n,
and he could see that the Chinese were thoroughly done up, and worn down
to skin and bone. Then presently Grainger walked over and joined them,
and heard what Ah San had to say.

"I'm sorry that you are in such a bad fix," he said, "but you know as
well as I do that if any of your men put a pick into ground here,
there will be serious trouble, and if they lose their lives you will be
responsible--and may perhaps lose your own."

"I promise you that nothing like that will happen," replied the
Chinaman. "My men are all diggers, it is true, but we will not attempt
to stay on any field where we are not wanted. My name is James Ah San. I
am a British subject, and have lived in Australia for twenty-five years.
That man" (pointing to Scott) "knows me, and can tell you that 'Jimmy Ah
San' never broke a promise to any man."

"That is right enough," said Scott promptly; "every one in Gympie knew
you when you was storekeepin' there, and said you was a good sort."

"We have come over three hundred miles from the Cloncurry," went on the
Chinese leader, quickly seeing that Scott's remark had much impressed
the other miners; "the diggers there gave us forty-eight hours to clear
out. The blacks killed fifteen of us and speared ten of my horses, and
six more men died on the way. We can do no harm here. We only want to
spell a week, or two weeks."

"Poor devils!" muttered Grainger; then he said to Ah San: "Very well.
Now, you see the track going through that clump of sandalwood? Well,
follow it and you'll come to a little ironstone ridge, where you'll find
a good camping-ground just over a big pool in the creek. There's a
bit of sweet grass, too, for your horses, so they can get a good feed
to-night. In the morning this black boy will, if you like, show you a
place in the ranges, about four miles from here, where you can let them
run for a week. There's some fine grass and plenty of water, and they
ought to pick up very quickly. But you will have to keep some one to see
that they don't get round the other side of the range--through one of
the gaps; if they do, you'll lose them to a dead certainty, for there
are two or three mobs of brumbies{*} running there. Do you want any
tucker?"{**}

* Wild horses.

** Provisions.

"No, thank you," replied Ah San, with an unmistakable inflexion of
gratitude in his voice; "we have plenty of rice and tea, but I should
like to buy a bullock to-morrow, if I can--I saw some cattle a