An Outback Marriage

"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.