On the next day Dick Shand was sick, repentant, and idle.  On the third, he returned to his work,—­working however, with difficulty.  After that, he fairly recovered himself, and the two Cambridge men went on resolutely at their hole.  They soon found how hard it was not to go astray without their instructed mate.  The sides of the shaft became crooked and uneven, and the windlass sometimes could not be made to work.  But still they persevered, and went on by themselves for an entire week without a sign of gold.  During this time various fruitless expeditions were made by both the men in search of Maggott.  He was still at the same drinking-shop, but could not be induced to leave it.  At last they found him with the incipient horrors of delirium tremens, and yet they could not get him away.  The man who kept the place was quite used to delirium tremens, and thought nothing about it.  When Caldigate tried a high moral tone everybody around him laughed at him.

They had been digging for a month, and still without a speck of gold, when, one morning early, Mick appeared in front of the tent.  It was then about eight, and our friends had stopped their work to eat their breakfast.  The poor man, without saying a word, came and crouched down before them;—­not in shame,—­not at all that; but apparently in an agony of sickness,—­’I’ve had my bout,’ he said.

‘I don’t suppose you’re much the better for it,’ replied Caldigate.

’No; I ain’t none the better.  I thought it was all up with me yesterday.  Oh, laws!  I’ve had it heavy this time.’

‘Why are you such a fool?’

’Well;—­you see, John, some of us is born fools.  I’m one of ’em.  You needn’t tell me, ’cause I know all about it without any sermoning.  Nobody don’t know it so well as I do!  How should they?  If you had my inside now,—­and my head!  Oh, laws!’

‘Give it up, man.’

’That’s easy said;—­as if I wouldn’t if I could.  I haven’t got a blessed coin left to buy a bite of bread with,—­and I couldn’t touch a morsel if I had ever so much.  I’ll take my blanket and be off as soon as I can move.’  All this time he had been crouching, but now he threw himself at length upon the ground.

Of course they did what they could for the poor wretch.  They got him into the tent, and they made him swallow some tea.  Then he slept; and in the course of the afternoon he had so far recovered as to be able to eat a bit of meat.  Then, when his companions were at their work, he carefully packed up his swag, and fastening it on to his back, appeared by the side of the hole.  ’I’m come to bid you good-bye he said.

‘Where are you going, Mick?’ asked Caldigate, climbing up out of the hole by the rope.

’I’m blessed if I know, but I’m off.  You are getting that hole tarnation crooked.’

The man was going without any allusion to the wages he had earned, or to the work that he had done.  But then, in truth, he had not earned his wages, as he had broken his contract.  He made no complaint, however, and no apology, but was prepared to start.