with considerable difficulty betty bevan succeeded in deciphering the tremulous scrawl which tom brixton had written on the piece of birch-bark. it ran somewhat as follows:—

“this is probably the last letter that i, tom brixton, shall ever write. (i put down my name now, in case i never finish it.) o dearest mother! what would i not now give to unsay all the hard things i have ever said to you, and to undo all the evil i have done. but this cannot be. ‘twice bought!’ it is strange how these words run in my mind. i was condemned to death at the gold-fields—my comrades bought me off. fred—dear fred—who has been true and faithful to the last—reminded me that i had previously been bought with the blood of jesus—that i have been twice bought! i think he put it in this way to fix my obstinate spirit on the idea, and he has succeeded. the thought has been burned in upon my soul as with fire. i am very, very weak—dying, i fear, in the forest, and alone! how my mind seems to wander! i have slept since writing the last sentence, and dreamed of food! curious mixing of ideas! i also dreamed of betty bevan. ah, sweet girl! if this ever meets your eye, believe that i loved you sincerely. it is well that i should die, perhaps, for i have been a thief, and would not ask your hand now even if i might. i would not sully it with a touch of mine, and i could not expect you to believe in me after i tell you that i not only robbed gashford, but also fred—my chum fred—and gambled it all away, and drank away my reason almost at the same time... i have slept again, and dreamed of water this time—bright, pure, crystal water—sparkling and gushing in the sunshine. o god! how i despised it once, and how i long for it now! i am too weak and wandering, mother, to think about religion now. but why should i? your teaching has not been altogether thrown away; it comes back like a great flood while i lie here dreaming and trying to write. the thoughts are confused, but the sense comes home. all is easily summed up in the words you once taught me, ‘i am a poor sinner, and nothing at all, but jesus christ is all in all.’ not sure that i quote rightly. no matter, the sense is there also. and yet it seems—it is—such a mean thing to sin away one’s life and ask for pardon only at the end—the very end! but the thief on the cross did it; why not i? sleep—is it sleep? may it not be slowly-approaching death?—has overpowered me again. i have been attempting to read this. i seem to have mixed things somehow. it is sadly confused—or my mind is. a burning thirst consumes me—and—i think i hear water running! i will—”

here the letter ended abruptly.

“no doubt,” murmured betty, as she let the piece of bark fall on the table and clasped her hands over her eyes, “he rose and tried to reach the water. praise god that there is hope!”

she sat for a few seconds in profound silence, which was broken by paul and his friends re-entering the tent.

“it’s all arranged, betty,” he said, taking down an old rifle which hung above the door; “old larkins has agreed to look arter my claim and take care of you, lass, while we’re away.”

“i shall need no one to take care of me.”

“ah! so you think, for you’re as brave as you’re good; but—i think otherwise. so he’ll look arter you.”

“indeed he won’t, father!” returned betty, smiling, “because i intend that you shall look after me.”

“impossible, girl! i’m going to sarch for tom brixton, you see, along with mister fred an’ flinders, so i can’t stop here with you.”

“but i am going too, father!”

“but—but we can’t wait for you, my good girl,” returned paul, with a perplexed look; “we’re all ready to start, an’ there ain’t a hoss for you except the poor critters that tolly trevor brought wi’ him, an’, you know, they need rest very badly.”

“well, well, go off, father; i won’t delay you,” said betty; “and don’t disturb tolly, let him sleep, he needs it, poor boy. i will take care of him and his horses.”

that tolly required rest was very obvious, for he lay sprawling on the deer-skin couch just as he had flung himself down, buried in the profoundest sleep he perhaps ever experienced since his career in the wilderness began.

after the men had gone off, betty bevan—who was by that time better known, at least among those young diggers whose souls were poetical, as the rose of oregon, and among the matter-of-fact ones as the beautiful nugget—conducted herself in a manner that would have increased the admiration of her admirers, if they had seen her, and awakened their curiosity also. first of all she went out to the half-ruined log-hut that served her father for a stable, and watered, fed, and rubbed down the horse and pony which tolly had brought, in a manner that would have done credit to a regular groom. then, returning to the tent, she arranged and packed a couple of saddle-bags with certain articles of clothing, as well as biscuits, dried meat, and other provisions. next she cleaned and put in order a couple of revolvers, a bowie-knife, and a small hatchet; and ultimately, having made sundry other mysterious preparations, she lifted the curtain which divided the tent into two parts, and entered her own private apartment. there, after reading her nightly portion of god’s word and committing herself, and those who were out searching in the wilderness for the lost man, to his care, she lay down with her clothes on, and almost instantly fell into a slumber as profound as that which had already overwhelmed tolly. as for that exhausted little fellow, he did not move during the whole night, save once, when an adventurous insect of the earwig type walked across his ruddy cheek and upper lip and looked up his nose. there are sensitive portions of the human frame which may not be touched with impunity. the sleeper sneezed, blew the earwig out of existence, rolled over on his back, flung his arms wide open, and, with his mouth in the same condition, spent the remainder of the night in motionless repose.

the sun was well up next morning, and the miners of simpson’s gully were all busy, up to their knees in mud and gold, when betty bevan awoke, sprang up, ran into the outer apartment of her tent, and gazed admiringly at tolly’s face. a band of audacious and early flies were tickling it, and causing the features to twitch, but they could not waken the sleeper. betty gazed only for a moment with an amused expression, and then shook the boy somewhat vigorously.

“come, tolly, rise!”

“oh! d–on’t b–borrer.”

“but i must bother. wake up, i say. fire!”

at the last word the boy sat up and gazed idiotically.

“hallo! betty—my dear nugget—is that you? why, where am i?”

“your body is here,” said betty, laughing. “when your mind comes to the same place i’ll talk to you.”

“i’m all here now, betty; so go ahead,” said the boy, with a hearty yawn as he arose and stretched himself. “oh! i remember now all about it. where is your father?”

“i will tell you presently, but first let me know what you mean by calling me nugget.”

“why, don’t you know? it’s the name the men give you everywhere—one of the names at least—the beautiful nugget.”

“indeed!” exclaimed the nugget with a laugh and blush; “very impudent of the men; and, pray, if this is one of the names, what may the others be?”

“there’s only one other that i know of—the rose of oregon. but come, it’s not fair of you to screw my secrets out o’ me when i’m only half awake; and you haven’t yet told me where paul bevan is.”

“i’ll tell you that when i see you busy with this pork pie,” returned the rose. “i made it myself, so you ought to find it good. be quick, for i have work for you to do, and there is no time to lose. content yourself with a cold breakfast for once.”

“humph! as if i hadn’t contented myself with a cold breakfast at any time. well, it is a good pie. now—about paul?”

“he has gone away with mr westly and flinders to search for mr brixton.”

“what! without me?” exclaimed tolly, overturning his chair as he started up and pushed his plate from him.

“yes, without you, tolly; i advised him not to awake you.”

“it’s the unkindest thing you’ve ever done to me,” returned the boy, scarcely able to restrain his tears at the disappointment. “how can they know where to search for him without me to guide them? why didn’t you let them waken me!”

“you forget, tolly, that my father knows every inch of these woods and plains for at least fifty miles round the old house they have blown up; and, as to waking you, it would have been next to impossible to have done so, you were so tired, and you would have been quite unable to keep your eyes open. besides, i had a little plan of my own which i want you to help me to carry out. go on with your breakfast and i’ll explain.”

the boy sat down to his meal again without speaking, but with a look of much curiosity on his expressive face.

“you know, without my telling you,” continued betty, “that i, like my father, have a considerable knowledge of this part of the country, and of the ways of indians and miners, and from what you have told me, coupled with what father has said, i think it likely that the indians have carried poor t–—mr brixton, i mean—through the long gap rather than by the plains—”

“so i would have said, had they consulted me,” interrupted the boy, with an offended air.

“well, but,” continued betty, “they would neither have consulted you nor me, for father has a very decided will, you know, and a belief in his own judgment—which is quite right of course, only i cannot help differing from him on this occasion—”

“no more can i,” growled tolly, thrusting his fork into the pie at a tempting piece of pork.

“so, you see, i’m going to take the big horse you brought here and ride round by the long gap to see if i’m right, and i want you to go with me on the pony and take care of me.”

tolly trevor felt his heart swell with gratification at the idea of his being the chosen protector of the rose of oregon—the beautiful nugget; selected by herself, too. nevertheless his good sense partially subdued his vanity on the point.

“but, i say,” he remarked, looking up with a half-serious expression, “d’you think that you and i are a sufficient party to make a good fight if we are attacked by redskins? you know your father will hold me responsible, for carrying you off into the midst of danger in this fashion.”

“i don’t mean to fight at all,” returned betty, with a pleasant laugh, “and i will free you from all responsibility; so, have done, now, and come along.”

“it’s so good,” said tolly, looking as though he were loath to quit the pork pie; “but, come, i’m your man! only don’t you think it would be as well to get up a good fighting party among the young miners to go with us? they’d only be too happy to take service under the beautiful nugget, you know.”

“tolly,” exclaimed the nugget, with more than her wonted firmness, “if you are to take service under me you must learn to obey without question. now, go and saddle the horses. the big one for me, the pony for yourself. put the saddle-bags on the horse, and be quick.”

there was a tone and manner about the usually quiet and gentle girl which surprised and quite overawed little trevor, so that he was reduced at once to an obedient and willing slave. indeed he was rather glad than otherwise that betty had declined to listen to his suggestion about the army of young diggers—which an honest doubt as to his own capacity to fight and conquer all who might chance to come in his way had induced him to make—while he was by no means unwilling to undertake, singlehanded, any duties his fair conductor should require of him.

in a few minutes, therefore, the steeds were brought round to the door of the tent, where betty already stood equipped for the journey.

our fair readers will not, we trust, be prejudiced against the rose of oregon when we inform them that she had adopted man’s attitude in riding. her costume was arranged very much after the pattern of the indian women’s dress—namely, a close-fitting body, a short woollen skirt reaching a little below the knees, and blue cloth leggings in continuation. these latter were elegantly wrought with coloured silk thread, and the pair of moccasins which covered her small feet were similarly ornamented. a little cloth cap, in shape resembling that of a cavalry foraging cap, but without ornaments, graced her head, from beneath which her wavy hair tumbled in luxuriant curls on her shoulders, and, as tolly was wont to remark, looked after itself anyhow. such a costume was well adapted to the masculine position on horseback, as well as to the conditions of a land in which no roads, but much underwood, existed.

bevan’s tent having been pitched near the outskirts of simpson’s camp, the maiden and her gallant protector had no difficulty in quitting it unobserved. riding slowly at first, to avoid attracting attention as well as to pick their steps more easily over the somewhat rugged ground near the camp, they soon reached the edge of an extensive plain, at the extremity of which a thin purple line indicated a range of hills. here tolly trevor, unable to restrain his joy at the prospect of adventure before him, uttered a war-whoop, brought his switch down smartly on the pony’s flank, and shot away over the plain like a wild creature. the air was bracing, the prospect was fair, the sunshine was bright. no wonder that the obedient pony, forgetting for the moment the fatigues of the past, and strong in the enjoyment of the previous night’s rest and supper, went over the ground at a pace that harmonised with its young rider’s excitement; and no wonder that the obstinate horse was inclined to emulate the pony, and stretched its long legs into a wild gallop, encouraged thereto by the rose on its back.

the gallop was ere long pressed to racing speed, and there is no saying when the young pair would have pulled up—had they not met with a sudden check by the pony putting his foot into a badger-hole. the result was frightful to witness, though trifling in result. the pony went heels over head upon the plain like a rolling wheel, and its rider shot into the air like a stone from a catapult. describing a magnificent curve, and coming down head foremost, tolly would then and there have ended his career if he had not fortunately dropped into a thick bush, which broke his fall instead of his neck, and saved him. indeed, excepting several ugly scratches, he was none the worse for the misadventure.

poor horrified betty attempted to pull up, but the obstinate horse had got the bit in his teeth and declined, so that when tolly had scrambled out of the bush she was barely visible in the far distance, heading towards the blue hills.

“hallo!” was her protector’s anxious remark as he gazed at the flying fair one. then, without another word, he leaped on the pony and went after her at full speed, quite regardless of recent experience.

the blue hills had become green hills, and the long gap was almost reached, before the obstinate horse suffered itself to be reined in—probably because it was getting tired. soon afterwards the pony came panting up.

“you’re not hurt, i hope?” said betty, anxiously, as tolly came alongside.

“oh no. all right,” replied the boy; “but i say what a run you have given me! why didn’t you wait for me?”

“ask that of the horse, tolly.”

“what! did he bolt with you?”

“truly he did. i never before rode such a stubborn brute. my efforts to check it were useless, as it had the bit in its teeth, and i did my best, for i was terribly anxious about you, and cannot imagine how you escaped a broken neck after such a flight.”

“it was the bush that saved me, betty. but, i say, we seem to be nearing a wildish sort of place.”

“yes; this is the long gap,” returned the girl, flinging back her curls and looking round. “it cuts right through the range here, and becomes much wilder and more difficult to traverse on horseback farther on.”

“and what d’ye mean to do, betty?” inquired the boy as they rode at a foot-pace towards the opening, which seemed like a dark portal to the hills. “suppose you discover that the redskins have carried tom brixton off in this direction, what then? you and i won’t be able to rescue him, you know.”

“true, tolly. if i find that they have taken him this way i will ride straight to father’s encampment—he told me before starting where he intends to sleep to-night, so i shall easily find him—tell him what we have discovered and lead him back here.”

“and suppose you don’t find that the redskins have come this way,” rejoined tolly, after a doubtful shake of his head, “what then?”

“why, then, i shall return to our tent and leave father and mr westly to hunt them down.”

“and suppose,” continued tolly—but tolly never finished the supposition, for at that moment two painted indians sprang from the bushes on either side of the narrow track, and, almost before the riders could realise what had happened, the boy found himself on his back with a savage hand at his throat and the girl found herself on the ground with the hand of a grinning savage on her shoulder.

tolly trevor struggled manfully, but alas! also boyishly, for though his spirit was strong his bodily strength was small—at least, as compared with that of the savage who held him. yes, tolly struggled like a hero. he beheld the rose of oregon taken captive, and his blood boiled! he bit, he kicked, he scratched, and he hissed with indignation—but it would not do.

“oh, if you’d only let me up and give me one chance!” he gasped.

but the red man did not consent—indeed, he did not understand. nevertheless, it was obvious that the savage was not vindictive, for although tolly’s teeth and fists and toes and nails had wrought him some damage, he neither stabbed nor scalped the boy. he only choked him into a state of semi-unconsciousness, and then, turning him on his face, tied his hands behind his back with a deerskin thong.

meanwhile the other savage busied himself in examining the saddle-bags of the obstinate horse. he did not appear to think it worth while to tie the hands of betty! during the short scuffle between his comrade and the boy he had held her fast, because she manifested an intention to run to the rescue. when that was ended he relieved her of the weapons she carried and let her go, satisfied, no doubt that, if she attempted to run away, he could easily overtake her, and if she were to attempt anything else he could restrain her.

when, however, betty saw that tolly’s antagonist meant no harm, she wisely attempted nothing, but sat down on a fallen tree to await the issue. the savages did not keep her long in suspense. tolly’s foe, having bound him, lifted him on the back of the pony, and then, taking the bridle, quietly led it away. at the same time the other savage assisted betty to remount the horse, and, grasping the bridle of that obstinate creature, followed his comrade. the whole thing was so sudden, so violent, and the result so decisive, that the boy looked back at betty and burst into a half-hysterical fit of laughter, but the girl did not respond.

“it’s a serious business, tolly!” she said.

“so it is, betty,” he replied.

then, pursing his little mouth, and gathering his eyebrows into a frown, he gave himself up to meditation, while the indians conducted them into the dark recesses of the long gap.