The colour drained from Anderson’s face and his lips trembled. Blood frothed onto his beard as his breath bubbled. Toby watched the mouth work, trying to form words as the bushranger fell to his knees. The long spear prevented him from going over backwards. He let go of the rock and it thudded harmlessly into the sand, fingers clutching at the crude point of the spear, his eyes flicking from side to side, finally settling on Toby. This time he found the last vestige of strength and breath to utter one final word as he collapsed sideways onto the sand.

‘Chilbi!’

At the far end of the sand spit stood a solitary figure, a young Aboriginal man wearing a kangaroo-skin cloak.

Toby tried to climb to his feet. The movement stirred the Aboriginal into motion and he turned and limped towards the scrub above the riverbank. At the edge of the trees he paused to glance back at the two men on the sand, one dead and one alive. Then he stepped into the shadows of the bush and was gone.

Toby had never seen a structure as grand as Government House. He and Paddy gaped in awe as they strode towards a pair of huge doors set back on a wide verandah. A batman swung the doors open and ushered them into a reception hall where Childers stood waiting across an expanse of blue carpet.

‘Ah! Toby and Patrick. You’re early. That’s good. The Governor abhors poor punctuality.’

They were left with no time to admire their ornate surroundings as Childers led them through a set of doors at the back of the hall and into an outer office.

‘I’ll just check His Excellency is ready.’

He went to a set of large doors at the rear of the office, knocked discreetly and pushed one open.

‘Tobias and Patrick O’Rourke, Your Excellency.’

A voice called from the room beyond. ‘Show them through, man.’

Lieutenant Governor Sir Charles Hotham sat behind a huge desk. Sunlight showed through a pair of high windows and splashed across the carpet, illuminating the governor’s gaunt features. Despite a head full of dark hair, his beard was wispy and sparse. Hotham had a thin frame. Only the gold-braided epaulettes on the shoulders of his naval uniform served to give his body any breadth. A sword in a glittering scabbard hung from a stand beside the desk. When he stood, the Governor was tall, offsetting his slender frame.

‘Gentlemen, I am so pleased to meet you.’

‘A pleasure, Your Excellency,’ Toby said, remembering how Childers had addressed the governor.

Hotham smiled. ‘I have read the excellent report prepared by Sergeant McTavish. It seems you had quite an adventure out in the mountains. And a fruitful one, too.’

‘Yes, sir—uh, Your Excellency,’ Toby stammered.