Page:Hornung - Irralies Bushranger.djvu/133

 "Then for mercy's sake don't follow them! Now, have we given them long enough? Mount in here; the stirrups might clink; they'll see nothing, but they might hear!"

"For the life of me I don't know why you are doing this!"

"Nor I." She struck another match. "Mount! mount!" she cried in an agony. But the match only showed her a handsome, heedless face touched for once with tenderness and concern. The dark eyes melted into hers; she dropped the match and put it out with her foot.

"If they take you again," she whispered, "I shall die!"

"They sha'n't. I am going. If I could only tell you"

"Don't try: go now: for my sake!"

He was in the saddle. She caught up an armful of straw, and threw it on the ground to deaden the noise. He leant over the withers as she led the animal forth.

"Promise me one thing," he whispered, suddenly, "or I sha'n't go at all!"