“How goes the war?” I asked.

The officer glanced hastily around to see if he was watched before he replied,—­

“The times are hard, when we have to look after old acquaintances.”

“Why, who are you watching for now?” I inquired.

“Why, I hope that your honor won’t be offended, but I have got orders to report all who go into the store, and examine all who leave it.”

“The commissioner is carrying matters with a high hand,” I replied, “but we can afford to submit to some inconvenience, and still disregard his petty malice.  Do your duty, and don’t be fearful of offending us.”

“I’ll do what I am compelled to, and no more,” was the response; “if the commissioner thinks I’m going to act the spy on your movements he’s damnably mistaken, I can tell him.”

The officer passed along on his beat, and I rejoined my friends and communicated Steel Spring’s information.  Every one expressed surprise, and protested against such high-handed proceedings.  But we were powerless to resist, for the commissioner was supreme in his authority, and there was no appeal, except through the government at Melbourne.

We resolved, however, to defeat his machinations, and I lost no time in visiting the agent of the stage company, stating that we wished to dispose of our horses, and had the satisfaction of receiving the money for them that evening.

The agent desired that the horses should remain in our possession until morning, but he agreed to assume all the responsibility, and even smiled when I ventured to hint that perhaps the commissioner would visit us at an early hour.

“Give me a bill of sale, signed by your firm,” the agent said, “and I will risk all attempts at confiscation.”

I did as he requested, and got two or three respectable men to witness my signature, and the delivery of the money, and then I went back to the store and chuckled at the thought of the disappointed commissioner next morning.

We did not retire very early, but sat up with closed doors and darkened windows, and read our papers and talked until long past midnight.  Our business affairs were prosperous—­we were free from debts of any kind—­we had ready money enough on hand to take advantage of the markets, and buy low and sell dear—­and to crown all, we had many thousand dollars lying idle in the Melbourne bank, which we could resort to in case of necessity.  Our position was good, but a few losses by bad management would have made us as pecuniarily poor as when we reached the country, therefore the little trouble which we had with the commissioner gave us considerable annoyance, for in various ways he could injure us.

We went to bed that night with considerable anxiety on our minds, but with a firm determination that if we were imposed upon we would resist, and even carry our grievances before the governor, if we could obtain redress in no other way.  We were anxious for daylight, yet dreaded the disagreeable results which it would bring forth.