"There you ask me too much. It may have been known to the farm hands that we had money on our persons. Indeed, I think that the shepherd, while in his cups, boasted of the rich booty which we had found, and so excited the envious spirit of some reckless fellow who wishes to be rich at our expense."
"Then we must have the satisfaction of riding along, anticipating a bullet every few minutes," grumbled Mr. Brown.
"I suppose that is the case, unless we change our route."
"And go thirty miles out of our way?" exclaimed my companion, sneeringly. "No, sir. I have no desire to cross a sandy plain where the sun heats the earth so hot that a mosquito gets its wings singed if it alights before twelve o'clock at night."
"The plain must be a paradise if insects don't exist there. Let us go by that route," I replied.
"I didn't say that flies and mosquitoes were not there. I said that they didn't touch the sand, but they hover in the air, and unfortunate is the man or beast that they light upon."
I found out that Mr. Brown was not to be changed from his purpose; so we once more rode on side by side, and while we were chatting upon the incidents that had befallen us during our excursion, we almost forgot the plugging of the pistols.
At the edge of Mr. Wright's land, on the route to Ballarat, was a small forest of gum trees, through which ran a small stream, similar to the one that we crossed on the night that we captured the bushrangers. The water was shallow and sluggish, with a soft, sticky bottom, and boggy sides. This stream Mr. Wright had told us we should have to cross, and that after we were over we could soon find the numerous trails and roads leading to the mines, and probably meet with parties of miners.
When the directions were given a number of the farm hands were present, so that I arrived at the conclusion that while we were fording the stream an attempt would be made upon our lives, if it was to be made at all.
As soon, therefore, as we arrived in the vicinity of the brook I checked the pace of my horse, and carefully scrutinized the trees and places where an ambush might be expected.