‘You bet!’ answered a prominent digger, and the crowd uttered a unanimous ‘Hear, hear!’ that left no room for doubt.

‘Then, get ready!’ cried Mike.  ’Every man get a pick-handle.  There’s to be no killin’.  We’ll drive ’em out like sheep.  If the troopers interfere, unhorse them, an’ bolt the nags.  Meet here again as quick’s you can.’

The miners scattered, and within half an hour the whole body of the white diggers marched upon the Chinamen remaining on the claims.

XVIII

The Chinese, most of whom were on the surface, viewed the approach of the enemy with great uneasiness, but did not anticipate the worst Evidently they trembled only for their tails, and a few took to their claims like startled rabbits.  The others stood watching the advance, jabbering excitedly, with the volubility of so many monkeys.

‘Wha’ for? wha’ for?’ cried the foremost, when confronted by the Europeans.

‘This here’s an eviction, I reckon,’ drawled Long.

‘Go!’ said Burton, pointing threateningly.

‘Away with the lepers!’ yelled the men.

The Chows understood monosyllables, and began to expostulate in pigeon English.

‘Charge!’ cried Long, and the drive commenced in earnest.

Keeping a solid front, the whites drove the yellow men before them along the lead.  Those below were dragged to the surface, and their movements were accelerated by prods from the pick and presently the whole mass was going at a run across the field, the Chinese in front, flying, as they thought, for their lives, the whites following, and the howls of the pursued and the yells of the pursuers united to make an uproar unprecedented on Simpson’s Ranges.

‘The troopers!’ The warning voices came from the left, and the full strength of the force on Simpson’s came riding gallantly from that direction, between white men and yellow.

’Pull ’em down!’ cried Mike, ‘but do no damage.’

‘Halt there!’ ordered the sergeant, rising in his stirrups, but the crowd took little account of him and his four gallant followers.  It swarmed round them for a moment, plucked the five men from their saddles, and passed on, leaving the troopers sprawling on the ground, and driving their horses before them with the terrified Celestials.

The chase continued all the way to Carisbrook, and for a mile or so beyond; but at the river, where the main body of Chinese was overtaken, there was a brief but vigorous fight.  The Chinese used their shovels and sticks and stones, and what other weapons presented themselves, in defence of their property, and for about five minutes the hand-to-hand conflict raged with a rattle of pick-handles, a thud, thud, thud of busy clubs, oaths in good round English, and a squeaking and yelling in shrill Chinese, and then the Chows, overborne by numbers, backed, broke, and fled, and the hunt was continued.  In two hours’ time there was not a Chinaman in sight, and virtuous Europeans were busy washing the golden gravel left near the river, satisfying their consciences when they pinched that only even handed justice had been done in robbing the robbers.