band of my trousers, not to mention a silver watch like a saucepan
given to me by old Jeph at parting, and a brass ring that I got from
Bluenose! But it's wonderful how fast this melted away in Melbourne.
It was half gone before I succeeded in finding out what part of the
country you had gone to. The rest of it I paid to a party of miners,
who chanced to be coming here, for leave to travel and feed with them.
They left me in the lurch, however, about two days' walk from this
place; relieving me of the watch at parting, but permitting me to keep
the ring as a memorial of the pleasant journey we had had together!
Then the rascals left me with provisions sufficient for one meal. So I
came on alone; and now present myself to you half-starved and a beggar!"

"Here is material to appease your hunger, lad," said Harry Benton, with
a laugh, as he tossed a mass of flour cake, known among diggers as
"damper," towards the boy.

"And here," added Bax, pitching a small bag of gold-dust into his lap,
"is material to deliver you from beggary, at least for the present. As
for the future, Tommy, your own stout arms must do the rest. You'll
live in our tent, and we'll make a gold-digger of you in a couple of
days. I could have wished you better fortune, lad, but as you have
managed to make your way to this out-o'-the-way place, I suppose you'll
want to remain."

"I believe you, my boy!" said Tommy, with his mouth full of damper.

So Tommy Bogey remained with his friends at the Kangaroo Flats, and dug
for gold.

For several years they stuck to the laborious work, during which time
they dug up just enough to keep themselves in food and clothing. They
were unlucky diggers. Indeed, this might have been said of most of the
diggers around them. Those who made fortunes, by happening to find rich
spots of ground, were very few compared with the host of those who came
with light hearts, hoping for heavy pockets, and went away with heavy
hearts and light pockets.

We shall not follow the fortunes of those three during their long period
of exile. The curtain was lifted in order that the Reader might take a
glance at them in the far-off land. They are a pleasant trio to look
upon. They do not thirst feverishly for the precious metal as many do.
Their nightly reading of the Word saves them from that. Nevertheless,
they work hard, earn little, and sleep soundly. As we drop the curtain,
they are still toiling and moiling, patiently,