llowing week, and if they got no
encouragement from the wash they intended to go prospecting at the
"Happy Thought", near Specimen Flat.

The shaft in Log Paddock was christened "Nil Desperandum". Towards the
end of the week we heard that the wash in the "Nil" was showing good
colours.

Later came the news that "McKenzie and party" had bottomed on payable
gold, and the red flag floated over the shaft. Long before the first
load of dirt reached the puddling machine on the creek, the news was all
round the diggings. The "Nil Desperandum" was a "Golden Hole"!

. . . . .

We will not forget the day when Peter went home. He hurried down in the
morning to have an hour or so with us before Cobb and Co. went by. He
told us all about his little cottage by the bay at St. Kilda. He had
never spoken of it before, probably because of the mortgage. He told us
how it faced the bay--how many rooms it had, how much flower garden, and
how on a clear day he could see from the window all the ships that came
up to the Yarra, and how with a good telescope he could even distinguish
the faces of the passengers on the big ocean liners.

And then, when the mother's back was turned, he hustled us children
round the corner, and surreptitiously slipped a sovereign into each
of our dirty hands, making great pantomimic show for silence, for the
mother was very independent.

And when we saw the last of Peter's face setting like a good-humoured
sun on the top of Cobb and Co.'s, a great feeling of discontent and
loneliness came over all our hearts. Little Nelse, who had been Peter's
favourite, went round behind the pig-stye, where none might disturb him,
and sat down on the projecting end of a trough to "have a cry", in his
usual methodical manner. But old "Alligator Desolation", the dog, had
suspicions of what was up, and, hearing the sobs, went round to offer
whatever consolation appertained to a damp and dirty nose and a pair of
ludicrously doleful yellow eyes.

An Oversight of Steelman's

Steelman and Smith--professional wanderers--were making back for
Wellington, down through the wide and rather dreary-looking Hutt Valley.
They were broke. They carried their few remaining belongings in two
skimpy, amateurish-looking swags. Steelman had fourpence left. They were
very tired and very thirsty--at least Steelman was, and he answered for
both. It was Smith's policy to feel and think just exactly as Steelman
did. Said Steel