Our proposition to Smith was, that he should form one of a partnership, to be conducted under the firm of Frank, Jack, & Smith.  The latter was to attend to the freighting and buying in Melbourne, while we would do the trading and selling at Ballarat.  We agreed to put in three thousand dollars each, and we were to value Smith’s team and animals, and allow a fair price for them, and then he was to make up with cash enough to bring his capital equal to ours.

There were many things which we had to say that we did not like to discuss before the inspector, so that when he arose to go, we felt thankful.  We then drew up articles of partnership, and gave Smith an order to get the gold which we had stored at the old stockman’s, and to take a certain portion of it to buy goods, and deposit the remainder to our order in the Melbourne Bank.  After our business was completed, the night was far advanced; and with bright anticipations for the future, we retired to our hard beds, and dreamed of home and happiness.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

ATTEMPT OF THE HOUSEBREAKER.—­ATTACK BY THE SNAKE.

I confess that it is somewhat startling to awaken a few minutes before sunrise, and see a dozen rough, gaunt, ragged men, standing near the entrance of one’s tent, and to hear them whisper in a low tone, as though they intended murder, or robbery at least; and it was with the latter impression that I sprung from my couch, revolver in hand.

“What is the meaning of all this?” I asked, rubbing my eyes, not being thoroughly awakened.

“Ah, yer honor is awaken, is ye?” inquired a familiar voice; and upon closer inspection, I found that our Irish friend, whose hand Fred had dressed the succeeding evening, was one of our visitors.

“Ah, it’s you, is it?” I asked, hastily concealing my revolver.  “What has sent you here so early?”

“Faith, it’s yer honor that may well ax that.  It’s a beautiful night’s rest I had, yer honor, and I couldn’t rest without coming and telling yer honor of it.  It’s painless is my hand, and it’s all owing to the doctoring, I know, glory to God; and it’s a few friends of mine I’ve brought wid me, whom I hope yer honors will look at for my sake, and long life to yer honors’ ginerosity.”

“Well, this is cool, certainly,” I said, in a low whisper to Fred.  “What are we to do?  We can’t afford to devote all our nights and mornings to practising on the philanthropic style.”

“We must make the best of our bargain, at present If we should turn them away, people would say that we possessed no feeling, and as likely as not we should get insulted in some manner or other during the first drunken fray that occurred near our new place of business.  As we have begun, so must we finish.”

I concluded that Fred’s advice was far the best, and without another complaint, I assisted him to go through with our new patients.  As usual, they left, profuse in their thanks, but no substantial token of their appreciation was deposited with us.