monotonous breathing of the men, and the restless turning and
tossing of those who could not sleep.

Gaston yawned once or twice, then feeling disinclined for any more
sleep, he softly put on his clothes, so as not to awake Pierre, who
slept in the berth below, and descending from his sleeping-place
groped his way to the door and went out into the cool fragrant
morning.

There was a chill wind blowing from the bush, bringing with it a
faint aromatic odour, and on glancing downwards he saw that the
grass was wet with dew. The dawn was burning redly in the east, and
the vivid crimson of the sky put him in mind of that sunset under
which he had landed with his companion on the Queensland coast.
Suddenly a broad shaft of yellow light broke into the pale pink of
the sky, and with a burst of splendour the sun rose slowly into
sight from behind the dark bush, and all the delicate workings of
the dawn disappeared in the flood of golden light which poured over
the landscape.

Vandeloup looked idly at all this beauty with an unobservant eye,
being too much occupied with his thoughts to take notice of
anything; and it was only when two magpies near him broke into a
joyous duet, in which each strove to emulate the other's mellow
notes, that he awoke from his brown study, and began to walk back
again to the mine.

'I must let nothing stand in my way to acquire money,' he said,
musingly; 'with it one can rule the world; without it--but how trite
and bald these well-worn maxims seem! Why do I repeat them, parrot-