l, until Murden
interfered, and ordered that they be allowed to eat in peace.

"The idea of letting such scamps as these eat," cried Bimbo, with a kick
of his bare, horny foot against one of the bushranger's ribs. "I'd sarve
'em if I had my way."

Bimbo was replied to with interest by the robbers, and to stop the noise
the lieutenant sent the fellow to the hut to get it ready for the
reception of the latter, as it was thought to be a good place to keep
them during our halt, which we expected to extend to sundown, owing to
the intense heat of the day.

The robbers were removed to the hut, and their manacles taken from their
feet, but the handcuffs still confined their hands, and as they were
chained two by two they were powerless. A sentry was posted, and the
men, glad to obtain a few hours' sleep, stowed themselves under the
shed, and wherever they could screen their faces from the sun.

Fred and myself, taking our saddles for pillows, repaired to the back
part of the hut, the coolest place we could find, and in a few minutes
both of us were sleeping soundly. I had not slept long, however, before
I was awakened by a peculiar noise, that sounded like the grating of a
saw. Instead of starting up to investigate, I pretended to sleep, and
partly opening one eye, saw to my surprise that Bimbo was on his knees
near my feet, and working with cautious energy upon a board which he was
endeavoring to remove. The instrument he was operating with was an old
knife, with notches on the blade, made to resemble a saw.

I continued my position, and by my regular breathing convinced the
fellow that I was sleeping soundly. A dozen times did he pause and
listen, and scrutinize my face, and then I read the man's true character
in his wicked eyes, for they gleamed like those of a serpent, and I saw
murder in every look.

I resolved to continue counterfeiting, and await the result. Half a
dozen times did Bimbo suspend work, and steal to the front part of the
hut to discover if his operations were suspected, and each time he
returned, and after a glance at Fred and myself, commenced work with
renewed energy.

At length a hole large enough to run his hand in was obtained, and then
I heard low whispers pass between Bimbo and the robber chief.

"You must get us out of this scrape," said Jim, authoritatively.

"But how can I at present? Better wait till night, and then I know half
a dozen coves what will strike for you. We can easily get