At daybreak we were on our way back to the island, and found our pack where we had left it, but Mr. Brown’s quick eye detected a change in its appearance.

“Some one has overhauled our stores during the night,” he said, “and hang me if the scamp has not drank all my liquor.”

He held up his flask to confirm his words.  It was empty, but I pretended that he must have drank it himself by mistake.

“Don’t tell me that I don’t know when good liquor is running down my throat, and that I used all I brought in one day.  Haven’t I been unusually careful, and drank from your flask two or three times, so that mine would hold out for the trip?  Whoever the thief is, and I hope to see him some day, he deserves a halter.”

An examination showed that every article that was in the pack had been taken out and then replaced carefully, but we missed the largest portion of our coffee and sugar, and over two thirds of our tobacco.  If the robber had been a malicious one he could easily have carried off all that we possessed, but as he did not I was disposed to pardon him.  Not so with Mr. Brown, however.  He vowed vengeance, and was only appeased when I gave him a drink from my flask, which I luckily had carried with me the night before, to be used in case of snake bite.

I had but little doubt that the mysterious robber was the same person whom we had seen the day before, and I could readily believe that he was laughing at our dismay, at no great distance, and watching our movements with some curiosity.  I regretted that I had not brought Rover with me, for he would have been worth a dozen sentinels in the night time, but owing to Fred’s strong solicitations I had left him at the store in Ballarat.  There was no help for us now, and we determined to put as good a face on the matter as possible, to husband our resources, and go on a short allowance of the two great staples in a campaign—­rum and tobacco.

We passed the day by visiting the island and sleeping by turns.  Towards night we carried our tools to the place where we expected to dig for the gold, and starting before sundown rode our animals to the river and watered them, so that they would not break away from their stakes during the night for the purpose of slaking their thirst.  Then we waited impatiently for darkness for the purpose of once more changing our camping ground, and this time we left nothing behind.  Our quarters were fixed at a short distance from the island, so that when the moon was up we could keep our eyes on the horses, yet not be seen on the main land.

At eleven o’clock the first rays of the full moon became visible from behind Mount Tarrengower.  The night was awful quiet, and not a living thing had approached us, and not a sound had we heard, except an occasional bleat of a lamb, off towards the stock-house on our left.

“Let us be moving for the island,” Mr. Brown said, almost in a whisper, for the solemnity of the scene was bringing back all his superstitions and fears.