ink, and expressed great gratification when
we asked him to take a drop at our expense; but Dan, who was watching
the operation, looked much more pleased when he saw Fred display a few
gold pieces, and pay for the same; and at length the reserve of the
landlord wore off; and seeing that we were strangers and had money, he
made an excuse to call at our table, and grunt forth a few words of
welcome.

"Is you from the town or bush?" he asked, appealing to Fred as the
leader, because I suppose he had on better clothes than the inspector
and myself.

"From the town; but on the lookout for a chance for the bush," my friend
returned.

"Whose gang have you faked with?" was the next interrogation.

"Once we were with Black Darnley; but most of the time we have been
together, picking up odds and ends, not making big strides, for fear of
the Traps. We are getting short, and came here 'cos we were told that
Steel Spring was going into business, and wanted a little help."

If Dan had any suspicious that we were not what we seemed, he kept them
to himself at any rate, for after drinking "confusion to all d----d
Traps," he returned to his old place behind the bar, and left us to do
what we pleased. We were glad to get rid of him, for he had a wicked
eye, and could see through a disguise quicker than any other man in
Ballarat, robber or policeman. I afterwards accused Mr. Brown of giving
him some private signal by which he was warned to hold his tongue, but
the inspector denied it, not so emphatic as I could have wished,
however.

"Go and invite your friend to join us," Mr. Brown said, addressing Steel
Spring, for the night began to wear away. "If we are to pull together,
we want to see what land of stuff a man's made of, so that we can know
what risks to run and what to avoid. Them's my sentiments, and I don't
care a d---- who knows 'um."

This was spoken in a tone of voice loud enough for half a dozen thieves
to hear; and as Steel Spring had given out that, he was intending to
raise a gang, they did not any longer feel suspicious as to our
movements.

"That's the kind of talk I like a man to spit out," cried a huge black
ruffian who sat near us, bringing his hand down upon his table with so
much good will that a cup before him spilled out half its contents. "I
like to 'sociate with men who have pluck, and know what they is about.
D----n a coward, dead or alive," and with this emphatic declaration the
ruffian drank what spi