excitement that a newcomer thought
some great reef had been struck, and followed several of us about for
days trying to discover its location and get his pegs in!

Every one wanted to lend something for Billjim's comfort on the journey
out. No lady's saddle was there in all the camp, and great was Dick's
trouble thereat, until Frenchy rigged his saddle up with a bit of wood
wrapped round with a piece of blanket, which, firmly fixed to the front
dees, did duty for a horn.

"It's a great idea, Frenchy," said Dick; "but, lord, I'd ha' sent her
the money for one if I'd only ha' thought of it, but, bless you, I was
thinking of her as a little girl yet."

'Twas a great day entirely, as Micky the Rat put it, when Billjim came
home.

Every digger for miles round left work and made a bee-line from his
claim to the road, and patiently waited there to get a hand-shake and a
smile from their friend Billjim, and they all got both, and went back
very grateful and very refreshed.

Billjim had turned into a pretty woman in those four years, and I think
every one was somewhat staggered by it.

Jack L'Estrange's first meeting with his one-time playmate was at the
Nest, and it so threw Jack off his balance that he was practically
maudlin for a week after the event.

When he entered the door he stood at first spell-bound at the change in
his favourite, then he said:

"Why, Bill--er Kate, I.... 'Pon my word, I don't know what to say. Oh,
Christopher! you know this is comical; I came up here intending to kiss
my little friend Billjim, and I find you grown into a beautiful woman."

"Kiss me, Jack?" broke in Billjim; "kiss me? Why, I'm going to hug you!"
And she did, and Jack blushed to the roots of his curly golden hair, and
was confused all the evening over it.

The four years' schooling had not changed Billjim one iota as far as
character went. She was the identical Billjim grown big and grown
pretty, that was all.

But something was to happen which was to turn the wild tom-boy into a
serious woman, and it happened shortly after her return home.

It was mail night up at the Nest, and Jack L'Estrange was absent from
the crowd that invariably spent an hour or two getting their mail and
discussing items of grave interest. Being mail night, Jack's absence was
naturally noticed, and every one made some remark about it.

However, old Dick said: "Oh, Jack's struck some good thing, I suppose,
and got back to camp too late to come up