'You always say wait,' growled Villiers, not paying any attention to Billy's interruption; 'I tell you we can't wait much longer; they'll drop on the Devil's Lead shortly, and then we'll be up a tree.'

'Then, suppose you go out to the Pactolus and see your wife,' suggested Slivers.

'No go,' returned Villiers, gloomily, 'she'd break my head.'

'Bah! you ain't afraid of a woman, are you?' snarled Slivers, viciously.

'No, but I am of McIntosh and the rest of them,' retorted Villiers. 'What can one man do against twenty of these devils. Why, they'd kill me if I went out there; and that infernal wife of mine wouldn't raise her little finger to save me.'

'You're a devil!' observed Billy, eyeing Villiers from his perch on Slivers' shoulder. 'Oh, Lord! ha! ha! ha!' going into fits of laughter; then drawing himself suddenly up, he ejaculated 'Pickles!' and shut up.

'It's no good beating about the bush,' said the wooden-legged man, getting down from the table. 'You go out near the claim, and see if you can catch her; then give it to her hot.'

'What am I to say?' asked Villiers, helplessly.

Slivers looked at him with fiery scorn in his one eye.

'Say!' he shrieked, waving his cork arm, 'talk about your darned honour! Say she's dragging your noble name through the mud, and say you'll divorce her if she don't give you half a share in the Pactolus; that will frighten her.'

'Pickles!' again ejaculated the parrot.

'Oh, no, it won't,' said Villiers; 'Brag's a good dog, but he don't bite. I've tried that game on before, and it was no go.'

'Then try it your own way,' grumbled Slivers, sulkily, going to his seat and pouring himself out some whisky. '