stood watching the scene with incurious eyes.

'Who the devil are you, and where did you spend last night, my man?' said
the trooper.

'I'm a party by the name of Smith, Ephraim Smith--called Eph. I spent
last night in my bunk, bein' too damn drunk to join the boys down there,
worse luck!'

'Your license, Mr. Ephraim Smith.'

The license was handed up, and found correct. 'You had too much
discretion to burn your license with the rest of the seditious
blackguards, at any rate, Mr. Smith.'

As it happens.'

'And your ruffianly husband, Mrs. Kyley?'

'I haven't such a thing about me; but if you mean Ben Kyley,' said Mary,
'come down in your private capacity, sergeant, and put the question to
him in the same gentlemanly way. I'll hold your coat and see you get fair
play, if I have to referee the argument myself.'

'Where is Kyley, you harridan?'

'He went out an hour ago to watch the murder and manslaughter going on
down at Eureka, Sergeant Wallis, and if you miscall me again, you
Vandemonian pig-stealer, I'll drag you from your horse and drown you in a
tub of suds!'

Wallis struck his horse with his open hand, and rode away, followed by
his men, laughing back at the seemingly furious Mrs. Kyley, whose assumed
anger, however, suddenly gave place to a broad grin as they passed from
sight, and she winked a mischievous aside at the bearded digger.

'My oath, but that's a beautiful beard you have,' she said. 'I've a mind
to see how it would suit me.'

'Get a doctor to Done as quickly as you can. There are several among the
diggers who'll stand by you,' said Ryder, disregarding Mary's levity.
'You'll look after him? You can draw on me for money to any amount.'

'I'll look after the poor boy, and I won't draw on you for a sixpence.'

'He's with good friends, I know.'

'He is. There's a girl in there who would work the fingers off her two
hands to serve him.'

'I will call again when I can, and as often as I can, but I'm in no
little danger myself.

I understand. You were one of Lalor's men.' Ryder nodded. That idea would
suit him very well.

Then, if it wasn't that I love the boy in there, I'd do it for your sake
as a good man and true,' continued Mary.

Ryder gave a few directions as to the treatment of the patient and then
turned and sauntered away, carrying the loaf under his arm. Mary
reentered the tent, and found Aurora, very pale but apparently quite
calm, busying herself about the patient. She had