"I think," Murden said, "that my time will be so occupied with affairs at Melbourne that I shall not be able to visit Ballarat again this year."
"And I have an intense desire to be near an uncle of mine in Sydney. Will you, Mr. Murden, forward my petition for an exchange?" asked the inspector, with a smile of great meaning.
"It will give me great pleasure to undertake the commission. I have heard of some very fine specimens of gold being taken from these mines," the lieutenant added.
"It will give me great satisfaction to forward two pieces that I owe to our worthy chief, and will you tell him that I anticipate obtaining a third piece after I am exchanged?"
"And what report had I better carry back to Melbourne?" the lieutenant asked.
"You can say that you gave me the necessary instructions, but there is no hope of coping with the miners unless five thousand troops, with cannon, are on the ground. That will startle government, you may depend," the inspector answered, earnestly.
"And let us keep our counsel. There is no need that we should inform our superiors that through our stupidity their well-laid plans have been destroyed, and the miners acquainted with what is in store for them. Eh, Mr. Brown?"
"Certainly not, sir," promptly responded that individual.
"Ve should lose our reputation for shrewdness if ve did," muttered Steel Spring, but his master overheard him, and gave him a kick as a reward.