These two came half reluctant, suspicious and reserved.  But at sight of Black Will they were reassured, villain was so stamped on him.  With instantaneous sympathy and an instinct of confidence the three compared notes, and showed how each had been aggrieved by the common enemy.  Next they held a council of war, the grand object of which was to hit upon some plan of robbing the friends of their new swag.

It was a difficult and very dangerous job.  Plans were proposed and rejected, and nothing agreed upon but this, that the men should be carefully watched for days to find out where they kept their gold at night and where by day, and an attempt timed and regulated accordingly.  Moreover, the same afternoon a special gang of six was formed, including Walker, which pitiful fox was greatly patronized by the black-maned lion.  At sight of him, brutus, who knew him not indeed by name but by a literary transaction, was “for laying on,” but his patron interposed, and, having inquired and heard the offense, bellowed with laughter, and condemned the ex-peddler to a fine of half a crown in grog.  This softened brutus, and a harmonious debauch succeeded.  Like the old Egyptians they debated first sober and then drunk, and to stagger my general notion that the ancients were unwise, candor compels me to own, it was while stammering, maudling, stinking and in every sense drunk that mephistopheles driveled out a scheme so cunning and so new as threw everybody and everything into the shade.  It was carried by hiccoughation.

To work this scheme mephistopheles required a beautiful large new tent; the serpentine man bought it.  Money to feed the gang; serpent advanced it.

Robinson’s tent was about thirty yards from his claim, which its one opening faced.  So he and George worked with an eye ever upon their tent.  At night two men of Robinson’s party patrolled armed to the teeth; they relieved guard every two hours.  Captain Robinson’s orders to these men, if they saw anybody doing anything suspicious after dark, were these: 

First fire,
Then inquire.

This general order was matter of publicity for a quarter of a mile round Robinson’s tent, and added to his popularity and our rascals’ perplexities.

These orders had surely the double merit of conciseness and melody; well, for all that, they were disgustingly offensive to one true friend of the captain, viz., to George Fielding.

“What is all the gold in the world compared with a man’s life?” said he, indignantly.

“An ounce of it is worth half a dozen such lives as some here,” was the cool reply.

“I have heard you talk very different.  I mind when you could make excuses even for thieves that were never taught any better, poor unfortunate souls.”

“Did I?” said the captain, a little taken aback.  “Well, perhaps I did; it was natural, hem, under the circumstances.  No! not for such thieves as these, that haven’t got any honor at all.”