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

The Ex-Inspector.

"But My Case Was A Peculiar One, For The First Night That I Stopped On

Shore My Hundred Pounds Were Stolen," Continued Mr. Wright.

"Quite A Common Case," My Friend Said; "Women Are Fair To Look Upon

After A Long Sea Voyage."

"D---- It, You Have 'Hit The Nail On Its Head," Cried The Englishman,

Hastily. "I Lost All My Money."

"I Knew You Would Say That, If You Told All. Go On."

"I Complained To The Police, And You Investigated The Circumstances, And

Found My Hundred Pounds After Some Trouble," He Continued. "Be Thankful

That I Was Young And Inexperienced At That Period," Cried The

Ex-Inspector, With A Laugh.

"More--You Refused To Accept Of A Reward That I Offered For The Recovery

Of The Money."

"I Must Have Been Dreaming. I Am Glad To Think That There Is One

Circumstance In My Life That I Can Refer To And Not Blush," Cried My

Friend, Jocosely.

"Bah!" Cried The Farmer, Who Didn't Believe That Mr. Brown Was Speaking

What He Felt. "You Gave Me Good Advice, And From It I Trace All My

Property."

"I Am Glad To Think That I Have Given One Person Good Advice In My

Lifetime. I Wish That I Had Taken Some Of It Myself."

"I Followed Your Directions And Bought Stock With My Hundred Pounds, And

Now Look Around And See My Flocks. I Count My Cattle By The Thousands,"

Continued Mr. Wright, Pointing To His Immense Pens.

"I Remember You," My Friend Said, "And Knew You The Instant You Spoke,

But I Preferred To Let You Recall Reminiscences Of By-Gone Days, To See

If There Is Any Gratitude In The World."

"Gratitude?" Echoed Mr. Wright; "Darn It, Man, When You Are Tired Of

Stopping With Me I'll Give You A Hundred Head Of Cattle."

"Don't Do It, For Mercy's Sake. I Prefer That You Should Give Us

Something To Eat Now. Show Your Liberality That Way, For We Are

Famishing."

"Eat, Man! You Shall Have The Best That I Can Get. Here, Mike, Pat,

Peter, Where Am You All? Take Charge Of The Gentlemen's Horses, And Give

Them A Feed Of Grain And A Thorough Rubbing Down. Put Supper On The

Table Instantly, And Brew Us A Bowl Of Punch That Will Make Us Sing Like

Nightingales, And Sleep Like Honest Men. This Way, Gentlemen, There Is

My House--Rough And Uncouth, But Better Than The Shelter Of A Tree

During A Rainy Night. You Are Welcome To My Hospitality."

The Room Into Which Mr. Wright Conducted Us Was On The Ground Floor, And

Was About Thirty Feet Deep And Fifteen Feet Wide. Around The Walls Were

Hung Skins Of Kangaroos, Stuffed Parrots, And Other Birds Of Gaudy

Plumage, While Confined In Brackets Were Old Muskets In Sufficient

Quantities To Frighten All The Natives Of Australia, But Their

Appearance, Imposing As They Were, Would Not Have Sufficiently Impressed

A Bushranger Of Nerve Into The Belief That They Were Dangerous, Even If

Loaded With Their Proper Quantum Of Powder And Lead.

We Had Hardly Crossed The Threshold Of The Building When A Shrill Voice

Greeted Us With,--

"D----N Bushrangers--D----N Bushrangers--Caught At Last!--Ha, Ha!--I

Knew It!--I Said So!--Steal Sheep, Will You?"

We Started Back At Such A Reception, And Mr. Brown Began To Mutter

Something About "Gratuitous Insults," When Mr. Wright Pointed To A

Remarkably Large Parrot That Was Roosting On The Back Of A Chair,

Surveying Us With Quiet Dignity, And Evidently With Considerable Worldly

Wisdom.

Our Anger Vanished, And We Made Immediate Overtures To Poll, For The

Purpose Of Establishing A Firm Friendship, But Our Advances Were Met

With Dignified Coolness, While Day, Who Attempted To Scratch The Bird's

Head, Got Severely Bitten For His Pains.

"D----N The Beast!" Muttered The Shepherd, Rubbing His Finger.

"That's Right--Swear! D----N It, Why Don't You Swear? Sheep Stealers!

Who Robs People? Ha, Ha! Set The Dogs On 'Em!"

"A Precocious Parrot," Said Mr. Wright, "And He Is Indebted For His

Profanity To My Men, Who Learn Him Much That Is Bad, And Little That Is

Good, And To Tell The Truth, He Learns The Former Much More Readily Than

The Latter."

"In Which He Closely Resembles Our Policemen," Muttered The

Ex-Inspector.

"These Gentlemen Are My Friends," Said Mr. Wright, Addressing The

Parrot, And Formally Presenting Us For Its Distinguished Consideration.

"O, Friends, Hey?" Croaked The Bird, Eyeing Us Sharply; "Why Didn't You

Say So Before? Give Toll Something; Pretty Poll!"

We Were Unable To Comply With The Request, And The Parrot Didn't Spare

Us In His Denunciations For Our Illiberality, And To Relieve Us, Mr.

Wright Proposed That We Should Visit His Private Apartment And Change

Our Clothes, Seeing That We Stood In Need Of Different Raiment Very

Much, And Having None Of Our Own At Hand.

The Room Into Which We Were Shown Was Used As A Sleeping Apartment And

Wardrobe By The Proprietor Of The Station, And While It Contained But

Few Of The Luxuries Of Civilized Life, It Was Not Entirely Destitute Of

A Comfortable Appearance.

In One Corner Was A Rude Bedstead, With A Hair Mattress And Blankets, A

Looking Glass Of Miniature Dimensions, A Rifle Of English Pattern, Heavy

And Cumbersome, A Pair Of Splendid Duelling Pistols, A Long Sword With

Basket Hilt, And A Bowie Knife.

"Here's Where I Sit And Read, And Sometimes Write," Said Our Host,

Throwing Open A Window To Enable Us The Better To See His Treasures; "My

Library Is Small, And I Seldom Make Additions To It, But The Few Books

Which I Have Are Like Friends Whom I Can Trust, Old And True. Now I

Desire That You Shall Change Your Garments, And If You Wish, Take A Bath

Before Supper."

The Proposition Which Our Host Made Was Not To Be Neglected, For My Skin

Felt As Though Parched In An Oven, And My Clothes Were So Scorched That

They Were Ready To Fall To Pieces. We Did Not Scruple, Therefore, To

Avail Ourselves Of The Courtesy Of Mr. Wright, And After A Wash In A

Huge Hogshead, That Was Used For Bathing Purposes, We Once More Found

Ourselves Comfortable, With Clean Garments, And When We Were Dressed

Supper Was Announced.

Day, Who Had Participated In Our Toils And Struggles, And Whom We Had

Learned To Regard With Considerable Affection, Declined Seating Himself

At The Table With Us, And All Our Urging Did Not Overcome His

Diffidence, Although Backed By Mr. Wright, But, I Must Confess, Rather

Feebly, And It Was So Evident That The Farmer Did Not Care About The

Company Of Day That I No Longer Urged It.

"I Saw The Fire That Is Raging In The Woods Early This Morning," Mr.

Wright Said, When He Saw That Our Appetites Were Slightly Checked, "And

I Feared That It Would Spread This Way, And So Gave Orders To Drive In

The Cattle And Pen Them Up Until All Danger Was Passed. I Was More

Willing To Do This From The Fact That My Two Australians Reported

Bushrangers In The Vicinity, And That, After Hovering Around For A Day

Or Two, They Had Left For Mount Tarrengower."

While Mr. Wright Was Speaking, We Could Hear Roars Of Laughter In The

Next Room, Which Seemed To Be The Kitchen.

"My Men Are At Their Supper, And I Suppose That Your Follower, Whom Some

Of My People Tell Me Belongs At The Next Station, Is Amusing Them With

His Wonderful Adventures."

"He Is As Honest A Fellow As Ever Lived, And Has Served Us Most

Faithfully. Without His Aid We Should Not Have Escaped The Fury Of As

Savage A Flock Of Bushrangers As Ever Roamed Through The Woods Of

Australia."

I Spoke With Some Warmth, For I Considered That Day Deserved As Good

Treatment As Ourselves.

"I Don't Doubt His Honesty Or His Bravery," Returned Our Host, Dryly,

"But I Am Compelled To Believe That If You Knew How Much I Have To

Contend With Here In The Wilderness, Hardly Knowing Friend From Foe, And

Desired To Treat All Alike, I Am Sure That You Would Not Think Hard Of

Me If I Did Desire To Exclude The Shepherd From The Table. Be Assured

That He Is Happier Where He Is, And When Another Stockman Visits My Farm

He Will Not Be Expected To Sit At The Same Table With Myself. Discipline

Is What Keeps My Men In Subjection."

Another Roar Of Laughter From The Kitchen, And The Servant Who Attended

Upon Our Table Entered The Apartment With A Broad Grin Upon His Face.

"Well, Jackson, Something Is Going On In The Kitchen That Amuses You As

Well As The Rest," Mr. Wright Said.

"Yes, Sir; That Covey From The Other Station Is Telling The Funniest

Things About His Playing Ghost, And Frightening Bushrangers Into Fits.

He's A Wild 'Un, And No Mistake."

A Sudden Darkness And Pattering Of Rain Drops Outside Told Us That The

Storm Had Begun, And We Felt Thankful That We Were Under Shelter For The

Night.

"Tell The Men Who Are On Duty To Look Well To The Cattle, And Then Make

Themselves Comfortable For The Night," Our Host Said, Addressing The

Man, Who Seemed To Be Mr. Wright's Especial Attendant.

The Person Alluded To Departed On His Errand, And While He Was Gone We

Surveyed The Heavens From The Windows, And Found That The Clouds Were

Black And Full Of Moisture, While The Rain Was Descending In Torrents.

"Let It Continue This Way For An Hour Or Two, And I Shall Have The

Pleasure Of Your Company For A Day Or Two At