to the same feeling that would have actuated us
in another encounter.

"I s'pose you won't mind coming down an ounce for the service I've
rendered you to-day," Charley said, after a pause.

"For what service?" I demanded, in astonishment.

"O, for making you popular, that's all," he repeated.

"Look here, my friend," Fred said; "it seems to me that you think we are
two log-rolling politicians, anxious to turn every thing of an exciting
nature to an advantage. In this you are disappointed. We are here to get
money, and not to get office."

"Well, ain't I here to make money, too? so where's the difference
between us? You open a store; I sell rum, and starve boarders, and
electioneer, so that you can have a great run of custom, and yet you
ain't willing to pay a man a fair sum for his work. Wall, if I ain't
almost riddy to forswear my kintry and turn Turk. It's too
aggravating--it is."

Our friend looked as though he was a martyr to friendship, yet I saw
that he was only acting in a systematic manner, to excite our
sympathies, and procure the reward that he anticipated.

"Here is the money," Fred said, after a moment's hesitancy, handing a
Spanish doubloon to the cute Yankee, who clutched at it like a hungry
shark.

"All right," he replied, pocketing the gold with a chuckle.

"And now, before you go, we wish to say one word," Fred remarked,
calmly, yet firmly. "Ever since we have been at Ballarat, you have
contrived a number of ways to swindle us of our money. What you have
received we don't wish back into our pockets: but we do give you warning
that hereafter, if you interfere in our affairs, we shall take the
liberty of administering a sound kicking to that portion of your anatomy
made to be kicked. We hope that you understand us with distinctness, and
that we shall not be called upon to put into execution our threat. Good
day."

The fellow sneaked from the store like a petty thief caught in the act,
and during our residence at the mines, he always declared that he didn't
think much of aristocrats taking the bread out of the mouths of honest
workmen, and that for his part, he should like to know from what part of
New England we came.

We spent the day, as I said before, in idleness, yet we did not forget
that we had an appointment with the inspector, the next morning. Our
horses were in fine condition and anxious for a run, and as we rubbed
them down and fed them the night before we were to start; they appe