“You know the members of the gang?” asked Mr. Brown.

“I never exchanged a word with one of them in my life,” cried the shepherd, with an air of sincerity, “although I have often held short communion with them in my assumed character.”

He pointed to the bullock’s head, and grinned as he spoke.

“How do you know that the firing was done by bushrangers?” I asked, suspiciously.

“For two reasons—­first, a bushranger will never kill more game than he wants to eat at one time; and, secondly, the gang has been absent from these parts for two weeks, and undoubtedly want to rest and recruit.  They can’t do that until they know that the whole of this section is free from stragglers and spies.  Me they care nothing about, and will not molest unless I am too inquisitive.”

“How do we know that this is not a trick of yours to get us to leave this island?” I asked.

“’Cos I shall advise you to do no such thing.  The only safe place for you is on this island, where you must stay until the woods between here and the Lodden have been searched, and the gang is confident that the parties who were in this vicinity have escaped.”

“But why not escape now?  Our horses are fresh and fast,” I added.

“Because I suppose that a dozen men are watching the fords of the Lodden, and a bullet in your back would probably be the first intimation of the presence of a party of skulkers.  No, sirs, unless you can skim over the surface of this bog, and then scale Mount Tarrengower, your only place of safety is on this island.  Trust to me.”

“And then lose our horses,” I replied.  “I suppose that the bushrangers would like no better plan; but I for one will not consent to that?”

“Which is the most valuable to you, your lives or your animals?” asked Day, bluntly.

“Can we not save our horses as well as ourselves?” Mr. Brown inquired, turning to me for advice.

I confess that I could see no way to preserve them; and I still insisted that we had better trust to the speed of the animals than remain in a state of inactivity and siege on the island.

My plans were overruled, however, by both Mr. Brown and the shepherd, on the ground that it would be impossible to escape before daylight, at which time the bushrangers would probably retire to the heart of the woods for rest and sleep, and all their outposts would then be withdrawn.

I was at length reluctantly compelled to yield my opinion to the others, although I could not help, as I did so, wishing for the presence of Fred and Smith, and I thought how different would be our conduct.

All idea of finding the buried treasure was at an end; and I began to feel as though I should be grateful if I escaped back to Ballarat with my life, minus the gold which was so great a temptation for us to undertake the journey.

“Well,” asked the shepherd, “what have you concluded upon?”