The shepherd started to his feet, and looked eagerly in the direction of the sound; but nothing was to be seen.
"What is the meaning of that?" asked Mr. Brown.
"It means that Buskin's band of bushrangers is all the more alarmed at the sound of your pistol. They will search every inch of ground between here and the Lodden, but they will find out the occasion of the firing, and if you are men of the law, as you say, the highest tree in this section will serve for your gallows to-morrow."
"You know the members of the gang?" asked Mr. Brown.
"I never exchanged a word with one of them in my life," cried the shepherd, with an air of sincerity, "although I have often held short communion with them in my assumed character."
He pointed to the bullock's head, and grinned as he spoke.
"How do you know that the firing was done by bushrangers?" I asked, suspiciously.
"For two reasons—first, a bushranger will never kill more game than he wants to eat at one time; and, secondly, the gang has been absent from these parts for two weeks, and undoubtedly want to rest and recruit. They can't do that until they know that the whole of this section is free from stragglers and spies. Me they care nothing about, and will not molest unless I am too inquisitive."
"How do we know that this is not a trick of yours to get us to leave this island?" I asked.