Two young Australian prospectors, Brown and Smith, ride up to a settler’s shanty. The settler is an old man, living alone and endeavoring to clear a heavily stumped bit of land. He places before the visitors the best fare he has and moves off toward the creek with bucket in hand. Brown kindly relieves him of the bucket and himself goes to fetch the water. At the creek Brown discovers indications of gold. That evening, having accepted the old man’s hospitality for the night, they steal off to the creek and their beliefs are confirmed. They buy out the settler for 100 pounds. Two years later a prosperous mine is developed. Brown sticks to the property, bat Smith sells out his half interest for 20,000 pounds and goes to the city. Brown becomes rich, and in his prosperity befriends the old settler making him confidential man at the mine. After ten years. Smith returns, a poor and dissipated tramp, to find his old partner still managing the mine, married, and happy in his home life. Smith is given a Job at the mine, and an attempt is made to reform him, but the seeds of envy are sown too deep. He is ungrateful, jealous, and sullen, and tries to rob the mine. The old settler foils the plot. Smith is driven away in disgrace, goes out prospecting for another mine, and dies of thirst in the bush, the end of a career along the gilded way.