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Page 426

| Tobias. When he found his blanket, he knew for certain that he had been taken in the raid and could now be far into the outback, possibly never to be seen again. |

| Ashton buried his face in his hands, a sob tearing through his body. "Christ," he moaned. "Oh, Christ, what am I going to tell Sasha? Our son. Our sweet son!" |

| Sasha rode up to the scene of the crime and in a state of shock dismounted and went to Ashton. "You don't need to tell me," she murmured, dazed. "I already know. Tobias is gone. But why, Ashton?" |

| Ashton raised his head from his hands and looked at Sasha. "Bushrangers," he said hoarsely. "They can get top dollar for a healthy child like Tobias. There are many in Australia who are childless. Tobias will be sold to the highest bidder." He gestured toward the buggy. "They also took the horses." |

| Sasha stared blankly up at Ashton for a moment, then ran to the edge of the road and hung her head. Her throat spasmed over and over again until there was nothing else to spill from her stomach. |

| Ashton came to her and turned her to face him, wiping her mouth clean with his handkerchief. |

| "I'm going to be all right," Sasha reassured, blinking back tears. "I must. We have to find Tobias. We can't let anyone sell him as thoughas though he were a sheep or a bale of wool." |

| "There will be a search party formed, Sasha, but not before I take you home," Ashton said, his voice firm. "We have another child. She needs you, too, Sasha. Paulette needs you." |

| As though in a trance, Sasha nodded. "Yes, |

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