The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) - William H. Thomes (large screen ebook reader txt) 📗

For Future Robberies.

 

"I Should Never Have Known You," Steel Spring Whispered, "If You Hadn't

Have Peached About The Toggles Vot You Vas Going To Vare. I Don't

Believe That Your Blessed Mother Would Know You, And As For Your Fathers

They Would Be Puzzled At Any Rate."

 

This Was Uttered In A Whisper, And While The Doorkeeper Was Gone For The

Rum And Ale; And I Suppose It Was Intended To Be Complimentary, Although

We Didn't Look Upon It In That Light.

Volume 2 Chapter 56 ( Adventures Continued.) Pg 80

 

"Is He Here?" I Asked, Glancing Around The Room, And Endeavoring To

Imagine Which Of Those Present Was The Assassin.

 

"Yes, It's All Right; But I Can't Point Him Out, 'Cos It Would Attract

Attention. Keep Quiet, And Drink Your Hale In Peace."

 

We Were Constrained To Follow Steel Spring's Advice, Although I Promised

Him A Kicking For His Impudence.

 

"Jim," Cried A Black Bearded Fellow Who Sat Near Us, And Who, Mr. Brown

Whispered, Had Served Six Years As A Convict, And Who Preferred

Australia To The Old Country, "When Is You Going To Try Your Hand At The

Trade Agin?"

 

"Not Until The Brads Get Low, And When Dan Refuses To Trust Me For Lush

And Grub," Was The Answer.

 

"Isn't It A Pity That I Haven't Got The Power To Arrest These Fellows,

And Hang Them Without A Trial? They Deserve Punishment, Yet There Is No

Evidence By Which They Can Be Convicted. Your California Lynch Law Would

Work Wonders Here In A Short Time."

 

The Inspector Felt As Enthusiastic As An Artist In The Presence Of A

Great Painting, And Steel Spring Was Obliged To Whisper A Few Words Of

Caution For Fear Of A Discovery.

 

The Doorkeeper Brought Our Drink, And Expressed Great Gratification When

We Asked Him To Take A Drop At Our Expense; But Dan, Who Was Watching

The Operation, Looked Much More Pleased When He Saw Fred Display A Few

Gold Pieces, And Pay For The Same; And At Length The Reserve Of The

Landlord Wore Off; And Seeing That We Were Strangers And Had Money, He

Made An Excuse To Call At Our Table, And Grunt Forth A Few Words Of

Welcome.

 

"Is You From The Town Or Bush?" He Asked, Appealing To Fred As The

Leader, Because I Suppose He Had On Better Clothes Than The Inspector

And Myself.

 

"From The Town; But On The Lookout For A Chance For The Bush," My Friend

Returned.

 

"Whose Gang Have You Faked With?" Was The Next Interrogation.

 

"Once We Were With Black Darnley; But Most Of The Time We Have Been

Together, Picking Up Odds And Ends, Not Making Big Strides, For Fear Of

The Traps. We Are Getting Short, And Came Here 'Cos We Were Told That

Steel Spring Was Going Into Business, And Wanted A Little Help."

 

If Dan Had Any Suspicious That We Were Not What We Seemed, He Kept Them

To Himself At Any Rate, For After Drinking "Confusion To All D----D

Traps," He Returned To His Old Place Behind The Bar, And Left Us To Do

What We Pleased. We Were Glad To Get Rid Of Him, For He Had A Wicked

Eye, And Could See Through A Disguise Quicker Than Any Other Man In

Volume 2 Chapter 56 ( Adventures Continued.) Pg 81

Ballarat, Robber Or Policeman. I Afterwards Accused Mr. Brown Of Giving

Him Some Private Signal By Which He Was Warned To Hold His Tongue, But

The Inspector Denied It, Not So Emphatic As I Could Have Wished,

However.

 

"Go And Invite Your Friend To Join Us," Mr. Brown Said, Addressing Steel

Spring, For The Night Began To Wear Away. "If We Are To Pull Together,

We Want To See What Land Of Stuff A Man's Made Of, So That We Can Know

What Risks To Run And What To Avoid. Them's My Sentiments, And I Don't

Care A D---- Who Knows 'Um."

 

This Was Spoken In A Tone Of Voice Loud Enough For Half A Dozen Thieves

To Hear; And As Steel Spring Had Given Out That, He Was Intending To

Raise A Gang, They Did Not Any Longer Feel Suspicious As To Our

Movements.

 

"That's The Kind Of Talk I Like A Man To Spit Out," Cried A Huge Black

Ruffian Who Sat Near Us, Bringing His Hand Down Upon His Table With So

Much Good Will That A Cup Before Him Spilled Out Half Its Contents. "I

Like To 'Sociate With Men Who Have Pluck, And Know What They Is About.

D----N A Coward, Dead Or Alive," And With This Emphatic Declaration The

Ruffian Drank What Spirits Remained In His Cup, And Then Called For

More.

 

"That's Tom Benchley," Whispered The Inspector, "And In Spite Of His Big

Words And Fierce Looks, An Arrant Coward At Heart. He Frightens People

By Bouncing, Although A Boy Of Twenty Could Make Him Eat His Words. You

See That He Sits Alone. Most, Of Those In The Room Consider Him A

Disgrace To What They Call A Profession; But The Fellow Always Has

Money, And So Dan Gives Him The Right Of _Entrée_ To The Select Scenes."

 

Steel Spring, Who Had Been To The Farther End Of The Room, Whispering

With A Young Man, Now Returned, And Introduced Him To Us As Ben Jackson.

He Was Not More Than Twenty-Four Years Of Age; And I Saw In A Moment

That He Had Never Passed Any Portion Of His Time At The Hulks, And That

If He Had Ever Been Engaged In Robberies It Was Only Recently, And That

He Was Not Yet Quite Hardened To Crime.

 

"Gents," Said Steel Spring, Waving His Hand With An Attempt To Do The

Genteel, "Allow Me To Introduce Mr. Jackson, A Covey Vot Is Desirous Of

Jining Our Select Society, Provided, As The Land Sharks Say, You Is

Villing."

 

Jackson Appeared Delighted With The Introduction; Although I Thought

That I Could Detect A Slight Look Of Disgust Upon His Face When We

Extended Our Soiled Hands And Shook His White Palm.

 

"Our Friend Tells The Truth--I Want To Join A Gang Where I Can Make

Money, And Then Leave The Country Without Danger. I Don't Want To Stop

In Australia All My Days By A D----D Sight."

 

Even The Profanity Was Forced, And Did Not Come From His Heart. He

Considered It Necessary To Use An Oath To Make Himself Appear An Adept

In Crime--But I Saw Through The Disguise, And Pitied Him.

Volume 2 Chapter 56 ( Adventures Continued) Pg 82

 

"It Ain't Every Man That Applies For A Chance Can Jine With Us," The

Inspector Answered, Assuming A Deep And Bass Tone Of Voice, And Language

Suited To His Supposed Condition. "We Want Men--Half A Dozen Good, Firm

Men, And Then We Can Roll The Money In Without Much Trouble. Squat

Yourself, And Then We Can Think Of This 'Ere Subject, And Find Out What

You Can Do To Help Us When We Reach The Bush."

 

"I Like To Meet Men, And Hope To Prove Myself One Before We Part,"

Speaking In A Manner That Showed He Was Not Destitute Of Education.

"I've Never Been In The Bush, But I Hope Under Good Guidance I Shall

Soon Be, And Then If I Show A White Feather I'll Agree To Go Without My

Share Of The Prize Money."

 

"That's Fair Talk," I Muttered, "And I Think That The Kid Will Make A

Goat. Let's Trust Him."

 

"I'm Sure I'm Very Much Pleased With Your Favorable Opinion, And I Hope

I Shall Deserve It. I've Already Done Some Things That Can't He Beat,

Although I'm Not In The Possession Of Much Money. Gentlemen, I Must Ask

You To Drink At My Expense, If I Can Manage To Negotiate With Dan For

Credit."

 

Jackson Started For A Short Conference With The Barkeeper, And Steel

Spring Whispered To The Inspector To "Draw Him Out, And Hear Him Talk."

 

Dan Apparently Required Some Persuasion To Give Credit, But At Length

The Representations Of Jackson Prevailed, And He Returned To Us Radiant.

 

"The D----D Old '_Fence_,'" He Muttered, "He Is Afraid Of Giving Credit

As A Churchman, And Nearly As Mean. The Next Time I'm In Ballarat, I

Hope That I Shall Have Money Enough To Pay For Select Lodgings, And Then

He And His 'Cricket' May Go To The Devil. What Are You Going To Take?"

 

We Ordered Our Liquor, And After It Was Brought Made A Show Of Tasting

It, But We Knew Better Than To Drink Spirit At The Cricket.

 

"By The Way," Mr. Brown Said, "You Was Saying Something About Your Not

Being Green, And That You Had Tried Your Hand At One Or Two Things. Now,

If You Have No Objections, We Should Like To Know How You've Been

Employed, So That We Can Judge Of Your Mettle."

 

The Young Fellow Paused; And I Could See That Shame Was Not Entirely

Banished From His Heart, For He Colored, And Then Endeavored To Crush

His Feelings With A Drink Of Poisonous Spirit.

 

"What Need I Care," He Exclaimed, At Length, A "Short Life And A Merry

One For Me. A Fellow May As Well Be Dead As Destitute Of Money, And When

It Can't Be Got By Hard Work, I'm In Favor Of Taking It Wherever I Can

Get It."

 

"Them's The Sentiments," Cried The Inspector, And Then Muttered In An

Undertone, "That Have Hanged Better Men Than You."

 

Volume 2 Chapter 56 ( Adventures Continued) Pg 83

"You See, Gentlemen," Jackson Continued, The Liquor Opening His Heart,

And Making Him Loquacious, "That I Began Life In Liverpool, In The Old

Country. I Was Apprenticed To A Grocer, But I Looked Upon Weighing

Coffee And Tea As Not The Kind Of Employment For A Man; So One Day