The dumb man rose slowly to his feet, and pointed to the cliffs
frowning above them. The other answered his thought with a careless
shrug of the shoulders.

'We must climb,' he said lightly, 'and let us hope the top will
prove less inhospitable than this place. Where we are I don't know,
except that this is Australia; there is gold here, my friend, and we
must get our share of it. We will match our Gallic wit against these
English fools, and see who comes off best. You have strength, I have
brains; so we will do great things; but'--laying his hand
impressively on the other's breast--'no quarter, no yielding, you
see!'

The dumb man nodded violently, and rubbed his ungainly hands
together in delight.

'You don't know Balzac, my friend,' went on the young man in a
conversational tone, 'or I would tell you that, like Rastignac, war
is declared between ourselves and society; but if you have not the
knowledge you have the will, and that is enough for me. Come, let us
make the first step towards our wealth;' and without casting a
glance behind him, he turned and walked towards the nearest
headland, followed by the dumb man with bent head and slouching
gait.

The rain and wind had been at work on this promontory, and their
combined action had broken off great masses of rock, which lay in
rugged confusion at the base. This offered painful but secure
foothold, and the two adventurers, with much labour--for they were
weak with the privations endured on the voyage from New Caledonia--