The utter ingratitude and treachery of these Australian _myalls_ were shown very brutally by this fellow whilst George was doing what he could for him. Having dropped one of the strips of the flannel shirt he had torn up for bandaging, Geordie stooped to the ground to pick it up, and the _myall_ instantly aimed a deadly blow at the back of his head with a short, heavy _nullah_, which the boys had not removed from his girdle, and which he snatched from his thigh. But Alec, who was standing by his left hand side, saw the movement of his hand, and before the blow could descend he had struck the man to the earth with one blow of his fist.
"You infernally ungrateful brute!" he shouted, livid with passion at the dastardly fellow.
"Good gracious, Alec, whatever's the matter?"
"Why, this black demon tried to beat your brains out the instant you stooped down. I believe Murri is right after all. I've a good mind to put a bullet through his wicked head."
"Oh, no, you haven't. Loose him, Murri," for that worthy fellow had pounced on him and was nearly throttling him with his hands. "You know what they are well enough; they are born and bred and live in treachery and cunning. They are like dingoes or snakes in that respect."
"Yes, and deserve equally to be shot with those beasts."
"Well, I wouldn't lay another finger on him if I were you. Let the brute bleed."
"Very well," said George, composedly, sitting down, for he knew perfectly well that he only had to wait a minute for Alec to cool for him to think very differently.
After a moment or two had passed without a word from either, during which the _myall_ sat sullenly and silently with the blood flowing from his wound, Alec said, in rather an ashamed voice--
"I say, Geordie, we can't let that beggar bleed to death."
"I knew you thought so. I only said 'very well' because I was sure of it, and because I can't bear to act as though I thought I were a better fellow than you, old man. Come on, give us the bandage."
George very soon had completed his surgical work, and the wounded man sat without offering to move hand or foot, having failed in his one attempt at vengeance.
"Give him a billy of water to drink, and then tie his feet together with this strap and his hands behind his back, so that he can't get away whilst we are catching the horses."