of our kindness
and attention, and was wandering in his mind, many miles away to his
family and friends in busy London, yet we never lost our patience, or
refused to gratify his wants, as far as lay in our power.

Day after day passed, and we were impatient to hear from Murden. Mr.
Brown had put his police to work to find out the accomplice of Follet,
but all attempts to discover him had proved futile.

Follet still remained obstinate and defying; and to add to our misery,
our patient was hovering between life and death, and it seemed as though
a feather would turn the scale either way.

One night, soon after twelve o'clock, and while I was taking my turn
watching by the bedside of Mr. Critchet, I heard a gentle tap at the
door. I paid no attention to the first summons; and not until a
repetition warned me that some person was desirous of entering, did I
cock my revolver, and without disturbing Fred, stole softly to the door,
which I unlocked, and discovered a man with a long black beard and
slouched hat, standing on the doorsteps, whistling, in a low key, the
popular negro tune, just introduced into Australia from California, by a
band of negro singers, of "Nelly Bly."

"What is wanted?" I asked, bringing my revolver up so as to command his
head, in case his visit was hostile.

"Can you tell me the time of night?" he demanded, in a tone so gruff and
guttural, that I thought he must have slept in a mine for a week, and
that the dampness had gone to his lungs.

"Ask the first mounted policeman that you come to," I rejoined, and was
about to slam the door to, when I heard a peculiar chuckle that arrested
my attention.

"Veil, if this 'ere isn't a go!" the man with the black beard said; "a
feller comes hall the vay from Melbourne to see a friend, and gets the
door shut in his face."

I knew the voice, and should know it if I met its owner fifty years
hence. I seized the visitor by his collar, dragged him into the store,
shut the door, tore off his black beard, and had revealed to my eyes the
grinning countenance of _Steel Spring!_

CHAPTER LIV.

THE WAY THE COLONISTS OBTAIN WIVES IN AUSTRALIA.

"Vell, of all the jolly things in the world, if this don't knock um,"
Steel Spring said, with one of his most hideous grins. "I told my
friend, Murden, and I halso 'inted the same thing to 'is excellency the
governor, the last time that I dined vid him, and just as he was axing
me to take vine, that I would v