Page 63 - In A New World

He might perhaps unconsciously have emphasized the word honest. At any
rate, Fletcher so understood him, and took offence at the implication.

"Look here, young whipper-snapper," he said roughly, "you’d better take

care how you talk. You are in my power, and something will happen to you
if you are insolent."

"What have I said to offend you?" asked Harry, looking the bushranger
calmly in the face. "I am not speaking of you, but of Mr. Stackpole."

"You meant to insinuate that there was a difference between us."

"That ought not to offend you, as you have so poor an opinion of him."

Harry evidently had the best of it, and Fletcher felt cornered, for he did not
care to court the charge of dishonesty.

"Perhaps you didn’t mean anything," he growled. "If so, all is well, but you
had best be careful."

"Follow me, men," said the leader. He turned his horse’s head and rode into
the wood.

The eucalyptus trees are very tall, some attaining a height of hundreds of

feet. They begin to branch high up, and there being little if any underbrush
in the neighborhood, there was nothing to prevent the passage of mounted
horsemen. The ground was dry also, and the absence of bogs and marshy

ground was felt to be a great relief.

The boys were on foot, and so were two or three of the bushrangers’ party.
As already intimated, they were of inferior rank and employed as
attendants. In general the party was silent, but the boys overheard a little

conversation between the captain and Dick Fletcher, who rode beside him.

"You haven’t distinguished yourself this time, Fletcher," said the chief in a
dissatisfied tone. "You led me think that this party had money enough to