'
'Ephraim Shine seemed to be tryin' to do his best for Frank at the
trial,' said Mrs. Haddon. 'I think he's a well-meanin' man, if he is a
bit near an' peculiar in his ways. He always says it was his duty he did,
an' that's true. We know Frank's not guilty, because--because we're fond
of him'--here the little widow wiped her eyes, and her voice trembled--'
an' know him better than others, but the case was black against him.
Frank came straight up from below and into the searcher's shed, an' Shine
found the gold in his crib bag, which was rolled up, an' forced under the
handle of his billy.'
'Where it'd been for half the shift, the billy hanging in a dark drive
where any man below might 'a 'got at it.'
'They found gold in a little box-place made in the heel of one of his
workin' boots.'
'A boot that was always left in the boiler-house when he was off work.
'He had sold coarse water-worn gold to a Jew at Yarraman.'
'Yes, I know, I know. Got, he said, fossicking down the creek where
nobody had ever won anything but fine gold before. Whoever put that gold
in his crib bag an' faked his boot-heel salted Frank's puddling-tub. It
was easy done. He on'y worked there now'n again when on night or
afternoon shift, an' it was open to anyone. It was salted with Silver
Stream gold by some double-damned cunning scoundrel.'
'We know it, Harry, and we have to prove it.
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