In the Roaring Fifties

and her good and Mrs. Kyley's own breezy, genial disposition, were sufficient to assure a large interest on the part of the men; but Auror

ch indifferent rum merely for the privilege of gazing upon the merry, handsome face of a girl like Aurora Griffiths. Now she

reproach. Done was unconsciously assuming some little air of proprietorship over Au

t! What else?'

' He was at a loss to express hims

ervances iv polite society, an' ye'll be axin' me to put on a proper decorum before the min. Arrah! ye have some purty maxims for young la

find how easily he had slipped into

's only one of me here!' She touched her breast. 'And g

le,

don't know a f

y devotion, Aurora. I defy

for all it's as smooth as my own.' She touched his face caressingly with her fi

of the stranger who had attacked Stony at their camp in the Black Forest. The man was smoking a cigar. He was dressed after the manner of a successful digge

ight,'

ou recol

ny quite escape

hank's to

r done under his very nos

ted it more than the death of my dearest friend, although no man from the time

red Jim wit

had. You need not fear being an accessory b

not think there was a Mister on the

insisted on amongst our friends.' He pointed his cigar towards the diggers at the tables. 'Forgive me,' he continued in an e

but it startled Jim a little. He was surprised to

experience of you has

ained silence for a few moments. He was studying his cigar when he spoke again. 'By the way,' he said abruptly, 'I kno

elbourne,' Jim replied.

Macdo

gal of Boobyalla,'

a shipmat

municative on the interesting subject I have broached, however, but a very charming young friend of hers, Miss Woodrow. The young lady's concern was excusab

d to smoth

wards Aurora, but Ryder did not reply to the question. 'Miss Woodrow told me of the rescu

m, but he desired no revelations, no digging into the past, and there was a hint of motive in the other's tone-he was inviting c

a voice out i

emptied on the floor, and t

of bread was thrust upon Done, and at the same moment the door was thrown back, and in marched Sergeant Wallis, followed by five police. Mr

ere, ma'am,' said Wallis,

tly from his stool a

eturned as silently to his seat, and sat smoking throug

from. I haven't a drop in the place, or I'd stand you a nobbler gladly. I

he place reeks of

ey shouted for the boys,

ny birthdays. Searc

ents, and trying the earthen floor for a secret cellar. They found nothing, a

tration, sergeant, mistaking a poor

an does a big busi

washerwoman would make out of them. I hear they beat their shirts wit

ng, sergeant,' sai

t Bendigo, Wallis, with a hollow tent-

ey. You were Mr

uck I may be Mrs. Wall

forbid

ergeant. Maybe I deserve even that

But I'll have you there yet, my good

happens, sergeant. Will you have a drink befor

drink,' answered W

or perjury. It's bearing false witn

Kyley with the bundles of washing that had been hastily distributed amongst them. Ben Kyley followed the police out, and presently returne

'Roll up, and drink the healt

terior of the burnt tree. From this barrel a pipe came down under the bark to a neatly disguised little trap-door where the canvas lay against the butt. A hidden slit in the tent corresponded with the trap-door. It was Ben's office to replenish the barrel at night, wit

ly sociable, a lover of his kind, and recognised now that half the torment of his life since coming to manhood had arisen from his isolation, from the lack of opportunities of gratifying this affection. He admired Aurora, comparing her with his youthful ideal, the strong animal, self-reliant, careless of custom. True, she lacked the intellectual superiority with which he had endowed his defia

too. But, for all that, there was much comfort in the belief that Aurora showed no preference elsewhere. Quigley's prominence as a suitor was not due to any partiality on the part of the girl, but rather to Quigley's own aggressive character, and his im

, although translated into the biggest bank-notes available. During all this time Quigley's dislike for Jim was only kept within bounds by the vein of flippancy that ran through Aurora's demonstrations of preference for the yo

the other end of the compartment Aurora was struggling in the hands of Pete Quigley. Pete held her wrists firmly, and Aurora's fingers clutched the neck of a bottle. Her face was distorted with passion, no trace of its habitual humour remained; the fury of a mountain cat blazed in her eyes, her lips

said quietly, but his w

man, let th

ed out with a bottle? I'l

gers apart, and threw the

he said in a tone

ess!' answered Pete. 'I'll de

s at Quigley's throat

sockets, and the elder

his own breath. There w

e sprawling

y composed. He undid the wrist and collar buttons of his jumper, dre

g!' he said. 'If you won't I'll t

hem, and endeavoured to

t!' she cried. 'You

replenishing the rum-barrel, entered the t

lmly took the struggling girl in his arms, and handed her

ur straight left, and if he gets in throw him. He's a dirty in-fighter.' Mik

to prevent an honourable settlement of a quarrel be

o be fair, square, an' in order. First man

e points of a fighter, he was ashamed to admit it. Done had done most of the windlass work since coming to the field, and his forearm was corrugated with muscle, while the flexors responded to movements like balls of iron starting under the brown skin. His shoulders were broad and set well back, his poise buoyant, and his air of absolute confidence gave a d

' crie

the young man's face with terrific force. This must have been a decisive blow had Jim's face remained there to receive it, but Done ducked neatly, and the next moment his left was shot into Quigley's cheek, sending the big man staggering, and raising a purple wheal under the eye almost instantly. Pete's composure forsook him at the first set back, and uttering a furious oath he rushed in again, swinging both fists; but that shooting left hand met

him like a Briton?' cried one of

fair he'll fight as he dom well pleases!' said

met Pete's rush this time with an adroit side movement and a heavy lifting blow in the body that made Quigley gasp, and robbed him of the little bit of sense that had remained. He went blundering at Jim, lashing out with left and right. There was a rapid exchange, and using his guard arm in offence for the

sprayed and towelled by his seconds. Jim sat unmoved, while Mike and an aristocratic digge

advanced more warily, displaying some little respect for his enemy's darting left, but Jim's tactics puzzled and disgusted him. The young man was as nim

uttered Pete, swinging on the runawa

his ain't a dancing les

ly in the neck, whereat Mike and his friends clamoured joyously. Quigley rushed at Jim, spitting oaths, but he was a better fighter than he appeared to be, and was prepared for the other's swift, cutting left hand by this, and, ducking, he landed both fists on

em appreciated it. What they liked was to see combatants stand up to each other, giving punch for punch, a system in which the strong brute had all the advant

tin' his own battle, an' fightin' it well. H

winging right when an opening offered. Taking advantage of an instant when Done was driven against the line of men, Quigley bore in, shaking his head from a blow that might have felled a bullock, and, clasping Jim round the waist, deliberately carried him into the centre of the ring, making nothing of the short-arm punches that cut like a hammer. Three times he tried to dash Done to the ground, but the latter w

killed!' said

inished: there remained no emotion but the lust of conquest. Aurora, who had watched the fight lying across the counter under the washer-woman's restraining arm, h

e to the scratch for the third round, Pe

an' I'll belt the hide o

im simply led the big man a dance round the ring, landing a stinging blow now and then, to add to Pete's discomfiture; but the latter got him cornered at last, and the thud, thud, thud of the blows stirred the crowd to enthusiasm once more. Pete got

Jim?' asked Bu

it me for a day or two,' answere

young man about the ring, wasting energy in terrible blows that were rarely within a foot of their object, while Done, who scarcely seemed to be fighting at all, slipped in every now and again and bat

e man no more!

im broke away, and Quigley followed, almost blind, and scarcely able to stagger. Done put him off with the left, and dr

red, 'an' I don't mind sayin' I ain't seen a prettier bit o' fightin' this five year. Yo