"Look at that," said Hugh, in open admiration. "Isn't that
wonderful? Those are Red Mick's dogs. I knew they were good dogs,
but this is simply marvellous, isn't it? What are we to do now? If
I take the sheep from them they'll run home, and I can't prosecute
Red Mick because they picked up a mob of sheep."
"Oh, but he must be near them somewhere," said Mary, to whom
the whole affair appeared uncanny. "They wouldn't drive sheep by
themselves, surely?"
"Oh, of course, he started them. Once he got the sheep out of the
paddock, he started the dogs for home, and rode off. You see his
plan. If anyone finds the dogs with them, of course he had nothing
to do with it. Sheep-dogs will often go into a paddock, and bring
a mob of sheep up to the yard on their own account. It's an instinct
with them. Look at those two now, forcing the sheep over that bad
crossing. Isn't it wonderful?"
"Well," she said, triumphantly, "what about the fence? They couldn't
dig up that."
"Oh, Red Mick did; but who's to prove it? He'll swear he never was
near the fence, and that his dogs picked up these sheep and brought
them home on their own account. The jury would find that I dug up
my own fence, and they'd acquit Red Mick, and give him a testimonial.
No, I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll cut across the range, and
sneak up as near Red Mick's as we can. Then we'll hide and watch
his house; and when the dogs come up, if he takes the sheep from
them, or starts to drive them anywhere, we've got him. Once he takes
charge of those sheep he's done. Of course there may be a bit of
trouble when we spring up and accuse him. Are you afraid?"
"No," she replied. "I'm not afraid--with you. I like it. Come on."
No sooner said than done. They set their horses in motion, and went
at a steady trot for a mile or so, crossing the valley at right
angles, over a sharp rise and down a small hill, till Hugh again
pulled up.
"There's Red Mick's homestead," he said, pointing to a speck far
away down a gully. "The sheep will come up the creek, because it
is the smoothest track. Now, we must tie our horses up here, sneak
down the creek bed, and get as near the house as we can."
They tied their horses up in a clump of trees, and made the rest
of the journey on foot, hurrying silently for half a mile down the
bed of the creek, hidden by its steep banks. Here and there, to
escape observation, they had to walk in the water, and Hugh, looking
round, saw his companion wading after him, with face firm-set and
eyes ablaze. It was a man-hunt, the most exciting of all hunting.