n--and then, addressing himself to the
landlord, he asked him if he had a bullock to sell.

Jansen was an alert business man at once. He had a small herd of cattle
running wild about the creek! and was only too glad to sell a beast.

"You can have any bullock you like--the biggest in the lot--for a
fiver--but, cash down."

The Chinaman pulled out his purse, handed him a five-pound note, and
asked when he could have the beast.

"In about an hour, if you want to kill right off; but you ought not to
kill till sundown in such weather as this. But, anyway, I'll saddle up
and get a man to help me run the mob into the stockyard. Then you can
pick one out for yourself---there's half a dozen bullocks, and some fine
young fat cows, so you can have your choice."

In a few minutes the landlord had caught and saddled two horses, and
riding one, and leading the other, he went off to the new shaft, where
the spare horse was mounted by one of the men working there.

Then Ah San turned to the sick man, and said interrogatively--

"You have fever?"

"Yes, I caught it up Normanton way in the Gulf Country six months ago,
and thought I was getting clear of it, but a month back it came on
again, and I have been pretty bad ever since."

"I can see that, and the Gulf kind of fever is bad--very bad. I know all
about it, for I lived in the Gulf Country for ten years, and have had it
myself. Now, here is some medicine which will do you good--it will cure
you in ten days if you take a dose every time you feel the 'shakes'
coming on. But you must not eat more than you can help."

"Thank you," said Grainger eagerly, as he took the bottle; "it is very
kind of you. But you may want it yourself?"

"I have three or four more bottles left. I had a dozen from the doctor
at Georgetown on the Etheridge River. He is a man who knows all about
fever, and I can assure you that you will be a well man in ten days.
Show me your hand, please."

The European extended his hand languidly to the Chinaman, who looked at
the finger-nails for a moment or two: "You will have the 'shakes' in a
few hours."

"Yes. They generally come on as soon as the sun gets pretty high--about
nine or ten o'clock."

"Then you must take a dose now. Can I go inside and get a glass and some
water?"

"Yes, certainly. It is very good of you to take so much trouble."

Returning with a glass and some water, the Chinaman poured out a dose of
the mixture, and with a smile of sati