Settling Day

aw's men would return with him to Wanabeen, an

f the strange change that ha

him I can't make out. He has such a shifty look, and might have done some great wrong, he has that half-frightened glance as though he feared detection. It is quite evident he does not mea

y he is none too straight, and is not above accepting a tip now and again. If he lets me alone I'll let him alone, bu

ith Jim's meditations. He wished it would keep on for a fo

e could trust her not to stumble over any of the numerou

rse he arr

ve been her

y come for? W

had come for the horse they had lost a few days a

who had stolen Mr Shaw's horse must have lost him again and tracked him on to Wanabeen

y take i

nough,' said Sal. 'I think

ght it very probabl

have they

of hours

after them,

d Willie; 'they may be

oard and loaded it, putting more cartridges in his pouch. It was an old-fashioned weapon, or would be considered so now, but it w

ething,' said Willie. 'I wonder why it is, whe

nest,' said Sal; 'but don't you be feared for him,

,' said the lad. 'Yo

ou do?' she a

e stuck up for him, and Fred Doonan too.

ry fond

ond of someone else

e's very fond o

good sort, a regular white woman, even if you had

ed. She was a comely woman, a very comely woman, with a heart and nature that

d none of her own sex. The black gins had hated her because of their ugliness and her good looks-they were not so very unlike

said that

More, W

have been, Sal. I never had a real mother that

ed the child's

e you, and your father has been kind

Jim, and they sent h

is Dalton's men who have taken him, I know their ropes as well as t

as the head. They were a lawless, licentious lot, blacks and whites living together, regardless of law or order. There were about tw

than Dalton's men. He cursed them as they threw in their lot with the white men, and his sentence of excommunication was heard by those of the tribe who remained w

to have been rooted out, but Abe Dalton was a cunning man and had

lone into Barker's Creek. He wanted to

nder him, and he made

dismounting to look for tracks. His practised eye soon found them, and su

he sounds, they will know what they mean. It will put me in a bit of a hole if they reach Barker's Creek first. Machinson will swear I had a hand in sending the horse ther

en in the distance. They were in no hurry, and evidently did

' said Jim. 'I'll tame them b

track by which he thought he could get a

ed or touched in any way, but just left in its wild condition. He knew it would be a near thing between them, as the round would take him

e colonies, the sun goes down quickl

dden for he saw it would be almost dark in

ion he knew the horse would gallo

hether they had passed the place. As the time went by he began to be af

uccess. As they drew nearer he made ready to ride straight at them. Peering through the bushes that conceal

p at them, and before they could prepare to meet

up that horse. There are six sh

d a volley of oat

horse,' said

ot yours, and you took him o

Jim Dennis. Abe Dalton is

your dirty gang that I am not afraid o

still keeping h

ver, and the man who h

ven with yo

There is not a fair fight in you. I am

, but he knew, after a moment's consideration, that had s

rmed, so that there was no danger of any shooting, for

re, and a volley of abusive

atter place early in the morning, so he made up his mind to go there. He could wait about until

ied the horse securely and, having hitched up his own some distance away from t

e verandah at one of the stations, and in the morning

g the boards and soon f

hours, and, although he was a man who could do wi

he did not know, but he awok

sound inside the ro

n he heard someone moving about, and footsteps approac

waited expectantly for some ex