hould just be swindled out of 'em in the end, and
be as poor and 'miserable as a bandicoot' after all: besides, I'd rather
not have the bother with them, but just have my spree, and 'knock down
my pile,' as usual."

"But, my good fellow, if you were possessed of a flock of sheep, you
could, by paying a rent, be allowed to depasture it on some squatter's
run; and as to being swindled out of your property, the law of the land
would protect you from that."

"I don't know nothing about the law of the land, sir; but I know as how
a mate of mine, who served with a master on the Barwan for five years,
and was paid his wages in sheep, took his flock to a piece of country he
had bought from his master and set his self up. He hadn't been at that
game though for more nor two years, when a flood on the river took off
half his sheep, and his old master brought him in a bill for some
hundreds of pounds for stores and things my mate had got, and he wanted
to be paid right off. Now, my mate couldn't pay him; so he had to give
him up his sheep and go shepherding again. So you see, sir, I may just
as well spend my money when I get it, as let myself be cheated out of it
at the end."

"Your friend's case was certainly a hard one, but he seemed to be the
victim of misfortune more than of an exacting master; but that does not
show, because he did not succeed, that you or any other industrious man
should fail. Take my advice and try it; refrain from taking your wages,
let them accumulate in the hands of your employer, and when they have
reached such a sum as to be of service to you, ask him to invest it, and
I am sure you will have no cause to complain; besides, remember as you
get old, if you have no friends to care for you and you are destitute as
you are now, you will starve."

"That's just it, you see, sir; if I go to save money now (but I know I
can't, for I never could), if I dies I've got no one to give it to. I've
got no friends, leastwise I don't know of none; and I am sure when I
knew there was something coming to me, I would want to spend it; while
as long as I live, I can always earn enough to keep me."

"But you say you've never attempted to save your wages; you cannot tell
how you may be influenced until you make the attempt."

"There is no use of my trying, sir, I am sure I never could; and I may
just take my money when it is due me, and have my spree."

"I can't understand how it is you persist in being so prodigal. Wha