It was only necessary to nod acquiescence to the lieutenant, when Steel Spring stripped off his coat and set to work in earnest.  In a few minutes he had ransacked our private stores and spread our few dishes upon a box, that answered for a table, in the most tempting array; and with a few dried branches he set the teakettle to boiling, and almost before we thought that he had made a beginning, he announced that supper was ready for his superior.

“By the way,” Murden said, while partaking of our fare, “I overtook Smith on his way to this place, and I should think that he would arrive by to-morrow morning.  He has two large loads of goods, and I think that he has made a speculation in buying them, from the hints that he dropped to me in confidence.  One of your large American clipper ships arrived at Melbourne with an assorted cargo of Yankee notions, and as the market was, in mercantile parlance, glutted with goods of all descriptions, a forced sale was effected, and Smith bought largely at a low figure.  He is in good spirits, and says that he never felt so well in his life as since he was married.”

“Married?” we repeated, in astonishment.

“Yes, Smith has married Becky Lang, and a good wife she will make him.  The lady’s father, the convict, still remains on his cattle ranch, and, for some strange reason, refuses to move to Melbourne, where Becky has taken up her residence.  The ceremony was performed at the latter place, and I was one of the witnesses.”

We could readily understand why the old man refused to move.  The banks of the brook near which he resided were too rich in gold deposits to be given up until a competence was acquired.  We wondered if Smith revealed the knowledge of the money which we had dug successfully for, and which we had shared between us.  We feared that he had, and that Murden would consider we had acted unfair in the transaction.  But as he said nothing on the subject we were not disposed to introduce it.

“How is my old friend Brown, and how does he like the duties at this station?” Murden asked, as he rose from the supper table, and Steel Spring took his place.

We gave a favorable account of the inspector, and while the lieutenant was listening, a sudden thought entered our heads, which we were resolved to carry into effect, and thereby get square with Mr. Brown, who had played us a trick some time before.  Murden was anxious to speak with the inspector and deliver his letters, but he wished to do it in a secret manner, so that no suspicions should be awakened that he was on a government mission, or that government was preparing to strengthen its force at Ballarat.  The authorities knew that a struggle must occur between the miners and the police, and it had been considered advisable to hasten the conflict before the miners gained more strength, defeat them badly, as the council at Melbourne supposed could be easily done, hang a few for high treason, and afterwards the mining tax could be collected without any difficulty whatever.