Page 139 - A Little Bush Maid

"Why, do they think he killed the other man?" Norah asked.

"Seems pretty certain, missy," Blake replied. "Tn fact, there don’t seem the
shadder of a doubt. He was comin’ straight from the hut when the Bowens

met ’im--an’ he’d cleared out the whole place, gold an’ all. Oh, there ain’t
any doubt about Mr. Harris bein’ the guilty party. The only thing doubtful is
Mr. Harris’s whereabouts."

"Have the police been looking for him?" asked Norah.

"Huntin’ high an’ low--without any luck. He seems to have vanished off the
earth. They’ve bin follerin’ up first one clue and then another without any

result. Now the last is that he’s been seen somewhere the other side of your
place, an’ two troopers have gone out to-day to see if there’s any truth in the

rumour."

"T think it’s awfully exciting," Norah said, "but T’m terribly sorry for the

poor man who was killed. What a wicked old wretch the other must
be!--his own mate, too! T wonder what he was like. Did you know him?"

"Well, T’ve seen old Harris a few times--not often," Blake replied. "Still, he
wasn’t the sort of old man you’d forget. Not a bad-looking old chap, he was.

Very tall and well set up, with piercin’ blue eyes, long white hair an’ beard,
an’ a pretty uppish way of talkin’. T don’t fancy anyone about here knew him

very well--he had a way of keepin’ to himself. One thing, there’s plenty
lookin’ out for him now."

"T suppose so," Norah said. "T wonder will he really get away?"

"Mighty small chance," said Blake. "Still, it’s wonderful how he’s managed
to keep out of sight for so long. Of course, once in the bush it might be hard
to find him--but sooner or later he must come out to some township for

tucker, an’ then everyone will be lookin’ out for him. They may have got
him up your way by now, missy. Ts your Pa at home?"