A soldier touched her on the shoulder.
'You'll have to get out of this, miss,' he said. Glancing at the dead face, he corrected himself, and called her Mrs.
Aurora went with him. She looked closely at the prisoners as they passed, but Jim Done was not amongst them. Beyond the cordon of troopers she was liberated, and returned wearily to Mrs. Kyley's tent, for the Kyleys had shifted their prosperous business to the vicinity of Bakery Hill a month before. At the tent-door she was met by Mary.
'He is not amongst the dead, thank God!' said Aurora, 'and he's not with the prisoners. Jim is safe, but poor Mike Burton—'
'Wounded, is he?'
'Dead. Shot through the head.'
Mrs. Kyley threw up her hands. 'My God!' she said. 'The poor lad! Oh, Aurora, my dear girl, it's a bad, bad business!' The tears were trickling down Mrs. Ben's plump cheeks.
'Why, Mary, what else has happened?'
Mrs. Kyley had set her large bulk before the girl, barring the door.
'You'd better not go in yet awhile, Joy darling.'