Page:Outlawandlawmak00praegoog.djvu/366

354 And Abatos was there now, testifying to his master's vicinity. Blake had evidently left him tethered, while he had made his way on foot to the cave. The animal was tied securely to a gum-tree, and whinnied at sight of Jack Nutty. The half-caste threw himself from his horse and seized the bridles of Elsie's and Hallett's horses. Frank lifted Elsie down, and the girl fell almost fainting in his arms. But she rallied herself quickly, and drank eagerly from the flask of diluted brandy, which he held to her lips. The draught gave her new strength.

"Quick!" she cried. "I know the way. What are we to do with the horses? They must not stop here."

"Mine plant that fellow," said Jack Nutty—"little way—behind that fellow rock—in the scrub." He pointed to an abutting spur up to which the bunyas grew close, and as he did so began to undo Abatos' bridle. "Ba'al me go along a you," he went on. "Mine stop here—keep very quiet—look after horses. Suppose policeman come me ready."

Elsie scarcely waited to hear him. She could trust herself to find the way. Once through the fissure it was easy. She led Hallett after her, and in a moment they were lost in the bowels, as it seemed, of the mountain. Gropingly they felt their way along the gallery, and by and by emerged again into the moonlight, and stood on the ledge leading round to the Baròlin rock.

They walked on, skirting the precipice. Hallett could hardly repress an exclamation of astonishment at the lonely grandeur of the scene, and the almost entire inaccessibility of the spot. "No wonder Macpherson couldn't track them!" he said to himself.

The great rock of the human head looked strangely weird in the moonlight, with its withes of grey moss hanging like hair, and its majestic rugged outline of feature. Again Elsie drew him on. They had gone into the mountain once more, and here was the gallery where she had been chloroformed. She made Frank light a match, and they felt for the stone doorway. The stone lay back. A few steps, and