and his right hand went to his hip. It
was an unwise action; the Missing Link anticipated the evil intention and
fired. A second revolver fell from Mr. Heeley's right hand. Dan's
shooting arm was broken.

The Missing Link advanced with movements and howls significant of
horrible ferocity. Dan Heeley backed before it, white to the lips. At
this point the Professor plucked up courage and advanced upon Heeley.

Dan offered no resistance, his arm was broken, and he was completely
paralysed by the insistence of the monster attacking him. Five minutes
later Dan, Heeley, the Bold Birragua Boy, was securely tied to a tree,
with about three fathoms of inch manila, and the Professor's cash box,
with its proper contents increased by certain sums that were illegally
Heeley's, was safely bestowed in its locker again.

"What was the price you said the Government had put on your head, Dan, my
boy?" asked Professor Thunder. "Two hundred and fifty of the best? It's
mine, Daniel."

Heeley made no reply; his frightened eyes were fixed on the man-monkey
cowering in the shade, with the revolver tight in its right hand.

"The Missing Link will watch over you to-night, Dan," continued the
Professor, jauntily. "He's as strong as ten men, so don't try tricks with
him."

But the Professor did not get that L250. At day-break, to Heeley's great
amazement, the huge monkey cut him free, and made no attempt to resist
his flight. Nicholas Crips had very satisfactory reasons for not being
mixed up in a long, legal ceremonial such as the handing of Heeley over
to the police would have entailed. Nicholas remembered a certain strange
adventure in Bigg's Buildings, and his desire was to give the police of
Victoria as wide a berth as the most exclusive officer could possibly
long for.

CHAPTER XII.

A CURIOUS MISCHANCE AT BULLFROG.

PROFESSOR THUNDER freely admitted that Nickie the Kid was by far the best
Missing Link he had ever met.

"There ain't your equal in the whole profession, my boy," he said,
clapping the man-monkey heartily between the shoulder blades, "and if you
go on improving your interpretation and developing the character, by the
Lord Harry, I believe it'll be worth our while to do a world's tour one
of these days."

In consideration of Mahdi's perfections the Professor had twice
generously raised his salary by half a-crown a week.

"There isn't a Woolly Man o' the Woods o