ith my nephew against keeping late hours, and
in relation to the company that he was in the habit of associating with,
but my remarks were unheeded; and then I bethought me that I had a large
amount of gold which should be consigned to a more secure place than my
tent; and it was but a few days after I deposited it at the government
office, that I was awakened by hearing whispering in my tent. I sprang
from my bed, and as I did so, I heard Follet say, 'Kill him.' I was
instantly struck with a sharp-pointed knife, and as I grappled with my
enemies, I called upon my nephew to spare me.

"Half a dozen blows were showered upon me in answer, and then I fell,
fainting, and revived just sufficiently to crawl to your store, and by
that means, I have no doubt, my life was saved; although, if I had
supposed that you were to be involved, I think that I should have
remained in my tent, and expired without making known my condition. I am
grateful for your kindness to me, and will some day show you how highly
I appreciate it."

We would not allow him to talk more, and even if he had been so disposed
we could not have stopped to listen, for a whip was cracked in front of
the store like the report of a pistol, and then we heard Smith's voice,
shouting, in no gentle terms, to his oxen.

CHAPTER LIX.

OUR TEAMSTER BARNEY, AND HIS WIFE.

The burly form and red face of our partner was never more welcome, for
our stock of goods was run low, and our good credit required that we
should have an assortment on hand second to none in the town. We had
already a reputation with the miners for keeping articles of the best
quality, and our prices seemed to give better satisfaction than the
rates of any other storekeepers.

We grasped our diligent partner by his huge, hard hand, and welcomed him
to our home, and asked a dozen questions in a minute, regarding the
state of the markets in Melbourne--whether he had got a package of
letters for us--how many newspapers he had with him--whether the roads
were safe--and a dozen other matters were touched on, that required all
of Smith's patience and lungs to attend to.

"Just you hold on a minute," he said, "until I can get my cattle
unyoked, and then I will attend to you and your questions."

We did not wait for him to carry his request into effect, for we lent
him a helping hand with the cattle, although, to tell the truth, the
animals did not seem in the least grateful for the assistance,