about eight o'clock
Our rifles were also examined , and at length satisfied that we were ready for an early start , we bid our host and daughter good night and retired to our usual sleeping place , under the cart , with Rover at our feet , ready to give notice of the slightest appearance of danger . It was still dark when the stockman aroused us , but a pale light in the eastern heavens showed that day would soon break . Although we were tired with our long journey , yet we did not stand a second call , and in an hour 's time after being aroused , we had despatched our hastily cooked breakfast , and were on the road and urging the cattle towards the dark and sombre appearing woods where the gang of Black Darnley had been signally defeated . It was about eight o'clock when we reached the place where we had entered formerly . Every thing appeared as we had left it . The forest path seemed to have been untrodden since the day when we had made a funeral pile of the remains of the bushrangers , yet there was one peculiarity that struck me as rather odd -- the entire absence of parrots , whose croakings used to attract our attention , and whose plumage , gaudy and varied , commanded our admiration . While Smith unyoked the cattle and chained them to a tree , under which a good supply of grass was to be had , I took my rifle , and calling to Rover , started towards the bushrangers ' camp , or rather where it had stood before we had given it to the flames .