n, with a strong door to it, and a padlock; it seemed the only
building that there was any care taken about. A man opened the door of
the hut and looked out.

'Look sharp,' says Jim. 'Is the horse all right and fit?'

'Fit enough to go for the Hawkesbury Guineas. I was up and fed him three
hours ago. He's----'

'Bring him out, and be hanged to you,' says Jim; 'we've no time for
chat.'

The man went straight to the barn, and after a minute or two brought out
a horse--the same I'd ridden from Gippsland, saddled and bridled, and
ready to jump out of his skin. Jim leaned forward and put something into
his hand, which pleased him, for he held my rein and stirrup, and then
said--

'Good luck and a long reign to you,' as we rode away.

All this time Starlight had sat on his horse in the shade of a tree a
good bit away. When we started he rode alongside of us. We were soon in
a pretty fair hand-gallop, and we kept it up. All our horses were good,
and we bowled along as if we were going to ride for a week without
stopping.

What a ride it was! It was a grand night, anyway I thought so. I blessed
the stars, I know. Mile after mile, and still the horses seemed to go
all the fresher the farther they went. I felt I could ride on that way
for ever. As the horses pulled and snorted and snatched at their bridles
I felt as happy as ever I did in my life. Mile after mile it was all the
same; we could hear Rainbow snorting from time to time and see his star
move as he tossed up his head. We had many a night ride after together,
but that was the best. We had laid it out to make for a place we knew
not so far from home. We dursn't go there straight, of course, but nigh
enough to make a dart to it whenever we had word that the coast was
clear.

We knew directly we were missed the whole countryside would be turned
out looking for us, and that every trooper within a hundred miles would
be hoping for promotion in case he was lucky enough to drop on either of
the Marstons or the notorious Starlight. His name had been pretty well
in every one's mouth before, and would be a little more before they were
done with him.

It was too far to ride to the Hollow in a day, but Jim had got a place
ready for us to keep dark in for a bit, in case we got clear off.
There's never any great trouble in us chaps finding a home for a week
or two, and somebody to help us on our way as long as we've the notes to
chuck about. All the worse in the long run.