“What does the fellow mean?” asked Murden, who was lazily swinging in a hammock, smoking a pipe with infinite relish, and endeavoring to keep the insects at bay by raising clouds of burnt tobacco.

“We are as much in the dark as yourself,” I replied, examining the superscription of the letter, and finding that the address was to the “Two Americans, who keep the store.”

“Well, open it and enlighten us,” the lieutenant said, carelessly, and we complied, and found that the contents were as follows:—­

“BALRAT, AUSTRALE.—­You felers is in danger and i wont to tel you of it, but i mustnt be seen round or i shal be spected and then no confidince will be plac in me, the felers round think you is agin um in the mining tack, but i say no, take care of your store to night, or you wil see the devil. no more now.  A MAN YOU BENIFITTED ONE TIM.”

“A pleasant kind of note, truly,” remarked Murden, laying down his pipe; “and I don’t believe that the writer of the letter had any idea of needlessly alarming you.  He is evidently your friend, and would call and give you information were he not fearful of being suspected by his comrades.”

“But what is this danger that we are threatened with?” queried Fred.

“I don’t know, but it strikes me very forcibly that I have been the means of involving you in difficulty.  The spy who overheard our plans last night has evidently reported that you are on the side of government, and to vent their spite against you is undoubtedly the object of the disaffected miners.  What they intend to do I don’t know; but this I do know—­I will have every policeman in Ballarat stationed around your store before it shall come to harm, and I will lose my own life but I will preserve yours and your property.”  Murden spoke with an air of sincerity and confidence that convinced us he was in earnest.

“Our property,” repeated Fred, in a musing tone, and he glanced around the store, where bale and cask were strewed in confusion.

“That is what is aimed at,” cried my friend, suddenly starting up.

“Depend upon it, the villains mean to fire the store and destroy all the goods that we have purchased at such a large expense.  But we will be ready for them.”

He drew his revolver from his belt and examined carefully each barrel, and then saw that the caps were fresh and fitted well.

“In that they shall be disappointed,” Murden exclaimed; “I will go to the police quarters at once and state the facts of the case.  A dozen men shall be detailed to guard your store, day and night, until all danger is past.”

The impetuous officer, filled with this idea, would have rushed instantly to the inspector’s; and before Fred could stop him he had got into the street.

“Come here for a moment,” cried Fred, in a quiet tone, and Murden doggedly consented.

The instant that he was in the store Fred closed the door and locked it, and put the key in his pocket.