"That day we rested for a few hours, and continued our journey towards night, hardly knowing where we were wandering to, almost famished with hunger, and dead with fatigue.
"I have not breath to tell you all that we suffered while getting towards the bushranging haunts; our days of hunger and wretchedness—our adventures with the natives, and their attempts to kill us—the desperate risks which we ran of being captured and taken back to prison—and last of all, our reaching this hut, which is to be the scene of my death.
"Here is where I first met Bimbo; and as he is already a prisoner, there can be no harm in my telling you that be provided for our wants, kept us in his secret cellar over a week, until we were fully recruited, and able to grasp a musket, and then introduced us to Black Darnley, as possessing spirit enough to belong to even his gang.
"By him we were accepted; but after I had served in the ranks a short time, I raised a band of my own, and have pillaged and murdered to my heart's content."
The robber ceased speaking, and a spasm passed through his frame, that I thought would result fatally; but a drink of wine restored him, and he again spoke, but in a voice not above a whisper.
"I have a commission which I wish you to take care of," the bushranger said, scanning my face to see what effect his words would have upon me; "can I trust you to take charge of it?"
I promised faithfully to fulfil his wishes, no matter what he required of me.
"This cross," he said, touching it to his lips, and uttering a sigh as he did so, that came from the heart, "I promised to send to Julia, only when death overpowered me. Will you take it to her, and say that the wearer has gone to another world, where treachery and crime do not exist, and where I hope to meet her and her father, and then disprove the unjust accusation that was brought against me?"
I promised to obey his wishes, and a look of gratitude stole over his dark face.
"My name," he whispered, "is engraved upon the jewel: do not give it to the world, but know me as Jim Gulpin, the robber. I do not wish to disgrace my father's name, even if I have been unjustly accused by him."