little. He was surprised to find that he had betrayed any trace of his
emotion.

'Well,' he said, 'my experience of you has not been commonplace.'

'You mean that affair in the Bush?--a casual fight, with the usual loud
language merely, for all you know.' Ryder maintained silence for a few
moments. He was studying his cigar when he spoke again. 'By the way,' he
said abruptly, 'I know a good deal about you, Done, if you came out in
the Francis Cadman. He expected this announcement to have some effect.

'I saw you one day in Melbourne,' Jim replied. 'You were driving with
Mrs. Macdougal.'

'Mrs. Donald Macdougal of Boobyalla,' said Ryder gravely.

'She was a shipmate of mine.'

Yes; and you saw my face for a moment in Melbourne and remembered it. You
observe narrowly and quickly, Mr. Done. It was not Mrs. Macdougal who was
most communicative on the interesting subject I have broached, however,
but a very charming young friend of hers, Miss Woodrow. The young lady's
concern was excusable in view of certain services, but nevertheless
flattering. She asked me to constitute myself a sort of foster-Providence
over you if we ever met, Mr. Done.'

Jim laughed to smother a pang.

'Do I need it, Mr. Ryder?' he asked. He fancied there was a flutter of
the other's eye towards Aurora, but Ryder did not reply to the question.
'Miss Woodrow told me of the rescue,' he said, 'of your solitary
disposition, and spoke of a life of suffering in England.'

Done's lips tightened; he squared his shoulders. The fear that had
possessed him on leaving his birthplace was no longer upon him, but he
desired no revelations, no digging into the past, and there was a hint of
motive in the other's tone--he was inviting confidence. For a few moments
Ryder bent a keen glance upon the younger man, his face bowed and in
shadow, toying with his cigar.

'Jo!' yelled a voice out in the darkness.

Instantly every pannikin was emptied on the floor, and thrust into a
digger's shirt.

'The traps!' cried Mrs. Ben, and her rum-jug flew into a tub of water
behind the counter. Several bundles of washing were tossed out, a loaf of
bread was thrust upon Done, and at the same moment the door was thrown
back, and in marched Sergeant Wallis, followed by five police. Mrs. Ben
Kyley was not surprised, and had expected that Aurora's imposition would
bring a raid down upon her sooner or later, and here it was.

'You're selling sly grog here, ma'am,' said Wallis