there would be thousands of Chinese alluvial diggers
all over the country, enriching themselves and spending nothing, for
they brought even the greater part of their food with them from China.
But the fatuous Government of the day wanted to swell its depleted
treasure-chest, and the Chinese poll-tax brought in money quickly. All
over North Queensland the rich alluvial gold-fields were soon to be
occupied by the yellow men, to the detriment of the white diggers who
were hastening to them from all parts of Australasia to meet with bitter
disappointment, for the swarms of Chinese would descend upon a newly
opened rush like locusts, and in a few weeks work out a field that would
have made hundreds of white miners rich, though perhaps each Chinaman
might not have obtained more than a few ounces of gold, every
penny-weight of which he sent or took back to his native country.
Amongst other passengers on the quarterdeck of the _Gambier_ who were
watching the examination of the Chinese were Captain Forreste and his
friends. Presently Capel, who was looking at Kate so impertinently that
she turned her face angrily away, caught her father's eye, and in a
moment the Jews features flushed. Where had he seen those keen grey eyes
and that square-set face before? Fraser continued to gaze steadily at
the man, for he had noticed the fellow's leering glance at his daughter,
and meant to resent it.

Then the Jew's natural effrontery came back to him, and returning
Fraser's look with an insolent stare, he walked up to him.

"I hope you'll know me again the next time you see me."

"I know you as it is, Mr Barney Green, and the next time you dare to
even look at my daughter, I'll give you something to remember. Meantime,
take this as an earnest of my intentions."

His right hand shot out and seized Capel by the collar, and twisting
him off his feet, he spun him round and round, and then sent him flying
across the deck with such violence that he struck the rail on the other
side and fell in a heap.

For a few moments there was an astonished silence, and then cries
of "What is the matter?" "What did he do?" resounded on all sides as
Pinkerton and Cheyne rushed to the fallen man, who lay unconscious.
Forreste, twisting his yellow moustache, strode up to Fraser, his face
pale with anger.

"What is the meaning of this outrageous assault upon my friend?" he
demanded fiercely.

Fraser eyed him up and down with cold contempt, and then Gerrar