he earth on
the day of our capture.

We raised it carefully from its hiding-place, and found that the weight
had not diminished. With eager hands we untied the strings, and exposed
to our longing eyes the glittering scales of gold dust, mixed with gold
coins, sovereigns, and American ten and twenty dollar pieces.

"Well," asked the stockman, "how much do you think you are worth now?"

The old fellow was as cool as an iceberg, and offered a striking
contrast to our excitement.

"Twenty thousand dollars," replied Fred, weighing the bag with both
hands; and no easy matter he found it to hold the gold at arm's length.

"More than that," replied the stockman, with a smile of gratified pride
at our pleasure. "Say thirty thousand, and you will come nearer the
mark."

"Five thousand shall go to reward you for your trouble," I said.

"Not a penny will I accept," he answered, quickly and decidedly; "I told
you that some time ago. I plead poverty because I did not wish people
to consider me rich, and I suppose by that means I have saved my life:
for if the marauders of those parts knew me to possess gold, my hut
would have been turned inside out, but that it would have been
discovered. No, no; keep your money, and may you do good with it."

We mounted our horses again, and hugging the bag of gold to my saddle
bow, as though fearful I should meet bushrangers to dispute my right to
it at every step, we recrossed the prairie, meeting Smith on the way, to
whom we imparted our good fortune, and received his congratulations. By
three o'clock the gold was safe under the hearthstone, and then we
breathed free, and felt that we indeed owned it.

By six o'clock Smith joined us with his dilapidated cart, when we
immediately commenced repairing it, and getting ready for our journey
towards Ballarat.

By the ingenious use of tree limbs, we were enabled to repair it
sufficiently to carry all of our freight; and after it was loaded on, we
ate our supper, and prepared for an early start.

The gold, which we were so glad to obtain possession of, troubled us,
however. We did not like to risk its safety with us, for we knew that
the population of Ballarat were wild and lawless, and we were rather
fearful of losing our treasure, now that we possessed it. We consulted
with Smith, and came to the conclusion that the safest place was with
the honest old stockman, buried beneath his stone hearth. He readily
accepted of the trust, and promise