talent that way, to attend to the cooking
department. We relieved him of a great deal of the hard labour, but
gave him his equal share of the profits. The consequence has been that
we are all in first-rate health, and dig more energetically than our
neighbours."

"Has there then been much sickness here of late?" asked Frank.

"A great deal, and I fear there will be much more when the rains set in;
but let me urge you again to take my advice about appointing a cook."

"That," said Joe Graddy, "is just wot we means to do, Mister
wot's-yer-name?"

"Stewart," said the miner.

"Well, Mister Stewart, I'll ap'int myself cook to our party, havin', if
I may say so, a nat'ral talent that way, w'ich wos deweloped on my first
voyage round the world, w'en our cook died of a broken heart--so it's
said--'cause the doctor knocked off his grog, and put him on an
allowance o' lime juice."

Saying this, Joe heaved a deep sigh, seized the frying-pan, and
commenced his self-imposed duties. Our hero took up the bowl of
gold-dust, and was about to leave the hut, when Douglas arrested him
with--

"Hallo, Frank, where away? I shall have to shout `stop thief' if you go
off like that with the gold."

"I'm going to pay our debt to Jeffson," said Frank, with a laugh. "I
have great belief, Douglas, in the plan of paying as one goes. Debt is
a heavy weight, which I never mean to carry if I can help it. A good
old aunt of mine used often to din into everybody's ears the text `owe
no man anything,' and I really believe she has caused it to take a
strong hold of me, for I can't rest till I square off Jeffson's
account!"

Frank hastened away, and soon after returned with the balance, thirteen
pounds, which, as Douglas observed when they began supper, was the
nucleus of their future fortune; while Joe remarked that "he didn't know
wot nooklius wos, but if it meant the _beginnin'_ of their fortin, it
wasn't a big un, as things went at the diggin's."

The proceeds of the next day's work were nearly equal to those of the
first, and the spirits of the diggers were proportionally high; but on
the third day they did not wash out much more than half the quantity of
gold. They were therefore somewhat depressed; and this condition of
mind was increased by one of those events which were at times of
frequent occurrence there. This was the murder of one miner by another,
and the summary application of Lynch-law to the criminal.

It occurred ab