is fast friend.

One evening the now definitely surly and irritable Bill devoted
half an hour to counting and recounting some money in the light of
the camp-fire. He had visited the station homestead that day and
drawn his pay from the manager.

"Ger-r-router that, damn ye!" he growled at poor Jess when she
crept towards him with watchful, affectionate eyes. So Jess got
out, to the extent of a dozen yards, with the mark of one of Bill's
heavy boots on her glossy flank. She bore not a trace of malice,
and would have cheerfully fought to the death for her man at that
moment; but she was full of vague distress and whimpering
uneasiness; of dim, unhappy presentiments. And in all this Finn
shared fully, though without the personal intensity which marked
Jess's feeling by reason of her great love of the man. But the
uneasiness and the presentiments were shared by the Wolfhound, and
he dreamed vividly that night of red-hot irons, the smell of
tigers, of wire-bound whip-lashes, and the panic sense of being
caged.

In the morning Bill would hardly take the trouble to prepare a
breakfast for himself, and the clothes he wore were not those that
Finn had always seen him in before. Bill presently tied up the
hanging door of the gunyah and mounted his horse. Jess and Finn
followed him as their wont was, but their hearts were sad, and
Bill's glowering looks gave them no encouragement. For almost seven
miles they followed Bill, and then, after leaping a low "dog-leg"
fence, they found themselves in the one wide street of Nargoola
township. Bill cantered slowly down the empty road till he came to
the "First Nugget Hotel," and there he drew rein and finally
hitched his horse's bridle to a verandah post. Then he strode
across the verandah and disappeared within the "hotel," and Jess
remembered--many things.

Finn remained with Jess, a few yards from the horse, waiting; but
whereas the experienced Jess lay down in the dust, Finn stood erect
and watchful beside her. He was already rather nearer to the house
than he cared about; and the air was heavy with the scent of man
and his works. Finn was acutely uncomfortable, and told Jess so as
plainly as he could, with a hint as to the advantages of returning
to the bush. But Jess urged patience, and tucked her nose under one
of her hind-legs.

Presently one or two men came straggling down the street and made
overtures to Finn, after standing and gazing upon him with admiring
astonishment