She obeyed him, rose slowly to her feet, and in another instant darted
aside, and, breaking through the circle of myalls, plunged into the
scrub towards the creek. But before she had gone twenty yards one of
them had seized her by her loosened hair, and a long pent-up scream
burst from her lips.

Again the filthy skin was thrown over her head, then her hands were
quickly tied behind her with a strip of bark.

Sandy lifted her up in his arms, and he, Daylight, and their followers
plunged into the forest and set off towards the mountains.

CHAPTER XIII ~ ON THE SCENT

Through the blackness of the night and the pouring rain Grainger and
Scott made their way down the right bank of the creek to where, a mile
or a mile and a half away, was a thick scrub of sandalwood trees, in
which they imagined the terrified horses had taken refuge. The rushing,
foaming waters guided them on their way, though every now and then they
had to make a detour round the heads of some gullies, which were bank
high with backwater from the swollen creek. As soon as there was a lull
in the storm they again _Coo-eed_, but received no answer from Jacky.
Grainger, who had the most implicit faith in the judgment of his
blackboy, now began to fear that the horses, instead of making for the
scrub, had gone towards the mountains, where it would perhaps be most
difficult to get them. However, there was nothing to be done but to
first examine the scrub, and then to see what had become of Jacky. Both
he and Scott had brought their bridles with them, and the blackboy,
they knew, had his as well, and they were hoping that at any moment they
might meet him driving the horses back to the camp.

By the time the scrub was reached the storm had begun to break somewhat,
for although rain still fell heavily, the wind was losing its violence;
and presently, to their satisfaction, they heard Jacky's voice shouting
somewhere near them.

"Where are you?" called out Scott.

"Here, on cattle camp, in middle of scrub. I been catch old Euchre and
two more horse, but can't find other pack-horse and bay filly and roan
colt. I 'fraid they been go 'way back up mountain."

They found him engaged in tying up the foreleg of Scott's horse with
strips of his shirt. The animal, when racing along in the dark, had
fallen and out itself badly from knee to hoof. Grainger examined the
injury, and saw that, although the poor creature was very lame, it could
easily be led to the