“But you might have entered with the police, and found out whether we were dead or alive,” Fred said.

“Didn’t I know that you vas veil able to take care of yourselves; and couldn’t I do more good outside, vatching that none escaped?  You come to think of the matter for a minute, and you vill see that I vos right, and you vos wrong.”

We did not care to argue the matter with the fellow, for we knew too well that he could lie faster than we could think; although, to do Steel Spring justice, I will state that he sent the police to our assistance, but it was by accident, and not by design.

When he found that trouble was likely to arise between our party and the bushrangers, he slipped quietly away from the table, and escaped from the building by means of the subterraneous passage.

The instant he emerged from under ground he started on a run, with no definite idea of where he was going to; although I always thought that he intended to pay our store a visit during our absence.

He had not gone far before he ran into a squad of policemen, who were lying in ambush, awaiting the inspector’s orders; and as the guardians of the night were about to confine him as a suspicious person, he suddenly bethought him that he could benefit us and himself at the same time.  He told of the danger that Mr. Brown was in, and urged a rapid movement for his relief.

The sergeant, who had charge of the men, had been told by the inspector, that a person answering Steel Spring’s description would be sent to them when their services were wanted; and without doubting that every thing was right, they stole forward as quickly as possible, but arrived none too soon, as the reader will admit.

The sergeant of the force tried the front door, but it was locked, and all attempts to enter by that way were useless.

Just then the bottles crashed against it, and Mr. Brown’s voice was heard loud above the confusion.

That quickened the movements of the men amazingly; and although Steel Spring was watching an opportunity to run away the second time, yet he did find sufficient voice to suggest an entrance by the windows.  It was necessary, however, to find articles to stand on, as the windows were eight feet from the ground; but even that difficulty was speedily overcome, by taking a number of dry goods boxes and empty rum barrels, which belonged to a grocer’s store near at hand, and which the enterprising proprietor had left out over night.

By their aid an entrance was effected, and we were saved, but at an enormous sacrifice of life.

As soon as the police disappeared, Steel Spring, who never had much love for the smell of gunpowder, speedily retreated to a safe distance, and, no doubt, laughed in his false heart, at the struggle which was taking place, for he never appeared to experience much regret at the slaughter; and I suppose if we had been killed, he would have plundered our store, and then fired it, and ran away by its light.