They halted in the bush out of rifle shot distance, and Dr Tom attended to the wounded man.
After a brief examination he said,—
'He'll pull round if there is no inward bleeding. He has been hit in the chest.'
'Your work has commenced early, doctor, bad luck to it,' said Jim Dennis. 'We'll make them pay for this later on. My advice is, fire them out.'
'We cannot get close enough,' said the sergeant.
'Fire the bush in their rear,' said Jim. 'It is dry, and the flames will soon spread.'
'What about the blacks? There's a lot of them around there.'
'We must tell them to clear out. If they do not go they will quickly move when they smell fire. I guess some of them know what a bush fire means. It is our best chance. Those fellows are all well armed,' said Jim.
'We must capture Abe Dalton and Seth Sharp alive,' said Mr Dauntsey, 'and as many of the others as possible. Shooting is too good a death for them; they must be hanged.'
'I will fire the bush and give the blacks warning,' said Jim Dennis. 'Let me go alone.'