, had his hair cut and his beard shaved,
only leaving his moustache and a bit of whisker like a ribbon. He put on
a suit of tweed, all one colour, and ordered a lot more clothes, which
he paid for, and were to be left at the hotel till he returned from
Sydney.

Next day he starts for Sydney; what he was going to do there he didn't
say, and I didn't ask him. He'd be back the day before the races, and
in good time for all the fun, and Bella's wedding into the bargain. I
managed to find out that night that Kate Mullockson had left Turon. She
and her husband had sold their place and gone to another diggings just
opened. I was glad enough of this, for I knew that her eyes were sharp
enough to spy me out whatever disguise I had on; and even if she didn't
I should always have expected to find her eyes fixed upon me. I breathed
freer after I heard this bit of news.

The gold was better even than when we were there. A lot of men who were
poor enough when we were there had made fortunes. The field never looked
better, and the hard-driving, well-paid, jolly mining life was going
on just the same as ever; every one making money fast--spending it
faster--and no one troubling themselves about anything except how much
the washdirt went to the load, and whether the sinking was through the
false bottom or not.

When I first came I had a notion of mating in with some diggers, but
when I saw how quiet everybody took it, and what thousands of strangers
there were all over the place, I gave myself out for a speculator in
mining shares from Melbourne. So I shaved off most of my beard, had my
hair cut short, and put on a tall hat. I thought that would shift any
sort of likeness there might be to my old self, and, though it was
beastly uncomfortable, I stuck to it all the time.

I walked about among the stables and had a good look at all the horses
that were in training. Two or three good ones, as usual, and a lot
of duffers. If Rainbow wasn't beat on his condition, he had pace and
weight-carrying for the best of them. I hardly thought he could lose
it, or a bigger stake in better company. I was that fond of the horse I
thought he was good enough for an English Derby.

Well, I kept dark, you be sure, and mooned about, buying a share at
a low price now and then just to let 'em see I had money and meant
something. My name was Mr. Bromford, and I lived at Petersham, near
Sydney.

The day before the races there was a lot of excitement in th