The Lost Valley

igured in recent events in the Wombat Ranges. He was a silent individual who answered to the name of "Jacky," a name that seems to be the heritage of all blacks who serve in the police force. He qui

our to the bad, the party returned

hat they've laid this trail with a good reason. Now if a man wanted t

site direction," sai

alse trail leads east, so it's only reaso

e." The latter remark was addressed to the horse

he said, "Those white men have gone this way," pointing westward. "Look

black trackers did not understand. The black went back to his work in silence. Presently he grunted again. His quick eyes had noticed a grey woollen thread stamped into the earth. He lifted it gingerly up in his hand and held it out to the police. The sergeant

ned sharply off into the bushes and the troop went after him. Here and there-wherever the earth had chanced to be a little softer than usual-one coul

the sergeant remarked. "The

queried one

Sort of thing that works, too, unless a man happens to have his eyes

as about the matter, nodded his he

ault in the earth due to some local subsidence. On the nearest ridge a prospector's hut was perched, from the chimney of which a wisp of smoke ascended.

d. "He wouldn't leave his dinner unless he was handy. Have

at the prospector had been found. He came toiling slowly up the slope, side by side with his discoverer. He was a

, horsemen, passing this way late last night

t night," the man answered

ng," the sergeant said, "and we've got in

e. He saw, or seemed to see, something that interested him, and he sta

le man in the same colorless voice. "

anded. "Out with it, man, and

ow from here. I thought it was a fire showing through the open door of a hut, until I remembered that nobody lived up there. It didn't last long; it

that?" the serg

y enough. The fire was only alight ten minutes at the most, and

of the troopers said in an

the old prospector. "You're sure you did

he man. "I'm only saying t

not sure that you didn't see anyo

s when you can't tell whether they're men or not. That's what I mean

arked as the troop galloped off toward

there's a lot in what he said," he

y lighted it," th

rying anyway? We'll know soon enough. But don't you th

be the good?" he said. "He couldn't

. Those 'rangers are somewhere ahead of us, making for the mountains. Keep your eyes skinned, for you never kno

n, satisfied that every preparation had been made, they set spurs

slopes the younger man turned in his saddle and cast one last backward glance at the valley they had left beneath them. Far away below them, in among the misty shapes of the distant trees, he caught a gli

a different tone. "Hu

tisfied in his own mind that the little black dots were real

aught the glint of sunlight on metal, a brass button of a

Bradby, "so y

. Cumshaw stated. "T

them. I'd never confuse a trooper with a kangaroo. I only s

. "I'm in the game for good or ill, and I'm taking all r

member that neither of us knows anything at all about this country, and it's ten to one that those infernal police have go

Abel Cumshaw enquired as he spurred

ime, and that's all there is to say about it. It's my impression that this section of the State is as full of hiding-places as ever the Blue Mountains or

, in the manner of a man

work," Mr. Bradby advised.

ntly situated valleys so masked by timber and brushwood that one came across them only by accident. There is something in the naked face of Nature, in the sheer magnificence of incredible heights and the marvellous massiveness of big timber that somehow dwarfs man into insignificance and makes him realise the puniness of his strength. There was som

e into that hazy blue-grey peculiar to Australian mountains. Hour by hour the men rode on in silence, at times galloping down the slopes, at others crawling slowly an

by caught a glimpse of smoke far away to the east, smoke

of a hurried consultation they decided to press on until midnight. But the horses were wearied with the rough

ite satisfied that the police are taking it fairly easy. We've got scared over nothing. They might

heer saddle-weariness-so a halt was called, the horses were unsaddled, the men unrolled their blankets and

hey awoke, and the sun was a

en o'clock," Cumshaw guess

, but excused it on the ground that they

rt, and it's only a matter of time until they wear us down. You know what it means for us, Jack, if they catch us with the gold. Now I've got

away after all we've gone through,"

f this particular section for a time. We can easily keep afloat for a couple of months, and when the hue and cry has died down, we

agreed. "But the trouble'

ike something as good or even better during the course of the day. The whol

ce secure little spot the better for us, I'm thinking. For one thing the food's running short, as you just rema

t get tired and go home," s

," Mr. Bradby retorted.

d, though the two men slackened the pace in order to giv

ill afford. All the same this old crock'll have to struggle on un

a horse," Cumshaw remar

g the men to action, at the same time put a keen edge on their tempers. Both of them were children of the warm, sun-kissed lowlands, and the difference of even a few degrees of temperature had a remarkable effect on them. With Abel Cumshaw it was such as to send a warm glow into his cheeks; the cold bite of the air made his blood sparkle like new wine and urged him on to fresh efforts. It affected Mr. Bradby in anothe

ey were not quite sure of the hour, since the sun was masked by the trees-they found themselves in what looked like a narrow gully. Both sides of it were lined with thick bushes of golden wattle that shut out all view on either hand. There were shadows ga

?" Bradby as

tation. "Facilis est des

he tone of a man who imagines he is being in

o to hell," Cum

at him, but made no comment on what

middle of it. Cumshaw's horse floundered and would have fallen on its knees had he not reined in sharply. This caused him to cannon into his companion's mount. Bradby pulled back sharply, in some way jarring his animal's sore leg a

utiously parted the bushes. For the moment he could see nothing but a great wall of golden blossoms, and then out of the depths came Bradby's furious

him and was answ

e you?" h

ime modifying its language. "Step c

rt and found that he was standing

still invisible Mr. Bradby. "I've found