"Perhaps it is;" and Steel Spring shook his head with mysterious silence.
"Give us the information, and let us see how important it is," Mr. Brown remarked.
"Vell, then, vot do you think of a company of artillery comin' 'ere?"
"Impossible!" I replied; "there's been no artillery ordered here as yet. There's soldiers and policemen enough."
"The commissioner don't think so, for four days ago he sent word to Melbourne for a company to come up and bring their guns vid 'em, and the coveys is already on their vay."
"Then he must have sent despatches that the miners know nothing about," remarked Mr. Brown, in a musing tone.
"Lord bless you, I should 'ope so," returned Steel Spring, with some disdain; "he is von of 'em for doing things up secret like, and vot he don't know ain't vorth knowing."
"This is news of some importance," I whispered to Mr. Brown; "the miners should know it, or they will be cut to pieces."
"We are to remain neutral, you know," Mr. Brown said, suggestively, and I felt that if I interfered I could no longer maintain my character as friend to both parties.
I turned to bribe Steel Spring to give the miners a hint of the approaching company, but that worthy had suddenly disappeared in the crowd, and all efforts to find him were fruitless.