We talked with our new acquaintance for near half an hour for the purpose of breathing our horses, and picking up all the news that had transpired during our absence.  I gave him some good advice, and informed him that sleeping in his cart while travelling was not the safest plan that he could adopt, and after a few moments’ reasoning he seemed to think so himself.  We bade him good night, and resumed our journey, and just as day was breaking we drew up our tired horses before the store, which looked unchanged since our absence.  All was quiet and still in the neighborhood, but we observed that an unusually large number of police were on duty in the streets, and that many of them were strangers, and eyed us with suspicious looks, as though not certain which party we belonged to.

“I’ll hold the horses while you rap Fred up,” Mr. Brown said, dismounting.

I was too impatient to see my friend to need a second bidding.  I applied my foot to the door, and gave a thundering kick, that made two or three suspicious policemen, who had followed us closely, imagine we were starving for something to eat.

Hardly had I touched the door, when a hoarse growl showed me that Rover was still alive and capable of doing active duty.  I heard the hound spring from his sleeping place, cross the floor, and throw his solid form against the door with a subdued yell, which, after a moment’s snuffing changed from rage to joy.  He uttered cry after cry of welcome, yet still Fred did not seem to take the hint.  At length I heard him shuffling along the floor in his slippers, and presently he inquired,—­

“Who’s there?”

“A friend,” I replied, disguising my voice as much as possible.

“What is wanting?” he asked.

“A cup of coffee and something to eat,” I replied.

“You can get neither here.  Go to one of the coffee-houses.”

“But suppose we want to trade?” I asked.

“Then come during trading hours,” was the brief rejoinder.

“O, don’t stand there talking all day, but let us in,” cried Mr. Brown, who, like all Englishmen, couldn’t bear to joke on an empty stomach.

“Is that you, Jack?” Fred demanded, eagerly.

“Of course it is,” cried Mr. Brown, impatiently.

The heavy bar was removed with remarkable rapidity, and the next instant the door was thrown open, and the best friend that I possessed in the world was shaking my hand and patting me on the back, as though I was an infant strangling with lacteal fluid, while Rover circled around us, and made the air vocal with his joyous barks, until anxious to distinguish himself, and perhaps thinking that Mr. Brown was not getting his share of the reception, he suddenly welcomed that gentleman with a slight nip on the seat of his pantaloons, that caused him to utter a fierce oath, and to rub the place with remarkable vigor.

“Come in, come in,” cried Fred, “or we shall have all the green police of Ballarat around us, thinking a manifestation is going on.  I see three of the fellows peering around corners as though uncertain whether to regard us as madmen or conspirators.”