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

"I Don't Answer Any Questions Vot Reflects On My Honor As A Gentleman,"

Steel Spring Replied.

"But You Can Tell Us What Occasioned You To Leave The Service Of

Lieutenant Murden, Can't You?" I Remarked.

"I Could Tell, But I Don't Choose To."

"Very Well," Was The Significant Remark Of My Friend, "I Know Of A Few

_Knucks_ Who Are In Town, And Whom You Were The Means Of Burning Out A

Few Months Since. I Am Not In The Police Department At Present, And

Can't Harm You, But I Will Hint To A Few Friends That You Are In Town."

We Turned, As Though About To Leave Him, But Steel Spring Was Not

Desirous Of Having A Horde Of Desperadoes At His Heels, As He Inferred

That He Would Have, If He Suffered Us To Leave Him Displeased. "O,

Don't Quit A Covey That Vay," He Cried, In An Abject Manner; "I Don't

Vant To 'Ave Lots Of Henemies Varever I Goes, And You Knows It."

"Well, Then, Tell Us What Made You Quit Murden's Service?" I Asked.

He Hesitated For A Moment, As Though Almost Resolved To Tell A Lie, But

Thought Better Of It And Told The Truth.

"Vell, If Ye Must Know, I'll Tell Ye. There Vas A Trifling Sum Of Money

Missed From The Police Office One Day, And I Vos Suspected. That's All."

"Of Course, You Took The Money, Eh?" Mr. Brown Remarked.

"I Vish That You Vouldn't Ask Me Such Strange Questions. You Is Enough

To Confuse Any One, I Say."

"Did You Take The Money?" Demanded Mr. Brown.

"Vell, Yes, I S'pose I Did. At Leastwise It Vas Found On Me, Although

How It Came In My Pocket I Don't Know," And The Fellow Chuckled At His

Falsehood.

"And I Suppose Murden Told You That He Had No Further Occasion For Your

Services," I Remarked.

"I Think That He Said Something Of The Kind, But I Vas So Confused That

I Don't Remember All That Took Place. I Know One Thing, Though, That I

Ain't Forgot."

"Well, What Is It?"

"Vy, A Slight Kicking That I Got, And A Request Never To Show My Head In

Melbourne Again;" And The Fellow Rubbed His Person As Though It Was

Still Sore.

"Now, One Question More," Mr. Brown Said; "What Brought You To This Part

Of The Country?"

Steel Spring Hesitated For A Moment, And Then Requested Us To Promise

Secrecy Before He Divulged. We Readily Complied, When He Asked Us To

Step One Side, And Where We Could Be Sure Not To Be Overheard. We

Withdrew From The Stragglers Who Were Loitering About, Followed By Steel

Spring.

"I've Got Something To Do That Pays Better Than Vaiting On Lieutenant

Murden," He Whispered.

"Is The Occupation Honest?" I Asked.

"If It Hadn't Been You Vouldn't Have Caught Me Connected Vid It," Was

The Prompt Reply.

"That We Can Tell After We Have Heard What You Are Doing. Go On."

"I'm Engaged By The Commissioner To Endeavor To Find Out The Feelings Of

These Misguided Men," Steel Spring Said, Still Whispering.

"In Other Words, You Are A Spy," I Remarked.

"Vell, I Don't Know About That," He Said; "I'se Promised To Get All The

Facts That I Can Hear, And Let The Commissioner Know 'Em. If That Is Vot

You Call A Spy, I S'pose I'm One On 'Em."

"And The Pay Is Large, I Suppose?"

"Vell, I Can Find No Fault In That Line Yet. I S'pose That I Shall Earn

My Money, No Matter 'Ow 'Igh The Wages Is."

"Well, I Don't Envy You, If These Rough Miners Get An Inkling Of Your

Profession. Look Out For Them, For They Don't Understand Practical

Joking," I Remarked.

"That For 'Em!" Ejaculated Steel Spring, Snapping His Fingers. "I Know

Something That Vill Take The Edge Off Of 'Em, If They Show Any Of Their

Spite."

"That's All Talk," I Replied.

"Perhaps It Is;" And Steel Spring Shook His Head With Mysterious

Silence.

"Give Us The Information, And Let Us See How Important It Is," Mr. Brown

Remarked.

"Vell, Then, Vot Do You Think Of A Company Of Artillery Comin' 'Ere?"

"Impossible!" I Replied; "There's Been No Artillery Ordered Here As Yet.

There's Soldiers And Policemen Enough."

"The Commissioner Don't Think So, For Four Days Ago He Sent Word To

Melbourne For A Company To Come Up And Bring Their Guns Vid 'Em, And The

Coveys Is Already On Their Vay."

"Then He Must Have Sent Despatches That The Miners Know Nothing About,"

Remarked Mr. Brown, In A Musing Tone.

"Lord Bless You, I Should 'Ope So," Returned Steel Spring, With Some

Disdain; "He Is Von Of 'Em For Doing Things Up Secret Like, And Vot He

Don't Know Ain't Vorth Knowing."

"This Is News Of Some Importance," I Whispered To Mr. Brown; "The Miners

Should Know It, Or They Will Be Cut To Pieces."

"We Are To Remain Neutral, You Know," Mr. Brown Said, Suggestively, And

I Felt That If I Interfered I Could No Longer Maintain My Character As

Friend To Both Parties.

I Turned To Bribe Steel Spring To Give The Miners A Hint Of The

Approaching Company, But That Worthy Had Suddenly Disappeared In The

Crowd, And All Efforts To Find Him Were Fruitless.

For Half An Hour We Remained Upon The Ground Watching The Evolutions Of

The Miners, As They Went Through Various Military Manoeuvres, And Then

We Returned To The Store To Find That Smith Had Arrived During Our

Absence, And Had Brought With Him A Large Stock Of Goods, And That He

And Fred Were Hard At Work Unloading Them.

I Of Course Joined Them Without Delay, And By Sundown The Carts Were

Unloaded, And The Oxen Secured For The Night. We Were All Glad To See

Our Partner, And Innumerable Were The Questions With Which We Plied Him,

Both Before And After Supper, And Gladly Did He Answer Them, And Then

Produced For Our Perusal A Pile Of Newspapers From Yankee Land, Which

Were Worth More Than Ten Times Their Weight In Gold.

While We Were Sitting Around Our Rude Table, Making Up Accounts And

Conversing About Business, Steel Spring Entered The Store With As Much

Assurance As A First Class Customer. Fred And Smith Both Welcomed Him

With A Few Remarks, But Steel Spring Seemed Somewhat Hurried, And

Declined To Be Seated. At Length He Gave Me A Signal That He Wished To

Communicate Something To Me In Private, And I Followed Him To The Door.

"I Thought That I Vould Come And Give Ye A Bit Of News, 'Cos Ye Alvays

Treated Me Vell," He Said, In A Low Whisper, And After A Careful Glance

Around To See If There Were Listeners Near At Hand.

I Acknowledged The Remark, And He Continued:--

"I Heerd The Commissioner Give Orders To-Night That Your 'Osses Should

Be Seized In The Morning For The Sogers To Ride On, And I Think He Is

Doing It Out Of Spite." "But He Has No Right To Touch Private

Property," I Remarked.

"Vot Does You S'pose He Cares For The Right? He Vill Say That They Is

Needed, And That Is 'Nough. You Can't Help Yourselves, You Can't. Vot Is

The Use Of Talking?"

"But We Will Talk, And To Some Purpose," I Replied, Indignant At The

Outrage That Was To Be Committed Upon Us.

"No, Don't You Say One Vord, 'Cos It Vouldn't Help The Matter, And He

Could Hinjure You More Than The 'Osses Is Vorth. Do You Take And Sell

'Em. Don't You Know Some Covey Vot Has Got The Ready Tin Vould Buy 'Em?"

"We Had An Offer This Very Morning For All Three Of The Animals By The

American Stage Company."

"Vas The Hoffer A Good One?" Asked Steel Spring, In A Low Voice.

"Yes; All That The Animals Are Worth."

"Then Do You Go At Vonce And Get The Tin, And Tell The Coveys That You

Vant Them Taken Off Now--This Werry Evening. The Commissioner Von't

Interfere Vid The Stage Company. He Knows Better."

I Thanked Steel Spring For His Information, And Then Whispered, While I

Placed Some Gold Coins In His Hand,--

"Don't You Think That You Could Contrive To Let Captain Ross Know

Something In Regard To The Artillery Company?"

"I S'pose You Have Some Veighty Reasons For Axing Me To Do It?" The Spy

Replied.

"So Weighty, That Ten Sovereigns Will Be Given To The Man Who Conveys

The Information."

"Ten Sovereigns," Repeated The Fellow, Slowly, As Though Considering Of

The Matter; "You Don't Know How It Vould Hinjure My Conscience To Sell

The Secrets Of The Commissioner."

"I Will Make Them Fifteen, Then," I Answered.

"That Is Somethin' Like. The Vork Is Done, And No Mistake. The Captain

Vill Have The Information. To-Morrow I Vill Come For The Shiners."

He Left Me Suddenly, And Stole Silently Away In The Darkness, Just As A

Policeman Halted In Front Of The Store And Scrutinized The Building As

Though It Was A Resort For Traitors, And He Was Determined To Keep His

Eye Upon Our Movements. I Knew The Man, And He Knew Me, So I Stopped To

Exchange A Few Words With Him.

"How Goes The War?" I Asked.

The Officer Glanced Hastily Around To See If He Was Watched Before He

Replied,--

"The Times Are Hard, When We Have To Look After Old Acquaintances."

"Why, Who Are You Watching For Now?" I