"Here comes this fellow directly on to us," whispered Mr. Brown; "what can we do to start him in another direction?"
"Groan him away," I replied, recollecting the efficacy of diabolical sounds in my own case; and forthwith we uttered in chorus the most hideous noises possible for human beings to produce. So frightful were they that even Tyrell, who had made his boast of being able to endure all things, gradually retreated as he saw the ghost advance towards him with the flaming headdress, and at length, after giving one quick glance around, and finding that he was deserted by his crew, fairly turned, and bounded into the brush and disappeared from sight.
We listened attentively, and could hear the bushrangers making their way through the woods in hot haste; but fearing the shrewdness of Sam, we kept perfectly quiet, until we were certain that gentleman had really left his quarters, and was not lurking in the vicinity to see what sort of a ghost had frightened him.
"A splendid performance," I said, as Mr. Brown and myself stepped from our ambush, and congratulated the shepherd, who, much as he liked to be praised, didn't think it worth while to listen in so conspicuous a place.
"Follow me as fast as possible," he exclaimed, removing his still smoking headdress, and exhibiting a face blackened and singed by the flames. "We ain't safe here even for a minute, for the devils will come back after their traps, and if they should get hold of us we would be real ghosts in less than an hour."
I had the same impression, and therefore followed our guide through the woods in a directly opposite course from that which the bushrangers took, and in a few minutes we had the satisfaction of gaining our island and finding our horses as we had left them.
"Now that we are beyond the reach of the robbers, tell me how you prepared your fiery headdress?" Mr. Brown asked, turning to the shepherd, who was rubbing his burnt face and singed hair and whiskers.
"The fact is," replied Day, "the flames are a new sort of 'speriment, and I've hardly got use to 'em. I think that I should do better next time. I have every reason to think so, and if I don't, I shall be forced to give up that portion of the show, although I should think that it was very effective, if I may judge from the remarkable antics of the coveys. That black-whiskered scoundrel wanted to have a shot at me, and I guess that he would hadn't it been for the fire. The flames are a great improvement, 'cos they make me look jist as though I had arrived from kingdom come."
"But how was the effect produced?" demanded Mr. Brown.
"Well, I don't know as I had ought to tell you coveys, 'cos you might claim the 'vention as your own," replied the shepherd, coquettishly; but finding that we were ready to vouch for our disintertestedness, he continued: "You see when I was overhauling your traps last night—"