As the narrator paused, Harry asked if the woman recovered her health and strength completely.
"She recovered her strength very soon," was the reply, "but her mind was affected by her exposure and sufferings, and she was never quite herself again, mentally. The children recovered completely after a few weeks of nourishment, and the little girl who was so near dying in that hollow tree has since grown up and married."
"I think it is time for a story of less mournful character," said one of the party.
"By all means," said another; "let us have one."
"At the station of a wealthy squatter a party assembled one evening for a good time and a supper. There were young men and young women, as well as men and women who were not altogether young, who had been invited for miles around, and they had a jolly time, you may well believe me. Some of the young fellows, wishing to have some fun, disguised themselves in rough clothes, blackened their faces, and frowzed up their hair in the roughest kind of way. Then they suddenly appeared at the door of the large room, and the cry of 'Bushrangers!' was raised. Some of the ladies fainted in alarm, and all were more or less frightened. The joke was not kept up very long, as the counterfeit bushrangers were not good impersonators, and were speedily detected by their friends. There was a great deal of fun and laughter over the trick that had been played, and then the performers in the scheme resumed their ordinary dress and continued in the games with the others.
"An hour or so later, rough voices were heard outside of the house, and soon there appeared in the doorway six or eight rough-looking men with begrimed faces, untrimmed hair, and very shabby-looking garments, who entered the hall with a very determined manner. Some of the party burst out laughing, and exclaimed, 'Bushrangers again!' declaring that they would not be fooled a second time. Some of the others had an instinctive perception that this time the bushrangers were real ones."
The narrator paused, and Harry asked if that was the case.
"It was exactly," was the reply. "The men were notorious bushrangers who had been troubling that part of the country for some time. The robbers drew revolvers and ordered the men to 'bail up!' (hold up their hands) which they did in a hurry, and then they were commanded to stand in a row with their faces next to the wall.