“From the town; but on the lookout for a chance for the bush,” my friend returned.

“Whose gang have you faked with?” was the next interrogation.

“Once we were with Black Darnley; but most of the time we have been together, picking up odds and ends, not making big strides, for fear of the Traps.  We are getting short, and came here ’cos we were told that Steel Spring was going into business, and wanted a little help.”

If Dan had any suspicious that we were not what we seemed, he kept them to himself at any rate, for after drinking “confusion to all d——­d Traps,” he returned to his old place behind the bar, and left us to do what we pleased.  We were glad to get rid of him, for he had a wicked eye, and could see through a disguise quicker than any other man in Ballarat, robber or policeman.  I afterwards accused Mr. Brown of giving him some private signal by which he was warned to hold his tongue, but the inspector denied it, not so emphatic as I could have wished, however.

“Go and invite your friend to join us,” Mr. Brown said, addressing Steel Spring, for the night began to wear away.  “If we are to pull together, we want to see what land of stuff a man’s made of, so that we can know what risks to run and what to avoid.  Them’s my sentiments, and I don’t care a d——­ who knows ’um.”

This was spoken in a tone of voice loud enough for half a dozen thieves to hear; and as Steel Spring had given out that, he was intending to raise a gang, they did not any longer feel suspicious as to our movements.

“That’s the kind of talk I like a man to spit out,” cried a huge black ruffian who sat near us, bringing his hand down upon his table with so much good will that a cup before him spilled out half its contents.  “I like to ’sociate with men who have pluck, and know what they is about.  D——­n a coward, dead or alive,” and with this emphatic declaration the ruffian drank what spirits remained in his cup, and then called for more.

“That’s Tom Benchley,” whispered the inspector, “and in spite of his big words and fierce looks, an arrant coward at heart.  He frightens people by bouncing, although a boy of twenty could make him eat his words.  You see that he sits alone.  Most, of those in the room consider him a disgrace to what they call a profession; but the fellow always has money, and so Dan gives him the right of entree to the select scenes.”

Steel Spring, who had been to the farther end of the room, whispering with a young man, now returned, and introduced him to us as Ben Jackson.  He was not more than twenty-four years of age; and I saw in a moment that he had never passed any portion of his time at the hulks, and that if he had ever been engaged in robberies it was only recently, and that he was not yet quite hardened to crime.

“Gents,” said Steel Spring, waving his hand with an attempt to do the genteel, “allow me to introduce Mr. Jackson, a covey vot is desirous of jining our select society, provided, as the land sharks say, you is villing.”