At another time this would have occasioned the wildest jubilation, but now everything was secondary to the wonder inspired by what they had seen in Waddy, combined with their dread of the results of last night's work.

It was well on in the afternoon when they were joyfully startled by the sound of a whistle in the shaft.
'Hello, below there!' cried a voice, and a few seconds later Parrot Cann, too excited to go through the usual formalities, rattled down and landed in a heap at Dick's feet.
'What's up ?' asked Dick eagerly, as Parrot crept into the drive.
'Oh, I say,' gasped Parrot, 'youse fellers are in fer it!' 'How?
Who split?
What're the troopers doin' ?' 'They're after youse.' 'After us!' Peterson's face paled at this corroboration of his worst suspicions.
'My oath! Gable's in gaol at Yarraman; Phil an' Jacker an' Ted's been took, an' now they're after you.' Fer what ?' 'Rob'ry under arms, the feller said, an' shooting with intent' r somethin'.
Dick whistled incredulously.

Here was fame, here was glory.

His favourite authors were justified, and yet there was the dark side; thought of his mother came with a sharp twinge.
'Who went an' split--Ted ?' 'None o' the Company,' said Parrot.

'The troopers came to arrest Gable's mates, thinkin' they was men, an' Toll-bar Sam told who you was.