I knelt by the side of the dying man, but he was past consciousness, and no longer appeared to heed what was going on around.  His tongue had swollen to such an extent that his jaws were open to their fullest width, and it was impossible to close them.  His eyes were set and nearly concealed in their sockets, so rapidly had his face bloated from the effects of the poisonous virus that was coursing through his veins.

I spoke to him, but he did not heed me, and in answer to the robbers’ questions, I predicted his speedy death.  They received the news with great coolness, and fell back to their old occupation of smoking pipes, leaving me alone with the body.

For a few minutes I sat there endeavoring to relieve the poor fellow’s sufferings by welting his lips with water, and while I was thus engaged I was startled by hearing a slight rustling in the bushes; I looked up, thinking that the companion of the dead snake was about to visit us in search of its mate, and as I did so, I caught a glimpse of the wrinkled face of the stockman.  I did not start or manifest symptoms of surprise, for I had lived too long in a country where Indians were my nearest neighbors to allow such an emotion to be observed.  I continued my occupation, therefore, and while I kept my eyes on the hiding-place of the convict, I did not neglect to note the movements of the bushrangers, who were grouped around the fire, and wholly unsuspicious of the presence of their most deadly enemy.

“Hist!” said the stockman, after successfully imitating the singing of a cricket to attract my attention.

I turned my head towards him, but I still pretended to be busy attending to the wants of the dying man.

“Cut Smith and your friend loose, and then stand ready to aid us in striking a blow.  Be cautious, and not a word.”

I was left in wonder, for the head disappeared so quietly, it was only by a slight rustling of dried leaves that I knew the stockman was working his form through the bushes to rejoin whomever he had enlisted to assist him.

I puzzled my head for a few minutes, trying to think who was near at hand, but it was in vain; and I at length concluded that a passing train of miners had volunteered, under a promise of a large reward, which now I had not the means of paying.  I tried to invent excuses for the purpose of approaching Fred, and at length I hit upon a plan.

“I think,” I said, speaking to the old sailor, “that I might relieve the man’s sufferings were I to bleed him.”

“Go ahead, then, matey,” he answered, with a nod of his head.

“Let me see,” I said, feeling in my pockets; “I believe that my friend has my lancet.  Will you get it, or shall I?”

“Get it,” he replied, mechanically, not even taking his pipe from his mouth to answer.

I had carefully secreted a knife which I had found upon the person of the bushranger, and with it I cut Fred’s bonds, whispering words of caution as I did so.