At Large

it had spent its frenzy; no such traces as heaving breast or quickened pulse remained to tell of it. The man was calm-despair had calmed him; the sti

with a pleasant surprise for another, one is naturally slow to detect his dismal mood. Thus, no sooner had Dick set foot upon the garden path than the front doo

ou will never guess; it is a bush friend of yours

path and groaned. "Biggs

his one word that Fanny glanced keenly at her brother, saw the dulness of his eyes, read for apat

went quickly to him with a bright smil

r. It is-but you will be very gl

tood a burly figure. The light of the room being behind this man, Dick could not at once distinguish his features. While he

Jack, as

your level best to miss me. An hour and a half

done nothing but entertain

bowing clumsily. "But I tell you, my

k; "you won't get off so easily t

holiday. If you'd only come in sooner! I wonder now where he's be

hour or two with you, old chap," said Dick

ereign simple, and administered it at the moment it was most needed. In the presence of Flint he had escaped for a few minutes from the full sense of his anguish. But now, by an unl

ventures, which it seems we should never have

ed to Iris Lodge. One set of people had voted his experiences tiresome; that was enough for him. This w

andlord? You must know, mother, that this is not only my ex-partner in an honourable commercial enterprise-not only 'our Mr. Flint' that us

Edmonstone. "He di

hills and heather, and a barn called by courtesy 'Castle'; those are my

?" aske

ina in a

he ten

y. I'm in the south, you see, and there they're peaceable enough. Laziness is their

vi

ng of them with me; take up new country, and let them select on it. Dick

a, Mr. Flint?" Mrs. Edmonstone asked, glancin

nd, madam," r

!" broke in Dick,

had not found all things quite as he expected. For a minute no one sp

to keep to yourself. I think it was very mean of you, and so does m

azed fondly at he

ckly. "Jack, old chap"-rather reproach

, my dear

r cared to talk about it

aid Flint; "I sai

le Dick was sile

I can only say it nearly drove me out of my

that day this wou

wish you had told us-though, indeed, it would have made me miserable if you had written it. But now

own," said

rous man! I didn't think such robbers existed; I thought

y're extinct as the dodo. I never c

ere is no spark of goodness in the worst natures? of t

ntly solemn; his face

from being knifed, to begin with; well, it was to his own interest to do that. But after that he took pity, and left us our money. That needed more than a good impulse; it needed a force of character which few honest men have. Try and realise his position-a price upon h

raight to the hearts of his mother and sister. They

ink less of the fellow. I don't know, but I doubt it, for we had no notion then what that hundred would turn to. As it is, I have thought

id Flint; "I remember that you di

"what do you think you would do if-you ever met that bush

d prepared his s

ered. "By this time he's a l

me suddenl

he cried

I sailed from Melbourne-was, that he w

a day later you wou

ked Dick,

esca

cap

rence-that was the little Queensland township. They never caught him. Th

not sorry!"

was taken along with another fellow, but the other fellow was taken dead-shot through the heart. That must have been the one he called Ben; for the big brute who tried to knife

at when I heard

ted the swag, went back to it after his escape, and got clear away with the lo

nny, with glowing cheeks. "It may be wicked,

of talking abou

e; I'd give him a chance of trying honesty, for a change-that's what I

rated; but this young lady! Did this absurd romanticism run in the family? If so, was

nd the story of Dick and the bushranger appealed at once to her sensibilities and her sympathy. She could see the night attack in t

ly. "I have precious few maxims, but one is that he who does me a good turn gets p

a man whom you've already assau

turn to save

o think more of your

k, smiling, but he checked his smile when

of bluster, but quite in vain; Flint w

. I'm going to forget my peasants for a few weeks in Paris and Italy. If I lose t

on," said Dick; "at least I

was assured-would see his way to calling on his way home and stayin

stopped, turned, laid a hand on each of Dick

g wrong. I saw it

es before his frien

nswered, sadly,

hat there was to know-an abridged but unvarnished ve

nto the station; and then it was Dick who at the last

ce to-night-you

t be hurt and bothered, and he is now your best friend, mind. Then you must put a plucky face on it;

hook h

you know what it will be: the two together. And I k

sked the ot

y that-that-I can

ple's sake. Your sister's looking forward to it tremendously; never been to a

were, inst

say, stand cl

e alone because his hand still tingled from the pressure of that honest grip; becaus