ed at him.

"I think I could find my way alone," said Zahn.

Jack smiled. "I shall be only too glad to give any assistance I can; but
if Mr. Zahn prefers to travel by himself, of course there is the bare
chance that he might get off the track and be lost."

"I'll risk it," said the Jew. "I'd rather get lost than be thrown over a
precipice."

"Dear me, dear me," said Mr. Crewe, his voice and gesture expressive of
the utmost astonishment. "This looks bad, Jack; this is a very bad
beginning."

"You mean that you don't quite appreciate this gentleman's overtures?"
asked the Manager.

Zahn was silent.

"We had a small difference in a hotel," said Jack. "But for my part I am
quite willing to let bygones be bygones."

Zahn scowled. "That may be so," he said, "but I should prefer to travel
alone."

"Dear, dear; well, well," said the Father of Timber Town. "But, after
all, this is a mere matter of detail which can be settled by and by. If
you go to the diggings, sir"--he turned his benignant gaze on the
clerk--"you will not only be in a most responsible position, but you
will be able to do such profitable business for your Bank, sir, that you
will probably earn promotion."

"It's settled," said the Manager. "We shall send a representative, and I
hope that the arrangement will be satisfactory to all parties. I hope
you are contented, Mr. Crewe."

"Perfectly, my dear sir, perfectly," said the Father of Timber Town.

"Then you may consider the thing done," said the Manager; and ushering
his visitors from the room he conducted them to the garish street.

CHAPTER XXVII.

The Signal-Tree.

"I jest walked in," said Dolphin, "an' I says, 'About thisyer
gold-escort: when does it start?' I says. The shrivelled party with the
whiskers looks at me acrost the counter, an' e' says, 'What business
is that of yours, my man?' 'None,' I says, ''xcept me an' my mate is
nervous of swaggin' our gold to town ourselves.' 'Don't you bother about
that,' 'e says. 'All you've got to do is to sell your gold to our agent
on the field, and leave the rest to him.' The escort will leave reg'lar,
accordin' to time-table; so we can stick it up, sure as Gawd made little
apples."

"And what about goin' through the Bank?" asked Sweet William.

"Now I ask you," said Dolphin, "what's the use of messing with the Bank,
when we can clean out the gold-escort, an' no one the wiser?"

"Same here. My opinion," said Gentleman Carnac.

"I'm s