The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) - William H. Thomes (large screen ebook reader txt) 📗
- Author: William H. Thomes
Book online «The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) - William H. Thomes (large screen ebook reader txt) 📗». Author William H. Thomes
We Stole Carefully Forward And Saw That We Were Within Five Rods Of The
Bushrangers, Who Were Seated Around Half A Dozen Fires, Cooking Their
Mutton On Long Sticks, And Endeavoring To Obtain A Cessation Of
Hostilities From The Attacks Of Mosquitoes By Beating The Air Wildly
With Their Huge Black Fists When Not Engaged In Cutting Meat, Or
Throwing On Light Brush To Feed The Fires. The Men All Seemed Excited,
And We Listened To Their Conversation With Some Pleasure, Showing, As It
Did, How Mistaken They Were In Their Estimate Of The True Appearance Of
The Ghost.
"For Ten Years I've Knocked About These Woods, And Done Some Very Pretty
Tricks, But I Never Met With Such A Looking Devil As I've Seen
To-Night," I Heard An Old Grizzly Fellow (An Exact Representative Of A
Pirate) Say, As He Ripped Off About A Pound Of Flesh From The Carcass Of
A Lamb, Thrust It Upon A Stick And Held It Over The Coals, After Which
He Looked Around Upon His Brother Devils With An Air That Showed How
Much He Should Like To Kill Every One Present Merely For The Fun Of The
Thing.
"I Would Have Stopped And Spoken To The Darn Thing If Any One Had Kept
Me Company," A Young Fellow Said, Apparently Desirous Of Raising Himself
In The Estimation Of His Companions; But, If Such Was His Intention, It
Was A Failure, For The Old Pirate Turned On Him Like A Hungry Wolf With
Snapping Jaws.
"You Stop And Bandy Words With A Spirit?" Asked The Old Fellow, With A
Sneer. "Why, D----N It, You Was The First One To Run."
"Not As You Knows Of," Replied The Young Robber, Shaking His Head As
Though He Was Willing To Test The Matter.
"Do You Tell Me I Lie, You Impudent Son Of A Dutch Woman?" Asked Old
Grizzly, Lifting His Stick From The Fire And Striking The Youngster Full
Upon His Face With The Hot Meat, Which Caused Him To Start From The
Ground As Though About To Inflict Vengeance Upon The Old Pirate For The
Insult.
The Elder Bushranger Did Not Seem In The Least Disturbed. He Shook The
Mutton Clear Of His Stick As Though It Had Been Contaminated By Contact
With His Companion's Flesh, And Then Drew His Long, Sharp Knife, And
Began To Cut Off Another Portion From The Carcass By His Side.
For A Few Seconds The Insulted Youngster Seemed Uncertain What To Do.
Then I Saw His Right Hand Seek For His Knife, Draw It, And With A Wild
Cry He Threw Himself Upon The Old Man. The Other Bushrangers Merely
Glanced Towards The Parties, But Did Not Offer To Interfere. There Was
But A Slight Struggle, For The Attack Was So Sudden That The Grizzly
Fellow Did Not Take The Precaution Of Defending Himself, Trusting,
Probably, To His Age And Influence With The Gang To Exempt Him From A
Personal Combat.
I Heard A Low Groan, And Then The Attacking Party Arose And Returned To
His Former Place, While The Head Of The Old Robber Fell Forward And
Touched The Fire, And There It Remained For A Few Minutes, Until The
Stench Of Burning Hair Became So Great That Some One Shouted Out To
Remove The Body, And Not Let It Lay There And Spoil Their Appetites.
One Man, More Humane Than The Rest, Lifted The Dead Pirate Up And
Carried Him A Short Distance, And Then Laid Him Carefully Under A Tree.
The Whole Transaction, Including The Death, Did Not Take Ten Minutes,
And A Number Of The Gang Did Not Even Stop From Picking Bones During Its
Occurrence.
"You Settled Him, Billy?" Cried A Fellow At A Distant Camp Fire,
Slightly Raising His Voice.
"I Should Think That I Did," Answered The Young Ruffian, Wiping His
Knife On His Shirt Sleeve, And Then Finishing His Supper, With An
Evident Attempt To Appear Unconcerned, Although I Could See That He Was
All Of A Tremble, And That He Glared Around The Clear Space As Though He
Feared To Encounter A Disagreeable Sight Every Moment.
"Let This Be A Lesson To All Of Us," Cried A Deep, Bass Voice, Which I
Heard For The First Time. "How Often Have I Told You That I Desired
Harmony In The Gang, And That If A Man Gave The Lie He Was Responsible
For It With His Life. Why Can't You Live Like Gentlemen, And Not Like A
Set Of D----D Blackguards. Because You Are Robbers And Cutthroats Is No
Reason Why You Should Murder Each Other. The World Is Large Enough And
Contains Enough Of Our Enemies Without Looking For Them In The Gang."
There Was Not A Word Of Response To These Remarks, But I Noticed That
Many Of The Gang Hung Their Heads As Though They Did Not Wish To Meet
The Eyes Of The Speaker, Who Seemed To Be A Person In Authority.
"That Must Be Sam Tyrell, Who Is Called The Gentlemanly Bushranger Of
Australia," Whispered Mr. Brown, Who Was Anxious To Get Sight Of A Man
Who Had Performed Some Very Daring Exploits, And Some Excessive Acts Of
Cruelty, While Commanding A Gang Of Ruffians On The Road Between
Ballarat And Melbourne.
"Hush," I Whispered, "Or You Will Betray Your Hiding-Place;" For Mr.
Brown, In His Eagerness, Moved The Bushes In A Manner That Attracted
Attention.
I Had Heard Of Sam, Through His Many Exploits, And Was Anxious To Get
Sight Of Him, So That In Case We Ever Met I Should Recognize His Face.
It Is Related Of Him, By The Old Settlers Of Australia, That He Once
Returned To Melbourne, Dressed Himself In Black With Scrupulous
Neatness, And Then Boldly Presented Himself At The Door Of The
Lieutenant-Governor's Palace, Passed In By Means Of A Ticket Which He
Had Taken From A Man Whom He Met On The Highway, Danced With The First
Ladies Of The City, Was Introduced To The Governor's Wife, And Would
Have Danced With Her Had Etiquette Permitted It. In Fact, Tyrell Created
Considerable Of A Sensation, And Ate His Host's Ices, And Drank His
Wine, With A Degree Of Nonchalance That Charmed The Ladies And Disgusted
The Gentlemen.
Had Sam Conducted Himself With A Certain Degree Of Circumspection No
Suspicions Would Have Been Excited By His Conduct; But The Devil
Prompted Him To Make Love To A Pretty Woman Who Was Present In Company
With Her Husband, The Latter An Old Man, Ugly As Sin, And Jealous As
Othello.
Sam Saw The Lady Admired His Vigorous-Looking Form, And He Addressed Her
A Few Remarks Of Flattery, Without Waiting For The Formalities Of An
Introduction. Her Husband Fired Up At The Sight, And Growled Forth His
Displeasure In No Measured Terms.
Sam Paid No More Attention To His Looks And Hard Words Than If He Had
Been A Child. The Contempt, So Quietly Conveyed, Only Enraged The Old
Gentleman The More, And The Matter Began To Be Talked About. First One
And Then Another Inquired Who The Good-Looking Gentleman Dressed In
Black Was, But No One Could Answer The Question. The Governor Was
Appealed To, But He Was As Ignorant As His Guests. At Length An
Aide-De-Camp Was Intrusted With The Delicate Duty Of Requesting The
Stranger To Disclose His Address.
The Officer Touched Tyrell On The Shoulder, While He Was Standing By The
Fascinating Little Mrs. P----, And Desired A Word With Him In Private.
Sam Bowed Low To The Object Of His Affections, And Followed The Officer
To An Ante-Chamber. The Guests, Who Were Hovering Around The Door,
Waited Impatiently For The Officer To Make His Reappearance And Report.
Ten Minutes Passed Away, And Still The Officer Was Invisible. Half An
Hour Glided By, And Then The Crowd Ventured To Knock, But There Was No
Answer. The Door Was Tried, And Found To Be Locked.
His Excellency Was Consulted, And He Sent For An Armorer Of The Regiment
Stationed In Melbourne, A Man Very Skilful In Picking And Repairing
Locks. The Soldier Exerted His Skill, But In Vain; The Door Refused To
Open, And Then, Grown Desperate, The Governor Ordered An Axe Brought,
And A Few Vigorous Blows Drove The Door From Its Hinges, And A Crowd
Rushed In.
There Was No Light In The Apartment, And Mr. P----, The Jealous Husband,
Was So Eager That He Stumbled Over Some Object Lying On The Floor, And
Pitched Headlong Against The Wall, Bruising His Bald Head, And Causing
Him To Curse, With All An Englishman's Spleen, At His Mishap, While He
Did Not Forget To Allude To His Wife In His Prayers As The Cause Of His
Misfortune.
A Light Was Brought As Speedily As Possible, And, To The Consternation
Of Those Present, The Aide-De-Camp Was Found Extended Upon The Floor,
His Arms Tied Behind His Back, His Mouth Gagged With A Pocket
Handkerchief, And On His Breast Was Pinned A Piece Of Paper Addressed To
The Governor.
It Was But The Work Of A Moment To Relieve The Officer From His
Unpleasant Position, And The Instant He Could Speak He Rushed For The
Window, Which Was Observed To Be Open, And Hailed The Sentry, Who Was
Pacing Back And Forth A Short Distance Beneath.
The Guard Answered Promptly, But Declared That No One Had Passed Him
That Evening, And That If A Man Had Attempted To Escape By The Window He
Should Have Seen Him.
By This Time His Excellency Had Read The Note, And Was Raving For The
Captain Of The Police Force, And Vowing That It Was Dangerous To Live In
His Own Palace, The Bushrangers Had Become So Audacious.
The Word Bushranger Struck Terror Into The Hearts Of All Present, And
Even The Jealous Husband Modulated His Wrath, And Rubbed His Head With
Some Degree Of Contentment.
There Was Considerable Curiosity To Learn The Contents Of The Note, But
Etiquette Required That The Governor Should Not Be Asked Regarding It,
Although Every Gentleman Present Was Bursting To Know, And All The
Ladies Were Unanimously Of The Opinion That The Adventure Was Romantic,
And Actually Looked Upon Mrs. P----, Who Was Half Frightened To Death,
With Some Degree Of Envy, Because She Was A Prominent Actor In The
Scene.
At Length His Excellency Condescended To Enlighted His Audience, And
Read The Paper Which He Held In His Hand, Although He Boiled With Rage
As He Did So. The Note Was As Follows:--
"Most Worthy Governor.--For The Very Kind Manner In Which You Have
Entertained Me This Evening, Please Accept My Thanks. I Have Drank
Your Wine, Eaten Your Ices, And Enjoyed Your Refreshments As Well
As Any Gentleman Present, And Had I Remained Long Enough I Would
Have Added To My Exploits By Kissing Your Lady Friends, Including
Your Wife. As I Did Not, Please Perform The Ceremony For Me. The
Next Time That I Visit You I Hope You Will Have A Quantity Of Ice
To Cool The Wine, As I Am Accustomed To Such Luxuries, And
Champagne Tastes Insipid Without It. I Think That Your Excellency
Should Change Your Wine Merchant, For Some Of The Liquor That I
Tasted To-Night Never Saw France, And I Hope Never Will, For That
Polite Nation Would Feel Eternally Disgraced At The Thought Of
Concocting Such Beverages. Hoping That I Shall, At No Distant Day,
Meet Your Excellency In The Bush, Where I Can Return A Few Of The
Civilities Which I Have Received This Evening, And, I Trust,
Relieve You Of A Portion Of Your Worldly Cares, In The Shape Of
Wealth, Allow Me To Humbly Subscribe Myself, Your Friend And
Well-Wisher,
"Sam Tyrell, _Bushranger_."
"The Impudent Scoundrel!" Was The General Exclamation, And I Think That
Volume 2 Chapter 70 (Sam Tyrell And The Ghost) Pg 161The Reader Will Agree With The Guests, And Pronounce The Bushranger A
Bold Man, And One Of Considerable Address And Nerve.
Of Course, The Mounted Police Were Set In Motion, And The Country
Scoured For Miles In Extent, But No Signs Of Sam Were Discovered; And
The Mortification Of My Friend Murden May Be Better Imagined Than
Described When He Was Afterwards
Comments (0)