ling about the left knee, it was
apparent that I had been kicked while under the plunging mare. For nigh
three weeks I was unable to walk, and to this day I feel the effect of
that kick.

I was, perforce, obliged now to keep quiet, and was not over-sorry, for
the quarters were comfortable, and I was with my friends, and had
leisure to read and work. Our evenings by the fire were very enjoyable,
and many a story and song went round, or Butler would play while we
smoked.

One evening, I recollect, he told us a very remarkable ghost story, the
best authenticated, as he said, he had ever heard, and to those who
entertain the belief that the spirits of the departed have power to
revisit this earth for the accomplishment of any special purpose, the
story will be interesting.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE GHOST STORY--BENIGHTED IN THE SNOW.

Two young men--we will call them Jones and Smith, for
convenience--emigrated to New South Wales. They each possessed
sufficient money to start them, as they hoped, as young squatters, and
in due time they obtained what they sought.

Jones became the owner of a small cattle ranch fifty miles from
Melbourne, while Smith commenced sheep farming in partnership with an
experienced runholder, forty miles further inland.

The friends occasionally visited each other, but in those days the
settlers were few and months often passed without the cattle rancher
seeing his friend or anybody to speak to beside the one man he retained
on the station as hutkeeper, stockman, and general factotum.

It was about two years after Jones had settled on his ranch that his
friend Smith, requiring to visit Melbourne, decided to take Jones on his
way and stop a night with him.

He left his homestead early and arrived at the ranch late in the
afternoon. As he rode near he saw Jones sitting on the stockyard
toprail, apparently enjoying an evening pipe. On calling to him Jones
jumped down, but instead of coming to meet his friend he ran into the
bush (wood) close to the stockyard. Smith, supposing he was playing a
joke, dismounted and followed him; but neither hunting nor calling had
any effect--Jones was not to be found. Smith, thinking he might be
taking some short cut to the hut, which was a little way off, mounted
and proceeded thither. Here, again, he was disappointed, and on enquiry
from the hutkeeper learned from him that his master had left for
Melbourne and England a month previously, and that he-