hen I seen that ere feller stand up
to be shot at, that he had smelled gunpowder afore. Give us your hands,
my chickens! Cuss me, if ye ain't an honor to the States!"

We hardly dared trust our hands within Ben's grip, yet when we did so,
we were delightfully surprised to find that he was reasonable.

"Well, I allers said that they was all right!" cried Charley, who turned
with the tide; "the instant I seed 'um insulted, I knew that I should be
on the right side. You wouldn't like to pay for the whiskey which has
been drunk, would you?" he asked, in an undertone.

Fred put a number of gold coins in his hand, but whether our sponging
friend was overpaid, or whether the money fell short, I never knew, as I
saw the little man give him a glance that was very expressive of his
disapprobation, and with an ashamed look, the fellow slunk back to his
whiskey cask.

"Come, gentlemen," said the little man; "this is no place for tired
travellers. Let us retire, and leave the crowd to drink themselves
drunk."

We followed his advice, and in a few minutes had left the dissipated
miners to their revels.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

ARRIVAL AT BALLARAT.--MR. BROWN'S STORY.

We walked slowly along the main street of Ballarat, and chatted with our
new friend on a variety of subjects. He appeared to be well informed on
mining, and shrugged his shoulders when we intimated that our intention
was to get rich by delving in the earth, and bringing its riches to
light.

"By the way," our new acquaintance said, "it is a little singular that
Murden did not give you a letter to me. He knows that I am stationed
here, and that I would do all in my power to assist his friends."

I suddenly recollected, that just before we left Melbourne, Murden did
scribble off a letter, and hand it to me, with a remark, that perhaps it
might be useful to us. I had forgotten the circumstance, but I knew
where the note was, and I determined to hunt it up as soon as I returned
to my tent.

"I have a letter from the lieutenant," I said; "but if I am not
mistaken, it is addressed to a Mr. Brown, although where Mr. Brown is
to be found is more than I can tell."

The little man laughed in a quiet manner, as though he did not wish to
commit himself by being too jovial.

"I think that you have hit upon the right one," he said, "for my name is
Brown."

"Then you shall have the note," I replied; "but I should never have
thought of looking for the one that it is