The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) by William H. Thomes (books to read in your 30s TXT) 📕

Unable To Say, For The Commissioner Was His Superior Officer, And Could

Dispose Of Us As He Pleased, Regardless Of The Remonstrances Of His

Associate.

"My Dear Boys," The Inspector Said, Coming Hastily Towards Us, And

Extending His Hand, Regardless Of The Presence Of The Commissioner, Who

Scowled At The Interruption, Yet Did Not Think It Worth While To Protest

Against It,--"My Dear Boys," He Continued, "I Have But This Moment

Arrived In Ballarat From A Short Visit To Melbourne, Where I Was

Unexpectedly Called On Business, And Learned At The Office That Some

Trifling Charge Had Been Trumped Up Against You, And Without Waiting To

Change My Dress, Or Wash The Stains Of Travel From My Face And Hands, I

Hurried Here To See In What Way I Could Assist You."

"And We Gladly Welcome You, For We Find That A Grave Charge Is Preferred

Against Us, And All Our Assertions Of Innocence Will Not Avail Us,"

Returned Fred, In A Sorrowful Tone.

"Pooh! Don't Be Low Spirited--I'll Investigate The Facts Of The Case,

And I'll Warrant That Every Thing Will Be All Right. I Will Relieve You

Of A Troublesome Duty, Sir, And Take Charge Of This Matter," The

Inspector Said, Turning To The Commissioner; But To Mr. Brown's Surprise

The Latter Bowed Rather Coldly, And Declined The Offer.

"I Have Begun To Investigate This Matter, And Will Complete It, Sir," He

Said.

"I Believe That I Have Always Attended To The Duties Of My Office In A

Satisfactory Manner, And This Is The First Time During My Connection

With The Police Force That I Have Been Supplanted By A Superior," Cried

Mr. Brown, Rather Angrily.

"I Shall Act My Pleasure In This Case, Or In Any Other That I Choose To

Interfere With. Here Are Two Men Charged With A Heavy Robbery And An

Attempt At Assassination, And My Duty Will Not Permit Me To Let The

Parties Escape Until A Full Investigation Is Made;" And The Commissioner

Straightened Himself Up As Though He Was As Immovable As Granite.

"An Attempt At Assassination?" Echoed The Inspector, Turning Towards Us

For An Explanation.

"That Is The Charge," I Replied.

"And Who Dares Make Such An Assertion?" Mr. Brown Asked, His Face Pale

With Suppressed Excitement.

"Mr. Follet Has Presented The Complaint To Me, And Backed It With Some

Proof That Looks Conclusive," The Commissioner Said, Pointing To The

Perjured Villain, Who Stood With Sullen Aspect A Short Distance From Us.

"Do You Dare Bring Such A Charge Against These Men?" Asked The

Inspector, Facing The Lying Scamp, And Endeavoring To Get A Glimpse At

His Face. "Take Time For Your Answer, And Consider The Suspicious Manner

In Which You Stand In The Estimation Of The Police At Ballarat. I Know

You And Your Doings."

Follet Made An Appealing Gesture To The Commissioner, And The Latter

Interfered.

"I Will Have No Browbeating Of The Witness," He Said. "He Appeared

Before Me In Good Faith, And Until His Assertions Are Contradicted, I

Shall Consider That He Is Under My Protection."

"But If I Can Show You That He Is Unworthy Of Belief, And That For

Months Past He Has Been In The Habit Of Gambling With Money Which He Has

Purloined From His Uncle, And That He Owes Large Debts Which He Has

Contracted, And Is Unable To Pay, Will That Have Any Effect Upon You In

Judging Of This Matter?" Demanded Mr. Brown, With Some Warmth.

"If You Can Prove To Me That These Young Men Are Innocent Of The Charge,

Then I Shall Be Ready To Listen To Complaints Against Follet, But Not

Until Then. Bad Habits Sometimes Prejudice The Minds Of A Jury Against A

Witness, And Testimony Is Weighed In Connection With Circumstantial

Matters Which Are Brought To Light. I Think That We Have A Strong Case,

For There Are Marks Of Blood, And The Victim Is Found Under This Roof

Almost Lifeless, But With Bandages On The Wounds. Now It Is A Question

In My Mind, Whether This Binding Up Of The Injuries Is Not A Trick For

The Purpose Of Escaping Punishment. If--"

"But These Men Are Above Suspicion," Cried The Inspector, Impatiently.

"I Have Not Finished Yet," The Commissioner Said, Coldly. "I Was About

To Observe That If More Evidence Was Wanting This Would Complete It;"

And Bending Down, He Inserted His Arm In A Barrel That Was Partially

Filled With Rice, And To Our Utter Consternation, Held Up To Our View A

Sheath Knife Covered With Blood.

"Perhaps Your Friends Can Account For The Presence Of This Knife In

Their Store?" Asked The Commissioner, With A Cold Smile At The Distress

That He Saw Upon Our Faces.

"We Cannot," I Answered. "We Had Two Dozen Of Just Such Knives When We

Commenced Business, And Sold The Last One That We Had Yesterday."

"I Will Wager A Hundred Ounces That Follet Put The Knife In The Barrel

When He Visited The Store This Morning," Cried The Inspector,

Dogmatically.

"Did You Sell A Knife Of This Pattern To Mr. Follet?" Asked Sherwin,

Turning To Us.

Mr. Brown Seemed To Take Fresh Courage At The Question, And We Could See

That He Was Anxious For Us To Answer In The Affirmative. Had We Done So,

The Commissioner Would Have Been Staggered With The Coincidence, And Our

Dismissal Have Followed Instantly.

But We Disdained To Lie Even To Save Ourselves From Incarceration, And

Much To The Disgust Of Mr. Brown, And The Triumph Of The Commissioner,

We Replied Without A Moment's Hesitancy,--

"Mr. Follet Never Purchased A Knife At Our Store."

"Do You Wish For More Conclusive Proof?" Asked Mr. Sherwin.

"Proof?" Echoed The Inspector; "I Hope That You Don't Call The Finding

Of The Knife In That Barrel Proof. I Do Not Believe That These Young

Men, The Preservers Of My Life, Would Commit An Outrage Of The Kind That

You Charge Them With For All The Gold In Ballarat."

"Time Will, Perhaps, Reveal The Secret Of The Affair. Mr. Critchet May

Live, And Be Able To Give Us A Clew To His Assailants; And Until He

Recovers Or Dies, I Think That I Shall Be Justified In Committing Your

Friends To Prison Without Bail."

The Words Of The Commissioner Fell Upon Our Ears Like A Thunderbolt. A

Dozen Different Ideas Coursed Through My Brain, Yet I Was Too Much Bowed

Down With Grief To Attempt To Form Them Into Tangible Shapes. And Even

While I Was Thinking What Would Become Of The Store And Contents During

Our Imprisonment, Mr. Brown Broke The Ominous Silence.

"This Is A Case Where Bail Can Be Readily Given, If You Will Accept Of

It, And Any Amount That You May Name Will Be Forthcoming," The Inspector

Said, Addressing The Commissioner.

"I Have Concluded Not To Accept Of Bail, And I Shall Not Alter My

Determination, Sir. I Leave The Prisoners In Your Hands, And You Will

Render A Good Account Of Them To Me When I Call For Them."

The Commissioner Bowed Coldly, And Was About To Return To His Office

When Mr. Brown Interrupted Him.

"I Am Not A Rich Man, As You Know," He Said, "But I Have A Little

Property, And It Can Readily Be Converted Into Cash. I Will Place Five

Thousand Pounds In Your Hands For The Appearance Of These Gentlemen, If

You Will Admit Them To Bail."

"And We Will Deposit Half Of That Sum In Addition To Insure Our

Appearance," Cried Fred, Eagerly.

The Commissioner Shook His Head, And Already His Foot Was On The

Doorstep, When Mr. Brown Detained Him.

"I Shall Be Absent From Ballarat For Four Days," He Said, Testily.

"Where Do You Propose Going?" Inquired Mr. Sherwin, With A Slight

Indication Of Curiosity.

"To Melbourne, As Fast As Horse Can Carry Me. I Start Immediately."

"May I Ask For What Object?"

"To Lay This Matter Before His Excellency The Governor-General, And

Obtain An Order For The Admission Of The Prisoners To Bail, And The

Detention Of Follet For Conspiracy. Michael, Run To My Office And Bring

My Best Horse."

The Policeman Started On A Run, And Was Lost To Sight In A Cloud Of Dust

That Swept Along The Street. The Commissioner Looked Slightly Perplexed

And Undecided. He Was Evidently Taken By Surprise At The Position Which

Mr. Brown Had Assumed.

"You Cannot Hope That The Governor Will Rule Contrary To My Decision?"

Mr. Sherwin Said.

"I Know That He Will. His Excellency Has Too Great An Esteem For These

Gentlemen To Allow Them To Languish In Prison When No Stronger Proof

Than The Story Which A Broken-Down Gambler Can Invent Is Urged As

Evidence Against Them."

"Do You Mean To Say That The Governor Is Acquainted With These (Men, He

Was Intending To Say, But Altered It) _Gentlemen_'?"

"So Well That He Has Granted Every Request That They Have Made; And He

Has Even Offered Them Commissions In The Service In Return For Many Acts

Of Bravery Which They Have Performed."

Mr. Brown Was Right In The First Instance; For The Only Requests That We

Had Ever Made Were For The Pardons Of Smith And The Old Convict.

"Are You Sure That You Are Not Mistaken?" Inquired The Commissioner,

With A Sudden Degree Of Interest That Was Quite Refreshing, When

Contrasted With His Former Indifference.

"I Am So Sure," Mr. Brown Said, In Answer To The Commissioner's

Question, "That Three Days Since I Saw The Governor, And He Inquired For

These Gentlemen, And Sent A Message That They Must Call And See Him The

First Time That They Visited Melbourne."

"Have You Any Letters Or Documents To Prove That His Excellency Regards

These Gentlemen With Unusual Interest?"

The Inspector Glanced Towards Us, In Hope That We Could Rescue Him From

The Position In Which His Assertions Had Placed Him, But We Were Afraid

That We Could Benefit Him But Little, As We Were Not In Possession Of An

Autograph Letter From The Governor, And What Was More, Had Never Seen

One. I Suddenly Recollected, However, Having In My Possession A Copy Of

One Of The Melbourne Papers, In Which Our Services At The Great Fire

Were Mentioned In Eulogistic Terms; And I Concluded That I Would Let Mr.

Sherwin Peruse The Paragraph, In Hopes That He Would Imagine Much More

Than The Reality.