ied Done. Brummy ducked his head
again, and muttered something in a husky voice about being 'proud to hey
a fr'en'ly go with any gent ez is a gent.'

'He's a gentleman amateur like yourself,' said the spokesman persuasively
'and a fairer fighter never stripped.'

'Oh, make tracks!' retorted Burton with some impatience. 'We're tired.
Set your man-eater at a red-gum butt or a bull--something in his class.'

'It's very disappointing after coming so far to oblige you.'

'You didn't receive a pressing invitation from any body here,' said Jim.

'Any other day,' ventured the Nut deferentially in his small, hoarse
voice, intelligible only at intervals. 'Way o' friendship--no
ill-feelin's--gent ez is a gent--no 'arm did.'

'I'll not fight you at any time,' Done replied. 'You see, Brummy, my
friend hesitates to raise false hopes in your heart,' said the Prodigal.
'He might promise to punch the hair and hide off you at some future date,
and then disappoint all your tender, joyful anticipations; but he's not a
man of that sort: he tells you straight he wouldn't attempt to 'spoil
beauty like yours for all the gilt in the Gravel Pits.'

'Gent don't wanter fight,' whispered Brummy; 'tha's all right--no 'arm
did.' Brummy was the only man of his party who betrayed no feeling
whatever in the matter.

There was a further conference, and the spokesman turned to Jim again.

Brummy claims the championship of Diamond Gully,' he said.

'That's no business of mine. He's welcome to claim anything he takes a
fancy to for me,' replied Jim.

'No ill-feelin's----way o' frien'ship,' said the husky champion; and he
made his curious salutation again, and went shuffling off with his
keepers, who had the airs of sorely ill-used citizens.

'Well,' gasped Jim, 'if this is what a man brings down on himself by
waging a casual battle in his own defence, I'll be careful to keep out of
fights in the future.'

However, Jim Done was not again called upon to do battle while he
remained on Diamond Gully. The reputation he had won was a guarantee
against further molestation and Aurora's open and unabashed devotion
prevented any approach to serious rivalry. The girl still preserved her
manner of a boon companion in the presence of Mrs. Ben Kyley's customers,
but no man of them was given occasion for the ghost of a hope of
supplanting Jim in her tempestuous heart. She now assumed towards Done an
attitude of happy submission; the quizzical insistence on h