turn; but as the procession had reached the Rest, Tony swallowed the
unpleasant effect of Nuggan's words, and, having turned his horse into
the paddock by the side of the hotel, entered with the others the room
where, on his last visit, the great billiard-match had been played.

As on that former occasion the news spread that there was money to be
spent at the Rest, so it did on this occasion, and long before sunset
there was a mighty gathering to do honour to the men who, having lost
one pile, had set out again and won another. The drought still lay over
Birralong, the rain which had caused such fortunate unpleasantness to
Tony and his mates having apparently only fallen on the heights of the
range. For many miles around the township the grass was brown and
withered, only waiting for a stray spark to set it ablaze and sweep the
country with a greater desolation than even the drought could effect.
The stock on the selections was thin and poor, the horses were weedy and
weak, and the selectors, hearing that Tony and his mates had returned
with more gold, hurried into the Rest to hear what they could in the
hopes of sharing in the miners' luck. To profit by any good-will there
might be, men who were weary with counting their debts and discounting
the chances of paying them, kept the ball rolling by "setting 'em up"
when they thought it came to their turn, despite the repeated assertion
by Tony and his two comrades that they were providing the evening's
entertainment.

The sun went down, and the cool, dark evening reigned outside, but
within the Rest the gathering was growing uproarious as the selectors
gave free vent to spirits held in check for many weeks by the depressing
weight of the unending drought. A commotion among the horses which were
in the paddock beside the hotel, and on to which the room looked out,
gave a moment's pause to the noise within. One man went out to see what
had caused the stir. He dashed back into the room with a white, scared
face and startled eyes.

"Marmot's store's afire!" he shouted.

Helter-skelter the men rushed out, Tony and his mates in front. On the
rise at the end of the township the flames gleamed as they flared from
the wooden building, which burned like matchwood. From the distance in
the opposite direction came the sounds of horses, galloping away from
the township.

Peters sprang towards the paddock fence.

"Our gold!" he yelled. "They've biffed us!"

The slip-rails In th