‘Yes, sir—I mean, Your Excellency,’ Toby said. ‘I would like to arrange for half the reward money to go to the widow of Constable Gatwick. I wanted to divide it up equally between all members of the pursuit party, but Mr Childers tells me police officers are not entitled to reward money.’

‘A noble gesture, young man,’ the governor nodded approvingly. ‘Childers will make the necessary arrangements. Still, six hundred pounds is a considerable sum.’

‘We have plans to set our family up on some land,’ Toby explained.

‘Yes, quite. Land, eh? Always a good investment for the future.’ He settled back into the chair. ‘Childers will formalise the reward payment with you. You have the heartfelt thanks of a colony held in the grip of terror by a ruthless man.’ He waved a gesture of dismissal and lowered his eyes to the documents on his desk. ‘Good day, gentlemen.’

‘Thank you, Your Excellency.’ Toby said. He and Paddy turned for the door Childers was swinging wide to facilitate their exit.

‘Just one thing, Mr O’Rourke.’ The Governor’s voice stopped Toby at the threshold. ‘I hate to ask, but it needs to be said. I don’t suppose we shall be seeing you spending large quantities of gold dust over the next months?’

Toby felt his temper flare. Was the lieutenant governor of the Colony of Victoria accusing him of being a thief? A harsh rebuke began to rise in his throat. Then his eyes settled on the frail-looking man behind the desk, his sorrowful gaze fixed on Toby, almost apologetic for having asked the question.

‘The gold shipment Anderson had in the saddlebags is at the bottom of a river in the mountains, Your Excellency.’ Toby strained to keep his voice even. ‘I believe Sergeant McTavish is returning to the mountains to retrieve the other gold and valuables we discovered.’

A thin smile played at the governor’s lips. Toby realised his angry reaction to the question had given the Governor his answer. ‘Quite right, young man. Quite right.’ And Childers pulled the door closed.

Childers led them through several doors and they found themselves in a sitting room.

‘Please, have a seat, boys. I shall have a clerk draft the necessary documents and then you can be on your way.

They sat for twenty minutes or more, then Childers returned with a sheaf of documents in hand. He handed one to Toby.

‘Here you are, sir,’ he said. ‘This document authorises the treasury to release to you a sum of six hundred pounds.’