The doctor drove him to the nearest Police Station and shewed the branding to the Inspector, who was thunderstruck at the sight and would scarcely believe the details told him by Wyck.
"Will you issue warrants?" asked the doctor.
"No, we can't do that. You must charge them with inflicting grievous bodily harm and we must issue an information."
"Where are these men now?"
"I have no idea. They kept me prisoner for three days and I daresay are far away by this time," answered Wyck.
The Inspector took down full particulars, to be forwarded to the detective department with instructions to wire details all over the Colonies without delay.
The Melbourne Press is as enterprising as that of other cities, and scarcely an hour had gone by since Wyck laid the information, when the news-boys were shouting, "Terrible assault on a gentleman. Ear-marked on both ears." The boys bought both the Herald and the Standard, and read the following paragraph:
ASSAULT ON A GENTLEMAN.
At a quarter to five this evening a gentleman named Villiers Wyckliffe, accompanied by Dr. Moloney, called at the police-station and reported himself as being the victim of a terrible assault by which he will be marked for life. It appears from particulars to hand, which are very meagre, that two men named Morris and Winter have followed him for some months in order to be revenged for some fancied wrong. They decoyed him into a house and committed the assault complained of. We learn that information has been sworn, and the matter is in the hands of the detectives.
"Shall we call for the warrants, Hal?" asked Reg, playfully.