We sat staring at our informant for some time; but after a while he knocked the ashes from his pipe, and arose as though going.
"If you want your traps taken to the mines at a reasonable rate, I'll do it for you, as I start to-morrow with a load of goods for Ballarat," he said, after a moment's hesitation.
"Is that mine productive?" we asked.
"It's as rich as any of them. You may sink a shaft and strike a vein, and you may get nothing. It's all a lottery."
We consulted together for a few minutes, and concluded to try our fortunes at Ballarat, and so signified to our acquaintance.
"Then shoulder your traps, and I'll show you my shanty. You can sleep there to-night, and, let me tell you, it's a favor that I wouldn't grant to half of my countrymen."
As we considered pride out of place in that country, we readily accepted his offer, and in a few minutes were walking through the streets of Melbourne with a convicted felon.
We found his hut to be built of rough boards, with but one room; and the furniture consisted of a stove, wooden benches, a pine table, and a curiosity in the shape of a bedstead.
That night we learned more of the customs of the Australians from our host, who gave the name of Smith as the one which he was to be called by, than we should have found out by a six months' residence.
Over a bottle of whiskey, which was made in Yankeeland, we spent our first night in Australia.