arrel business of
some sort,--

'"No gamblin' for the Flour. I don't believe in their little shwindles.
It ought to be shtopped. Leadin' young people ashtray."

'Or he'd pass an Englishman he didn't like,--

'"Look at Jinneral Roberts! He's a man! He's an Irishman! England has
to come to Ireland for its Jinnerals! Luk at Jinneral Roberts in the
marshes of Candyhar!"

*****

'They always had sports at Orewell Creek on New Year's Day--except
once--and old Duncan was always there,--never missed it till the day he
died. He was a digger, a humorous and good-hearted "hard-case". They all
knew "old Duncan".

'But one New Year's Eve he didn't turn up, and was missed at once.
"Where's old Duncan? Any one seen old Duncan?" "Oh, he'll turn up
alright." They inquired, and argued, and waited, but Duncan didn't come.

'Duncan was working at Duffers. The boys inquired of fellows who came
from Duffers, but they hadn't seen him for two days. They had fully
expected to find him at the creek. He wasn't at Aliaura nor Notown. They
inquired of men who came from Nelson Creek, but Duncan wasn't there.

'"There's something happened to the lovely man," said the Flour of Wheat
at last. "Some of us had better see about it."

'Pretty soon this was the general opinion, and so a party started out
over the hills to Duffers before daylight in the morning, headed by the
Flour.

'The door of Duncan's "whare" was closed--BUT NOT PADLOCKED. The Flour
noticed this, gave his head a jerk, opened the door, and went in. The
hut was tidied up and swept out--even the fireplace. Duncan had "lifted
the boxes" and "cleaned up", and his little bag of gold stood on a
shelf by his side--all ready for his spree. On the table lay a clean
neckerchief folded ready to tie on. The blankets had been folded neatly
and laid on the bunk, and on them was stretched Old Duncan, with his
arms lying crossed on his chest, and one foot--with a boot on--resting
on the ground. He had his "clean things" on, and was dressed except for
one boot, the necktie, and his hat. Heart disease.

'"Take your hats off and come in quietly, lads," said the Flour. "Here's
the lovely man lying dead in his bunk."

'There were no sports at Orewell that New Year. Some one said that the
crowd from Nelson Creek might object to the sports being postponed on
old Duncan's account, but the Flour said he'd see to that.

'One or two did object, but the Flour reasoned with them and there were