swag on your back: your days in Timber
Town are numbered."

"That's so," said Tresco.

"I can only say this," continued Jack: "if ever you are in a tight
place, which God forbid, I hope I shall be near to help you out of it;
if I am not, wire to me--though I am at the end of the earth I will come
to your help."

Tresco smiled. "Yes," he said, "you're going to be married--you look
on everything through coloured glasses: you are prepared to promise
anything. You are going to the altar. And that's why we've come here."
He had taken the little velvet case from his pocket. "As you'll be
wanting something in this line"--he opened the case and displayed the
wedding-ring--"I have made this out of a piece of Bush-Robin gold, and
on behalf of Bill and myself I present it to you with our best wishes
for a long and happy life."

Jack took the gift, and drew a feigned sigh. He knew the meaning of such
a present from such givers. He looked at the ring: he looked at the
assembled diggers.

"After this, I guess, I shall _have_ to get married," he said. "I don't
see any way out of it. Do you, Pilot?"

"I reckon he's hooked, gen'lemen," replied the old sailor. "There's many
a smart man on the 'field'--I'm aware of that--but never a one so smart
but a woman won't sooner or later take him in her net. I give my dar'ter
credit for having landed the smartest of the whole crowd of you."

"Well," said Jack, as he turned the glittering ring between his fingers,
"I've got to go through with it; but such tokens of sympathy as this
ring"--he placed it on the first joint of his forefinger, and held it up
that all might see--"will pull me through."

"And when is the happy day?" asked Tresco.

"The choice of that lies with the lady," replied Jack; "but as the Pilot
has just received news of his brother's death, I expect my freedom will
extend for a little while yet."

"My mate and me'll be far away by then," said the Prospector, and he
looked at Benjamin as he spoke. "But you may bet we'll often think of
you and your wife, and wish you health an' happiness."

"Hear, hear." The crowd was beginning to feel that the occasion was
assuming its proper aspect.

"We hope," continued Bill, "that your wife will prove a valuable find,
as valuable a find as your claim at Robin Creek, an' that she'll pan out
rich in virtue an' all womanly qualities. H'm." The Prospector turned
for sympathy to his friends. "I think that's pretty fair, eh, mates?"
B