Michael moved out of the crowd round the door towards the bar. Peter Newton put his daily ration of beer on the bar.
"'Lo, Michael," Jun said.
"'Lo, Jun," Michael said.
"Well," Jun concluded, tossing off his beer; "that's the way it is, boys. Believe me if y'r like, and if y'r don't like—lump it.
"But there's one thing more I've got to tell you," he added; "and if you find what I've been saying hard to believe, you'll find this harder: I don't believe Charley got those stones of Rummy's."
"What?"
The query was like the crack of a whip-lash. There was a restive, restless movement among the men.
"I don't believe Charley got those stones either," Jun declared. "'Got,' I said, not 'took.' All I know is, he was like a sick fish when he reached Sydney ... and sold all the opal he had with him. He was lively enough when we started out. I give you that. Maybe he took Rum-Enough's stones all right; but somebody put it over on him. I thought it might be Emmy—that yeller-haired tart, you remember, went down with us. She was a tart, and no mistake. My little girl, now—she was never ... like that! But Maud says she doesn't think so, because Emmy turned Charley out neck and crop when she found he'd got no cash. He got mighty little for the bit of stone he had with him ... I'll take my oath. He came round to borrow from me a day or two after we arrived. And he was ragin' mad about something.... If he shook the stones off Rum-Enough, it's my belief somebody shook them off of him, either in the train or here—or off of Rummy before he got them...."
Several of the men muttered and grunted their protest. But Jun held to his point, and the talk became more general. Jun asked for news of the fields: what had been done, and who was getting the stuff. Somebody said John Armitage had been up and had bought a few nice stones from the Crosses, Pony-Fence, and Bully Bryant.
"Armitage?" Jun said. "He's always a good man—gives a fair price. He bought my stones, that last lot ... gave me a hundred pounds for the big knobby. But it fair took my breath away to hear young Sophie Rouminof had gone off with him."