cases, in the Sydney district, as even one shilling a head, besides
cattle and horses at relatively the same. The result, however, was sad
and terrible. It was confusion and failure, and mainly for this simple
reason--that human nature, left practically uncontrolled, will never
give the due care and attention to interests which are only those of
other people.

He had got up a bank specially for the supply of all the needed funds
for his grand schemes, thus securing, as he put it, an independently
large business for that institution. The chief shareholders knew, or
might have known, the character of their prospects. They all expected
unusual profits under the circumstances, and might possibly have got
them. Under this pleasant result they would have credited chiefly their
own sagacious courage. But instead they realized most severe loss, and
then, with angry unanimity, they condemned, and would have prosecuted,
Boyd. Wrath fell upon the younger brother, Mark, who had stayed at home,
and who, I think, had honestly but vainly striven to keep an
intelligible reckoning out of the confusing advices of his senior's
various and huge money-absorbing speculations. There was a sad
uncertainty about Mr. Boyd's ending. The local representatives, for the
time, of the Royal Bank of Australia had closed accounts with him in the
best way they could, allowing him to leave Sydney with his yacht and
several friends. He visited the Californian diggings, and afterwards
took a cruise among the Pacific Islands. He landed on one of them, as
though for some shooting, but was never either seen or heard of more.

Another pleasant trip about this time was to Yering, the Ryries'
station, situated nearly half-way up to the cool mountainous sources of
the River Yarra. This had already been made a charming home to any
contented mind, satisfied to fall back upon country resources. It was a