'An' if you get the gold back, no dirty tricks. It's halves, you
know--fair halves!'

'Yes, an' haven't you always got your share all fair an' square? An'
what' ye you ever done fer it but whimper an' cant an' snuffle, like the
cur you are?'

'I was goin' to give it up after this,' whined Shine, disregarding Joe's
outburst, 'an' get married again, an' live God-fearin' an' respectable.'

Rogers glared at him in the darkness, and laughed in an ugly way.

'Marry! 'he sneered. 'Man, the little widow wouldn't have you. She's
waitin' fer Frank Hardy; an', as fer yer God-fearin' life, you're such an
all-fired hippercrit, Shine, that I believe you fool yourself that you're
a holy man in spite o' everythin,' 'pon me soul I do!

'Ah, Joseph Rogers, the devil may triumph fer a while, but I'm naturally
a child o' grace, an' if you'd on'y turn--'

Rogers uttered an oath, and drawing back struck the searcher in the face
with his open hand.

'Enough o' that!' he cried. 'None o' your sick'nin' Sunday-school humbug
fer me, Mr. Superintendent. We've talked o' that before.'

Shine arose, and moved back a few paces.

'I'd better be goin',' he said. ''Taint fer us to quarrel, Joseph. Leave
the usual sign when we're to meet again.'

Bent over his unconscionable feet, he stole away amongst the trees, and a
few minutes later Rogers moved oft slowly in another direction, towards
the lights of the Drovers' Arms. His thoughts as he strolled were not
very favourable to his fellow criminal.

'Let me once get my hands on that gold,' he muttered, 'an' I'll bolt for
'Frisco.

CHAPTER XVII.

DICK remained very subdued throughout the next day; his head was full of
the oppressive secret, and he had no heart for new enterprises. At school
his mates found him taciturn and uncompanionable, and Joel Ham was
astonished at his obedience and industry. Harry Hardy returned home on
the Wednesday evening, and visited Mrs. Haddon's kitchen that night. His
head was swathed in bandages, and he was pale and hollow-eyed. Dick felt
strange towards his friend and shrank from conversation with him, but
listened eagerly when Harry described his experiences in the mine on the
night of the attack.

'I'd stopped the pump for a spell,' he said, 'an' presently thought I
heard sounds like someone working in the 'T' drive. I crept quietly to
the mouth of the drive, an' could see a man with a candle crouched down
at work on the floor. I was making towards him