They were making toilsome progress, over the boggy road, when all at once they were confronted by three bushrangers headed by Fletcher.
"Surrender, or you are dead men!" exclaimed Fletcher, with a boldness which will be easily understood when it is considered that his force outnumbered the travellers two to one.
Neither Colson nor Ropes appeared to be frightened. Indeed, they were looking for such an encounter.
"All right, gentlemen," said Ropes quietly. "We are quite ready to surrender."
"Empty your pockets," was the next order.
"All right again!" said Ropes. "I am sorry to say we haven't much to surrender."
"Is this all you have?" asked Fletcher, frowning when a pound and ten shillings were delivered to him as their united contributions to the bushrangers' fund.
"We haven't a penny more."
"Search them!" said Fletcher to his followers.
A search, however, failed to bring to light anything more.