The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) by William H. Thomes (books to read in your 30s TXT) π
Friends To Give Them A History Of My Adventures In That Land Of Gold,
Where Kangaroos Are Supposed To Be As Plenty As Natives, And Jump Ten
Times As Far, And Where Natives Are Imagined To Be Continually Lying In
Ambush For The Purpose Of Making A Hearty Meal Upon The Bodies Of Those
Unfortunate Travellers Who Venture Far Into The Interior Of The
Country--Where Bushrangers Are Continually Hanging About Camp Fires,
Ready To Cut The Weasands Of Those Who Close Their Eyes For A
Moment--And Lastly, Where Every Other Man That You Meet Is Expected To
Be A Convict, Transported From The Mother Country For Such Petty Crimes
As Forgery, House-Breaking, And Manslaughter In The Second Degree.
Read free book Β«The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) by William H. Thomes (books to read in your 30s TXT) πΒ» - read online or download for free at americanlibrarybooks.com
- Author: William H. Thomes
Read book online Β«The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) by William H. Thomes (books to read in your 30s TXT) πΒ». Author - William H. Thomes
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 148Tobacco 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
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