"If I am not mistaken," he said, pointing with his whip towards a cluster of gum tress and bushes that stood upon a small mound near our right, "I saw a human being dodge behind one of those trees, after watching us for a few minutes."
"Let us make an examination," I replied. "We want no spies upon our actions in this matter, and if we are to be followed, we had better find out what is wanted." I turned my horse's head as I spoke, and was riding in the direction indicated, when my friend stopped me.
"Don't be rash in this matter, for we don't know how many men are concealed in that clump of bushes, watching our movements. Let us ride on and stop when concealed by those trees in the distance. From that place we can watch movements in this quarter securely."
I considered Mr. Brown's advice the best, and we adopted it without further discussion. Once or twice I looked back, but I could see nothing that would excite suspicion, and I began to think that my friend's fears were groundless.
When once concealed, however, beneath the shadow of the trees we dismounted, and watched patiently—and were presently rewarded by seeing a man, armed with a long gun, steal quietly from the bushes which we had passed, and make towards Mount Tarrengower as though in a hurry to reach some location without a moment's delay.
"It is no use to give chase," Mr. Brown said, seeing me make a movement towards my horse. "Even if we should bring the fellow to close quarters, one of us would have to bite the dust; for let me tell you a secret that may be of some value to you hereafter in case you are anxious for a fight. Every man in this country who carries a long gun is a good shot, and can hit his object with as much certainty as your famed Kentucky riflemen. So you can see that we should get no honor or profit by giving chase to yonder long-legged fellow, who, if I am not much mistaken, is better acquainted with this section of the country than ourselves. Let him go. He is probably a shepherd; been on a visit to a neighboring station, or else out on a tour of observation to look after bushrangers."
"How near are we to a station?" I asked, still following with my eyes the tall form of the stranger, who jumped from side to side with scarce an effort, and who did not appear to regard the heat any more than a salamander.
"As near as I can judge," my companion said, "we are still on the lands belonging to the Hawswood station, although I am not certain. Adjoining those lands is a station owned by a number of Melbourne merchants, and the stock-house should be off towards the mountain. At least, it was there three years ago, during the first and only time that I ever visited these parts."
"Here we are at last," Mr. Brown said, pointing to a small strip of land containing not more than a quarter of an acre, surrounded by those treacherous bogs which are familiar to all who ever visited the plains of Australia.
"That must be the spot indicated," he continued, surveying it with a keen eye, "yet I can see no means of reaching the island. The bog, which looks crusted over and hard, would not bear the weight of a lamb, much less that of a man; yet that is just such a spot as a shrewd bushranger would select for depositing his plunder, simply because no one would think of looking there for it."