Maurice no longer held back. He raised his shovel and drove it into the soft earth, and the effect was electrical.
"Blast yer hies, vot is ye 'bout," roared a voice that we instantly recollected; and before we could utter a word in astonishment, up rose the lank form of the genius Steel Spring.
"Is this the vay to treat a man vot does hevery thing he can to save ye?" the impudent wretch demanded, in an indignant tone.
"For God's sake, how came you alive?" asked Murden, looking at the man as though he expected to see him disappear from before his eyes at a moment's warning.
"O, it's wery vell to ax me how I does a thing after I get's out of a fix," Steel Spring replied, with one of his grins; "but I know'd that I varn't goin' to kick the bucket vithout vun trial for my life."
"Tell me how you managed to preserve your worthless life?" asked the officer, too much astonished to feel indignant, and almost inclined to believe that the fellow was under the protection of some good genii.
"Vell, I doesn't think my life very vorthless if you do, Mr. Hofficer; but in case you should ever get cotched in the same kind of a trap, I'll tell ye. Do ye see, ven I found that your company vas exclusive, I looks herround for means of safety, but I didn't find heny wery 'andy; if I 'ad I don't think that I should be here now; vell, the longer I stopped to consider, the wus I felt; and at length, ven the fire begins to burn the nice clothes vich I vore, I thought it bout 'time to do somethin'; so I 'appens to cast my hies on this loose dirt, and then quicker than lightning I digs a place, and lays down and covers me all hup, leaving only a leetle 'ole to breathe through. It vas varm, though—hawf'ul varm; and at one time I feared I should die; but the Lord supported me in my trouble, and here I is, safe and ready to be of service agin."
For a short time every one was silent, so astonished did we feel to hear the treacherous wretch use the name of his Maker in connection with himself.
"God has preserved your life for some object which we mortals cannot understand," Murden said. "I shall not punish you, neither shall my men. The courts of Melbourne must decide upon your guilt." "Vot, is you going to take me afore the big vigs?" asked Steel Spring, with dismay.
"There is only one chance to escape such a fate," replied the lieutenant.