“Bush-ranger here or bush-ranger there,” he says,“I’m going to lose a dashed good man among cattle; and if this chattering fool of a woman had held her tongue the pair of ye might have come on with the cattle till they were delivered. Now I’m a man short, and haven’t one as I can trust on a pinch. I don’t think any more of you, missis,” he says, “for being so dashed ready to give away your friends, supposing they had been on the cross.”

But Kate didn’t hear. She had fallen down in a kind of fit, and her husband, coming in to see what the row was about, picked her up, and stood looking at us with his mouth open.

“Look here, my man,” says I, “your wife’s taken me and this gentleman,” pointing to Jim,“for some people she knew before on the diggings, and seems to have got rather excited over it. If it was worth our while to stay here, we’d make her prove it. You’d better get her to lie down, and advise her, when she comes to, to hold her tongue, or you might be made to suffer by it.”

“She’s a terror when she’s put out, and that’s God’s truth,” says the chap; and starting to drag her over to one of the bits of back bedrooms. “It’s all right, I daresay. She will keep meddling with what don’t consarn her. I don’t care who yer are or what yer are. If you knowed her afore, I expect ye’ll think it best to clear while she’s unsensible like.”

“Here’s a shout all round for these men here,” says I, throwing a note on the bar. “Never mind the change. Good-bye, chaps. This gentleman and I have some business together, and there’s no bush-ranging in it, you may take my word.”

We all left then. The men went back to their cattle. Jim rode quietly along the road to Cunnamulla just like any other traveller. I went down and saddled up my horse. I’d got everything I wanted in my swag, so I’d left the other horse at Willaroon.

“Never mind the settlement,” says I to the drover. “I’ll be coming back to the station after I’ve finished my business in Queensland, and we can make up the account then.”

The overseer looked rather doubtful.

“This seems rather mixed,” says he. “Blest if I understand it. That woman at the pub seems half off her head to me. I can’t think two quiet-looking chaps like you can be the Marstons. You’ve been a thundering good road hand anyhow, and I wish you luck.”

He shook hands with me. I rode off and kept going along the road till I overtook Jim.