, after a while, he said, as
if to himself:

"Poor Clara! Poor little lassie!"

By the time we reached the shanty it was well on in the afternoon. A
fight was stopped in the first round and voices lowered when the chaps
caught sight of us. As Peter walked into the bar one or two drunks
straightened themselves and took off their hats with drunken sentiment.

"Where is Jack Barnes, Thomas?" asked Peter, quietly.

"He's in there if you want to see him," said Thomas, jerking his head
towards the parlour.

We went in, and when Peter saw Jack lying there I noticed that swift,
haunted look came into his eyes, as if he'd seen a ghost of the past. He
sat down by the sofa to wait until Jack woke. I thought as he sat there
that his eyes were like a woman's for sympathy and like a dog's for
faithfulness. I was very shaky.

Presently Thomas looked in. "Is there anything I can do for you,
M'Laughlan?" he asked in as civil a tone as he could get to.

"Yes," said Peter, "bring me a flask of your best whisky--your own,
mind--and a glass.

"We shall need the whisky for him on the track, Joe," said Peter, when
the flask came. "Get another glass and a bottle of soda; you want a
nip." He poured out a drink for himself.

"The first thing we've got to do is to get him away; then I'll soon put
him on his feet. But we'll let him sleep a while longer. I find I've got
business near Solong, and I'm going down with you."

By and by Jack woke up and glared round, and when he caught sight of
Peter he just reached for his hands and said, "Peter! Thank God you've
come!" Then he said, "But I must have a drink first, Peter."

"All right, Jack, you shall have a drink," said Peter; and he gave him a
stiff nobblerq. It steadied Jack a bit.

"Now listen to me, Jack," said Peter. "How much money have you got
left?"

"I--I can't think," said Jack. "I've got a cheque for twenty pounds
here, sewn inside my shirt."

"Yes; but you drew thirty-six in three cheques. Where's the rest?"

"Thomas has ten," said Jack, "and the six--well, the six is gone. I was
playing cards last night."

Peter stepped out into the bar.

"Look here, Thomas," he said quietly, "you've got a ten-pound cheque
from Barnes."

"I know I have."

"Well, how much of it does he owe you?"

"The whole, and more."

"Do you mean to tell me that? He has only been here since yesterday
morning."

"Yes; but he's been shoutin' all round. Look at all these chaps here."

"They