nt was fully occupied with his prisoner.

"'Little crooked Cairns,' am I? There are those that look a jolly sight
smaller, and'll have a worse hump than mine for the rest of their born
days! Come nearer and turn your back."

And the revolver was withdrawn from its carrier on the stolen
constabulary belt. The bushranger was then searched for other weapons;
then marched into the bush at the pistol's point, and brought back
handcuffed to the Superintendent's bridle.

"That's the way you'll come marching home, my boy; and one of us on
horseback each side; don't trust _you_ in a saddle on a dark night!"

Indeed, it was nearly dark already, and in the nebulous middle-distance
a laughing jackass was indulging in his evening peal. Cairns jerked his
head in the direction of the unearthly cackle. "Lots of 'em down here in
Vic, I believe," said he, and at length turned his attention to the
bound man. "You see, I wanted to land him alive and kicking without
spilling blood," he continued, opening his knife. "That was why I had to
let him tie you up."

"You _let_ him?" thundered the Victorian, breaking his silence with a
bellow. It was as though the man with the knife had cut through the rope
into the bound man's body.

"Stand still," said he, "or I may hurt you. I had to let him, my good
fellow, or we'd have been dropping each other like bullocks. As it is,
not a scratch between us, though I found young Bowen in a pretty bad
way. Our friend had stuck up Jumping Creek barracks in the small hours,
put a bullet through Bowen's leg, and come away in his uniform. Pretty
tall, that, eh? I shouldn't wonder if you'd swing him for it alone, down
here in Vic; no doubt you've got to be more severe in a young Colony.
Well, I tracked my gentleman to the barracks, and I found Bowen in his
blood, sent my trooper for a doctor, and got on _your_ tracks before
they were half an hour old. I came up with you just as he'd stuck you
up. He had one in each hand. It wasn't quite good enough at the moment."

The knife shore through the rope for the last time, and it lay in short
ends all round the tree.

"Now my hands," cried Kilbride fiercely.

"I beg pardon?" said the satirical Superintendent.

"My hands, I tell you!"

"There's a little word they teach 'em to say at our State Schools.
Perhaps you never heard it down in Vic?"

"Don't be a silly fool," said Kilbride, wearily. "You haven't been
through what I have!"

"That's true," said Cairn