a multitude of glasses. These he deftly handed round, and then all
present rose to their feet.

"Mr. Scarlett," said the Father of Timber Town. "I ask you to drink his
health and continued good luck."

The ceremony over, Jack stood up.

"It's awfully good of you," he said, "to give me the credit of this new
'find,' but as a matter of fact I have had little to do with it. The
real discoverer is the man who came in from the bush, some six weeks
ago, and painted the town red. After doing him justice, you should pay
your respects to my mate, Moonlight, who is more at home in the bush
than he is in town. To him you owe the declaration of the new field. I
shall be returning in a day or two, and I shall be glad to take with me
any of you who care to come. I promise you a rough journey, but there is
good gold at the end of it."

He raised his glass to his lips, drained it, and sat down.

"We must organise," said the giant who had read from the newspaper, "we
must form ourselves into some sort of a company, for mutual strength and
support."

The notion of so big a man calling upon his fellows for help did not
seem to strike anybody as peculiar, if not pathetic.

"Chair, chair," cried the pompous Mr. Tonks. "I propose that Mr. Crewe
be placed in the chair."

"Hear, hear."

"Unity is strength."

"Limited liability----"

"Order! ORDER!"

"Let me have my say."

"Sit down, old fellow; nobody wants to hear you."

Amid this babel of voices, old Mr. Crewe rose, and waited for the
attention of his audience.

When every eye was riveted on him, he said, "Though I discerned the
importance of this discovery, I was not prepared, gentlemen, for the
interest you have so warmly expressed. It is a fact that this is the
commencement of a new era in the history of Timber Town. We are about
to enter upon a new phase of our existence, and from being the centre
of an agricultural district, we are to become a mining town with all the
bustle and excitement attendant upon a gold rush. Under the mining laws,
each of you has as much right as my friend Scarlett, here, to a digger's
claim upon this field, provided only that you each obtain a Miner's
Right and peg off the ground legitimately. But I understand that the
desire is to unite for mutual benefit. That is to say, you desire to
pool your interests and divide the proceeds. The first thing, then,
is for each man to peg off his claim. That done, you can work the
properties conjointly