on an' out o' the way, ye shouldn't ought to
speckilate on wot ye know nothin' about, until ye find out how's her
head, an' w'ich way the land lies. Them's my sentiments."

"Halloo! Larry," cried the captain and Tom Collins simultaneously,
"look out for the kettle. It'll boil over."

Larry's feelings had been deeply stirred at that moment, so that the
union of the sudden shout, with the profundity of Bill's remark, had the
effect of causing him to clutch at the tea-kettle with such haste that
he upset it into the fire.

"Oh! bad luck to ye!"

"Clumsy fellow!" ejaculated Ned. "Off with you to the creek, and refill
it."

Larry obeyed promptly, but the mischance, after all, was trifling, for
the fire was fierce enough to have boiled a twenty-gallon caldron in a
quarter of an hour. Besides, the contents of the iron pot had to be
discussed before the tea was wanted. In a few minutes supper was ready,
and all were about to begin, when it was discovered that O'Neil was
missing.

"Ho! Larry, come to supper!" shouted one.

"Hi! where are you?" cried another.

But there was no reply, until the captain put both hands to his mouth,
and gave utterance to the nautical halloo with which, in days gone by,
he was wont to hail the look-out at the main-top.

"Ay, ay, comin' sir-r," floated back on the night wind; and, shortly
afterwards, the Irishman stumbled into camp with his hands, his face,
and his clothes plentifully bedaubed with mud.

"Why, what have you been about?" inquired Ned.

"Diggin' for goold, sure. I've made a hole in the banks o' the creek
with me two hands that ye might bury a young buffalo in, an' sorrow a
bit o' goold have I got for me pains."

A general laugh greeted the enthusiastic digger, as he wiped his hands
and sat down to supper.

"Musha! av I didn't git goold, I've dug up a mortial big appetite,
anyhow. Hand me the wooden spoon, Mister Collins; it's more the gauge
o' me pratie-trap than the pewter wans. D'ye know, comrades, I'm a'most
sure I seed an Injun in the bush. Av it wasn't, it was a ghost."

"What like was he?"

"Look there, and judge for yourselves," cried O'Neil, jumping suddenly
to his feet, and pointing towards the wood, where a solitary figure was
seen dimly against the dark background.

Every man leaped up and seized his weapons.

"Who goes there?" shouted Ned, advancing towards the edge of the circle
of light.

"A friend," was the reply, in English.

Relieved