countryman here means what he said nasty, or whether he means it nice?"

"Hear, hear!" shouted a voice behind.

"Just which you please, my fine fellow," said the Cornishman; "you can
take it hot with sugar, or cold with a red-hot cinder in it, if you
like."

"Then maybe I'll take it hot," cried Redbeard, fiercely.

He spoke with one hand behind him, and quick as thought he brought it
round with a swing, but a man near him struck it up.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

HANGING BY A THREAD.

"Stop that!" shouted the judge, springing to his feet. The Cornishman
stood quite unmoved.

There was silence directly, and the dark man went on. "Gentlemen," he
cried, "we have made this a court of justice, and you chose me the other
day, being an English barrister, to act as judge."

"Yes, yes," came in a fierce shout, which crushed down some murmurs of
opposition. "Go on, judge--go on."

"I will, gentlemen, till you bring forward another man to take my place.
Once more, we are here on British ground."

"No, no," came from the minority; "American."

"British, gentlemen; and as subjects of her Majesty the Empress-Queen we
stand by law and order."

"Hear, hear!" was shouted.

"We will have no rowdyism, no crimes against our little society, while
we toil for our gold."

"Hear, hear!"

"We have already bound ourselves to carry on our home-made laws here, so
that every man can bring in his winnings and place them with the
landlord, or leave them in his hut or tent, knowing that they are safe;
and we are agreed that the man who robs one of us of his gold shall
suffer for his crime, the same as if he had committed a murder."

"That's right, judge--that's right!" was roared.

"Very well, then," said the judge. "I have one word to say to those who
have raised their voices several times to-night. Let me tell them that
if they are not satisfied with our ideas of fair play, they had better
pack their sledges and go right away."

"Likely!" shouted a man at the back; "and what about our claims we have
staked out?"

"Let them be valued by a jury of six a-side, and I'll give the casting
vote if it's a tie. We'll club together and buy, you shall have good
honest value, and then you can go farther afield. There's plenty for
everybody, and the country's open. If you don't agree to that and elect
to stay, you must side with us and keep the law. Now then, who says
he'll go?"

"None of us, jedge," came in a slow drawl. "You'