but were inflicted by gold-stealers who had got into
the mine in some mysterious way and had escaped again just as
mysteriously. Already Waddy had decided upon the identity of the culprits
who, it was confidently asserted, would be found amongst the small
community of Chinamen whose huts were situated on the bank of the creek
at a distance of about two miles from the township, and who made a
precarious living by fossicking and growing vegetables. Waddy always
settled matters of this kind out of hand, and the presence of those
Chinamen saved it much mental trouble in accounting for thefts small or
great.

Late that night Joe Rogers and the searcher sat together in a hidden
place in the corner paddock discussing the turn events had taken. The
last three days had told upon Shine, who was pallid, hollow-cheeked, and
nervous; he fumbled always with his bent bony fingers bunched behind him,
and when in the presence of others twisted and turned his curious feet
continuously with a dull anxiety that irritated the men beyond bearing.
Now, crouched amongst the scrub by the side of his mate, he whined about
their danger.

'We should 'a' cleared. We oughter clear now. We'll be nabbed if we
stay.'

'We'll be nabbed if we bolt,' replied Rogers. 'The man as cleared now
would be spotted as the guilty party, an' half the p'lice in the country
'd be up an' after him. No, here we are, an' here we stick fer better or
worse.'

'But if they've got the gold, why don't they do somethin'? There's no
word of it. Rogers, if you're foolin' me over this--'

'Will you stop twiddlin' those cursed feet of yours an' listen to me?
They haven't got the gold, but I think I've guessed who has. That young
whelp Haddon.'

'Dickie Haddon? How, how? Where's it now?'

'How in thunder should I know? But I know the troopers didn't get it.
They would have made some noise about it afore this. See here, they were
huntin' that kid when they went into the quarry. He must 'a' hid
somewhere about when he heard them comin'; p'raps in that very tree. Then
he dragged the gold away before we got back, an' hid it. That's my idea.'

'An' d'ye think he saw us?'

'I don't. He'd 'a' split at once.'

'Well, well, an' what'll you do?'

'Collar young Haddon, an' frighten the truth out o' him or break every
bone in his cursed skin.'

'But he'd know then, you fool.'

'Will he? I'll take all sorts o' care he doesn't know me, you can take
your colonial oath on that.'