"Go on," said that gentleman. "Treat me as though I was a countryman and a brother."
"If the people were about to enter upon a struggle for liberty and independence, I would not mind sacrificing all the property that I possess to help secure so desirable a blessing. But the word liberty is never mentioned. It is only a question of money, and therefore I shall stand aloof."
"By the way, how has business been while we were absent?" I asked.
"Never better. The sales have been large and the profits good. We are out of many things, but Smith should be along this afternoon, and he will supply the deficiency. Now tell me of your trip. Of course you didn't find the buried treasure, and you have returned a little poorer than when you went away."
"That depends upon the estimation in which you hold this kind of coin," I replied, emptying my pockets upon the table, and throwing down a good sized bag of gold dust.
Fred opened his eyes in astonishment.
"Do you mean to tell me that you have been successful?" he asked.
"As far as getting the gold is concerned we have; but if you ask us if we have had smooth sailing during our cruise, I shall tell you that it has been rough, and at times extremely tempestuous. Especially did we find it so when the rascally bushrangers attempted to smoke us out, and also when we threw them off the trail by means of a first class ghost."
"A ghost!" replied Fred, looking first at Mr. Brown and then at me, as though we were quizzing him.