vanished from my sight. "Never," thought I, "shall I look on
such a scene again!"

Chapter XII.

RETURN TO MELBOURNE

Before the evening of Wednesday the 20th, we passed through Kyneton,
and found ourselves in the little village of Carlshrue, where we passed
the night. Here is a police-station, a blacksmith's, a few stores and
some cottages, in one of which we obtained a comfortable supper and
beds. A lovely view greeted us at sunrise. Behind us were still
towering the lofty ranges of Mount Alexander, before us was Mount
Macedon and the Black Forest. This mountain, which forms one of what is
called the Macedon range, is to be seen many miles distant, and on a
clear, sunny day, the purple sides of Mount Macedon, which
stands aloof as it were, from the range itself, are distinctly visible
from the flag-staff at Melbourne.

We had intended to have stopped for the night in Kyneton, but the
charges there were so enormous that we preferred pushing on and taking
our chance as to the accommodation Carlshrue could afford, nor did we
repent the so doing.

The following are the Kyneton prices. A meal or bed--both bad--4s; a
night's stabling, one pound ten shillings per horse; hay at the rate of
9d. a pound; this is the most exorbitant charge of all.

Hay was somewhere about 20 pounds a ton in Melbourne. The carriage of it
to Kyneton, now that the fine weather was setting in, would not exceed 8
pounds a ton at the outside, which would come to 28 pounds. The purchaser,
by selling it at Kyneton at the rate of 9d. a pound, or 75 pounds per ton,
cleared a profit of 47 pounds--NOT QUITE 200 PER CENT. If THIS is not
fortune-making, I should like to know what is. It beats the diggings
hollow.

Next morning we looked our last at "sweet Carlshrue," and
having crossed the Five Mile Creek, camped for our mid-day meal beside
the Black Forest. Here a slight discussion arose, as to whether it
would be more advisable to proceed on our journey and camp in the Black
Forest that night, or whether we should remain where we were outside,
and recommence our journey in good time the next morning so as to get
through this most uncomfortable portion of our travels in one day.
Frank and Octavius were for the latter plan, as the best and safest,
but the rest (thinking that, having once travelled through it without
encountering any thing resembling a bushranger, they might safely do so
again) protested against wasting time, and were for ent