our shares amounted to L4,000 each, exclusive of the value of the two
stations. My cousin had at first wished that I should forward his share
to his father; but he soon saw that Roland would never take it, and it
was finally agreed that it should rest in my hands, for me to manage for
him, send him out an interest at five per cent, and devote the surplus
profits to the increase of his capital. I had now, therefore, the
control of L12,000, and we might consider ourselves very respectable
capitalists. I kept on the cattle station, by the aid of the Will-o'-
the-Wisp, for about two years after Vivian's departure (we had then had
it altogether for five). At the end of that time, I sold it and the
stock to great advantage. And the sheep--for the "brand" of which I had
a high reputation--having wonderfully prospered in the mean while, I
thought we might safely extend our speculations into new ventures.
Glad, too, of a change of scene, I left Bolding in charge of the flocks
and bent my course to Adelaide, for the fame of that new settlement had
already disturbed the peace of the Bush. I found Uncle Jack residing
near Adelaide in a very handsome villa, with all the signs and
appurtenances of colonial opulence; and report, perhaps, did not
exaggerate the gains he had made,--so many strings to his bow, and each
arrow, this time, seemed to have gone straight to the white of the
butts. I now thought I had acquired knowledge and caution sufficient to
avail myself of Uncle Jack's ideas, without ruining myself by following
them out in his company; and I saw a kind of retributive justice in
making his brain minister to the fortunes which his ideality
and constructiveness, according to Squills, had served so notably to
impoverish. I must here gratefully acknowledge that I owed much to this
irregular genius. The investigation of the supposed mines had proved
unsatisfactory to Mr. Bullion, and they were not fairly discovered till
a few years after. But Jack had convinced himself of their existence,
and purchased, on his own account, "for an old song," some barren land