“Was it known to you in what direction they proceeded after leaving your service?”

“I have no personal knowledge; I should think it improper to quote hearsay.”

“Had they been settled up with for their former work?”

“No, there was a balance due to them.”

“To what amount?”

“About twenty pounds each was owing.”

“Did you not think it curious that ordinary labourers should leave so large a sum in your hands?”

“It struck me as unusual, but I did not attach much weight to the circumstance. I thought they would come back and ask for it before the next shearing. I am heartily sorry that they did not do so, and regret still more deeply that two young men worthy of a better fate should have been arraigned on such a charge.”

“One moment, Mr. Falkland,” says our counsel, as they call them, and a first-rate counsellor ours was. If we’d been as innocent as two schoolgirls he couldn’t have done more for us. “Did the prisoner Marston work well and conduct himself properly while in your employ?”

“No man better,” says Mr. Falkland, looking over to me with that pitying kind of look in his eyes as made me feel what a fool and rogue I’d been ten times worse than anything else. “No man better; he and his brother were in many respects, according to my overseer’s report, the most hard-working and best conducted labourers in the establishment.”

Chapter XVIII

CHAPTER XVIII

MR. Runnimall, the auctioner, swore that the older prisoner placed certain cattle in his hands, to arrive, for sale in the usual way, stating that his name was Mr. Charles Carisforth, and that he had several stations in other colonies. Had no reason for doubting him. Prisoner was then very well dressed, was gentlemanly in his manners, and came to his office with a young gentleman of property whom he knew well. The cattle were sold in the usual way for rather high prices, as the market was good. The proceeds in cash were paid over to the prisoner, whom he now knew by the name of Starlight. He accounted for there being an unusual number of brands by saying publicly at the sale that the station had been used as a depot for other runs of his, and the remained lots of store cattle kept there.

He had seen a short-horn bull outside of the court this day branded “J-E” on the shoulder. He identified him as one of the cattle placed in his hands for sale by the prisoner Starlight. He sold and delivered him according to instructions.. He subsequently handed over the proceeds to the said prisoner. He included the purchase money in a cheque given for the bull and other cattle sold on that day. He could swear positively to the bull; he was a remarkable animal. He had not the slightest doubt as to his identity.