The following morning Reuben rode forward to the settlements, leaving Mr.Blount, with two of his friends, to come on with the flock at his leisure.
At the first farm he reached Reuben heard that, as he feared, the bush rangers had taken advantage of so many of the settlers being away to recommence their attacks.

At the first two houses they visited, they had found the inmates on the watch, and had moved off without making any attack.

At the third they had surprised and killed a settler, his wife, and two hired men, and had sacked and burned the house.

Reuben learned that some of the police had gone off in pursuit.
Leaving his horse to the care of the settler, Reuben borrowed a fresh animal and rode off to the scene of the outrage, which was some thirty miles distant.

Just as he arrived there he met the party of eight police, who had been in pursuit of the bush rangers, and they reported that they had lost all trace of them.
For the next two or three weeks Reuben did not return to his headquarters, spending the time in riding from station to station, with a small party of police, and urging upon the settlers the necessity not only of strongly barricading their houses, but of keeping a watch by turns; as the bush rangers seldom attack a place, unless they can gain the advantage of a surprise.
As nothing had been heard of the bush rangers, Reuben determined to return to his barrack.