Page:Australian Emigrant 1854.djvu/138

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118
THE AUSTRALIAN EMIGRANT.

hold, soon discovered that the subject of his observation was in a state of bewilderment, and utterly lost as to the direction he should follow. As he advanced towards him, the bailiff was only too glad to recognise the form of a human being. After he had partaken of some food, and recounted his adventures with the imaginary bushrangers, Bayley put him in the right direction for Melbourne and left him.

Thinking the bushrangers the bailiff had spoken of might be a portion of his own gang, and finding how utterly hopeless his chances of escape alone were, he determined, in preference to the miserable life he had lately led, to endeavour to find them, and then to concert together a plan of operations. After walking some miles, he discovered the trail of five men, and following it up vigorously, he found himself ere long in the neighbourhood, not only of the bushrangers, but also of a party of white men.

It was whilst in ambush near that he discovered the latter had made a prisoner of one of the gang, and he determined to attempt a rescue, conceiving that whoever he might be, he should bind him in such ties of gratitude, that he would be a wretch indeed to prove unfaithful. We have seen with what daring his design was executed.

It was not until Jarrol had been borne some distance, and was released from his bonds, that the rescuer and the rescued recognised each other, and when they did, it afforded Bayley but little satisfaction. "I have saved you from swinging," he said, "I ask only good faith in return."

Jarrol had commenced a speech full of protestations of gratitude, but he was stopped by Bayley.

"I want it in actions not in words, we may be of service to each other."

As soon as Jarrol explained the views he and his compan-