e out, that spoiled the whole lot? We used to
meet now and then, but never noticed one another except by a bit of
a nod or a wink, in public. One day Jim and I were busy puddling some
dirt, and we saw Sergeant Goring ride by with another trooper. He looked
at us, but we were splashed with yellow mud, and had handkerchiefs
tied over our heads. I don't think mother would have known us. He just
glanced over at us and took no notice. If he didn't know us there was no
fear of any one else being that sharp to do it. So we began to take it
easy, and to lose our fear of being dropped on at any time. Ours was a
middling good claim, too; two men's ground; and we were lucky from the
start. Jim took to the pick and shovel work from the first, and was as
happy as a man could be.

After our day's work we used to take a stroll through the lighted
streets at night. What a place it had grown to be, and how different it
was from being by ourselves at the Hollow. The gold was coming in that
fast that it paid people to build more shops, and bring up goods from
Sydney every week, until there wasn't any mortal thing you couldn't
get there for money. Everything was dear, of course; but everybody
had money, and nobody minded paying two prices when they were washing,
perhaps, two or three pounds' weight of gold out of a tub of dirt.

One night Jim and I were strolling about with some of our Yankee
friends, when some one said there'd been a new hotel opened by some
Melbourne people which was very swell, and we might take a look at it.
We didn't say no, so we all went into the parlour and called for drinks.
The landlady herself came in, dressed up to the nines, and made herself
agreeable, as she might well do. We were all pretty well in, but one of
the Americans owned the Golden Gate claim, and was supposed to be the
richest man on the field. He'd known her before.

'Waal, Mrs. Mullockson,' says he, 'so you've pulled up stakes from
Bendigo City and concluded to locate here. How do you approbate Turon?'

She said something or other, we hardly knew what. Jim and I couldn't
help giving one look. Her eyes turned on us. We could see she knew us,
though she hadn't done so at first. We took no notice; no more did she,
but she followed us to the door, and touched me on the shoulder.

'You're not going to desert old friends, Dick?' she said in a low voice.
'I wrote you a cross letter, but we must forgive and forget, you know.
You and Jim come up to-mo