been treble what we obtained him for, but nobody cared to own him.

How well I remember the first time he was loaded, how quietly he stood
with the whites of his eyes rolling and girths swelled until all was
apparently secure, and then in less time than I can relate, how saddle
and swags were scattered to the winds.

Smith was a determined fellow and a Yorkshireman to boot, and he had no
intention of giving in to Jack; on the contrary, this little exhibition
of devilry made him all the more determined to discover Jack's weak
point and take the devil out of him.

The pack saddle was gathered up and taken to the harness maker along
with the animal, and the two were put together in such a manner that if
he again bucked it off, some part of Jack's personality would have to
accompany it. The next trial was more successful, and after a few
attempts he gave in, and from that day he became a most docile pack
horse.

On the eve of starting we were joined by our mutual friend Legge, who
had been some years overseer of a station. He was a smart, handy fellow,
and although he did not contribute much in the way of financial
assistance, we were glad to have him join our party, knowing him to be
dependable, plucky, and good-tempered.

At length we started, and after journeying through the scene of our late
life on the Ashburton and Rangitata, we arrived without adventure at the
then small town of Timaru on the sea coast, about a hundred miles south.

Here we found the inhabitants in great excitement over news just arrived
that gold had been discovered in large quantities on the Lindis, about
one hundred and twenty miles inland from Dunedin in Otago. We, in common
with every one else, were, of course, immediately infected with the gold
mania, the more so as we were bent on adventure of any kind that might
turn up, and here was an unexpected piece of good fortune ready to our
hands. During our few days sojourn at Timaru we made another addition to
our party in the person of a man named Fowler, whom, at his urgent
request, we permitted to accompany us in our now proposed expedition to
the gold diggings.

We arranged to start at once, and deferred preparations until we would
arrive at Dunedin, the capital and port of Otago, and which, with fair
marching, we hoped to reach on the third day.

We travelled in the usual bush fashion, each man with his swags strapped
before and behind his saddle, Jack the Devil carrying our provisions