le flitted over Buckley's face as he said, "You
didn't use to be a preacher, Jack; what makes you now so keen to save
me, as you call it?"

"I'm not sure what it is that makes me anxious now," replied Jack, "but
I know what made me anxious at first. It was your poor brother Daniel.
That night he died, when he whispered in my ear, it was to make me
promise to save you from drink and gambling if I could."

"Did he?" exclaimed the miner vehemently, as he clenched his hands. "O
Dan! dear Dan, did you say that at such an hour? Look you, Jack," he
added, turning sharply round, "I'll not go near the store, and if I _am_
saved it is Dan who has done it, mind that--not you."

And Buckley held to his word. For months after that he worked with the
Samson party--as it was styled--and never once tasted a drop of anything
stronger than tea.

During all that time success continued, but Philosopher Jack felt in his
heart that no success in digging up gold was at all comparable to that
of working with the Lord in helping a brother-sinner to turn from the
error of his ways.

As their wealth accumulated, the different members of the party
converted it into cash, sent some of it home to the assistance of
friends or relatives, and the rest for safe and remunerative investment.
For the latter purpose they committed it to the care of Mr Wilkins
senior, who, being a trusty and well-known man of business, was left to
his own discretion in the selection of investments. Simon O'Rook,
however, did not follow the example of his friends. He preferred to
keep his gold in his own hands, and, as its bulk increased, stowed it
away in a small chest, which, for further security, he buried in a hole
in the tent directly under his own sleeping corner.

In addition to his remittances to Mr Wilkins for investment, Edwin Jack
sent large sums regularly to his father, for the purpose not only of
getting him out of his difficulties, but of enabling him to extend his
farming operations. The wheel of fortune, however, had turned upwards
with Jack senior, and he did not require these sums, as we shall see.

While things were going on thus prosperously at the other side of the
world, a wonderful change--intimately connected with gold--took place in
the "Old Country", which materially altered the circumstances of some of
those personages whose names have figured in our tale.

CHAPTER NINE.

TREATS OF A CATASTROPHE AND RUIN.

We return once again