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
Something To Drink Likewise, Or Else We'd Have Fits, And Like As Not
Kill Each Other. No, No, We Can't Stand A Siege And Hope To Escape, And
I Think What I Have Proposed Is The Very Best Plan."
We Hardly Knew What Reply To Make Our Acquaintance, Who Seemed
Determined To Run His Head Into The Lion's Den, But The Thought Suddenly
Struck Mr. Brown That If The Shepherd Meant To Thus Expose His Life He
Deserved To Get Large Pay For It, And As My Friend Was One Of Those Kind
Of Men Who Liked To Have Every Thing Understood, He Considered That It
Was His Duty To Touch On That Particular Point, And Find Out What His
Views Really Were.
"We Could Afford To Pay Something For The Risk That's Run, In Case You
Undertook The Task, But We Are Not Rich By Any Means, Although You May
Think So By Our Appearance," My Friend Said, With A Complaisant Glance
At His Person, Which He Imagined Was Dignified, Forgetful That He Had
Dismissed The Uniform Of An Inspector, And Wore Nothing But A Flannel
Shirt And Duck Trousers.
"Humph," Muttered The Ghost. "I Should Almost Be Ashamed To Change
Places With Either Of You. As For Reward, First Wait Till I Ask For One.
I Will Promise Not To Claim Any Thing More Expensive Than A Bottle Of
Brandy, And A Few Pipes Of 'Bacca, And Those I Shan't Ask For Unless You
Come This Way Again, Which Isn't Likely."
"If We Don't Come We Can Send," Cried Mr. Brown, Eagerly, "And I Promise
That You Shall Have A Gallon Of As Good Brandy, And Half A Dozen Pounds
As Good Tobacco As Can Be Found In Ballarat, If You Can Get Those D----D
Bushrangers Clear Of This Part Of The Country So That We Can Escape.
There They Go Again, With Their Eternal _Co-Hoo-Pe._ What In The Devil's
Name Do They Mean By That, I Wonder?"
"It Is The Signal For Them To Extend, And Keep A Sharp Lookout," I
Replied, Recollecting The Signal Perfectly Well, Having Heard It Many
Times.
"Then I Have No Time To Waste, As The Funeral Undertaker Said, When Told
That The Body In The House Would Come To Life If Left Unburied," Cried
The Ghost, Beginning To Strip Off His Sheepskins With Nervous Haste.
"I'm To Have The Liquor And 'Bacca, Mind."
I Joined Mr. Brown In Assuring Him That We Would Freely Keep Our Word;
And After Day Had Drained The Last Drop Of Liquor That We Had With Us,
He Boldly Started On His Dangerous Undertaking, And We Watched His Form
As He Walked Over The Peninsula, And Reached The Main Land, With More
Than Ordinary Interest.
Suddenly He Stopped, Before Reaching The Woods, And Applying His Hands
To His Mouth, He Uttered A Word That Is Well Known To Stockmen Of
Australia.
"Co-Hee," He Shouted, And It Seemed As Though The Sound Could Be Heard
For Miles, So Sharp And Shrill Was It.
Volume 2 Chapter 71 (Finding The Buried Treasure) Pg 170
In An Instant The Various Cries Which The Bushrangers Had Uttered Were
Hushed, And The Robbers Seemed Surprised At The Sudden Call, Which They
Knew Did Not Belong To Their Party.
Once More The Shepherd Placed His Hands To His Mouth, And Gave The
Shrill Cry Of--"Co-Hee."
I Never Heard A Yell That Sounded So Distinct, And Which Seemed To
Travel Such A Distance. I Venture To Say, That If A Person Had Been Upon
The Summit Of Mount Tarrengower, He Could Have Recognized The Call, And
Had He Answered, We Should Have Heard It.
Day, Apparently Satisfied With What He Had Done, Rested Upon His Honors,
And Waited For The Finale Of His Adventures, And He Was Not Long Kept In
Suspense, For The Bushrangers, After A Brief Reconnoitre From Behind
Trees And Bushes, Suddenly Debouched Into The Open Plain, And Advanced
Towards The Seemingly Unconscious Shepherd At A Rapid Rate, And Foremost
In The Group, I Recognized The Dark Features Of Sam Tyrell, The Leader.
"Who Are You, That Answers Our Calls Like A Man Lost On The Plains?"
Demanded Sam, Throwing His Gun Into The Hollow Of His Arm, As Though He
Meant Mischief If Provoked.
"That's A Pretty Question For You Coveys To Ask, After Eating My Mutton
As Long As You Have," Replied Day. "I'm A Shepherd, And Belong To This
Station, And Am Now Looking After My Pet Ram That Got Away From The
Flock Some Time During The Night, And I'm Afeard He's Missed. You Coveys
Ain't Seen Him, Have You?"
The Leader Shook His Head In A Negative Manner, And Seemed To Entertain
No Suspicion In Regard To Day's Doings The Night Before.
"I Want To Find The Ram, 'Cos He's A Valuable One, And Cost The Owner Of
The Stock Considerable Money, But I'll Be Blamed If I Stay Round Here
Long, Ram Or No Ram."
"Suppose We Refuse To Let You Leave Us?" Asked Sam, Rather Gruffly.
"I Don't Care About, Leaving, As Long As You Stay," Replied Day, With
Perfect Assurance, And Here He Looked Over His Shoulder, As Though He
Feared To See Something At His Elbow That Would Prove Disagreable, "But
I Don't Visit This Spot Often, And When I Do Come, 'Tain't In The Night
Time, You Had Better Believe."
This Confession Seemed To Awaken An Interest In The Bushrangers, For
They Crowded Round Day As Though Desirous Of An Explanation; And From
The Point Of Our Observation, Carefully Concealed By Rank Grass And
Rough Rocks, We Could Observe The Gang Whisper To Each Other, And Look
At The Shepherd, As Though He Could Give An Explanation If He Was
Disposed To.
"What Do You Mean By Your Hints And Frightened Looks?" Demanded The
Leader, In A Tone That Was Intended To Act As A Warning, In Case Day
Should Attempt To Deceive.
Volume 2 Chapter 71 (Finding The Buried Treasure) Pg 171
"O, What Is The Bloody Use Of My Telling You Coveys Any Thing?" The
Shepherd Answered. "You Fellers Who Don't Care For The Devil, Wouldn't
Believe Me, And I Should Only Get Laughed At. Have You Seen My Ram?"
"Blast Your Ram," Cried Sam, With An Impatient Air. "We Want To Know
What You Mean By Saying That You Have Seen Strange Sights?"
"Did I Say That I Had?" Inquired Day, Casting A Rapid Glance Towards The
Woods, As Though He Feared The Appearance Of A Horrid Spectre.
"We Are Not To Be Trifled With, Shepherd," And As The Leader Spoke, He
Made A Motion With His Gun That Was Very Significant, And Day Understood
It, Although He Manifested No Signs Of Disquietude.
"Is It Possible," Our Friend Asked, "That You Have Never Heard Of The
Hunter Of Mount Tarrengower? A Huge Spectre That Rides On A White Horse
Sometimes, And Who Threatens With Death All Who Invade His Sacred
Retreats. I Have Never Seen The Ghost, But One Of My Brother Stockmen
Has, And He Told Me That He Would Not Look Upon The Like Again For The
Station, Stock And All."
"Why Does He Frequent This Spot In Preference To Others?" Demanded The
Leader Of The Gang, Who Seemed To Be Interested In The Story In Spite Of
His Assumed Indifference.
"O, An Old Stockman Once Told Me That A Shepherd Was Roasted Near These
Diggings By A Gang Of Bushrangers, Who Wanted Him To Give Up Some Money
That He Had. The Covey Was Stuffy, And Refused, Or Else He Hadn't Got
Any, I Don't Know Which Is The Right Story, But This I Am Positive Of,
I'd Sooner Give Up All I Was Worth Than Be Burned At The Stake."
"Perhaps The Reason Is, You Are Worth Nothing," Suggested Sam, After A
Brief Survey Of The Speaker.
"You Have Hit The Nail Of The Coffin On Its Head This Time," Chuckled
Day. "I Don't See A Sovereign From One Year's End To T'other, And Don't
'Spect To Till My Time Has Expired, So That I Can Work For Myself."
"You Are A Ticket Of Leave Man, Then?" Demanded Sam, With More Feeling
Than He Had Shown During The Interview.
"Well, If I Wasn't I Shouldn't Be Here, Working For Thirty Pounds A
Year, When There's Gold To Be Dug For The Mere Paying Of A License. No,
No, Just Wait Till I Can Call Myself My Own Master, And Then The Sheep
And Stock May Go To The Devil, For All That I Care."
"Can't You Tell Us Something More About The Ghost?" Asked One Of The
Men, Who Seemed To Take An Especial Interest In Day's Narrative.
"Well, I Don't Like To Talk About The Matter, 'Cos 'Tis Said That The
Old Feller Visits Those Who Are Too Intimate With His Name. My Comrade,
Who Is At The Other End Of The Station, Told Me Once That He Saw The
Hunter When He Was All In A Blaze, And That When He Spoke The Ghost And
Volume 2 Chapter 71 (Finding The Buried Treasure) Pg 172Flames Disappeared. I Don't Believe Half What He Tells Me Though, 'Cos I
'Spose He Tries To Frighten Me, But I've Got As Much Courage As He Has,
Any Day."
There Was A Breathless Silence For A Few Moments, And The Robbers Seemed
To Be Digesting The Story Which They Had Listened To. We Could See Them
Whispering Together, And Apparently Were Disposed To Believe What The
Shepherd Had Said.
"Here Are The Prints Of Horses Feet," Sam Exclaimed, Pointing To The
Ground. "Have You Seen Horsemen In This Vicinity Lately?"
"Heaven Forbid," Cried Day. "The Only Horse That Visits These Parts Is
Rode By The Hunter."
"Then We Will Give Him Fire To Light Him On His Way," Exclaimed Sam,
With A Forced Laugh, And Calling His Men He Turned And Walked Towards
His Late Encampment, And Was Soon Lost To View.
His Gang Followed Close At
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