When I discovered why Holt got transported, it started to make sense the kind of man he is, a dangerous man with unfinished business. When I asked him bout giving me the two pennies I going need to get the letter stamped, he laughed in me face.

‘What you talking bout? Isn’t it enough that me going get punished? Probably sent to solitude? You owe me much more than two pennies. I don’t care how you do it, but if you don’t post the letter, I’ll know,’ Holt said. ‘I will hunt you down and make you pay. No matter how long it takes.’

When James ask me again how I going post it, I tell him, ‘What you think we doing, escape to go for a holiday? Have time to wander round. Go to the post office in broad daylight and get it stamped?’

James usually have nothing to say after that and he leave me to brood over what we going do.

A few days later, our luck turn and we manage to hold up another lone rider, a well-dressed young man must be heading into town. Have a nice little bag of coins inside him saddle bag. Give us no trouble, only beg that we spare him life. Make me chuckle how the tables turn. Hold the gun to him heart to see the fear cross him face, before I slap the horse’s backside, send him on his way.

With money in our pockets, we head inland to a bush tavern we come cross, where the landlord asks no questions and the patrons look the other way. After a good feed and a couple of ales, we buy a litre of rum to take back with us. On the way out, James spy an old newspaper, thrown on the floor beside the fireplace, and takes it with him.

Back in the cave on a lazy afternoon, when the weather balmy and still and the billy is on the boil, we pour ourselves a shot of rum and James take up the paper, start to read it out loud. Now the thing is James like to read all the notices, bout selling and buying things. Dream bout all the things he going buy when him build up the coins he been saving. I like to hear bout the news. Just like me back sitting on the floor in Melon kitchen, hearing bout who doing what, when and where. So to keep the peace, James read something he like and then he read something I like. Suddenly him call me over, point to one of the headings.

‘Look,’ him say. ‘We famous.’

‘What you mean?’

‘It say, “Daring Attempt to Murder”.’

‘Murder! We don’t try to kill nobody. Backra spreading lies bout us. Better read the whole thing and tell me what them saying.’

And with that, James begin to read.