The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 74: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

266 THE TRACK OF MIDNIGHT. ‘I forgot them,’’ Wilton confessed. ‘‘ ‘They have gone into the house.’’ He linked his arm in hers, and they walked together to the station. At the door Johnson met them. ‘We have tea ready,’’ he said in an unconcerned tone. CHAPTER XX.—THE Mists RISE. IN spite of the heavy strain on the endurance of Douglas and Johnson, it was late at night before the three men went to sleep. Mary and Narli went to their room soon after the meal was over, and then the three sat round the table smoking and debating what was the next thing to be done. The last escapade of the gang showed them that something more would have to be done to rid the country of the pest than the desultory campaigns of the squatters had been able to accomplish. “The government must help us, or we shall all be wiped out,’’ Douglas said forcibly. ‘‘ Now that Giles has been killed, and his station burned to the ground, perhaps we shall be able to get some police to scour the district.” “It’s the only remedy,’’ Johnson assented. ‘‘ We shall have to go to Sydney.”’ ‘‘ That’s it,’’ Douglas exclaimed, ‘‘ you and Wilton start off with the others as soon as they are rested enough, and I’ll stay on here and call all the fellows round. You can set me right, too, while you are down there,’’ he added grimly. ‘‘ There’s not much fear about that,’’ Wilton answered. ‘Then we'll consider that settled,’’ Douglas interrupted. ‘‘ You four start off as soon as you’re ready. If you want any support down below, tell them every squatter in the place will come, and we won’t do a hand’s turn if this gang is not wiped out.’’ _ They agreed to the proposal, and in the morning Wilton told Mary. She wanted to start the same day, but Douglas and Johnson both urged fora couple of days’ rest before the journey was begun. In the mean time the party of black fellows was sent round to the different stations with messages signed by Johnson, Douglas, and Wilton, calling them to meet at Toombul as soon as they could, and telling them of the destruction of Billah. ' Another message was also given to the blacks for their own tribe, and it was that they could always have rations and blankets for the asking at either Meleelee or Toombul as a recognition of what they had done in the rescue of Mary. Two days later, Wilton and Johnson, accompanied by Mary and Narli, started for Sydney, and traveled in easy stages down to the coast. In the early part of the journey they made their own camp at night, but when they came into more settled country, they could always reach a homestead before dark. | To the girl, whose whole life had been spent away in the back blocks, the time occupied in that journey was all too brief, every day bringing with it some new pleasure, in addition to the fact that the distance between them and the metropolis was gradually becoming less. And in the contemplation of that fact, Mary found a satisfaction she had never known before. When they Doo d 5 cS: (E(e)