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country folk, and two or three policemen to the scene of conflict. Amongst those w h o ventured so far out of town was a M r . John Eyvart, not only a very "horsey" character, but one ofthe best judges of horseflesh in the colony. From a hip-malformation of some kind, which gave him a queer, jerky, one-sided gait, he went by the alias of " Hopping Jack," and was as well knoyvn in the old times as Kirk's Bazaar, the still popular horse repository in Bourke Street. O n this day "Jack" was fated to appear in what must have been to him a very novel character, i.e. a diplomatist. Tyvo o'clock had arrived; there yvas a partial cessation of hostilities, and the party outside the beleagured hut n o w numbered about thirty. T h e robbers held out until they saw they had no chance of escape; and if they had done so m u c h longer, it yvas intended to procure a cart from Harrison's, and with a mattress on it, improvising a bullet-proof bulwark, under cover of which to storm the hut, rush the bushrangers, and overpower them. Councils of war were held, both outside and inside, and the three bushrangers were heard shouting as if for a parley. After some shouting in reply, " Hopping Jack" mounted a haystack near one ofthe hut windoyvs, carried on a loud patter with the fellows inside; and it yvas ascertained that they were desirous that "Jack" should visit them as a plenipotentiary, with w h o m they could treat about a surrender; and then arose the difficulty as to whether any one should venture into such a h u m a n tigers' den. It was suggested (and not unreasonably) that it might be a ruse to entrap some person to be detained as a hostage, and probably murdered in the event of a non-compliance with any d e m a n d of the robbers. "Hopping Jack," however, was not deficient in courage, and without giving time for further deliberation, "hopped" merrily into the hands of the Philistines. And he had no reason for repenting his rashness, for they respected the truce, and treated the envoy to a feed on the roast duck, red herrings, and brandy, which Campbell Hunter's hospitality had unwittingly supplied. T h e bushrangers then came to business, and agreed to capitulate, if the attacking party gave a yvritten undertaking of their desire that the bushrangers on their trial should be mercifully dealt with. After some communication with the outside, a Mr. Rider followed "Jack," and acted as the scribe by w h o m the proposed treaty yvas committed to paper, when it yvas signed by tyvo of the outside party, and the gang laid down their arms, Fogarty being thefirstto surrender. It is hardly necessary to say that the "bit o' writin'" fared the fate of m a n y more pretentious protocols executed by greater powers. It was more "honoured in the breach than the observance," and, in lawyers' parlance "it would not hold water." About 3 o'clock the capture was completed, and one of the rascals was in an advanced state of intoxication. They were forthwith handcuffed, and being searched, £ 2 6 in bank notes, a few sovereigns, and a quantity of silver were found upon them, besides which it was stated, they were so plentiful in cash that having run short of paper during the day, they actually used £ 1 notes as gun and pistol wadding. At the hottest period of the gold mania, rum-maddened lucky diggers over-laid h a m sandwiches with £ 5 notes, to add piquancy to a counter lunch; but such a thing as bank-note cartridge paper yvas a novelty unknown at the most layvless period of gold-fields highway robbery. A singular story is told of Jepps. O n their way to Hunter's in the morning, the "Rangers" met Mr. Charles Ryan (of the now well-known stock-selling house of R y a n and H a m m o n d ) , and stuck him up. In the property of which they eased him was a pocket-knife,fittedwith a corkscrew, and this constituted a portion of the spoil allotted to Jepps, the actual robber. During the fight it was in the bushranger's vest pocket, and a ball discharged at him struck the knife fair in the centre, splintering the handle, and breaking one of the blades. T h e force of the blow knocked the fellow over amongst his companions in the hut, and they, believing him to be dead, were about to submit, when he revived and prevented them. After his arrest he said to Mr. Ryan, " I wish I had not taken your knife; for had I not done so, I should have been shot like a man, but n o w I shall hang like a dog." T h e knife was subsequently restored to its lawful owner, and is preserved by him as a souvenir of an unpleasant incident and an eventful day. W h e n the gang were thoroughly secured, three ofthe "screwiest" horses that could be found were placed at their service to render escape impracticable, and thus mounted, and securely guarded, they were escorted to the station of Mr. Sergeantson, where they and their guard had quartersforthe night. Next day they were brought to Melbourne and lodged in gaol. It was Sunday, and as the calvacade rode by the church of St. Francis during the hour of prayer, the building was half emptied of its congregation through a desire to behold the passing sight. Mr. Fowler had been removed to the house of a friend on