“Well, ain’t I here to make money, too? so where’s the difference between us?  You open a store; I sell rum, and starve boarders, and electioneer, so that you can have a great run of custom, and yet you ain’t willing to pay a man a fair sum for his work.  Wall, if I ain’t almost riddy to forswear my kintry and turn Turk.  It’s too aggravating—­it is.”

Our friend looked as though he was a martyr to friendship, yet I saw that he was only acting in a systematic manner, to excite our sympathies, and procure the reward that he anticipated.

“Here is the money,” Fred said, after a moment’s hesitancy, handing a Spanish doubloon to the cute Yankee, who clutched at it like a hungry shark.

“All right,” he replied, pocketing the gold with a chuckle.

“And now, before you go, we wish to say one word,” Fred remarked, calmly, yet firmly.  “Ever since we have been at Ballarat, you have contrived a number of ways to swindle us of our money.  What you have received we don’t wish back into our pockets:  but we do give you warning that hereafter, if you interfere in our affairs, we shall take the liberty of administering a sound kicking to that portion of your anatomy made to be kicked.  We hope that you understand us with distinctness, and that we shall not be called upon to put into execution our threat.  Good day.”

The fellow sneaked from the store like a petty thief caught in the act, and during our residence at the mines, he always declared that he didn’t think much of aristocrats taking the bread out of the mouths of honest workmen, and that for his part, he should like to know from what part of New England we came.

We spent the day, as I said before, in idleness, yet we did not forget that we had an appointment with the inspector, the next morning.  Our horses were in fine condition and anxious for a run, and as we rubbed them down and fed them the night before we were to start; they appeared to know that a journey was contemplated, and whinnied with joy.

As there was to be a monster meeting of the miners, that night, to consider what action should be taken in regard to the mining tax, we determined to be present—­not for the purpose of taking any part in the deliberations of the people—­but to see how such matters were conducted in Australia.

We therefore left Rover to attend to the horses, and prevent their being stolen while absent, and about eight o’clock we joined the throng of miners flocking towards the place designated for the meeting.

It was an out-door affair, and about one thousand people were present, and a rougher looking set of men I never saw in my life.  All nations were there.  Even a number of Chinamen, who couldn’t understand ten words of English, and knew not what they shouted for, were in the crowd, wooden shoes, pig-tails and all.  Manillamen, with long black hair, white teeth, and dark skins, and murderous looking knives by their sides, were present, and jabbered in the Mestisa tongue, which no one understood but themselves.  Then there were Lascars, Arabs, and other countrymen, known by their peculiar dress and talk, and loud above the tumult could be heard the oaths uttered in good old Saxon, or else with a brogue that showed that the Gem of the Ocean had its representatives, who, as usual, were ready for a drink or a fight, but preferred the latter.