felt strongly tempted
to turn back. If they could not stop with her, at least they might
have brought her along with them. She was defenceless; her blood was
no protection, rather the reverse. And then, when he turned to speak to
Stanesby, the recollection of his scornful, "It's open to you to stop
and look after her," tied his tongue. After all, it was not likely
Stanesby would have left if there was the slightest danger; he had lived
among these blacks, he understood them thoroughly; it was an insult to
the man he had known all his life to suppose anything else; and yet the
thought of the girl's loneliness haunted him. The moon set, and by the
starlight they saw looming up ahead some rocks, isolated rocks, roughly
piled together by some giant hand.

"We'll camp there," said Stanesby, "there's a little water down under
the rocks--about enough to keep life in the horses; there's some grass
and a bush or two to make a fire. What more could the heart of man
desire?"

Out in the bush not much time is wasted, and soon after they had halted
their blankets were spread, and they were asleep, or lying, if not
asleep, staring up at the bright starlit sky of the southern hemisphere.

But Turner could not sleep, it was worse than it had been the night
before. Why should he be haunted in this way? Why should he take
Stanesby's sins on his shoulders? The girl was all right, she must be
all right; why should she haunt his dreams, and keep him wakeful on
his hard bed, when he had a long journey still before him? Stanesby was
sleeping peacefully as a child. He could hear his deep breathing; if
there was anything to be feared he would not sleep like that. It was hot
still, very hot. This was an awful climate, a cruel life, and Stanesby
had done with it all. No wonder he slept soundly.

He sat up restlessly. A sound in the distance broke the stillness, then
he started, surely it was the trotting of a horse. He rubbed his eyes.
Their own three horses were there close beside them, he could see them
vague and indistinct in the gloom. They were there right enough. What
could this be? Who could be riding about at this time of night? They
were still a good forty miles from the head-station, and this horse was
coming from the opposite direction.

He put out his hand, and shook his companion awake.

"Some one's coming," he said shortly.

"Some one! Gammon! Good Lord!--"

There was no doubt about it, and he rose to his feet It was the ot