as if a breath of air would blow it away. When
she came in and saw the crowd of bronze bearded faces and hundreds of
strange eyes bent on her, she turned quite pale. Then the flush came
back on her face, and her eyes looked as bright as some of the sapphires
we used to pick up now and then out of the river bed. Her hair was
twisted up in a knot behind; but even that didn't hide the lovely colour
nor what a lot there was of it. As she came in with her slight figure
and modest sweet face that turned up to Jim's like a child's, there
was a sort of hum in the church that sounded very like breaking into a
cheer.

Jim certainly was a big upstanding chap, strong built but active with
it, and as fine a figure of a man as you'd see on the Turon or any other
place. He stood about six feet and an inch, and was as straight as a
rush. There was no stiffness about him either. He was broad-shouldered
and light flanked, quick on his pins, and as good a man--all round--with
his hands as you could pick out of the regular prize ring. He was as
strong as a bullock, and just as good at the end of a day as at the
start. With the work we'd had for the last five or six months we were
all in top condition, as hard as a board and fit to work at any pace for
twenty-four hours on end. He had an open, merry, laughing face, had Jim,
with straight features and darkish hair and eyes. Nobody could ever keep
angry with Jim. He was one of those kind of men that could fight to some
purpose now and then, but that most people found it very hard to keep
bad friends with.

Besides the miners, there were lots of other people in church who had
heard of the wedding and come to see us. I saw Starlight and the two
Honourables, dressed up as usual, besides the Commissioner and the camp
officers; and more than that, the new Inspector of Police, who'd only
arrived the day before. Sir Ferdinand Morringer, even he was there,
dividing the people's attention with the bride. Besides that, who should
I see but Bella and Maddie Barnes and old Jonathan. They'd ridden into
the Turon, for they'd got their riding habits on, and Bella had the
watch and chain Starlight had given her. I saw her look over to where
he and the other two were, but she didn't know him again a bit in the
world. He was sitting there looking as if he was bored and tired with
the whole thing--hadn't seen a soul in the church before, and didn't
want to see 'em again.

I saw Maddie Barnes looking with all