“We will imagine that you have resolved to commence operations, and that a suitable spot has been selected.  After a day’s digging, you will find, that to prevent the earth from caving in and burying you up, timber is wanting.  You make application, and find that to buy staves and planks will cost you as much as a small house in the States.  Even a few cracked branches are valued at the rate of five or ten shillings per stick, and you can calculate how much the cost would be after sinking a shaft a hundred or two hundred feet, to say nothing of the chamber work.”

We began to comprehend that mining was rather difficult and uncertain work.

“Then, according to your showing, the best thing that we can do, is to pack up our traps and return to Melbourne,” Fred said, after a long pause.

“By no means; you are not going to start so soon, I hope,” the inspector replied.

“We see but little use of remaining here and wasting our means on an uncertainty,” I answered.

“Have patience, my lads,” replied the inspector, softly; “are there no other ways of making money besides mining?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, with a suspicious glance.

The inspector laughed, and slowly refilled his pipe.

“I don’t propose to rob the specie train, or to waylay travellers.  I think that money can be made in an honest manner, and without working very hard.”

“But how?  Show us the modus operandi.”

“I will, with great pleasure.  Make an agreement with your companion here, Smith, and let him return to Melbourne and load two teams with goods, such as I will give you a hint to buy.  By the time he returns, you can have a store or large tent to receive them.  Paint on a huge piece of canvas that you have fresh goods from England and the United States, and call your place the ’International Store.”  It will sound well, and half of the fellows here won’t know what it means, and of course they will patronize you for the purpose of finding out.”

“But where is the capital to come from?” I asked, thinking that I would test his friendship by pretending that we had but little money at our command.

“A thousand pounds will be enough; I will recommend you to dealers in Melbourne who will be glad to give you three months’ credit,” the inspector answered, promptly.

“That may be true, but a thousand pounds is a large sum of money, and where are we to find it?” I asked.

“Why, I have five hundred pounds that I don’t want to use, and I am so certain that what I recommend will succeed, that you are welcome to it without interest for a twelvemonth.”

Mr. Brown seemed so sincere and honest that we were compelled to shake hands with him in token of our appreciation of his offer.

“We are comparatively strangers to you,” Fred said.  “How dare you to offer to trust us with money, when you don’t know but we may deceive you?”