t, for all
that, there was much comfort in the belief that Aurora showed no
preference elsewhere. Quigley's prominence as a suitor was not due to any
partiality on the part of the girl, but rather to Quigley's own
aggressive character, and his imperturbability under her eloquent banter.
To be sure, she persisted in treating Jim as an interesting boy, a line
of conduct he found somewhat absurd, but which was partly the vein of her
humour, and partly due to his inexperience in the role of Don Juan.

So the merry months passed, and the mates worked claim after claim on
Diamond Gully, doing much prospecting work and sinking sundry duffers,
but unearthing sufficient gold to make Done's riches a good deal of a
nuisance to him, although translated into the biggest bank-notes
available. During all this time Quigley's dislike for Jim was only kept
within bounds by the vein of flippancy that ran through Aurora's
demonstrations of preference for the younger man. The quarrel was
inevitable, however, and it was precipitated by a half-drunken
demonstration of affection towards Aurora on Quigley's part, which the
girl resented with a savageness that betrayed an unexpected trait.

One Saturday night Done and Burton were partners in a four-handed game of
euchre going on at one of the tables, when a sudden disturbance arose at
the counter. Mrs. Ben Kyley's familiar rum-jug crashed and flew to pieces
on the table amongst the men. The players were on their feet in an
instant. At the other end of the compartment Aurora was struggling in the
hands of Pete Quigley. Pete held her wrists firmly, and Aurora's fingers
clutched the neck of a bottle. Her face was distorted with passion, no
trace of its habitual humour remained; the fury of a mountain cat blazed
in her eyes, her lips were drawn back from her large white teeth, which
were clenched with a biting vindictiveness. The other men reseated
themselves, watching the struggle without much concern. Mrs. Kyley
shouted an uncomplimentary summary of Quigley's character from behind the
counter. Jim alone advanced to interfere.

'Drop it, Quigley,' he said quietly, but his warmer feelings stirred.
'Blast it, man, let the girl be!'

'An' have my brains knocked out with a bottle? I'll see you flaming
first!'

Done pressed Aurora's fingers apart, and threw the bottle behind the
counter.

'Now release her!' he said in a tone conveying a threat.

'Mind your own infernal business!' answered Pete.