the boat, though four men had jumped into
her; and we saw that they hardly made any
way in the direction of the floating men, around
whose heads the cormorants were sweeping,
their terrible bills often coming very near them.

Darkness soon came on. We burned lights
for the boat, which, at last, returned, but without
Mr. Aspern and without the sailor. There was
no doubt they had gone down. This, sir, was
the end of our Queer Passenger.

Our ship reached Victoria in safety, and I
lost no time in going up the country to see some
gold-fields that had recently been discovered. I
was fortunate enough to procure a black " boy"
to lead my pack-horses, and I set out with a
couple of seven-inch revolvers, a good rifle, four
good horses, two of them laden with a tolerable
" swag." I travelled about fifty miles a day for
four days, camping out each night, and at last
came to a good-sized public-house where I
determined to stay for a few days to give a spell to
my horses. I was lonely enough during my
stay, until a gentleman came who was a treasure
as a companion. He was much my senior, and
seemed to have a thorough knowledge of the
world. I had never met a more fascinating man.
I was delighted that we were to travel together.

We did travel together, and well it was for
another that we did so. On the second day we
came to a creek, where I proposed that we should
stop and lunch. I had scarcely spoken, when a
horseman passed us at a rapid pace. He wore a
red Garibaldi shirt, and a helmet hat with a red
silk " puggaree" streaming behind it. He had
hardly disappeared over the steep bank on the
opposite side of the creek when two shots were
heard, followed by a shout. We spurred our
horses over the creek, and, in a few seconds,
beheld the person who had passed us, overthrown,
his leg pinned to the ground by his horse which
had fallen, and a man in a mask about a dozen
yards off, taking aim at him with a revolver.
We dashed on, but my confounded horse came
down with me, his foot having landed in a
bandicoot's hole. I staggered to my feet much
shaken, and was in time to see the issue. The
red horseman and the bushranger fired
simultaneously, and the robber swerved in his saddle,
but he came very close to the other and extended
his revolver again. The other's fate had been
sealed but for the promptness and skill of my
companion. He took a long shot, the robber's
pistol fell to the ground, his right arm dropped
at his side, and, uttering a howl of rage and
pain, he galloped off towards the scrub.

When we reached the fallen man, and had
released him, he said gaily, "Well, by Jove!
that was touch and go!  Your shot saved my
life, sir, and a better shot with a revolver I never
saw."

"Who could your assailant have been?" said
my companion.

"Oh, one of Micky's gang, of course. They
have become very troublesome lately, and don't
scruple to take life. I am certain I hit the
scoundrel, but, by Jove! sir, you have given him
a stinger. He has killed my horse though,
poor brute, and I wouldn't have taken two
hundred for him this morning. Gentlemen, my
tent is not far from this, and there's plenty of
room."

We made him mount one of our spare horses,
and we soon came to his tent: a capital tent of
galvanised iron.

"Now then, Bob, look sharp about dinner."
Bob looked sharp, and we were soon seated
at a table, on which we saw kangaroo-" steamer,"
bronze-winged pigeons, a couple of wild ducks,
and preserved potatoes. Nor were welcome
liquids wanting. There were sparkling hock,
sherry, and pale brandy.

After dinner we lighted our pipes (he and I),
and he became very communicative.

"I came out without twenty pounds," he
said, " and no one could believe how lucky I
have been. I 'dropped' on large nuggets; I
got advances from the banks, and purchased
large quantities of gold for two-pound-ten an
ounce, for which I received three-pound-sixteen.
I bought bits of swampy ground in a place that
was reserved for a township, and soon afterwards
got as many pounds for them as I had given
pence. If riches could give happiness, I ought
to be one of the happiest young fellows in the
Australias."

He said this with a deep sigh, and smoked
meditatively. My travelling companion was
very silent the whole evening. He took little
wine, and listened to our host with great
attention. A fine young fellow our host was; a
man every inch of him. He had evidently been
reared as a gentleman, and bush-life had not
made him forget his early habits.

"Have you ever been in Ireland?" he
inquired, after a pause in our conversation.

"Often," I said, " on visits."

"In what counties particularly?"

"Many counties. The last I visited in, was
Clare."

"Indeed! I don't know many families in
that county. Did you ever meet a Mrs.
Aspern?"

"I met her but a short time ago."

"How—how was she? Does she still live at
Bellgrove House?"

"She does. She is a very lovely woman, but
in most delicate health. She never goes out
save to spend a quiet evening with her intimate
friends the Crossleys, who are friends of mine.
It was there that I met her. They say she pined
away from the time of her husband's departure,
and was brought to death's door by the
intelligence of his decease. They say, indeed, that,
although much younger than her husband, she
loved him most passionately. He was well
worthy of her love. A genuine, a noble fellow.
He lost his life on his way to India in trying
to save a poor seaman from drowning."

"He was the noblest of men," said our host;
" although I never knew him personally, but
only through others."

As he said it he seemed much agitated, and
took a glass of wine, and a second, and a third.