"There comes a gang of men," I said, calling the Californian's attention to thirty or forty, who, to judge by soiled garments, had just come from the bowels of the earth.
"Yes, there are some of the underground miners, and a rough set they are. Will you hurry up?" Charley shouted, "or are we to wait here all night?"
"Why weren't we called afore?" asked one of the party. "This don't look like the old style of doing things, I must say."
"I got word to you as quick as I could, and what more can I do? It's all owing to me that you got an invite at all. This young feller don't know our customs, and wanted to bang away afore any one was here," replied my assistant second.
"Did you tell him how we managed things?" asked the leading miner, gravely, as though a breach of etiquette had been committed of the rudest kind.
"Of course I did," replied Charley, with alacrity. "You don't think I'd forget my duty?"
"And what answer did the young feller make?" inquired the miner, as though a great deal was attached to Fred's reply.
"He said that he was ready to comply with the customs of Ballarat, and that he would wait a fortnight, if necessary, to allow the shaft miners to get out to see the fun."
"He said that, did he?" asked the spokesman, nodding his head with pleasure.