We had written from California, announcing our departure, and directing that all letters should be sent to Melbourne until further notice, and the warm expressions which our epistles contained showed that our friends had not forgotten us.

Smith, who seemed as fresh as the day that he started from Melbourne, left us to our letter-feast, and prepared supper with that dexterity which had distinguished him many times; and even when we had put our papers under lock and key—­so greedy were we, and fearful that some acquaintance would step in, and desire to borrow a journal before we had gleaned the news—­waved us back, and expressed himself competent to perform his allotted task without interference.

“You talk about home and the news until after supper, and leave me alone, ’cos after we light our pipes we shall have business matters to look over, and figure up, unless the woman and her husband gets along, and then we shall see fun.”

“What woman do you mean?” I asked.

“Why, didn’t I tell you that Barney was married?” demanded Smith.

“Of course you did, and said that he was about five miles from town, and would be here in two or three hours’ time.”

“Well, Barney has his wife with him, and a pretty life she is leading him.  I listened to her scoldings and complaints until I couldn’t stand any more, and then I whipped up my cattle and got out of the sound of her tongue, and by good management I have avoided her for two days.  She is good looking, but has got the spirit of the devil in her composition.”

We recollected that Murden, in his letter, alluded to the lady, and although we were not impatient to see her, we know that she would have some claims upon our hospitality for her husband’s sake, and to prevent her from breaking out into open mutiny, we made some few preparations to receive the lady with becoming honors.  We got out a small tent that we owned, and had made on the passage from San Francisco to Australia, and pitched it near the store for the express accommodation of the bride and groom, and then stocked it with a mattress and blankets, and thought the lady would be delighted at our delicate attentions.  We even kept back supper an hour, and added a number of little luxuries, on purpose to give her an agreeable surprise, and show that we were still susceptible of woman’s influence and beauty.

At about seven o’clock we heard the rumbling of wheels, and the loud, quick crack of a stockman’s whip.  Smith glanced anxiously towards the supper, and was visibly agitated, as though he expected to receive disastrous news.  Rover, who had been lying near the door, waiting with remarkable patience for his supper, uttered a howl, and retreated towards the horses, as though to communicate some bad intelligence.

“Why don’t you stop the team, if this is the place, you confounded fool?” we heard some one say.

“That’s her,” groaned Smith; “I should know that voice if I was off the Cape of Good Hope, and I almost wish that I was at sea, or on a desert island.”