nk it wrong to delay your journey half a dozen days
for the purpose of hunting men who would have cut your throats for a
sixpence. Throw aside all such ideas of propriety, and remember that you
are in a country where the struggle for gold engrosses all other
passions; men will look upon you as fools, to reject that which you are
entitled to. Go with me to Melbourne. Help escort these villains to the
city, for remember my force is weakened now, and I promise that you
shall receive more pay for the service than you can make at the mines."

"It is to help me to freedom," cried Smith, who had approached us
unperceived, during our conversation, and had listened to it
attentively.

"For you we will do any thing, old friend," we said, extending our hands
to the honest convict, who grasped them eagerly, and shed tears of joy
at the fair prospect which he possessed of once more being called a free
man.

After making up our minds in regard to the course which we intended to
pursue, we entered into the spirit of the undertaking with our whole
hearts. We prepared lint and bandages, and bound up the wounds of the
bushrangers, and placed them beneath the roof of the hut which they had
endeavored to storm the night before. After we had accomplished this
painful duty, we selected a place for the burial of those killed.

Beneath the branches of a cedar tree we scooped out the earth with a
broken shovel, and then were about to place the bodies of the
bushrangers in the grave, when the glistening of a ring on the middle
finger of the right hand of one of the dead men attracted my attention.
I stooped down and removed the ring, and attentively examined it.

To my surprise, I found that it bore the emblems of the masonic
fraternity--a square and compass upon a broad disk, while on each side
were small flakes of gold in their native state, placed layer upon
layer, like the scales of a fish. The ring I judged to weigh near an
ounce, and was a massive hoop of gold, and made by some artist of rare
talent.

I knew that the ruffian could not be a mason, and I was lost in
conjecture, for a few moments, as to the probable fate of the owner.
There was no doubt that the robber had taken a fancy to it, and to
obtain possession, had undoubtedly committed murder. While it was passed
from hand to hand, Smith suddenly exclaimed,--

"I knew the owner of this ring. It was I that freighted him and his
goods to the mines. He was an American, and had h