pable of motion; but in another second he bounded to the side of the
cattle, and with nervous fingers was unhitching the yokes and turning
the brutes loose upon the wide prairies, to feed upon the rank grasses
which abounded on the sides of the stream.

CHAPTER X.

DESPERATE DEEDS OF TWO CONVICTS.--LIEUT. MURDEN'S STORY.

The sun was pouring down with Australian brilliancy and power, but we
cared but little for the heat, if we could gain the scene of the battle
before a gang of bushrangers reached the spot, and concealed the bodies.
It was, therefore, with considerable uneasiness that we saw the
lieutenant of police coolly dismount from his horse, throw the bridle to
one of his men, with directions to remove the saddles from the animals,
and let them drink their fill at the stream, and afterwards be allowed
to graze on the rank grass.

"How is this?" I asked; "are we not to start immediately? Delays are
dangerous."

"Patience, my friends," returned the officer, leading the way towards
the stockman's hut. "I value your lives too much to think of asking you
to undertake a jaunt of twelve or thirteen miles at noonday, when the
sun is hottest."

"But we are capable of the task," replied Fred, energetically.

"I have no doubt of it, gentlemen; but if you can endure heat and
privation, my men and horses cannot. Why, before we could gain the edge
of yonder wood, half of the men would be sun-struck, and two-thirds of
the animals would expire for the want of water. No, no, trust to me, and
let us take the cool of the evening."

"But we shall reach the woods too late to make an investigation," I
said.

"It is very probable," answered the officer, entering the hut, where the
convict's daughter was lying on a rude bedstead, made of the skin of an
ox.

"But have you no fear of an ambuscade?" exclaimed Fred, who began to
entertain an opinion that the lieutenant was not well posted on the
subject of bush-fighting.

"Not in the least," replied the Englishman, removing his coat and heavy
sword belt, and stretching himself on a box.

"O, then you will keep skirmishers in advance of the main body, I
suppose?" Fred said.

"No," answered the officer, lighting his pipe: and then, observing an
expression of surprise on our faces, he continued,--

"Do you take me for such a greenhorn as to suppose that I would enter a
wood after dark? No, sir; I've studied the habits and cunning of
bushrangers for many years, and see