Aurora found a partner for a reel in Tim Carrol, and the fun grew warmer, a liberal digger having contributed a keg of rum, which was rolled from Kyley’s shanty into the illumined circle.  But at this point a man stepped forward from the crowd, and stood where the light fell full upon him, a strongly-built digger of about five foot nine, not yet thirty years of age, with a powerful face, not handsome, but uncommonly attractive in its blend of kindliness and rugged force.  Done recognised Alfred Lambert, a voice of the disaffected—­one of the little band of men who, animated with that ardent love of freedom which is bred of tyranny and fed on oppression, were ever busy fanning the embers of discontent, and striving to work the diggers up to the point at which it would be impossible for the Government to withhold from the vast majority of the people their liberties and civil rights.  Lambert held up his hand to impose silence.

‘I have a great bit of news, men,’ he said.  ’The day before yesterday, at five in the afternoon, the M’Ivor escort was stuck up on the corduroy road in the Black Forest, and the gang got away with all the gold.’

This information was greeted with a yell of amazement, in which Jim thought he detected no little exultation.  It was the greatest coup executed by the gangs since the opening of the goldfields; its magnitude astounded everybody.

’The robbers came on the escort suddenly, shot their horses under them, and carried off the whole swag,’ Lambert continued.

‘Whose gang?’ ’Who ‘re suspected?’ A score of voices shouted questions.

‘It is believed that the raid was headed by Solo!’

‘No, no; Solo goes alone!’ cried a foremost miner with absolute conviction.

’He has always worked alone before, but it is pretty certain that this raid was planned and carried out by Solo, and that he had behind him a gang of the coolest and most daring robbers in the colony He outwitted the troopers at every point; they had no more chance with him than so many sheep.  The fools had their carbines strapped behind them, as usual.  Before they could fire a shot they were at the mercy of the thieves.’  The crowd yelled again-a yell of derision.  The discomfiture of the troopers was a source of grim satisfaction.  Lambert held up his hand once more.

’This Solo is a ruffian and a robber.  When we say that he stops short of murder we say the best we can for him; but the Government that denies to citizens the rights of men, and enforces laws the people have no voice in making through a vicious and brutal constabulary, cannot look to citizens to respect those laws or feel any sympathy with its officers.’

‘You’re right, old man!’ The crowd took advantage of the pause that followed to raise a clamour of fierce words.