‘That’s to the east—no threat there. Just saying, doc, you may be needed if we’ve got to send men out to fight it back from the settlements. Hope your little lass can manage without you.’

Caleb thanked the man and dragged his weary feet back to the cottage. Posy had long since left, leaving a plate of cold mutton on the table covered with a cloth. He poured himself a beer and sat down to eat. He’d barely pushed the plate to one side when a loud rapping at the door made him start.

‘Dr Hunt!’ The unmistakable voice of the law.

He sighed, rose to his feet and answered the door. A quick glance at the blue serge uniform and he reached for his medical bag. The policeman stepped into the room and Caleb recognised him as Constable O’Grady, a big solid man with a large moustache.

‘Where’s the patient, Constable?’

O’Grady frowned. ‘Patient?’

‘You’ve come to fetch me to an emergency?’

O’Grady cleared his throat, trying but failing to put on an authoritative cast to his genial face and tone. ‘I am here to arrest you for the unprovoked assault on one Richard Barnwell at a hostelry known as Lil’s Place, during which said gentleman sustained serious injuries.’

‘What?’ Caleb stared at him. ‘Arrest me?’

Not a night went past in Maiden’s Creek without there being some sort of fracas at one of the many hostelries. The three policemen would be fully occupied just keeping up to date with the paperwork if every single assault ended in a complaint.

‘That’s right. Mr Barnwell has lodged a complaint. Do you deny you hit him?’

‘It wasn’t unprovoked,’ Caleb protested. ‘He assaulted a lady.’

O’Grady’s lips curled. ‘You mean one of the whores? If that’s your defence, you can tell that to the JP. All I know is that a complaint has been made and I’m here to arrest you.’

‘I want to speak to your sergeant,’ Caleb said, drawing himself up to his full height. Even then he barely looked the big constable in the eye.

‘Sergeant Maidment and Constable Prewitt are out of town,’ O’Grady said, adding with a note of pride in his tone, ‘I’m in charge and you’re coming with me.’

‘I have patients …’ Caleb began but the set of the man’s jaw and the way his hand moved to the butt of the service issue revolver he wore on his belt convinced him further discussion was pointless.

He shut and locked his door. O’Grady rattled his manacles and Caleb glared at him.

‘Try to put those on me, O’Grady, and you can add assaulting an officer of the law to your charge sheet. I’ll come peaceably.’

O’Grady mumbled something and hooked the manacles back on his belt.