nt, and any man who has
travelled in Australia knows what that will lead to. It was a new
experience to Reg. Hal, however, found himself fully occupied in closing
his ears to the snores coming from a passenger in the next compartment.

"Talk about Sydney! Why, what have you got to talk about? You've a
decent harbour through no fault of your own, and that's about all you
can boast of," said the man from Melbourne.

"And what have you got? Just open the window, and everybody will know.
_Smellbourne_ is your proper title. I always have to carry disinfectants
with me when I come here. Say, guard, see that those windows are
closed," sang out the man from Sydney.

"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed the other, in retort. "We certainly have not your
natural resources, but what we have we have made ourselves. Look at our
splendid buildings, our streets, our cable tramcars, our prosperous
country."

"Yes, look at them. Where are the men that built them? In gaol. How was
the money to build them obtained? By robbing English capitalists. And
what's the consequences? Why, they are all empty. Fancy, ten thousand
empty houses in a small town like yours."

"And how about your empty houses? Your Parliament House? Bah! It's a
bauble shop. While your members are fighting amongst themselves like
cats and dogs, the country is going to the deuce."

"Guard, please separate those gentlemen," screamed a shrill voice from
the lady's compartment.

"Stop your row, there," shouted the man who had been snoring so loudly,
imagining their quarrel had woke him up, whereas, a kick from Hal had
done it.

"Go to sleep, you fellows, blowing about Sydney and Melbourne. Why, our
little town of Brisbane licks you both hollow," roared a tall man in
pyjamas, jumping on the floor.

"Yes; before the flood," shouted the Sydney man.

"Look here, gentlemen. You will have to make less noise," said the
collector, now appearing on the scene.

Thus it was that they were disturbed all night long and, on the
following morning, things nearly approached a crisis, owing to the
Sydney man ostentatiously producing camphor and eucalyptus and preparing
to scatter them about to kill the noxious germs of Melbourne.

"That is a fair sample from the citizens of the two rival cities of the
South," said Hal. "They are for ever fighting against one another.
Jealousy is no name for the rivalry between them."

"It seems a pitiful waste of energy," answered Reg, strapping up his
rugs,