old Bob, "and, provided we keep
their arms lashed behind their backs, and their legs in limbo, they'll
not escape from where I'll put them."

The captive bushrangers cast angry glances at the speaker, but as their
mouths were still gagged, they could not express their feelings by
words.

Before we went in to see Bracewell, we had hauled them off their horses,
and under Bob's directions, dragged them into a hut, which had only one
door and one window. He then brought a couple of stout ropes, with
which we secured them to the posts which supported the roof, one on
either side of the hut, so that they could not reach each other. We
next drew the gags from their mouths, expecting that they would make the
first use of their tongues by abusing us, but they appeared to be too
dull and brutal even to do that. After closing the door and window, we
left them to their own devices.

"I'll take care that they don't get out during the night. If they try
that dodge, I'll send a bullet through their heads," muttered old Bob.

Bracewell, who had been asleep when we arrived, awoke as we entered,
delighted to see us, and insisted on getting up to do the honours of his
hut. Old Bob in the meantime was cooking supper, and a very
satisfactory one he managed to produce.

Our coming, as we expected, did our friend a great deal of good, and we
hoped that the medicine which the dominie brought would still further
restore him.

Old Bob insisted that a guard should be kept on the prisoners, and he
offered to stand watch for four hours, provided we three took the
remainder of the night between us. To this we could not object, though
when he aroused me, I confess that I got up very unwillingly.

I was thankful, however, that his advice was followed. While standing
before the door, I heard one of the fellows announce to his comrade that
he had got one of his arms free, and that in another minute he would set
him at liberty. Had they succeeded in doing this, they would have had
no difficulty in working their way out of the hut.

I at once opened the door, and walked up to the fellow with a pistol in
my hand. I found that he had really managed to get an arm free, though
the moment he saw me he placed it behind him.

I shouted to old Bob, who quickly came to my assistance, and we soon had
the fellow more securely fastened than before. We then examined the
other. Though he had evidently been trying his best to get out his
arms, he h