Fred and myself consulted for a moment and agreed to do so. A day or a week was nothing to us, if Smith could be made a free man. We called to him:—
"Smith," said Fred, "do you wish a pardon from government?"
The poor fellow flushed red in the face, and then the blood receded and left his cheeks pallid as death.
"If you wish a free and unconditional pardon, you must go with us back to the haunts of Darnley," Fred said.
The tears started to his eyes with delight, and for a moment he was incapable of motion; but in another second he bounded to the side of the cattle, and with nervous fingers was unhitching the yokes and turning the brutes loose upon the wide prairies, to feed upon the rank grasses which abounded on the sides of the stream.
CHAPTER X.
DESPERATE DEEDS OF TWO CONVICTS.—LIEUT. MURDEN'S STORY.
The sun was pouring down with Australian brilliancy and power, but we cared but little for the heat, if we could gain the scene of the battle before a gang of bushrangers reached the spot, and concealed the bodies. It was, therefore, with considerable uneasiness that we saw the lieutenant of police coolly dismount from his horse, throw the bridle to one of his men, with directions to remove the saddles from the animals, and let them drink their fill at the stream, and afterwards be allowed to graze on the rank grass.