It was a very dirty face just now; his red hair, long neglected, hung in wisps over his forehead and about his ears, giving him an elfish look in the candlelight.
'Never mind,' he said, 'bring us some to-night, first chance you get; but be cunnin'.

We'll shake some fruit soon ez it's dark, to keep us goin'.' 'What's the good o' fruit ?' groaned Peterson.

Fruit ain't grub.' Dick looked anxiously at his mate.

There was an immediate danger that the outlaws might be starved out.
'Parrot's goin' to fetch some,' he said brightly.
Parrot promised to do his best for them, but, although they waited till nearly nine o'clock in hungry anticipation, he did not return that night.
The last carrot was eaten, and a cautious excursion to Summers' orchard produced nothing, Maori's warning bark driving the boys back to the Gaol Quarry, empty and disconsolate.

Billy could hold out no longer, but he did not meditate an open desertion.
'I'll jes' sneak round our house till I get a chance to slip in an' shake a junk o' bread or somethin'; then I'll come right back an' we'll go halves,' he said.
'Sure you'll come back, are you ?' ''S that wet?
'S that dry ?' Dick accepted the oath.