"Yes; we got ’im all right. But, look here, chaps, no time’s to be lost. These beggars may be still in the paddock. If not, they’ve got out the way they came in, an’ are ’eadin’ fur the ranges. We’ll cut across to the north end where the fence crosses Rocky Crick. I ’spect that’s where they’ve broken in. It looked a bit shaky a fortni’t ago, as I come by. I don’t think they’ve got in at the dog-leg end, that the Boss spoke about. Anyhow, we’ll try the Crick fust."
A sharp ride of about four miles brought the men to the spot indicated by Harry. It was a rocky bit of country, and sure enough they found the "shaky" post and rails lying on the ground. The immediate cause of this was a big limb of a dry stringy-bark tree, which had fallen upon the weak spot and smashed it down. The horse tracks about the spot showed conclusively that the mob had gone in and out by this means.
According to Jacky, the black boy, the inward tracks were about three days old; the outward, a few hours. Without doubt, the brumbies had "nosed" the rails to which the mares had been attracted by their neighings, early in the night. Then in the dawning of the morning they had moved out to one of their haunts in the ranges.
"The only thing now is to get back an’ tell the Boss. ’E’ll be mad when he knows, you bet; thinks no end o’ Floss an’ Jeannie. Put up the rails, boys, quick an’ lively." In a few minutes the men had fixed up the broken panels securely, and then rode homewards.
"Saay, Harry, me bhoy, how’d yees yard th’ ould stag, as ye was sayin’ when ye was talkin’ forninst th’ slip-raales?
"Wasn’t an old stag then, an’ isn’t now, fur that matter, the brute’s in ’is prime yet. Let’s see, ’e’s risin’ ’leven now, an’ we got ’im just afore I left the Captain fur the Boss here. Lemme think. Yes, it’s just over five year ago; he’d be about six, then. Fur all his tricks, the two stallions had driven ’im off their beat. ’E’d got a couple o’ mares, though, an’ kep’ ’em in the range country on the out-station; but it was all of an accident that we got ’im.
"One day me an’ the Captain was ridin’ through the run, havin’ a good look at the stock; fur we had a notion of cuttin’ out a mob o’ fats. Well, as I was sayin’, we was ridin’ along the back part of the run, an’ we came acrost a couple o’ brumbies, each with a foal. ’Stead o’ scootin’, as they does in giniral, the mares galloped in a circle, but didn’t clear.