“My mind is made up, Richard—I have decided irrevocably. Of course, you needn’t come, if you see objections; but I’ll bet you my Dean and Adams revolver and the Navy Colt against your repeating rifle that. I do all I’ve said, and clear out safe.”

“Done!” I said. “I’ve no doubt you’ll try; but you might as well try to pull down the walls of Berrima Gaol with a hay-rake. You’ll make Sir Ferdinand’s fortune, that’s all. He always said he’d die happy if he could only bag you and the Marstons. He’ll be made Inspector-General of Police.”

Starlight smiles in his queer, quiet way.

“If he doesn’t rise to the top of the tree until he takes me—alive, I mean—he’ll die a sub-inspector. But we’d better sleep on it. This is an enterprise of great pith and moment, and requires no end of thought. We must get your sister to come over. That will crown all.”

“Good-night,” I said, rather hasty. “We’d better turn the Hollow into Tarban Creek, and advertise for boarders.”

Next morning I expected he’d think better of it—we’d had a glass or two of grog; but no, he was more set on it than ever, and full of dodges to work it to rights. He certainly was wonderful clever in all sorts of ways when there was any devilment to be carried out. Half as much in the straight way would have made a man of him. But that’s the way of the world all over. He ain’t the only one.

As for father, he was like me, and looked on the notion as rank foolishness. He swore straight on end for about twenty minutes and then said he expected Starlight would have his own way as usual; but he’d play at that game once too often. He supposed he’d be left in the Hollow all by himself, with Warrigal and the dog for company.

“Warrigal goes with me—might want him,” says Starlight. “You’re losing your nerve, governor. Perhaps you’d like to go to the ball, too?”

Father gave a sort of growl, and lit his pipe and wouldn’t say no more. Starlight and I regular talked it out, and, after I’d heard all he had to say, it didn’t look quite so impossible as it did at first. We were to work apart. He was to get in with some of the betting men or sporting people that always came to country races, and I was to find out some of our digger mates and box up with them. Warrigal would shift for himself and look after the horses, and have them ready in case we had to clear at short notice.

“And who was to enter Rainbow and look after him?”