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

And Left A White Mark. For That

I Got Licked, And Rebuked For My Presumption To Aristocracy. I Didn't

Mind A Flogging In Those Days, 'Cos I Was Use To 'Em, And Let Me Tell

You That London 'Prentices, As A General Thing, Get More Blows Than

Holidays."

 

"That's So," Muttered Mr. Brown, Who Appeared To Deeply Sympathize With

The Speaker In That Portion Of His Narrative.

 

"I Grew Up," Continued The Red-Haired Individual, Whose Cognomen Was

Day, "Quite Fond Of Corpses."

 

I Shuddered, And Turned My Head To See If There Were Any Lying Near, For

I Didn't Consider That The Subject Was A Very Proper One To Talk About

At That Time Of Night, And Under The Circumstances I Should Have

Prepared A More Agreeable Topic.

 

"The Gentleman Needn't Be Afeard," Muttered The Fellow, With A Sneer;

"Corpses Won't Hurt A Feller, 'Cos I've Tried 'Em."

 

He Had Seen Me Flinch At The Word, And Improved His Opportunity To Show

His Hardihood.

 

"In Fact, As I Growed Older," Day Continued, "I Was Quite Useful In My

Way, And Got Trusted By Master With Some Important Jobs. I Could Lay Out

A Poor Covey, Who Hadn't Any Money, With As Much Despatch As Any

'Prentice In London, And When You Come To The Mourning Part I Was Really

Terrible. I Could Groan More Unearthly And Oftener Than Any Mute That

Master Employed."

 

"Did You Not Give Us A Specimen To-Night?" I Asked.

 

"Well, Yes, I Think That I Did Pretty Well To-Night, But I Was Too

Anxious To Frighten You Off To Pay Particular Attention To My Business.

I'll Show You What I Can Do, If You'll Just Listen."

 

But I Declined To Hear Him, And The Undertaker's Ex-Apprentice Continued

His Story:

 

"I Used Sometimes To Be Borrowed By Rival Undertakers Just 'Cos I Could

Groan So Beautiful, And Had I Been Contented To Have Worked My Way Up In

The World, Until I Got The Position Of Head Mute, I Shouldn't Be Here,

Surrounded By This D----D Cloud Of Mosquitoes, And Not A Particle Of

Volume 2 Chapter 68 (Capture Of The Ghost) Pg 148

Tobacco To Put In My Pipe, And No Friend To Offer Me A Bit."

 

The Hint Was So Strong That I Could Not Refuse To Gratify Our New

Acquaintance With A Small Piece Of The Weed, Which Was Received With A

Grunt, Expressive Of Gratitude.

 

"As I Was Saying," Continued Day, Filling His Pipe While Talking, "I Was

Always An Ambitious Cuss, And Used To Like Plenty Of Money To Spend On

Dress And Cheap Jewelry, But I Couldn't Always Get It; One Day My Fellow

'Prentice Made A Proposal, Which He Stated Would Fill Our Pockets And

Enable Us To Sport 'Round Nights In Great Style. I Was Ready To Listen

To Any Thing That He Had To Offer, And Then I Learned That A Doctor That

Lived Next Street Wanted Us To Supply Him With Subjects, For Which We

Were To Receive Two Pounds Each.

 

"Well, We Used To Go Out Nights With A Cart, Drive Up To Some Burying

Ground, Where We Had Planted A Feller The Day Before, Whip Him Out Of

His Coffin, And Be Off In Less Than Fifteen Minutes. In That Way We Used

To Make A Pretty Good Thing Of It, And We Had So Much Money That We

Could Keep Drunk About Two Thirds Of The Time. At Length Some Meddling

Old Fool Suspected Us, And One Night We Were Caught By The Police, With

A Body In Our Charge. We Tried To Shake The Bloody Swabs Off, But It Was

No Go. We Were Jugged, And The First Thing I Knowed My Companion, Who

Had Put Me Up To The Work, Peached, And Saved His Precious Carcass From

Being Transported."

 

"How Long Was You Sent For, Day?" Asked Mr. Brown.

 

"Ten Years--Four Of 'Em I Passed At Hard Labor, And Then I Got A Ticket

Of Leave, And Came Out Here As A Shepherd. I Have Been Here Two Years

Last February, And Should Like Well Enough If I Had Plenty Of 'Bacco And

Rum. Them 'Ere Things Is Hard To Get In This Part Of The World, And I

Haven't Tasted A Drop Of Rum For Two Months Afore Last Night, When I Got

A Sup Out Of Your Pack."

 

Mr. Brown Ground His Teeth With Suppressed Emotion.

 

"How Dared You Meddle With Our Property?" Demanded My Companion.

 

"'Cos, How Did I Know It Was Yourn. I Found The Pack Covered With

Bushes, And I 'Spose A Man Is Entitled To What He Finds In This Part Of

The Country?"

 

"That Depends Upon Circumstances," Replied Mr. Brown, With A Cautious

Glance At The Place Where Day Had Been Excavating. "For Instance, If You

Have Found A Quantity Of Gold Dust Where You Have Been Digging, It Would

Not Belong To You But To The Lawful Owners, Or The Agent Of The Owners,

Sent To Recover It."

 

"I Don't Know About That," Cried The Red-Headed Genius, With A Cunning

Glance From His Little Eyes, "But I Do Know That If I Find Any Thing

Here I Shall Hold On To It Until Somebody Stronger Than Myself Comes

Along. I 'Spose You Would Do So, And I Shall."

 

Volume 2 Chapter 68 (Capture Of The Ghost) Pg 149

"Before We Quarrel On That Point," I Said, "Perhaps You Will Inform Us

How You Knew We Were In Search Of Hidden Gold?"

 

"But I Didn't Know Till I Saw You Begin To Dig. I Was Lying Under A Palm

Tree When You Crossed The Lodden Yesterday, And I Strongly Suspected

From Your Looks That You Were Bushrangers In Search Of A Dish Of Mutton,

In Which Case I Should Have Tacked Your Bodies With A Ball From My Gun.

I Followed You A Few Steps, And Then Crossed Your Trail, Skirted Mount

Tarrengower, And From The Summit Of A Gum Tree I Watched Your Motions

Until Dark, When I Stole Towards Your Camp For The Purpose Of Listening

To Your Conversation. I Heard 'Enough To Convince Me That You Were In

Search Of Hidden Treasure, But Before I Could Make Out Your Plans You

Moved Your Camp To The Lodden, But Left Your Pack Behind, For Which Act

Of Thoughtfulness I Am Much Your Debtor."

 

"And To Defeat Our Plans You Turned Ghost," I Said.

 

The Red-Haired Genius Chuckled As He Answered,--

 

"I Thought That The Easiest Way To Get Rid Of You, For I Have Tried The

Character Before With Some Success. Many A Bushranger, Anxious For A

Supper Of Fresh Mutton, Have I Frightened Into Fits, And By That Means

My Flocks Are Not Molested Near As Much As My Neighbors, Ten Or Twelve

Miles From Here. I Like To Play The Ghost, Too, For It Reminds Me Of The

Time When I Was Living With Plenty Of Half And Half, And Lots Of 'Bacco

At My Control. Wasn't My Groans Beautiful? People Say That They Is Quite

Unearthly."

 

We Felt Ashamed To Say That We Considered Them In That Light, And

Therefore Dropped The Subject, Although We Encouraged Him To Relate The

Further History Of His Exploits.

 

"I Got My Sheepskins All Ready During The Day, 'Cos I Saw That You Was

Idling Round Doing Nothing, And I 'Spected That The Evening Would Be

Selected To Begin Work.

 

"I Hunted Up My Old Bullock's Head, With The Horns On, And Which Has

Seen Some Service, Although I Don't Think That I Shall Be Able To Wear

It Again, 'Cos Your Confounded Pistol Shot About Used It Up. Here It

Lays At Your Feet--Examine It."

 

I Found That The Head Had Been Cut And Trimmed Off, And Then Lined With

Pieces Of Old Clothes, Until It Fitted The Cranium Of Day Like A Huge

Helmet.

 

The Shot From My Revolver Had Shattered The Dry Bones So That It Was

Ready To Tumble Apart, And Had To Be Handled Quite Carefully. I No

Longer Wondered At Our Mistaking Day For The Devil, And I Congratulated

Myself That I Was Not Frightened Worse Than I Really Was.

 

"I Could Hardly Keep From Yelling With Laughter When I Saw You Two

Running, And Then When I Heard One Of You Tumble Into The Bog, I Thought

To Myself That's An End Of Him. Now, Day, You Jist Go Along And Get The

Money That They Expected To, And Be A Rich Man For Life."

Volume 2 Chapter 68 (Capture Of The Ghost) Pg 150

 

"Then You Knew That I Was Struggling For Life, And Would Not Come To My

Assistance?" Asked Mr. Brown.

 

"Why Should I?" Demanded Day, With Great _Sang Froid_. "I Didn't Know

You Or Care For You. All That I Desired Was To Drive You Off As Fast As

Possible, And D---- Me If I Didn't Do It!"

 

"What Did You Think When You Saw Us Return The Second Time?" I Inquired.

 

"Well, The Fact Of It Is, You Rather Started Me Then, 'Cos I Had No Idea

Of The Thing. I Thought If I Couldn't Frighten You Away With Groans, My

Time As A Ghost Was 'Bout Over. You Couldn't Pay Me For The Head Which

You Destroyed, Could You?"

 

We Declined To Do So, And Advised Him To Be Thankful That He Did Not

Lose His Life In His Attempt To Assume A Character That Did Not Belong

To Him; But Day Treated Our Advice With Neglect.

 

"If I Couldn't Hit A Man At A Distance Of Ten Rods, Ghost Or No Ghost,

I'd Never Shoot Again. Why, My Old Gun, That You Hold On To As Though

You Feared It Would Go Off, Can Knock Over A Kangaroo At Thirty Rods

Distance, And Never Miss Once Out Of A Dozen Shots. I Tell You I Have

Had To Practise Shooting Since I Have Been A Shepherd. The Only Thing My

Proprietor Is Liberal In Furnishing Is Powder And Lead."

 

I Was Just About Requesting Day To Remove His Person From The Place

Where He Had Been Digging, To Allow Us To Make An Examination For The

Concealed Treasure, When We Heard The Discharge Of A Gun In The

Direction Of The Mountain, Separated From Us By Several Valleys, Where

Immense Flocks Of Sheep Were Feeding.

 

The Shepherd Started To His Feet, And Looked Eagerly In The Direction Of

The Sound; But Nothing Was To Be Seen.

 

"What Is The Meaning Of That?" Asked Mr. Brown.

 

"It Means That Buskin's Band Of Bushrangers Is All The More Alarmed At

The Sound Of Your Pistol. They Will Search