"Vy, I left on purpose to save ye; and if I hadn't have gone, vere vould you have been now? Dead as a sheep, and no mistake. It ain't the one vot fights the most is the bravest, and hany military man vill tell you that. I knew vot I'd got to do; so before the fuss began I slipped out by the underground vay, and vent in search of the police fellers, and didn't I bring 'um up in time? I told 'em how to get in, but I didn't care about goin' myself, because I knew that Lieutenant Murden would feel quite aggravated if any thing happened to me; and then the governor would never have pardoned him in permitting me to leave Melbourne."
"But you might have entered with the police, and found out whether we were dead or alive," Fred said.
"Didn't I know that you vas veil able to take care of yourselves; and couldn't I do more good outside, vatching that none escaped? You come to think of the matter for a minute, and you vill see that I vos right, and you vos wrong."
We did not care to argue the matter with the fellow, for we knew too well that he could lie faster than we could think; although, to do Steel Spring justice, I will state that he sent the police to our assistance, but it was by accident, and not by design.
When he found that trouble was likely to arise between our party and the bushrangers, he slipped quietly away from the table, and escaped from the building by means of the subterraneous passage.
The instant he emerged from under ground he started on a run, with no definite idea of where he was going to; although I always thought that he intended to pay our store a visit during our absence.
He had not gone far before he ran into a squad of policemen, who were lying in ambush, awaiting the inspector's orders; and as the guardians of the night were about to confine him as a suspicious person, he suddenly bethought him that he could benefit us and himself at the same time. He told of the danger that Mr. Brown was in, and urged a rapid movement for his relief.
The sergeant, who had charge of the men, had been told by the inspector, that a person answering Steel Spring's description would be sent to them when their services were wanted; and without doubting that every thing was right, they stole forward as quickly as possible, but arrived none too soon, as the reader will admit.
The sergeant of the force tried the front door, but it was locked, and all attempts to enter by that way were useless.
Just then the bottles crashed against it, and Mr. Brown's voice was heard loud above the confusion.