ib up here; the
fools won't forget me again in a hurry. And you, you devil, you sha'n't
forget me till your dying day!"

On Stingaree's off-side Sergeant Cameron was also hanging an insulted
head. But the bushranger laughed softly in his chest.

"Someone has got to do your dirty work," said he. "I did it that time,
and the Bishop has done it now; but you shouldn't blame me for helping
your fellows to bring a murderer to justice."

"You guyed me," said Cairns through his teeth. "I heard all about it.
You guyed me, blight your soul!"

Stingaree felt that he was missing a strong face finely convulsed with
passion--as indeed he was. But he had already committed the indiscretion
of a repartee, which was scarcely consistent with an attitude of extreme
despair. A downcast silence seemed the safest policy after all.

"It used to be forty miles to the Corner," he murmured, after a time.
"We can't have come more than ten."

"Not so much," snapped the Superintendent.

"Going to stop for feed at Mazeppa Station?"

"That's my business."

"It's a long day for three of you, in this heat, with two of us."

"The time won't hang heavy on _our_ hands."

"Not heavy enough, I should have thought. I wonder you didn't bring some
of the boys from Mulfera along with you."

Superintendent Cairns brayed his high, harsh laugh.

"Yes, you wonder, and so did they," said he. "But I know a bit too much.
There'll always be sympathy among scum like them for thicker scum like
you!"

"You're too suspicious," said Stingaree, mildly. "But I was thinking of
the Bishop and the boss."

"They've gone their own way," growled Cairns, "and it's just as well it
wasn't our way. I'd have stood no interference from them!"

That had been his attitude on the station. Stingaree had heard of his
rudeness to those to whom the whole credit of the capture belonged; the
man revealed his character as freely as an angry child; and, indeed, a
childish character it was. Arrogance was its strength and weakness: a
suggestion had only to be made to call down either the insolence of
office or the malice of denial for denial's sake.

"I wish you'd stop a bit at Mazeppa," whined Stingaree, drooping like a
candle in the heat.

The station roofs gleamed through the trees far off the track.

"Why?"

"Because I'm feeling sick."

"Gammon! You've got some friends there; on you push!"

"But you will camp somewhere in the heat of the day?"

"I'll do as I think fit