n has a monopoly of the snakes.'

Then he added hesitatingly, 'There was an old Punch-and-Judy chap here
last year, but he died. Whisky again.'

'What happened to his show?'

'The Black Rock Hotel man took it for board and whisky bill. He has it
still, I suppose.'

I did not much relish the business; but I hated to see him beaten, so
I ventured, 'I have run a Punch and Judy in an amateur way at the
'Varsity.'

He sprang to his feet with a yell.

'You have! you mean to say it? We've got them! We've beaten them!' He
had an extraordinary way of taking your help for granted. 'The miner
chaps, mostly English and Welsh, went mad over the poor old showman, and
made him so wealthy that in sheer gratitude he drank himself to death.'

He walked up and down in high excitement and in such evident delight
that I felt pledged to my best effort.

'Well,' I said, 'first the poster. We must beat them in that.'

He brought me large sheets of brown paper, and after two hours' hard
work I had half a dozen pictorial showbills done in gorgeous colours and
striking designs. They were good, if I do say it myself.

The turkey, the magic lantern, the Punch and Judy show were all there,
the last with a crowd before it in gaping delight. A few explanatory
words were thrown in, emphasising the highly artistic nature of the
Punch and Judy entertainment.

Craig was delighted, and proceeded to perfect his plans. He had some
half a dozen young men, four young ladies, and eight or ten matrons,
upon whom he could depend for help. These he organised into a vigilance
committee charged with the duty of preventing miners and lumbermen from
getting away to Slavin's. 'The critical moments will be immediately
before and after dinner, and then again after the show is over,' he
explained. 'The first two crises must be left to the care of Punch and
Judy, and as for the last, I am not yet sure what shall be done'; but
I saw he had something in his head, for he added, 'I shall see Mrs.
Mavor.'

'Who is Mrs. Mavor?' I asked. But he made no reply. He was a born
fighter, and he put the fighting spirit into us all. We were bound to
win.

The sports were to begin at two o'clock. By lunch-time everything was in
readiness. After lunch I was having a quiet smoke in Craig's shack when
in he rushed, saying--

'The battle will be lost before it is fought. If we lose Quatre Bras, we
shall never get to Waterloo.'

'What's up?'

'Slavin, just now. The miners