eized his friend, but at last he was stopped by lack of funds.

"How much have you on you, Bill?" he asked of the Prospector.

"How much have I got, eh?" said Bill, emptying his pockets of a large
quantity of gold and bank-notes. "I reckon I've enough to see this
little game through and lend a mate a few pounds as well."

"I'll trouble you for fifty," said Tresco, who scribbled an IOU for the
amount mentioned on the back of an envelope, and handed it to the
digger.

The man with the lump on his neck had seated himself at the table.

"I think, gents, I'll stand in," said he. "You two are pals, and me and
Carnac's pals. Makes things equal." He placed three pounds in the pool.

"Hold on," Carnac interrupted. "I propose a rise. Make it L5 a
corner--that'll form a Kitty worth winning--the game to be the total of
three throws."

"Consecutive?" Tresco asked.

"Consecutive," said the digger. "It avoids a shindy, and is more
straightfor'ard."

A pool of L20 was thus made up, and the play continued.

The innocent youth who answered to the name of William stood behind
Tresco's chair and winked at Garstang, whose loosely-made mouth twitched
with merriment.

"Don't be rash, Dolly," remarked Young William to the man with the
hideous neck, who held the dice box. "Think of your wife an' kids in
Sydney before you make yer throw. You're spoilin' my morals."

"Go outside, and grow virtuous in the passage." Dolphin made his throws,
which totalled twenty-six.

Tresco followed with eighteen. The digger's and Carnac's chances still
remained.

So lucky on the diggings, so unlucky in town, Bill the Prospector took
the box with a slightly trembling hand and rattled the dice. His first
throw was twelve, his second eleven. "Even money I beat you," he said to
Dolphin.

"Garn," replied that polite worthy. "What yer givin' us? D'you take me
for a flat?"

The digger threw, and his score totalled thirty.

"P'r'aps, mister," he said, turning to Carnac, "you'd like to take me
up. Quid to quid you don't beat me."

The glittering eyes fixed themselves on the digger. "You're too
generous, sir," said the gentlemanly Carnac. "Your score is hard to
beat. Of course, I mean to try, but the odds are in your favour."

"I'll make it two to one," said the digger.

"Well, if you insist," replied Carnac, "I'll accommodate you." He placed
his pound upon the table, and made his first throw--ten.

"Shake 'er up, Carny," cried Young William. "I