d, an ashen-grey horse;
the grass was long and grey, so he was seldom spotted until he was
well within the horizon and bearing leisurely down on a party of
sub-contractors, leading his horse.

Now iron-bark was scarce and distant on those ridges, and another
timber, similar in appearance, but much inferior in grain and "standing"
quality, was plentiful and close at hand. Dave and party were "about
full of" the job and place, and wanted to get their cheque and be gone
to another "spec" they had in view. So they came to reckon they'd get
the last girder from a handy tree, and have it squared, in place, and
carefully and conscientiously tarred before the inspector happened
along, if he did. But they didn't. They got it squared, and ready to be
lifted into its place; the kindly darkness of tar was ready to cover a
fraud that took four strong men with crowbars and levers to shift; and
now (such is the regular cussedness of things) as the fraudulent piece
of timber lay its last hour on the ground, looking and smelling, to
their guilty imaginations like anything but iron-bark, they were aware
of the Government inspector drifting down upon them obliquely, with
something of the atmosphere of a casual Bill or Jim who had dropped out
of his easy-going track to see how they were getting on, and borrow a
match. They had more than half hoped that, as he had visited them pretty
frequently during the progress of the work, and knew how near it was to
completion, he wouldn't bother coming any more. But it's the way with
the Government. You might move heaven and earth in vain endeavour to
get the "Guvermunt" to flutter an eyelash over something of the most
momentous importance to yourself and mates and the district--even to
the country; but just when you are leaving authority severely alone, and
have strong reasons for not wanting to worry or interrupt it, and not
desiring it to worry about you, it will take a fancy into its head to
come along and bother.

"It's always the way!" muttered Dave to his mates. "I knew the beggar
would turn up!... And the only cronk log we've had, too!" he added, in
an injured tone. "If this had 'a' been the only blessed iron-bark in the
whole contract, it would have been all right.... Good-day, sir!" (to the
inspector). "It's hot?"

The inspector nodded. He was not of an impulsive nature. He got down
from his horse and looked at the girder in an abstracted way; and
presently there came into his eyes a drea