Jim buried Ryder by the light of the moon.  He spent the night in the gorge, but slept little, and Yarra, who had all the superstitions of his mother’s race, crouched close to the white man, and his teeth chattered with fear the whole night through.  He had conceived the idea that the spirit of Macdougal had taken possession of the gorge, and for the future the place must be a haunt of terror to him.  After daybreak, with the boy’s assistance, Done hid all traces of the new-made grave, and by this time he was grateful for the food Yarra brought from the cave.  Breakfast strengthened him greatly.  He had eaten nothing for close upon twenty hours, and the exhaustive experiences of that time told heavily upon his enfeebled frame.  As a result of his night’s reflection and the judgment that had come with cooler blood, he was determined to visit Lucy at the station.  Yesterday’s bitterness towards her had been real enough, but he assured himself that it was the effect of the extraordinary excitement worked in his brain by the events of the day.  This morning there was upon him a physical and moral apathy:  the reaction left him without interest.  The invalid lassitude possessed him again, and he stood over his brother’s grave for a few minutes, without feeling any recurrence of the resentments that had so recently blazed within him.

Lucy met him in the garden; she was still pale, but showed no sign of physical weakness.

‘I treated you brutally,’ he said abruptly.  I am sorry; I was mad with rage.’

‘I know; I understood then.  You know I am sorry for you.’

‘You saved Macdougal for my own sake, not for his,’

’Yes.  Innocent or guilty, your brother was an outlaw, Legally, Macdougal was justified in killing him, but if you kill Macdougal it will be murder.  Ah! that terrible thought has gone from your mind?’

‘Yes; Macdougal is dead.’

‘Dead!’ She caught his hand, and looked into his face with terror.  ’You have killed him!’

’No.  His horse must have collided with a tree as he galloped down the gorge.  Yarra found him.’

‘Thank God vengeance was not left to you!’

’It is best.  I have buried my brother.  The whereabouts of his grave must be kept secret.’

‘Tell me where he lies.’  She spoke with eagerness.  ’I swear none shall know from me!’

Done was impressed by her emotion, and the picture of her sobbing figure prostrate over the body of the outlaw was recalled to his mind.  ’Under the great round boulder above the waterfall to the left, just where the shadow falls at noon,’ he said.  ’Better never speak of his death even.  I have warned Yarra, and I think he will be faithful.’

‘You can trust me.’  She paused for a moment falteringly, and then continued with an effort and in a low voice:  ’I must respect the grave, for in it my heart is buried.  More than my heart,’ she continued with passion—­’ a part of my very soul.  I loved him!’ She had made this confession, feeling that it was her duty to let Jim know that the tenderness she had felt for him had been swept away in the tide of an overwhelming love for the other.