They proceeded for some distance in silence, and then Doonan said, in a tone of admiration,—
'You were clever to escape from Cudgegong, Sal.'
'I meant to get away somehow. Had I not escaped I would have killed myself rather than be in Shaw's power. He is a wicked man.'
'There are not many worse,' said Doonan. 'I never had much opinion of him, but I did not think he was such an out-and-out "rotter."'
Next morning the party arrived from Barragong, accompanied by Adye Dauntsey, Sergeant Machinson and half a dozen mounted police.
When Jim Dennis heard how Abe Dalton had acted, and that Sal had been taken to Cudgegong, his whole body trembled with rage and excitement.
Had he not been persuaded to act otherwise, he would at once have ridden to Cudgegong and, taking the law into his hands, have called Rodney Shaw to account.
Both Dr Tom and the police magistrate, however, restrained him.
'Leave it to me,' said Adye Dauntsey. 'I'll see they all meet with their deserts.'
'If Sergeant Machinson had done his duty this would not have happened, and poor Ned Glenn would have been alive.'