We did not form a very prepossessing group, and, at first, much less suspicious people than police officers would have imagined that something was wrong.
"Hello!" cried the man who appeared to command the squad, riding towards us; "what have we here--a wounded man and a dead woman. Whose work is this?"
"We can explain this to those having authority to ask," cried Fred, carelessly throwing his rifle across his arm; yet it was done in such a manner that the officer reined his horse back several paces, and shouted,--
"Ready with your carbines, men!--we have fallen upon a gang of bushrangers."
I heard the ominous click of the locks of the guns, and cleared the blood from my eyes to get a view of our assailants.
"We are no bushrangers," shouted Smith, starting forward and fronting the officer. "You should know my face, lieutenant," he continued, to the man in command.
"Ah, Smith, is it you?" the lieutenant said, in a sort of patronizing way, and riding forward. "Put up your guns, men; we are not among bushrangers, I think." And in obedience to his command, the men slung the carbines at their backs, and rode forward.
"What is the matter with that fellow?" the officer of police asked, pointing to me.
"He was just injured by a knife, sir, in the hands of this woman, who has lost her reason," answered Smith, in the most obsequious manner.
"Lost her reason, hey," said the lieutenant, carelessly. "Then she has no business here; or rather I should say that no persons of sense would be here if they could help it."
The mounted troop laughed, as in duty bound, and even Smith suffered his features to relax in token of appreciation of the officer's facetiousness.
"Where are you two fellows from?" inquired the lieutenant, turning towards Fred and myself abruptly.
By this time I had bound up my head with a handkerchief, and wiped some of the blood from my face. The wound had nearly ceased bleeding, thanks to some lint which I always carried about me.
"Are you talking to me?" asked Fred, in a careless tone.
"To whom else?--speak!" cried the officer, impatiently.
"Perhaps you would not know where the place is located, even if I told you its name," replied Fred, with provoking indifference.
"I am the best judge of that," answered the lieutenant, turning red in the face.