The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 64

"We are agreed," I replied, pressing the stockman's hand: and as we did so, a vision of his services rose before us, and amply rewarded us for the slight sacrifice which we had made.

"Now," cried the stockman, "we are friends again; and to prove that I am such, before noon I will place in your hands the bag of gold which we came so near losing night before last"

"Ah, now we are convinced that you have our interest at heart," Fred said, joyfully. "Let us but touch the treasure and you shall share with us."

"I want no share--I've been repaid, ay, more than repaid, in obtaining my freedom through your instrumentality, and if I can make some return I shall be happy."

We no longer stopped to discuss the question of working upon his claim, and in less than ten minutes after our return to the hut, we had saddled our horses, and leaving Smith to follow with his oxen, for the purpose of bringing home his half-consumed cart, we started once more towards the still smoking woods.

The hot winds of Australia, which begin about ten o'clock in the forenoon, swept over the prairie with a blast that felt like the flames of an extensive conflagration, and yet we heeded it not, for our whole thoughts were fixed, like greedy misers, upon the gold which we were soon to acquire, and we speculated what we should do with our wealth, and how expend it.

We urged our panting horses to their utmost speed, and not until the old stockman cried out to us to draw up, or we should exhaust the brutes, did we allow them to take breath.

"There's no use in being in such a hurry," he said, "because we are near the spot, and have all the afternoon to get home."

In fact, even while he was speaking he dismounted near Smith's cart, and we quickly followed his example.

"When I made my escape from the bushrangers, and carried off the gold, I recollected that I had seen a stone near this spot, and that some kind of animal had burrowed under it. The knowledge served me a good turn, for when I gained the edge of the woods I sc.r.a.ped away a little dirt and dropped the bag into the hole. Then I rapidly covered it, and entered the forest again undiscovered."

While he was speaking our eyes had wandered in search of the rock which he was mentioning, and within a rod of us we found it. We hardly waited to hear the conclusion of his words before we had pushed aside the loose dirt, and saw the soiled canvas bag which we had taken from the earth on the day of our capture.

We raised it carefully from its hiding-place, and found that the weight had not diminished. With eager hands we untied the strings, and exposed to our longing eyes the glittering scales of gold dust, mixed with gold coins, sovereigns, and American ten and twenty dollar pieces.

"Well," asked the stockman, "how much do you think you are worth now?"

The old fellow was as cool as an iceberg, and offered a striking contrast to our excitement.

"Twenty thousand dollars," replied Fred, weighing the bag with both hands; and no easy matter he found it to hold the gold at arm's length.

"More than that," replied the stockman, with a smile of gratified pride at our pleasure. "Say thirty thousand, and you will come nearer the mark."

"Five thousand shall go to reward you for your trouble," I said.

"Not a penny will I accept," he answered, quickly and decidedly; "I told you that some time ago. I plead poverty because I did not wish people to consider me rich, and I suppose by that means I have saved my life: for if the marauders of those parts knew me to possess gold, my hut would have been turned inside out, but that it would have been discovered. No, no; keep your money, and may you do good with it."

We mounted our horses again, and hugging the bag of gold to my saddle bow, as though fearful I should meet bushrangers to dispute my right to it at every step, we recrossed the prairie, meeting Smith on the way, to whom we imparted our good fortune, and received his congratulations. By three o'clock the gold was safe under the hearthstone, and then we breathed free, and felt that we indeed owned it.

By six o'clock Smith joined us with his dilapidated cart, when we immediately commenced repairing it, and getting ready for our journey towards Ballarat.

By the ingenious use of tree limbs, we were enabled to repair it sufficiently to carry all of our freight; and after it was loaded on, we ate our supper, and prepared for an early start.

The gold, which we were so glad to obtain possession of, troubled us, however. We did not like to risk its safety with us, for we knew that the population of Ballarat were wild and lawless, and we were rather fearful of losing our treasure, now that we possessed it. We consulted with Smith, and came to the conclusion that the safest place was with the honest old stockman, buried beneath his stone hearth. He readily accepted of the trust, and promised to deliver it only upon a written order, signed by both of us, and with a private mark upon the paper.

With Smith we settled according to what we considered a liberal reward.

The honest fellow refused, at first, to accept of any thing, saying that he had only performed his duty, and that he was still in our debt; but we would not listen to such reasoning, and weighed out five thousand dollars, as his share, for losses sustained, and time expended.

After that matter was settled, we retired to sleep, and only awakened to partake of a substantial breakfast, for which, I have always suspected, we were indebted to the kind consideration Smith was held in by Mrs.

Becky. At any rate, every thing that we could desire was spread before us; and when we shook hands with the old stockman and his daughter, I observed that Smith held the woman's hand with a firm grasp, as though reluctant to relinquish it.

Our friends waved an adieu, Smith cracked his whip, and sighed, Rover barked joyfully, as he saw preparations for moving, Fred and myself cautioned the stockman, for the last time, to be careful of our gold, and then we were off; and in half an hour's time had shut out the hut behind a miniature hill, the first which we had seen for many days.

For two days we travelled, meeting teams and vehicles of all descriptions, owned by uncouth individuals, who asked us the news from Melbourne, and ridiculed us when we said that we didn't know the price of ale and beer, or what flour was worth per ton.

As we advanced towards the mining district, the road was filled with people flocking that way, while hundreds were on their return to Melbourne or Sydney.

Wan, ghastly looking men were groaning upon the bottom of carts dest.i.tute of springs. Others, hardly able to lift their feet, were staggering along for some city where they could receive the attentions of a physician, being too poor to employ one at the mines, and too dest.i.tute to ride towards civilization.

Occasionally we saw a poor wretch by the roadside, who had apparently lain down to die, too exhausted to proceed upon his journey; while others hailed us, and begged us, in G.o.d's name, for a swallow of wine, or other stimulant, to cheer them on their way.

Long before we reached Ballarat our slender stock of liquors was exhausted, and yet we had not administered to the wants of one half of those who sought aid. Indeed, had we listened to all who begged, our provisions would also have disappeared, and we should have had to trust to our purses to replenish our supply.

Smith was an old campaigner in these regions, and cheeked our generosity, by giving us a few words of advice, which we afterwards found were correct.

On we went, the road growing worse and worse as we advanced, and as the wheels sunk into the deep ruts, I thought the wagon would be shattered to pieces in the struggle to extricate it. Dozens of teams were stuck, and despite the yells and curses of the drivers, the tired cattle refused to move.

Smith's oxen, the freshest and strongest we had seen on the road, were often borrowed to give distressed teamsters a lift, so that our progress was rather slow; and it was not until five o'clock that we entered the town of Ballarat, and pa.s.sed along the main street, which was graced with huts and tents of rough boards, on each side.

On we went, pa.s.sing the "Melbourne Saloon," the "Sydney Saloon," the "London Hotel," the "American Hotel," the "Californians' Retreat," and numbers of other tents, decorated with huge letters of black paint, and all setting forth the peculiar merits which each offered to the weary traveller.

At one place, we were told that real London porter could be obtained for ten s.h.i.+llings per bottle; and at another, that XX ale was selling for only one s.h.i.+lling per gla.s.s.

Signs innumerable greeted our eyes. Doctors, who informed the public that their charges were only one pound per visit, cash in advance to save trouble; carpenters, who offered to build houses at the cheapest rate; carriers, willing to freight goods to any part of Australia, and would not guarantee a safe delivery--all these were pa.s.sed by without attracting any attention, although the scene was one of novelty and excitement to us.

We gained a portion of the town that was comparatively clear of tents, and near a stream of water. Here Smith thought we had better stop; and tired, and perhaps homesick, we pitched our tent, and ate our first supper at the mines of Ballarat.

CHAPTER x.x.xIV.

THE BULLY OF BALLARAT.--FRED FIGHTS A DUEL.

Horse stealing is not regarded as a very serious crime, I regret to say, in Australia. There is a certain cla.s.s of people who make no scruple of borrowing an animal without the owner's consent, and if great objection is made to such a proceeding, a resort to firearms quickly settles the matter, generally to the disadvantage of the remonstrant.

The mines are overrun with ruffians, who have no fear of law, and can only be kept in awe by courage superior to their own. Of this we were quickly made acquainted, as we were considered, by the old residents, green, having but recently arrived, and not yet learned the mysteries of Ballarat.

The first case occurred even before we had finished our supper, and perhaps gave us a better insight into the manners and customs of the miners than we could have otherwise learned for months.

I have already said that Fred and myself rode two fine horses, formerly owned by the police department of Melbourne. The animals, owing to the care which we had taken of them during our journey, were in capital order, and worth full as much money as when we first purchased them.

As we had understood that horseflesh was scarce and dear at the mines, we had determined to hold on to the brutes for a few days, and then, if we liked Ballarat, and were disposed to locate there, we had resolved to sell them, to save expense of keeping--no inconsiderable item, where to turn a horse out to pasture was to lose sight of him forever, and where barley was worth about ten dollars a hundred.

We were leisurely sipping our coffee, after looking to the comfort of the animals, having fed and rubbed them down, and allowed them to drink their fill of water, when a thick-set, black-bearded man, evidently partially intoxicated, came swaggering towards us. He wore a blue flannel s.h.i.+rt, open at the neck, exposing a chest brawny enough for Hercules; and around his waist was a leather belt, such as is worn by sailors on s.h.i.+pboard. In the belt was a long knife on one side, and on the other a pistol of mammoth dimensions; but it looked to me as though more dangerous to the holder than the one who stood before it, for the stock was broken, and the barrel rusty and neglected.

Thus equipped, the ruffian--for we could see that he was a ruffian in every movement and in every line of his animal face--swaggered towards us, nodded to Smith in a patronizing manner, and after a broad stare of half-defiance and half-wonder at Fred and myself,--an act of impertinence of which we took no notice,--he began examining the animals as though he was a connoisseur in horseflesh.

We apparently paid no attention to his movements, and continued discussing our private affairs, and sipping our coffee. Rover, who was sharing our meal, once or twice showed his teeth, and manifested a disposition to commence hostilities; but we silenced him, and thought that we would let the fellow operate for a few moments without remonstrance.