f of the pests, and returned to the
fire. Nobody now disputed the right of ownership to the log, for it was
fairly alive with ants. Joe was sore all over and in a bad temper, until
some one offered to give him some whiskey to rub in his wounds. Joe
bargained he should drink it in preference, which he did and was soon
restored to good-humour.

For the second time the five people who are on the search for one
another found themselves in each others' company and were unaware that
this was the case. The two men with swags were the boys. They had left
their trap in charge of a man camped half-a-mile down the creek, and
disguising themselves a second time, in order not to be recognized by
Joe, appeared as tramps. They had started for Chinchilla, but missed the
road and had not found out their error until they had gone some fourteen
miles out of their way, when they met a tramp who told them. Picking him
up, they returned to the creek, hoping Wyck might have come back for his
buggy.

When Wyck's buggy broke down he was in a terrible rage, but he did not
take long to form fresh plans and, having told Joe enough to put him on
his guard, he went on his way, but not to Chinchilla. When the boys
drove up, he was hidden in a hollow log about twenty paces away, where
he could see and hear all that took place. Joe was up to snuff and sent
the boys on what he considered a wild-goose chase. When he had let the
boys get fairly out of sight Wyck walked along the road in the hope of
coming across a Jew hawker, whom a horseman had told him was travelling
that route. Nor was he disappointed, for Abrahams came in sight. A
five-pound note was exchanged, and Abrahams agreed to take him and his
buggy back to Dalby. Wyck then got up alongside the driver. Although he
was very uneasy, he had no idea his enemies were so close to him,
neither had Hil any conception who the man was she had shewn how to
unharness the horses. Wyck had palled up with Joe in the train, and
retained him to shew the way. Joe in return had improved Wyck's get-up,
so that he now looked quite the bushman, as he lounged by the fire.

In the interval between the yarns all had been spinning, Wyck said to
Abrahams, with a wink:

"Wonder how that poor devil is getting on?"

"Which, that fellow who owned the trap?"

"Yes. He'll never see Chinchilla to-night, if I'm not mistaken."

"Where did you meet him?" asked Joe of Abrahams.

"About two miles from here."

"What was he