“Tell me how you managed to preserve your worthless life?” asked the officer, too much astonished to feel indignant, and almost inclined to believe that the fellow was under the protection of some good genii.

“Vell, I doesn’t think my life very vorthless if you do, Mr. Hofficer; but in case you should ever get cotched in the same kind of a trap, I’ll tell ye.  Do ye see, ven I found that your company vas exclusive, I looks herround for means of safety, but I didn’t find heny wery ’andy; if I ’ad I don’t think that I should be here now; vell, the longer I stopped to consider, the wus I felt; and at length, ven the fire begins to burn the nice clothes vich I vore, I thought it bout ‘time to do somethin’; so I ’appens to cast my hies on this loose dirt, and then quicker than lightning I digs a place, and lays down and covers me all hup, leaving only a leetle ’ole to breathe through.  It vas varm, though—­hawf’ul varm; and at one time I feared I should die; but the Lord supported me in my trouble, and here I is, safe and ready to be of service agin.”

For a short time every one was silent, so astonished did we feel to hear the treacherous wretch use the name of his Maker in connection with himself.

“God has preserved your life for some object which we mortals cannot understand,” Murden said.  “I shall not punish you, neither shall my men.  The courts of Melbourne must decide upon your guilt.”  “Vot, is you going to take me afore the big vigs?” asked Steel Spring, with dismay.

“There is only one chance to escape such a fate,” replied the lieutenant.

“Name it, name it,” cried Steel Spring, with avidity.

“By leading me to the hiding place of that arch fiend, Nosey.”

“Is that all?” cried the fellow, with a look of intense delight.

“And do you consent?” asked Murden, disgusted at the fellow’s treacherous instincts.

“Consent?” he repeated; “vy, of course I does; vouldn’t Nosey ’ang me and all of his gang for the purpose of saving his life? and vy should I refuse; to ’elp stretch his neck ven I can keep mine free of the rope?  Consent? of course I does.”

“Remember,” said Murden, with a stern look, “that we are to have no tricks here.  If you even offer to lead me out of the right course I’ll make a hole in your body big enough to throw a Bible through.”

“I should then he sanctified, vouldn’t I, lieutenant?” asked the wretch, with one of his cunning grins.

“How far from this place is the gang?” demanded Murden.

“Not more than four or five miles, I guess,” was the answer.

“In the woods?”

“In the woods,” repeated Steel Spring.

“Easy of access?”

“Vot is that?”

“I mean, can I and my men get at the gang without being surprised on our part?”

“Vell, if I hoffers to guide you there’ll be no difficulty, ’cos I knows the vay, and no mistake.  But my life is to be preserved, you know.  Recollect that, lieutenant.”