“In the name of God, make your escape,” whispered Mr. Brown; but Fred disdained to fly.

“Will no one obey me?” roared the colonel, turning to his officers.  “Do you refuse to do your duty?  By G——­, I’ll break every man in the regiment, unless you are a little more prompt.  Arrest that man, sirs, and bring him before me,” he continued, turning to his officers.

They obeyed, but unwillingly, and moved so slowly that Fred could easily have escaped had he been so disposed.  I sought to urge him to dodge behind the soldiers, but he sternly refused; and when the officers surrounded him, he walked with a firm step towards the tyrant, and without suffering a hand to be laid upon his shoulder.

“You find fault with the method which I resort to to punish rebellion, do you?” demanded the colonel, with a savage laugh.

“If it was with my last breath, I would protest against so cowardly an outrage,” replied Fred, with all the contempt that he could assume.

“Hullo!  I know that voice,” cried Kellum, starting forward, and pulling Fred’s cap from his face.  “D——­n me, if I didn’t think so,” he continued.  “You are the grocer that dared to raise your hand against me yesterday morning.  Iron him, and away with him to the barracks.”

“For what crime, sir?” I asked, starting forward.

“For rebellion,” shouted the colonel.  “He has dared to interfere with the army of Her Majesty, while suppressing treason.”

“He came here to assist the wounded, and had no intention of interfering with the soldiers,” I said.

“Away with you, or I’ll lock you up, and send you to Melbourne for trial, with your partymen.  Go.”

“Don’t provoke him,” whispered an officer.  “Obey him, and we will do all that we can for your friend.”

“Will you allow me to exchange one word with your prisoner?” I asked of Kellum.

“What, not gone yet?” he roared.  “Ready,” he shouted, addressing his soldiers, “aim,” and the word to “fire,” was trembling on his lips, when the officers forced us from the presence of the brute, and we heard the cries of the wounded as they were roughly handled by the soldiers, for the purpose of securing them and conveying them to the barracks.

The soldiers were also employed in attending to their own wounded, several of whom had fallen, and while I carefully picked my way through the crowd I stumbled over a prostrate body, which caused us to stop, and see if we could be of any assistance.  I stooped down and placed my hand upon the man’s head, and felt his hot blood gush from a wound in his heart.  I removed the poor fellow’s broad rimmed hat, and saw, to my surprise, that it was Steel Spring.

“Why, it is our old companion,” I cried, feeling really sorry at his misfortune.  “Help me to lift him up, and we will carry him to the store.”

“It’s no use,” gasped the wounded man.  “Got a ball in my breast; all over vid me—­sorry I came ’ere—­didn’t mean to—­didn’t get pay for this—­don’t disturb me.  I shall die in ten minutes—­know it—­vill bet all the money I’ve got that I do—­I’m sorry for all my rascalities.”