s do, Mack dear?' panted Aurora, thrusting an impertinent,
flushed, handsome face up at the Serang, and feeling amongst her tangled
hair.

There had been an expectant hush upon the men for the last few moments.
On this broke a great bovine roar of merriment from the opulent lungs of
Mrs. Ben Kyley, who stood foremost in the ring surrounding McPhee, the
sergeant, and the girl, her strong white hands, suspiciously pipeclayed,
supporting her shaking sides. The familiar guffaw was infectious; the
diggers caught it up, and, laughing like madmen, closed in on Wallis,
snatched his prisoner from his hands, and, hoisting her shoulder high,
bore her off in triumph.

Commissioner McPhee, surrounded by his minions, rode from Diamond Gully
that afternoon with one prisoner--the man who had been run down, and the
crowd that ushered him out bore Aurora Griffiths aloft, and sang a long
chant of derision, which, keenly as he felt it, the Serang did not dare
resent.

X

NATURALLY, Aurora's popularity was greatly increased, and the tent of
Mrs. Ben Kyley became a favourite rendezvous. The girl's good looks and
her good and Mrs. Kyley's own breezy, genial disposition, were sufficient
to assure a large interest on the part of the men; but Aurora, in taking
action against the troopers, had identified herself with the enemies of
officialdom. Thenceforth she was a public character. There were not so
many women about the rush but that scores of sober, reputable diggers
would have travelled far and drunk much indifferent rum merely for the
privilege of gazing upon the merry, handsome face of a girl like Aurora
Griffiths. Now she was in some measure their championess there was more
reason for offering devotion at her shrine, and Kyley's saw busy nights.

'Why did you do it?' asked Jim a few nights later, throwing into his
words a hint of reproach. Done was unconsciously assuming some little air
of proprietorship over Aurora. Whenever the girl noticed it smiles
sparkled in the corners of her brown eyes.

'Pure devilment! What else?' she answered.

'Wasn't it a little--just a little--' He was at a loss to express
himself, and Aurora's laugh chimed in.

'The dear boy's brought his sinse iv propriety wid him!' she cried.
'Maybe ye' have a few words to say on moral conduct an' the dacent
observances iv polite society, an' ye'll be axin' me to put on a proper
decorum before the min. Arrah! ye have some purty maxims for young
ladies, an' a heap