side of me, while some half-dozen troopers guarded the prisoners, who-strapped back to back-came on behind.

Job Purkis's narcotic must have been a powerful one, for " the man with the mole on his cheek" still slept on. Ho had discarded his Methodistical disguise, and appeared, with his close-cropped red head and narrow projecting jaw, like the subtle human fox he was.

It was a good hour after we had reached the Station that he opened his eyes. He had his arms and legs at liberty, and was lying on a couch near the fire.

His first movement was to rub his eyes and indulge in a prolonged yawn; then rising very leisurely to his feet, he said, still yawning:

"Give me a candle, some of you! I want to take some food to that young chap up therehe must be well-nigh starved to death!"

A roar of laughter from my brother troopers, who were carelessly grouped around, seemed to banish his lethargy and recall him to himself. "What's all this? Where am I, and what do you fellows do here ?"

Shouts of laughter met him on every side as ke turned from one to the other in a confused yet defiant way, till at last his eyes rested upon me.

An oath broke from his lips, and for a moment he seemed quite dumbfoundered. "Brian Burton !"

"You're a prisoner again, Mr. Bates," I said, indulging in a very pardonable triumph; "and as yet, we're both this side the churchyard."

I think I never saw a man more surprised; and it was some minutes before he was able to fully grasp his present position and to guess what had occurred.

His first movement as the truth began to dawn upon him, was to rapidly feel about his person as for a pistol or a knife. Failing in this, his eyes roamed everywhere like the eyes of a cat who seeks the means of escape.

It did not require a second glance to convince him that escape was impossible, and then the fierce wild-cat look passed out of the face, and seating himself on an unoccupied chair, his mobile features relaxed into a smile.

The game's yours, gentlemen. It's not been badly played, though there's trickery somewhere. Where, it will be for me to find out. I'm not, as I think you all know, what the world calls an honest man, but I always pay my gaming debts, and I will pay this debt to the uttermost farthing."

After having thus expressed himself, he turned to me.

"You're in luck this time, Brian Burton; and if you escape me again so easily I shall begin to believe in your star, and place myself under your protection. It's a rule of mine to go with the winning side, but I never do anything in a hurry. Who's the master here ?"

The manner of this request was so impertinent in its evident assumption of superiority that our superintendent a hot-tempered Welshman, who called himself Ap' Thomas-jumped off his stool and spluttered out, in great indignation:

"I'll pretty soon let you know who's master here! For two pins I'd have you hung up on the tree outside the door, as a warning to other thieves and murderers!"

"Excuse me, but you haven't the power to do anything of the kind. Out in the bush, and found with arms in my hand, you are justified to attack and, if you can, slay me at your pleasure; but here, I'm unarmed and a prisoner. Your first and only duty is to take me before a magistrate, and after that to obey his orders. I've broken the law too often not to have got it by heart."

Our chief made no direct reply to this speech, but, turning to me, said:

"Are you sufficiently recovered from your fatigue to get into the saddle again?"

"I think so, sir. Why do you ask?" "Because this fellow must be taken before a magistrate, and your evidence is necessary.

"Do you"-addressing Stumpy and Joe-"accompany Burton to Mr. Sadgrove's, and the latter will decide what is to be done with our prisoner."

"Mr. Sadgrove!" I ejaculated, in a tone that certainly was not one of pleasure. "Are we to take our prisoner before him ?" "Who else would you take him before?" responded the little Welshman, still fuming over the bushranger's impertinence.

"Mr. Sadgrove is the newly-appointed magistrate for this district. There is no shirking duty. He'll do his, and we must do ours. So, look alive, boys! Get the horses out, and you'll be at Burnt Plains (the name of Mr. Sadgrove's holding) in a jiffey!"

There was no resisting this order, even had I

(MARCH 1, 1870.

wished. Discipline is as strict among the mounted police as it is in the army. Besides, my evidence was necessary; and, therefore, though I would have made almost any sacrifice rather than have again to converse with Mr. Sadgrove, I bowed my head, and, while I felt bitterly felt-the pain, accepted, as I was bound to do, the duty.

The men were again strapped back to back, Sweet William-who was quite an aristocrat in his way-insisting upon riding foremost.

I rode alongside of the horse which bore this double burden-the leading-rein fastened securely to my saddle. Close behind came Stumpy and Joe, each with a cocked pistol in his hand.

So far from appearing alarmed at his position, my friend with the mole on his cheek seemed to be extremely gay.

He congratulated me on my escape, assured me that Tiger Tom had fully determined to hang me on his return, and that, if any of his gang had been shot down in the little business they were engaged upon, it would have been out of his (Sweet William's) or any other man's power to have saved my life.

"I saved it yesterday. I suppose you'll allow that, Mr. Burton, though I make no claim on your gratitude; but you know the old saying about Philip drunk and Philip sober. I can generally turn Goliath round my finger, but

MY INTERVIEW.-JOB PURKIS, THE BUSHRANGER.

"You seem to take your own possible fate very unconcernedly," I remarked.

once he is well filled with liquor, the devil him- | bush. The fire, as is often the case in such reckself won't turn him, even if he should desire to, less procedure, had extended for very many miles, which is not likely, when he has some extra and desolated so large a tract of ground that the piece of wickedness in view." squatter-a clumsy, dull-brained fellow-had packed up his household goods and vacated the territory, which from that time took the name "Not at all. A man can't escape his destiny. we have already given it, and-for there is a When my time comes, I shall succumb like the great deal of stubborn Conservatism in Australia rest of us. In such matters, you can't put-kept the name even when years after the back, or put forward, the hands of the clock "Plains" had become both picturesque and proeven five minutes." fitable, and a handsome house had been erected upon the very spot which the tent of the incendiary squatter had once occupied.

"You're a philosopher."

"A practical one, at any rate. I take the rough with the smooth, and speculate upon the doctrine of chances."

Stumpy and Joe here rode up, and the conversation became general, the two convicts being, to all appearance, as unconcerned as though they were riding to a wedding. After about two hours' riding through the scrub and over a series of execrable puddle roads, we came upon a rising ground or bluff, which commanded a view of the house and grounds which bore the by no means satisfactory title of Burnt Plains. But such titles in Australia go for little or nothing.

The squatter who had first pitched his tent in the neighbourhood of Burnt Plains had made his "clearing" by the dangerous but expeditious process of firing the tall, dry grass and tangled

As we stood upon the bluff, looking down upon the house and its handsome grounds, a gentleman and lady who had been hidden from view by a bend in the road where it skirted a small plantation came suddenly upon us.

At a glance I recognised Mr. Sadgrove and Mary Ashton.

The recognition was mutual.

Mary, with a bright smile and all her heart in her face, approached at once, uttering my name, but Mr. Sadgrove reined-in his horse, turning at first very red and then very pale; but though he had recognised me as quickly as I had recognised him, it was not upon my face that his eyes were riveted, but upon that of the "man with the mole on his cheek!"

[To be continued.]

GOLD:

OR, THE TREASURE OF TEHUTLAN.

CHAPTER XXI.

A JOURNEY IN THE DARK.

AGAIN the hope which animated our breasts chased away the sense of depression and fatigue, as lighting our last candle to obtain a better light, we clambered as rapidly as we could high up towards where the water came roaring out of its vast culvert, just as with a loud shriek a bird flew out like some creature of shadow-land, from a niche which had hitherto escaped our notice.

The next moment, after a flit round the amphitheatre, it gave another shriek, and we saw it re-enter the niche and disappear.

That there was an outlet to the upper world there, we now had no doubt; but the question arose which exit presented the least peril: the ascent to this niche right over the arch of the torrent, or the way back by the vault of the troubled waters, to swim for our lives down the little river.

We did not pause long to consider, but, drawing our breath hard, sought to climb up to where the bird had disappeared.

We needed the activity and power of some animal born to a climbing life, for it was a ter

I found myself wondering whether, if I did so, my body would be forced through along some subterranean way, to the vault of the troubled waters, from thence float out slowly along the little river, and so to the mouth of the cave and the outer sunshine.

Such thoughts were enough to unnerve one, but, bit by bit, we climbed on in safety, handing the candle from one to the other, and ever and anon stretching out a helping hand, till, how I cannot tell, we clung, at length, right over the falling torrent, with a piece of rock, smooth as the polishing of ages could make it, between us and the niche, which now proved to be a goodsized split between a couple of rocks.

"You go first, Mas'r Harry," Tom whispered, with his mouth close to my ear. "I'll stand firm, and you can climb up my shoulders, and then lend me a hand."

I prepared to start, handing him the one candle we now had alight, when I gave utterance to a cry of despair, for the linen band which had crossed my breast and supported the wallet, had

and I suppose must have broken when I was making this last ascent. At all events, the wallet was gone, plunged, I expect, into the torrent, and bearing with it the flint, steel, tinderbox, and matches, so that should any accident befall our one light, we should be in the horrible darkness of the place.

"Never mind, Mas'r Harry," said Tom. "It ain't no use crying after spilt milk. Up you go, sir!"

With failing heart and knitted brow, I exerted myself, climbed to Tom's hips, as he clung to the rock and lighted me; then to his shoulders; stood there for a moment, trembling, and then struggled into the cleft, turned round, lay down in a horrible position sloping towards the torrent, with my head two feet lower than my knees, and then stretched out my hands to Tom.

"Can't reach, Mas'r Harry," he said, after one or two despairing trials. "You'll have to go and leave me see if you can get out and fetch help."

:

For a moment I felt stunned at this unforeseen termination of our efforts, for there really seemed hope now, unless this fresh passage should prove too narrow to let us pass.

I did not answer Tom, but drew myself up again to think; when taking off my coat, I rolled

through an opening hitherto unknown to us, from its being upon a ledge forty or fifty feet above the floor, where in that part it ran on a level with the little river.

We rose from our knees, weak as two children, and contrived to scramble down to the bottom, along which we stumbled slowly, without energy, towards the cave's mouth. Turn after turn, winding after winding, we traversed, and then there was the faint dawning of light in the distance-light which grew more and more bright and glorious as we advanced, shading our eyes with our hands, till utterly worn out we sank down close to the entrance, amongst the soft, warm, luxurious sand, when I gazed at the pale, haggard, blood-smeared face beside me, to exclaim:

"Mas'r Harry," he replied, hoarsely, " poor missus wouldn't know you if she was here." It was the noon of the third day, we afterwards learned, that we had spent in these realms of darkness, and never did the bright face of Nature look more glorious than it did to our aching eyes. But, in spite of the intense sensa tion of gnawing hunger, we could not proceed till we had rested. Then, after bathing our faces, hands, and feet in the cold stream, we slowly journeyed towards the hacienda.

"Don't say a word about the cave, Tom," I said, as we neared home.

"No, Mas'r Harry, not if you don't wish it," he replied, looking at me wonderingly.

"I have a reason, Tom," I said. "We can say that we have been exploring, and that will be true, and will satisfy them."

"You ain't done with the cave yet, then, Mas'r Harry ?"

"No, Tom," I said, "not yet!"

A QUESTION. Tus look I received from Lilla that evening was one which, while it reproached me, made my heart leap. But all the same, I did not respond to it: I dared not; and I sat there answering my uncle's questions, and telling him of our discovery of the ruined temple, but no more; while Garcia, who was present, smiled a contemptuous smile that was most galling.

For that smile seemed to mean so much, and to say: Look at this crazy vagabond, how he spends his time !!

I was too weak and ill, though, to resent it, and gladly sought my bed, which I did not leave for a couple of days, being tended most affectionately during that time by Mrs. Landell.

We had made our entrance to the hacienda by night, as I had wished, on account of our appearance, and it was well we did so, for an inspection of the clothes I had worn displayed such a scarecrow suit as would have ensured the closing of any respectable door in my face.

But if when I rose from my couch my clothes were worn, so was not my spirit, and during the long hours I had lain there my brain had been as active as ever concerning the buried treasures.

The terrors of the cave were great, certainly; but then I reasoned that three-parts of them were due to ignorance. Had we been acquainted with the geography of the place, as we were now, and taken common precautions, we might have saved ourselves the hairbreadth escapes and agony of mind that had so told upon uswe need not have risked our lives by the great gulf, nor yet in the vault of the troubled waters. With a short, portable ladder and a knotted rope the ascent to the rift over the torrent in the great amphitheatre would have been easy. And altogether it seemed to me that another visit, well prepared, would not be either arduous or terrible.

The visit, of course, would be to search for the treasure; and calm reflection seemed to teach me that it was very probable that we had now hit upon the part that seemed likely to have been used for the purpose-so I thought. I could not feel that the timid, superstitious Indians would ever have penetrated so far as we did, but the soft earth of the bird-chamber seemed, after all, a most likely place.

"What! going again, Mas'r Harry ?" said Tom, when I broached the subject.

Yes, Tom," I said: "I want to explore this bird part of the cave. And besides, we need run no risks this time-we need not go into the ter rible parts."

Very good, Mas'r Harry; only reck'leet about the pitcher as goes so often to the well getting broken at last.

"But you'll go with me, Tom ?" I said. "Go with you, Mas'r Harry? Course I will! I should just like to catch you going without me. Don't you get coming none of them games."

The result of this was, that one morning, soon after sunrise, Tom and I were climbing over the

rocks that barred the mouth of the cave. We had plenty of provision and plenty of candle. Each man, too, carried his own tinder-box and a small coil of knotted cotton rope, which served as a girdle, and so was not allowed to encumber our movements.

Light-hearted and eager, I led the way, and we pushed right in past the rift on the ledge which led to the bird-chamber, for we were anxious to see what had become of our raft.

It was just as I had anticipated: we found it self-anchored between two blocks of stone, within fifty yards of the tunnel-arch; and landing it, we ent the leather thongs, let out the wind, and then hid the whole affair behind some rocks: in case, as Tom said, we might want it again.

inky no longer, but clear and bright, ran, sparkling in the subdued light, over its sandy bed, towards the open sunshine.

Wading in, I turned up my sleeves, and began to thrust my iron probe down here into the soft sand; for I had argued now like this: that, after carefully considering where would be the best place to hide their treasure, the priests of old might have been cunning enough to think that the simpler the concealment, the less likely for it to be searched; and thus with the dim, mysterious caverns beyond, offering all kinds of profundities-spots that could certainly be suspected-they might have chosen the open mouth, and buried that which they sought to save in the bed of the little stream.

A rest, and a slight attack upon the provi- The thought seemed to take away my breath sions, and we were once more journeying towards for a few moments-it came so vividly; the the mouth; but only to pause in the chamber next minute I was wading about, thrusting the where lay the opening that had saved our lives. rod down as far as I could in the wet sand. But A little agility took us to the mouth of the always with the same result-the iron went down rift; and now, candle in hand, we could see the easily to my hand, and was as easily withdrawn. passage through which we had travelled so labo- I probed right in as I waded amongst the riously, to find it the easiest of any passage we gloomy parts, and then went on to where it behad traversed, the floor being deeply covered came dark; but still I was not discouraged, but with guano, as was the case with the bird-came slowly back towards where the barrier of chamber when we entered it at last, to find a rocks blocked the entrance, down beneath which vast hall of irregular shape, swarming with the the little stream plunged to reappear some yards guacharo, or butter bird of South America-a on the other side; and here, in the most open great nightjar, passing its days in these fast-part of all, but screened from the sight of any nesses of nature, but sallying out at dark to one in the valley-here, where the water formed feed. The uproar they made was tremendous, a little pool beneath the creeper-matted rocks, I and several times I thought that our lights would gave the rod a hard thrust down as far as it be extinguished, though we escaped that trouble, could be driven, bending so that my shoulder and continued our search. was beneath the water, when my heart leaped, and then beat tumultuously, for the rod touched something. I tried again.

The floor was nearly level, and the roof, like the others in the cave, covered with stalactites; but the birds and their nests completely robbed the place of beauty or grandeur.

An hour spent here convinced me that we knew the two only passages leading from the place, so we continued our investigations, travelling along the farther passage, till the sound of the great waterfall smote upon our ears, but still nothing rewarded our search, though we went to the end.

A passage of the most rugged nature, but a passage only, with nothing in the shape of branch or outlet, save into the amphitheatre, into which we had no desire to penetrate. Certainly, the passage widened out into a chamber with glistening roof here and there, but with rocky floors, and presenting nothing striking as likely to reward my search.

At the end of a couple of hours we were back in the bird-chamber-I continue to call the places by their names that first struck us as suitable-when we sat down for another rest and time of refreshing, for we had no peril to dread this time; and now, once more, I began to think over, with damped spirits, the possibility of finding what might have been here concealed. Treasures, the wealth of nations, might have lain hidden for ages, with the guano continually accumulating to bury them deeper and deeper; but were they buried there?

I would try and prove it, at all events; and rousing myself from my musing fit, I took the sharp-pointed rod I have before mentioned, and began to probe the soil, Tom watching me earnestly the while.

I

But nothing rewarded my endeavours. probed till I was tired, and then Tom took up the task, but always for the red to go down as far as we liked in the soft, yielding earth.

At last I told him to give up, for the possibility of success seemed out of the question. Fatigue had robbed me of my sanguine thoughts, and, wearily, I led the way back to the mouth of the cave, and we again had a rest, Tom lighting his pipe, and I gladly seeking the solace of a cigar.

Rest and refreshment had their usual effect, and I was soon up again and at work with the rod, thrusting it down into the sand all over the place, till in one spot it struck upon something hard, and my heart leaped; but a little tapping of the hard matter showed that it was nothing but a mass of rock, some four feet below the sand.

I sat down again, hot and ill-tempered, when Tom tapped the ashes out of his pipe, and stood before me.

"Now, what is it you are really after, Mas'r Harry?" he said. "Not gold, is it? Why don't you be open with a fellow ?"

"What makes you ask, Tom?" I said, suspiciously.

"Because they do say, Mas'r Harry, that the folks that used to live here got to bury their stuff, to keep it out of the Dons' hands."

Always the same tradition! But I made no answer, for a fresh thought had struck me-one of those bright ideas that in all ages have been the making of men's fortunes; and, leaping up, I seized the rod, and ran to where the stream,

Yes, there was something beneath the sand!
Was it rock-stone?

I tried again, tapping with the iron.
No: it was not stone!
Was it metal?

I tried again, after examining the point of the rod, and this time drove it down fiercely. Yes, it was metal; but the question to solve was this: Was it gold?

CHAPTER XXIV. FOUND?

I CANNOT tell you whether it was pain or pleasure that I felt then-perhaps I may say that it was pleasure, mingled with a dread of disappointment which made it painful.

I was not sure that I was right, but I could not help giving whoever had buried this something, whatever it was that I could torch, credit for a great deal of cunning, since this was certainly the most unlikely place I had yet seen.

My excitement was intense; and all dripping as I was with the icy water, I leaped out on to the sand, with the intention of climbing over the barrier out into the bright sunshiny vale, to cut a long, thin bamboo with which to probe the sand in a more satisfactory manner.

Then I stopped short, as the recollection of Tom's words flashed across my brain. His surmises might be correct; and, cautions as we had been, watchers might have seen our goings and comings, while my stepping out into the vale now to cut a pole would show that I had some particular object in view.

Another minute, though, and with my mind teeming with thoughts of rich ingots, plates, and vessels of gold, I began to consider as to what ought to be my next step. Without testing farther, I felt that I had been successful-that a wonderful stroke of good fortune had rewarded my efforts; and then how was I to dig it from its wet, sandy bed, and get it safely to the

hacienda?

?

I did not want to make confidants-to excite any man's cupidity: whom, then, was I to trust One man is sufficient to know a secret, I thought; but at least two must share this. Two should be all at present. Tom must be taken into full confidence; and my heart rather smote me after the brotherly way in which he had shared my perils, for not telling him sooner of my aims and aspirations.

But there was, probably, the fortune of a prince buried there! Could I trust him? Would gold have the same effect upon him as it did upon many others?

"It is changing me already," I said, angrily, to myself; and hurrying up to Tom to make a clean breast, as the first step towards insuring that the possession of the wealth to come should not spoil the generosity of my disposition, and render me unfit for her-the treasure I was to win-I was about to speak, when he forestalled me:

"Think you've found it, then, Mas'r Harry?" he said, with a broad grin overspreading his face.

"Tom," I cried, excitedly, "I have not spoken sooner, lest you should think me an empty dreamer; but I have found that which I sought." "Sure, Mas'r Harry ?"

"Well-a-well, yes, nearly, Tom," I stam. mered, somewhat taken aback by his coolness; "and now I want you to swear that you will take no unfair advantage of what you have seen, or may see in the progress of this adventure."

"Want me to do what, Mas'r Harry ?" said Tom, sturdily.

"I want you to swear"Then I ain't agoing to swear, nor nothing of the kind; so you need not think it. If I ain't worth trusting, send me back; least wise, you won't do that, because I shan't go. But howsoever, I ain't agoing to go swearing, and taking oaths and-there! be quiet! Look there, Mas'r Harry. Make him swear if you like. No; not that way: more off to the left. Turn your eye just past them three big trees by the lump of rock. That ain't a deer this time, but some one on the look-out. Two on 'em, that there are!"

I glanced in the pointed-out direction, to see plainly that a couple of Indian heads were strained towards us, as if their owners were narrowly watching for our appearance; though I knew from the gloom beneath the arch where Tom was seated that we must be invisible to anyone out in the bright afternoon sunshine. What did it mean? Were these emissaries of Garcia watching my every act; or were they descendants of the Peruvian priests, possessed of the secret of the buried treasures?

I shrank back farther into the cavern to crouch down, Tom imitating my acts, and together we watched the watchers, who remained so motionless that at times I felt disposed to ask myself whether I had not been mistaken, and whether these were not a portion of one of the rocks?

we

"It's no good, Mas'r Harry," said Tom; must make a rush for it. They'll stop there for a week, or till we go. "Tain't nothing new; there's always some one after you; and if you've found anything, I can't see how you're going to get it away. Let's go now, before it gets evening, for they'll never move till we do."

"Well, they ain't obliged to know that we've found that, Mas'r Harry," said Tom, smiling. "We don't know it ourselves yet. What wo've got to do is to play bold, shoot one or two of the birds as they dodge about farther in, then knock off a few of those pretty bits of white stone hanging from the roof, and they'll think that we've come after curiosities."

Tom's advice was so sound that I led the way farther into the cave, where we made the place echo as if about to fall upon our heads, as we had a couple of shots, each bringing down six of the Guacharo birds. Then re-loading, we secured three handsome, long stalactites, white and glit tering, and thus burdened, we took our departure, walking carelessly and laughing and examining our birds, Tom stopping coolly to light his pipo just as we were abreast of where we had seen the Indians.

It was bold if the watchers' intentions were inimical, and we gave ourselves the credit of having thrown them off their scent, for we saw no more of them that evening, returning tired and excited to the hacienda to find my uncle quiet and cordial, for he seemed to be giving me the credit of trying to break myself of my incli

nation.

Garcia was not there, neither did I see Lilla: and though I longed, yet I felt myself bound not to ask after her; and I sat chatting to Mrs. Landell and my uncle for some time; and after tho former had retired, we went on talking about the forest scenery till, worn out as I was, I left for my room, having several times been on the point of telling my uncle of my discovery, but refraining lest that I should find that I had given too far the reins to my imagination, and my treasuro turn out to be only a myth.

It was rather singular, but that very same view was taken the next day by Tom, as will be seen in the next chapter.

[To be continued.]

NEW PROTECTION FOR THE "GREAT EASTERN."-The "Great Eastern" is to be employed in laying a submarine cable through the Red Sea to make a telegraphic communication with India, in connection with the Suez Canal. A part of the preparation which she has to undergo consists of having her hull painted white, so that it may reflect instead of absorbing the intense heat of the sun in that torrid clime. It is supposed that by this means the temperature of the interior of the ship will be materially lowered.