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station they were informed of much that had taken place on the preceding day, and a Mr. Sampson offered to put them on the trail. A s they proceeded particulars were obtained of the recent outrages, and, arriving within a quarter of a mile of Campbell Hunter's, some horses yvere seen near the homestead, which left little doubt that "the gang" yvere close at hand. It was at once decided that the party should gallop on to the place, and withoutfiringa shot, dismount, rush the bushrangers and take them alive. W e can n o w return to the bushrangers, yvho yvere left enjoying themselves at the breakfast they had "annexed." T h e table yvas deserted, and, making for the prisoners outside, they liberated them on parole, that they yvould not take any part in the coming fray, and ordered them to retire to the back of the hut. T h e state of affairs therefore yvas that, as the five pursuers yvere in the act of dismounting, they beheld the four robbers, about fifteen or tyventy yards off, yvith four double-barrelled guns levelled at them. T h e five m a d e a rush, and as they did so eight shots yvere fired at them, none taking effect. T h e bushrangers hurried back to the hut, yvhich three of them succeeded in entering and barricaded the door. T h e fourth robber (Williams) yvas cut off by Gourlay, and tried to reach an adjoining store, erected with thick slabs, and interstices between each. H e was pursued by Gourlay upon yvhom he turned and fired; but Gourlay knocked the weapon aside saving his o w n life ; he had a very narroyv shave, for the powder scorched his face. H e then fired at Williams, but missing fire, he struck the fellow on the head yvith the butt. B y this time they yvere both in the store, and as the robber was preparing to discharge another pistol, Gourlay knocked him down and threw himself upon him. After struggling for some time Williams again fired at Gourlay ; but the bullet striking a poyvderflaskat Gourlay's side, his life was again saved, though he called for assistance. Snodgrass hearing his friend's cry, at m u c h risk of his life (for he had to cross the front of the hut) flew to his succour, and lodged a bullet in Williams's head. In its transit it yvas nearly taking Gourlay instead, but only singed some of his hair. Life yvas, however, tough in Williams, for so far from dying he once more rallied, struggled to his feet, and again tackled Gourlay, w h o yvas about to be submitted to another pistol experiment, yvhen Chamberlain, making his appearance, gave Williams a ball in the side, and killed him as " dead as a door nail." All this time there yvas a brisk firing into and from the dyvelling, but without any fatal result. Chamberlain, after shooting Williams, yvas hedged in himself, for the balls from the other bushrangers came whistling into the store through the spaces between the slabs, and it is said that it yvas only to his very slender, though tall and lithe figure that he owed his escape. T h efirstchance that offered he sallied out, and yvas wounded in the left elbow. M r . Foyvler was placed hors de combat soon after the firing commenced. H e was shot in two places, a small slug lodging below his ear, and a ball through the hut window penetrated his cheek, and then, by some eccentric movement from within emerged by the side of the nose, not decapitating that useful appendage to the h u m a n face divine, but barking it. After he fell a great quantity of blood spurted out of the hole in his cheek, a clot of yvhich settled on and about the top of his nose, so that he and his companions really thought he was what is vulgarly termed a "nosey," and he good humouredly exclaimed, " Well, the villains have spoiled m y beauty at all events." T h e agreeable truth yvas only ascertained yvhen Dr. Sanford examined his wounds afterwards, and clearing away the coagulated gore, discovered that his patient and his nose yvere still in partnership. His sense of hearing yvas permanently m u c h impaired, probably by the ear-wound. It was also nearly eventuating in lock-jaw, and his articulation was affected by it ever after. Whilst Mr. Fowler lay yveltering in blood, Mr. Smeatman dreyv him beyond the range of further danger, and placed him under a large gum-tree some yards away. H e was afterwards carried further off by Captain Harrison (who yvith others of the bailed-up settlers, was present), and placed in a hut, out of harm's reach. Snodgrass had some hair-breadth escapes in the encounter, yvas three or four times shot through his clothes, and yvas once within an inch of shooting a friend of his (Hunter), mistaking him in the row and the smoke for one of the bushrangers. Gourlay was struck four times by balls, though little more than scratched by any of them. After Fowler was disabled, Chamberlain took charge of the party. T h e firing into the loosely constructed slab store, where Williams was killed, Gourlayfloored,and Chamberlain so cleverly dodged the bullets, was so brisk, that on examination after the battle yvas over, eighteen or twenty bullets were found embedded in the slabs inside. T h e day was n o w advancing, and curiosity, mixed with anxiety, induced several of the Melbournians to ride after the volunteers. R u m o u r directed their route, and the report of the firing brought some of the