s own importance, he could not long
maintain the attitude of reserve and self-effacement which Barber had
imposed as a condition of service under the scheme he had formulated. As
soon as the miners began to fight shy of him as an opponent at the
billiard-table, he forgot the necessity for caution, and ignored the
gentle persuasive influence of an occasional defeat. Instead of the tact
which animated the smooth-tongued Tap, he developed swagger and "side,"
and talked largely of his powers as a billiardist, and patronizingly to
the men who made matches between themselves and declined even his bets.
When the table was disengaged and there were onlookers in the room, he
performed what they termed "flash" strokes, and challenged promiscuously
any one and every one to play for large and larger stakes, until the
souls of the miners were wroth within them, and the men of Birralong
yearned in silence for the return of Tony, who alone of all the
township had succeeded in mastering the intricacies of the table to
anything like the degree Gleeson had.

But Tony had not yet returned from the diggings. He and his two
companions, working more scientifically along the creek in the scrub
than the others had done on Ripple Creek, had located the extent over
which gold was to be found in the wash-dirt, and had then carefully and
systematically worked through it, the division of labour enabling them
to get over the ground quickly and effectively. As none of the men from
the other creek visited them as they worked, they judged that their find
was purely their personal concern and that no one else knew of its
existence. Under the spell of excitement engendered by the find, Gleeson
passed entirely out of memory, and the winning of all the gold in the
creek before any one else could come and share the spoil was the one
idea in their minds.

But if Gleeson was forgotten, he had not forgot. When he sneaked away
after the thrashing that Palmer Billy had administered, he had no idea
in his mind beyond getting out of reach of the vengeance of the men he
believed he had fooled. He did not know exactly in what direction he
journeyed, save that it was away from the scene of his humiliation, the
thoroughness of which made him ache in every bone, joint, and muscle of
his body. He kept moving, as fast as he could, away from the point of
danger; and in accordance with that unexplained law which induces two
bubbles on a tea-cup to run together, or two shi