Men forgot their dinners, and worked as though their own lives depended
upon their labors, and without stopping to rest or eat, we continued on
until four o'clock, when we raised the poor fellows to the surface of
the earth, and found, with joy, that they were as well as could be
expected, after so long an imprisonment.

Shouts rent the air, and hundreds of miners rushed towards the shaft to
congratulate the rescued men, and amid all the confusion, Fred, Smith,
and myself walked off quietly, and sought that rest at our tent which we
so much needed.

We were just engaged drinking a pot of coffee, when, to our surprise,
all three of the miners, Bill, Sam, and Jack, entered our tent, without
ceremony.

"We are not very rich," Sam said, wiping his heated brow, and remaining
uncovered while he addressed us, "but we can't let three strangers, who
have worked so hard for our deliverance, go unthanked. Bill, here, has
told us all about it, and how the d----d Scotchman refused to work
unless paid. Don't let the latter affair trouble you, 'cos we've settled
with him, and now we want to fix things with you."

"We are already settled with," I answered; "it's pleasure enough to us
to know that you are both safe, and for that object we would work as
hard again."

"Would you, though?" demanded the speaker, a look of delight
overspreading his face. "Well, if I ever see my children or wife again,
they shall learn to pray for you, and I would, if I knew how."

"When the shaft caved in," Jack said, "we had just found three nuggets
of gold, and even during our extremity, we retained our hold of them. We
are not rich, as Sam states, but if you will accept of the nuggets, and
keep them as a remembrance of our deliverance, we shall feel thankful."

They laid them down and were gone before we could remonstrate, and just
as they left the tent the inspector entered.

"Well," he exclaimed, "what have you decided to do about the store? The
patronage of the whole of Ballarat is at your disposal, for, go where I
will, I can hear of nothing but the two Americans, who fight duels with
one hand and rescue people with the other."

"We have decided," replied Fred.

"That you will commence business?" eagerly inquired the inspector.

"Yes."

"Good!" and without another word the inspector left our tent abruptly,
as though he had forgotten some important business.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

INCIDENTS IN LIFE AT BALLARAT.

We had hardly r