men may be tied to trees in the bush;
they may be starving to death while we talk here. Therefore let us unite
in helping the searchers to get away without delay."

A movement was now made towards the Town Hall, and while the volunteers
of the search-party were being enrolled two committees of citizens were
being formed in the Town Clerk's office--the one to finance, and the
other to equip, the expedition.

While these things were going forward, there stood apart from the crowd
four men, who conversed in low voices.

"It's about time, mates, we got a bend on."

"Dolly, you make me tired. I ask you, was there ever such a chance. All
the traps in the town will be searching for these unfortunate missin'
men. We'll have things all our own way, an' you ask us to 'git.'"

"'Strewth, Garstang, you're a glutton. S'far's I'm concerned, I've got
as much as I can carry. I don't want no more."

The four comrades in crime had completely changed their appearance. They
were dressed in new, ready-made suits, and wore brand-new hats, besides
which they had shaved their faces in such a manner as to make them
hardly recognisable.

Dolphin, who, besides parting with his luxuriant whiskers and moustache,
had shaved off his eyebrows, remarked, with the air of a man in deep
thought, "But there's no steamer leaving port for two days--I forgot
that. It seems we'll have to stay that long, at any rate."

"And I can't bear bein' idle--it distresses me," said Sweet William.

"This'll be the last place where they'll look for us," remarked Carnac.
"You take it from me, they'll search the diggings first."

"When they've found the unfortunate men, they'll be rampin' mad to catch
the perpetrators." This from Dolphin.

A rough, bluff, good-natured digger pushed his way into the middle of
the group. "Come on, mates," he said; "put your names down for a fiver
each. It's got to be done." And seizing Garstang and Sweet William, he
pulled them towards the Town Hall.

"G'arn! Let go!" snarled Garstang.

"Whatyer givin' us?" exclaimed William, as she shook himself free. "The
bloke's fair ratty."

"Here! Hi!" Dolphin called to the enthusiastic stranger. "What's all
this about missing men? What's all the fuss about?--as like as not the
men are gone prospecting in the bush."

"A gold-buyer with 5000 oz. of gold doesn't go prospecting," replied the
digger. "Come and read the notice, man."

The four murderers lounged towards the Post Office, and