Even Murden did not disdain to lend a hand, and Mr. Brown, when he dropped around to take a cup of tea with us in the evening, finding that there was plenty of work to be done, sent us half a dozen policemen; the latter labored as though they liked it, and when, about ten o’clock in the evening, we knocked off, and offered to pay them, to our surprise they told us that they were already paid, and all our entreaties were powerless to make them accept of a shilling.  But they still lingered in the store, and we wondered at it; and at length we hinted to Murden that we thought they wanted something for their services, although they had refused money.

“Leave them to me,” the lieutenant replied, “and I will find out what they expect.”

“Well, boys, we have had a pretty hard evening’s work,” the lieutenant said, speaking to the men, who had no idea that he belonged to the service.

“Yes, sir; carrying in the barrels is apt to make one dry and tired,” replied the men.

“Yes, I know; but you understand that there is no such thing as liquor in the store,” and Murden winked mysteriously.

“O, we knew there was none,” cried the men, with wonderful unanimity, and their faces experienced a change for the better immediately.

“I suppose if there was liquor here, and it was offered, you could take off half a tumbler full without much trouble?”

The men were confident that they could, although they once more expressed their full conviction in none being in the store.

“Tap a barrel and give them a strong pull at it,” Murden whispered, “and you need not fear of their informing.”

It was but the work of a moment to accomplish the object, and perhaps we were the more ready from a desire on our part to taste what Smith had bought.  The six policemen threw back their heads with military precision, and emptied their tumblers without making even a wry face; but their lips smacked like the reports of six distinct pistols, and as they turned to go one said,—­

“Liquor is not allowed to be sold at the mines without a full license, and the rules and regulations prevent us from touching any kind of spirits; therefore we are all temperance men; but, I must say that you have got some of the best colored water to be had in the country.  Good evening, sirs; we should like to assist again when our services are needed;” and off went the policemen, well satisfied with their reward.

It was as the men stated—­liquor had to be licensed or not at all; and although a large amount was disposed of daily at Ballarat, yet it was never sold in the presence of a policeman, or a person who would be likely to inform of the vender.

We ate our supper with a good appetite, glancing with pride upon our well-filled store and carefully-selected goods, and bright anticipations arose in our minds as we thought of the profits that we should reach before they were all disposed of.  A fortune of colossal size seemed within our reach, and only required a little tact to grasp.  While we were thus cogitating, a barefooted, wild-looking boy, who seemed as though he had worked under ground all his life, and was only on the surface for a few minutes for the sake of astonishing civilization, made his appearance, threw down a dirty-looking note, and then disappeared as suddenly as he came.