that was laid a white india-rubber sheet which Caldigate had brought with him from England.  This, too, had roused the miner’s wrath.  Nevertheless he condescended to lie upon it.  This was their bed; and here they lay, each wrapped up in his blanket, Mick in the middle, with our two friends at the sides.  Now it was not only on Mick’s account, but quite as much in reference to Dick Shand, that Caldigate deprecated any reference to drink.  The abstention hitherto had been marvellous.  He himself would have gone daily to the store for a bottle of beer, but that he recognised the expediency of keeping them away from the place.  He had heard that it was a peculiarity of the country that all labour was done without drink, even when it was done by determined drunkards.  The drunkard would work for a month, and then drink for a month,—­and then, after a time, would die.  The drink almost always consisted of spirits of the worst description.  It seemed to be recognised by the men that work and drink must be kept separate.  But Mick’s mind travelled away on this occasion from the little tent to the delights of Ridley’s bar.  ‘We haven’t had a drop of drink yet,’ he said.

‘We’ll push through the month without it;—­eh, old boy?’ said Caldigate.

‘What wouldn’t I give for a pint of bitter beer?’ said Shand.

‘Or a bottle of Battleaxe between the three of us!’ said Mick;—­Battleaxe being the name for a certain brand of brandy.

‘Not a drop till the month is over,’ said Caldigate turning himself round in his blanket.  Then there were whisperings between the other two men, of which he could only hear the hum.

On the next morning at six Caldigate and Dick Shand were at the hole together.  It was Caldigate’s turn to work till noon, whereas Dick went off at nine, and Mick would come on from nine till three.  At nine Mick did not make his appearance, and Dick declared his purpose of looking after him.  Caldigate also threw down his tools, as he could not work alone, and went in search.  The upshot of it was, that he did not see either of his companions again till he found them both very drunk at a drinking-shop about two miles away from their claim, just before dusk!

This was terrible.  He did at last succeed in bringing back his own friend to the tent, having, however, a sad task in doing so.  But Mick Maggott would not be moved.  He had his wits about him enough to swear that he cared for nothing.  He was going to have a spree.  Nobody had ever known him to be talked out of it when he had once set his mind upon it.  He had set his mind upon it now, and he meant to have his whack.  This was what he said of himself:  ’It ain’t no good, John.  It ain’t no good at all, John.  Don’t you trouble yourself, John.  I’m going to have it out, John, so I tell you.’  This he said, nodding his head about in a maudlin sort of way, and refusing to allow himself to be moved.