'

We had our innings in the talking line; Jim and Maddie made noise enough
for half-a-dozen. Starlight let himself be talked to, and didn't say
much himself; but I could see even he, that had seen a lot of high
life in his time, was pleased enough with the nonsense of a couple
of good-looking girls like these--regular bush-bred fillies as they
were--after being shut up in the Hollow for a month or two.

Before we'd done a couple of travellers rode up. Jonathan's place was
getting a deal more custom now--it lay near about the straight line for
the Turon, and came to be known as a pretty comfortable shop. Jonathan
came in with them, and gave us a wink as much as to say, 'It's all
right.'

'These gentlemen's just come up from Sydney,' he said, 'not long from
England, and wants to see the diggings. I told 'em you might be going
that way, and could show 'em the road.'

'Very happy,' says Starlight. 'I am from Port Phillip last myself,
and think of going back by Honolulu after I've made the round of the
colonies. My good friends and travelling companions are on their way for
the Darling. We can all travel together.'

'What a fortunate thing we came here, Clifford, eh?' says one young
fellow, putting up his eyeglass. 'You wanted to push on. Now we shall
have company, and not lose our way in this beastly "bush", as they call
it.'

'Well, it does look like luck,' says the other man. 'I was beginning to
think the confounded place was getting farther off every day. Can you
show us our rooms, if you please? I suppose we couldn't have a bath?'

'Oh yes, you can,' said Maddie; 'there's the creek at the bottom of the
garden, only there's snakes now and then at night. I'll get you towels.'

'In that case I think I shall prefer to wait till the morning,' says the
tall man. 'It will be something to look forward to.'

We were afraid the strangers would have spoiled our fun for the evening,
but they didn't; we made out afterwards that the tall one was a lord.
They were just like anybody else, and when we got the piano to work
after tea they made themselves pleasant enough, and Starlight sang a
song or two--he could sing, and no mistake, when he liked--and then one
of them played a waltz and the girls danced together, and Starlight had
some champagne in, said it was his birthday, and he'd just thought of
it, and they got quite friendly and jolly before we turned in.

Next day we made a start, promising the girls a nugget each fo