He appeared quite pleased as we finished, and marched off with his old tin dish banging and rattling against the pick on his shoulder. ‘That old man,’ remarked Harry presently, ‘is a dangerous old man. Moreover, he is a liar.’ ‘How do you know that?’ I asked. ‘The first,’ he replied, ‘I feel—as _Kálee_ did. Now for the second count in the indictment. Did you not hear him tell us that this was his first visit to Yamnibar? Well, when he asked so carelessly if we had tried the big shaft over yonder—the one where you can see the remains of a horse-whim—and you said that we had not, a momentary gleam of satisfaction passed across his face. We’ll try that hole to-morrow morning. Luckily, our new standards are finished.’ ‘Pooh!’ I said. ‘My dear fellow, your legal training has made you too suspicious. The poor old beggar may have an idea of prospecting that very shaft himself.’ ‘He probably has,’ replied Treloar quietly. ‘Only don’t forget that he doesn’t like underground work.’ However, my companion had his own way, which, except in such matters as that of the snake-test, he generally did; and next morning saw us fixing our windlass at the summit of the big heap of mullock which towered above its fellows. We seldom got anything in such claims. They had mostly been worked by rich companies, and every ounce of wash-dirt removed. It was pretty late by the time we had removed sufficient of the _débris_ from the bottom of the shaft—too late to do more that night. As we walked over to our camp, we caught a glimpse of ‘Brummy’ following us. ‘He’s been watching,’ said Treloar. ‘Nonsense!’ I replied impatiently. ‘You’re becoming a monomaniac.’ That evening our neighbour came over to our fire; and in consequence _Kálee_, in low threatening communion with herself, had to be put upon the chain. ‘Goin’ to try the big un?’ he asked presently. ‘Yes,’ said Harry; ‘there may be something there. One can never tell.’ ‘Not much danger!’ he blurted out. ‘The coves as worked Number One North Rainbow weren’t the chaps to leave much behind ’em. Leastways’—he quickly added, seeing his mistake, ‘so I’ve heerd say.’ Treloar gave me a look which meant ‘How now?’ but neither of us took further notice. ‘I’ve heard tell, too,’ he continued, ‘as that claim’s häänted.’ ‘Oh!’ said Treloar airily, and as if in constant association with them, ‘we don’t mind ghosts. It’s the living, not the dead, that force us betimes to keep a sharp look-out.’ ‘Well, mates,’ retorted Brummy, rather sulkily, ‘I ain’t quite cunnin’ enuff yet to chew tacks, but I ain’t not altogether a born hidjiot; an’ if anybody was to offer me a thousand poun’ to go down that ’ere shaft, where you got your win’less rigged, an’ up them drives, I wouldn’t do it.’ ‘I was down it to-day,’ I remarked, ‘and didn’t notice anything out of the common.’