"Our chums would have lynched the ruffians that night. The black fellow was foremost among those that wanted to. But I didn't like that, no more did Bob. They were put in a tent, tied hand and foot, and our black fellow made sentry over them. Next day they were all gone. Then we knew it was a put-up job. Poor old Wango was found with his throat cut. The black fellow had enticed him out and taken him off, then the others had gone for us."
"But our swag was safe," said Bob, "though I lay ill for months after. And now it was Harry's turn to nurse; and I can tell you, Archie, that my dear old dead-and-gone mother couldn't have been kinder to me than he was. A whole party of us took the road back east, and many is the pleasant evening we spent around our camp-fire.
"A whole party of us took the road back east, and many is the pleasant
evening we spent around our camp fire."
"We got safe to Brisbane, and we got safe here; but somehow we're a kind o' sick of mining."
"Ever hear more of your assailants?" asked Archie.
"What, the chaps who tried to bail us up? Yes. We did hear they'd taken to bushranging, and are likely to come to grief at that."
"Well, Bob Cooper, I think you've told your story pretty tidily, with Harry's assistance; and I don't wonder now that you've only got one purse between you."
"Ah!" said Bob, "it would take weeks to tell you one half of our adventures. We may tell you some more when we're all together in the Bush doing a bit of farming."