“Them two fellers from Bargo; one of ‘em’s a new chum—got his hair cut short, just like Dick’s. My word, I thought he’d been waggin’ it from some o’ them Gov’ment institoosh’ns. I did raly, Dick, old man.”

“You’re precious free and easy, my young friend,” says Starlight, walking over. “I rather like you. You have a keen sense of humour, evidently; but can’t you say how you found out that the men were her Majesty’s police officers in pursuit of us?”

“You’re Cap’n Starlight, I suppose,” says the youngster, looking straight and square at him, and not a bit put out. “Well, I’ve been pretty quick coming; thirty mile inside of three hours, I’ll be bound. I heard them talking about you. It was Starlight this and Starlight that all the time I was going in and out of the room, pretending to look for something, and mother scolding me.”

“Had they their uniform on?” I asked.

“No fear. They thought we didn’t tumble, I expect; but I seen their horses hung up outside, both shod all round; bits and irons bright. Stabled horses, too, I could swear. Then the youngest chap—him with the old felt hat—walked like this.”

Here he squared his shoulders, put his hands by his side, and marched up and down, looking for all the world like one of them chaps that played at soldiering in Bargo.

“There’s no hiding the military air, you think, Billy?” said Starlight. “That fellow was a recruit, and had been drilled lately.”

“I d’no. Mother got ‘em to stay, and began to talk quite innocent-like of the bad characters there was in the country. Ha! ha! It was as good as a play. Then they began to talk almost right out about Sergeant Goring having been ‘away on a wrong scent, and how wild he was, and how he would be after Starlight’s mob to-morrow morning at daylight, and some p’leece was to meet him near Rocky Flat. They didn’t say they was the p’leece; that was about four o’clock, and getting dark.”

“How did you get the horse?” says Jim. “He’s not one of yours, is he?”

“Not he,” says the boy; “I wish I had him or the likes of him. He belongs to old Driver. I was just workin’ it how I’d get out and catch our old moke without these chaps being fly as I was going to talligraph, when mother says to me—‘Have you fetched in the black cow?’

“We ain’t got no black cow, but I knowed what she meant. I says ‘No, I couldn’t find her.’ ”