“Oh, nonsense,” she said, at the same time looking down in a half-confused sort of way. “I’m not likely to think about him or anyone else just now; but it seems such a dreadful thing to think a man like him, so clever and (hiring, and so handsome and gentle in his ways, should be obliged to lead such a life, hunted from place to place like—like—”

“Like a bush-ranger, Ailie,” I said,“for that’ll be the long and short of it. You may as well know it now, we’re going to ‘turn out’.”

“You don’t say that, Dick,” she said. “Oh! surely you will never be so mad. Do you want to kill mother and me right out? If you do, why not take a knife or an axe and do it at once? Her you’ve been killing all along. As for me, I feel so miserable and degraded and despairing at times that but for her I could go and drown myself in the creek, when I think of what the family is coming to.”

“What’s the use of going on like that, Aileen?” I said roughly. “If we’re caught now, whatever we do, great or small, we’re safe for years and years in gaol. Mayn’t we as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb? What odds can it make? We’ll only have bolder work than duffing cattle and faking horse-brands like a lot of miserable crawlers that are not game for anything more sporting.”

“I hear, I hear,” says sister, sitting down and putting her head in her hands. “Surely the devil has power for a season to possess himself of the souls of men, and do with them what he will. I know how obstinate you are, Dick. Pray God you may not have poor Jim’s blood to answer for as well as your own before all is done. Good bye. I can’t say God bless you, knowing what I do; but may He turn your heart from all wicked ways, and keep you from worse and deadlier evil than you have committed! Good-night. Why, oh why, didn’t we all die when we were little children!”

Chapter XXII

CHAPTER XXII

Ibrought it out sudden-like to Aileen before I could stop myself, but it was all true. How we were to make the first start we couldn’t agree; but we were bound to make another big touch, and this time the police would be after us for something worth while. Anyhow, we could take it easy at the Hollow for a bit, and settle all the ins and outs without hurrying ourselves.