“God bless you!” said Gardiner.  He ran and jumped into the hole just as another man was going to take possession.  By digger’s law no party is allowed to occupy two holes.

All that afternoon there was a mob looking down at George and Robinson picking out peas and beans of gold, and envy’s satanic fire burned many a heart.  These two were picking up at least a hundred pounds an hour.

Now it happened late in the afternoon that a man of shabby figure, evidently not a digger, observing that there was always more or less crowd in one place, shambled up and looked down with the rest; as he looked down, George happened to look up; the newcomer drew back hastily.  After that his proceedings were singular; he remained in the crowd more than two hours, not stationary, but winding in and out.  He listened to everything that was said, especially if it was muttered and not spoken out; and he peered into every face, and peering into every face it befell that at last his eye lighted on one that seemed to fascinate him; it belonged to a fellow with a great bull neck, and hair and beard flowing all into one—­a man more like the black-maned lion of North Africa than anything else.  But it was not his appearance that fascinated the serpentine one, it was the look he cast down upon those two lucky diggers; a scowl of tremendous hatred—­hatred unto death.  Instinct told the serpent there must be more in this than extempore envy.  He waited and watched, and, when the black-maned one moved away, he followed him about everywhere till at last he got him alone.

Then he sidled up, and in a cringing way said: 

“What luck some men have, don’t they?”

The man answered by a fierce grunt.

The serpent was half afraid of him, but he went on.

“There will be a good lump of gold in their tent to-night.”

The other seemed struck with these words.

“They have been lucky a long time,” explained the other, “and now this added—­”

“Well, what about it?”

“Nothing! only I wish somebody else had it instead.”

“Why?”

“That is a secret for the present.  I only tell you because I think somehow they are no friends of yours either.”

“Perhaps not! what then.”

“Then we might perhaps do business together; it will strike you singular, but I have a friend who would give money to any one that would take a little from those two.”

“Say that again.”

“Would give money to any one that would take it from those two.”

“And you won’t ask for any share of the swag?”

“Me?  I have nothing to do with it.”

“Gammon! well, your friend! will he?”

“Not a farthing!”

“And what will he give, suppose I have a friend that will do the trick?”

“According to the risk!”

The man gave a whistle.  A fellow with forehead villainously low came from behind some tents.