shoeless and bleeding
profusely: but the fire of his black eyes was unquenched, and the bony
form, still upright in spite of the hard labor to which he had been
subjected, gave assurance, to my dismay, that he still possessed his
giant strength.

"The instant he entered the hut he closely scrutinized my face, and then
cast hurried glances around the room to see if I were alone. Satisfied
that I was, he strode to the fire, and seated himself near its cheerful
blaze.

"'I have seen your face somewhere,' he said, looking at me keenly.

"'I should think you would remember it,' I replied, 'for we were both
passengers in the same ship.'

"He started up with a fearful oath, and would have rushed upon me; but I
brought my gun to my shoulder, and kept him at bay.

"'I remember you now,' he said, and seemed inclined to dash at me in
spite of the weapon which I held in my hand. 'You are the one that
threatened to betray me when I wished to take the ship. I swore to have
your life for your cowardice; but I retract the oath, and now let us be
friends. Give me shelter, and something to eat, and to-morrow I will
leave you for a distant station.'

"'You are deceiving me,' I said, still retaining my hold of the gun, and
looking at him suspiciously.

"'No, by ----, I'm not,' Darnley cried, with a look of sincerity: 'here,
let me prove it. Ten days ago I murdered one of the guards, and fought
my way to this part of the country in hopes of joining a gang of
bushrangers. Since that time I have been pursued and hunted like a wild
beast; but they haven't captured Black Darnley yet.'

"He laughed triumphantly as he spoke, and thought of the long chase that
he had given the police of Sydney.

"'You are a strong man, much stronger than myself, and if I am upon an
equal footing with you, could crush me as easily as an eggshell.'

"I still retained my hold of the gun, but I no longer covered his huge
body with its barrel.

"'Look at me!' he said, baring his arms, which were shrunken, and
holding them up for my inspection. 'For three days I've not tasted food,
or closed my eyes in sleep. I've run and skulked from tree to tree
during that time, and heard the tramping of horses as the policemen
strove to follow my trail. I am weak, exhausted, and a child could
overcome me now.'

"'But after your strength is recruited, you may act the part of a
serpent, and sting the one that warmed you into life,' I answered, half
resolved to trust h