‘I am almost sorry to say that he is,’ said Ernest, ‘since I should have liked to have helped you to a few horses that would have done credit to Australia. I believe I have to thank you for an important service in procuring justice for my Arab on his voyage out.’ ‘A mere matter of course,’ said the Colonel. ‘I knew Granby who shipped him, and the old sheik who sold him; personal friend, and all that; besides, I can’t see a handsome horse or a pretty woman without taking the strongest interest in their welfare. Weakness of mine all my life. Too old to mend now, I’m afraid.’ ‘By George! I forgot the lunch,’ said the host, looking at his watch. ‘Come into my dressing-room, Neuchamp. Billy, you know your way.’ In a few minutes, after a temporary toilet, Ernest found himself in a large cool room, the furniture and arrangements of which betokened no hint of the considerable distance from the metropolis. Two pretty girls, whose complexions told of a cooler climate than that of the coast cities, and drew forth many a compliment from the susceptible warrior, embellished the well-appointed lunch-table. Here, with cool wine, delicate viands, and civilised society, Mr. Neuchamp was enabled utterly to discharge from his mind the unsavoury surroundings of his previous stage. Before they had finished the repast the eldest son of the house came in, apologising for his want of punctuality, but laying the blame upon a large body of miners whom he had been supplying with rations, and who had detained him until their wants were satisfied. ‘Really!’ said Mr. Branksome, ‘the consumption of meat is becoming tremendous. Stock must rise directly. I feared that we were all going to be ruined at first. Now, I see plainly that it will be all the other way.’ ‘So, then, I suppose I must have made a good bargain in conjunction with Mr. Levison,’ affirmed Ernest tentatively. ‘Oh! you bought the “bar circle” cattle, then?’ said young Branksome. ‘They told me they expected a gentleman to take delivery directly. They are the best bred cattle in this district. You were lucky to buy them. ‘Poor Drifter,’ said the old gentleman, ‘it was anything but lucky for _him_ that he was forced to sell them. I told him that he was hasty, but he was full of visions of their being killed and driven away right and left by the mining population, and would not hear reason.’ ‘The miners are very decent fellows, what I have seen of them,’ said the son. ‘Of course there will be all sorts among them; but he would have no greater risk of losing his cattle at their hands than with many others.’ ‘Not so bad as Sepoys, eh, Billy?’ said the host; ‘and yet I suppose you trusted the villains to the last minute.’