ste;
"you've got the stuff for me to give him in his B and S before he turns
in. You're always cacklin' about it. Where is it?"

"Here you are," and Forreste went to his Gladstone bag, opened it, and
took out a tin box containing a number of very small unlabeled phials,
each holding about ten drops of colourless liquid. "Empty one of these
into the tumbler before you put in the brandy, and he'll be dead to the
world in ten minutes after he drinks it."

"I'd like to know how many flimsies there are in that packet," said
Capel.

"We'll know before long," replied the steward. "It is a good big bundle.
I seed the bank clerk give it to him in the saloon, and take a receipt
for it, but couldn't get a look to see how much it was for."

Discussion then followed as to the future movements of the gang after
the robbery, and it was decided that Capel and Cheyne should take the
plunder on shore and hide it, and the following morning they should
inform the purser that they intended to remain at Cooktown instead of
going on in the steamer to Somerset and the newly-discovered rushes
further north. This would cause no surprise, for already a number of
the diggers on board had formed a deputation to Adlam, asking him if
he would make them a rebate on their passage money if they landed at
Cooktown; explaining that they had learnt at Port Denison that it would
be easier to get to the new gold-fields from Cooktown than from any
other place to the north of that port.

Swires was to receive a fifth share of the plunder, and was to desert
from the ship as soon as possible after the robbery. He had long been
associated with the gang, and indeed it was at his suggestion, made
in Sydney, that they should attempt to open the ship's safe. After
a separation of twelve months--spent in prison--from his former
companions, he had succeeded by means of an excellent "discharge," which
he had stolen from an unfortunate steward named Swires, in getting
a berth on the _Gambier_, and the first thing he did was to look up
Forreste and Capel, and suggest their all going to the new gold-fields,
pointing out that there would be a great number of passengers on board,
and that they were bound to do well.

"That is just what we meant to do," Capel had said, "and we can wire to
Cheyne and Pinkerton to join us. They are 'working' Bathurst just now,
and will be here by to-morrow night." Then he added that it was a bit
of luck that he (Swires) should be the pur