many a day since I've met with any one near my old
form.'

'Then suppose we have a game or two,' says Mr. Knightley, 'after dinner
or supper, whichever we choose to call it. I have cards; they luckily
came up the other day. In the meantime you will find the claret very
fair, and this cold wild turkey--I shot a brace last Thursday--is not to
be despised.'

We had a rattling good feed, and no mistake, whatever it was. The turkey
was a grand bird, and weighed 21 lb., he told us. The cook had sent in
some hot potatoes, and chaps like us that had been riding, walking, and
fighting for twenty hours right on end had just the sort of appetite
that a bird of that kind deserved. He was as fat as butter, too. They
feed on dandelion seeds at that time of the year. It gives 'em a sort of
gamy flavour such as no other bird, wild or tame, has. To my liking
the wild turkey beats the black duck even. He's the best game bird that
flies in the bush.

Mr. Knightley, too, now his wife was safe on her way to Bathurst, and
things seemed going well, was full of fun, and kept us all going. He
helped everybody twice over, and wouldn't hear of any one keeping
the bottle standing. The night was close rather, and we were all that
thirsty it went down like mother's milk. Wall and Hulbert got pleasant
enough and joined in, now that Moran was out of the way. He was snoring
in a back room, and, like a man in the deadhouse of a bush shanty, not
likely to wake before sunrise. Mr. Knightley told us some out-and-out
good yarns, and Hulbert and Wall swore that if they'd known he was such
a good sort they'd never have thought of sticking up the place. He said
he had been quite mistaken about them, and that another time he should
know better than to volunteer for work that was not part of his duty.
By that time the claret had gone round pretty often; and without being
screwed we'd all had our tongues loosened a bit.

After that we lit our pipes, and we three began to play all-fours and
euchre, sometimes one pair, sometimes another. As for Mr. Knightley and
Starlight, they got out a curious filigree sort of a little card-table
and began to play some outlandish game that I didn't know, and to look
very serious over it.

They had notes for counters, and I could see, as I looked over every
now and then, that each man was doing all he knew to best the other.
Sometimes one had the show; sometimes the other. We got tired and had
another smoke and turned in. T