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

Reason Of Our Refusal To Continue The Contract."

The Speech Of The Agent Was A Telling One On The Colonel And

Commissioner, For They Knew That Government Would Never Pardon

Interference With A Line That Cost So Much Money To Establish, And Which

Was Carrying Information Through The Country At An Unprecedentedly Rapid

Rate. No Wonder They Stopped To Consider, And Changed Their Fierce

Aspect For One Of Conciliation, For They Knew That Suspension From Duty

Would Probably Follow A Remonstrance From The Company.

"If You Have Bought The Horses We Have Nothing Further To Say," The

Commissioner Remarked, Turning To The Agent; "It Was A Mistake On Our

Part In Supposing That They Belonged To These Gentlemen, Whom We Are

Proud To Call Friends, And To Whom We Now Desire To State That We Only

Proposed To Borrow The Animals For A Short Time, And Return Them After

These Unhappy Troubles."

"If The D----D Brutes Were Not Killed," Muttered The Colonel, _Sotto

Voce_, And With A Look Of The Most Intense Hatred.

"Colonel Kellum, You Accuse Me Of Acting Unfairly In This Business, And

I Desire An Explanation," Fred Said, The Matter Still Rankling In His

Mind.

"I Have Given The Only Explanation That I Shall Give, And With That You

Must Rest Satisfied," Was The Reply Of The Red-Faced Briton.

"Then I Suppose That You Will Favor Me With A Meeting At An Early Hour?"

Fred Asked.

"What!" Cried The Military Man, With Some Surprise, "A Colonel In Her

Majesty's Army Meet A Dealer In Tea And Coffee? You Must Be Mad!"

The Red Face Of The Military Man Grew Purple As He Thought Of The

Indignity.

"Then I Can Only Suppose That You Are A Coward, And That Even A Blow

Would Not Induce You To Fight. Is That The Case, Sir?"

The Colonel Smiled With Bitter Scorn, And Turned To Leave The Store.

"You Refuse Me An Apology, Do You?" Fred Demanded, Springing In Front Of

Kellum, And Barring His Way To The Door.

"Out Of My Way, Grocer," The Colonel Shouted, With A Laugh So Insulting

That Fred Could Contain Himself No Longer. He Raised His Hand And Struck

His Opponent A Light Blow Across His Face.

Kellum Swelled Until I Thought That Every Vein In His Body Would Burst

At The Indignity. He Muttered A Few Inaudible Words, And Then Rubbed His

Forehead As Though He Did Not Half Comprehend The Insult, And Wished To

Recall His Scattered Senses To Know Whether It Was Real.

"Now," Said Fred, "You Can Go. I Have Repaid You Insult For Insult, And

We Are Even-Handed. If You Desire Satisfaction For The Blow, You Know

Where To Find Me."

"Yes, I Can Find You Now!" Kellum Hissed, With An Oath Of Some

Magnitude; "You Have Struck Me, And Have Sold Your Last Pound Of Tea On

Earth."

"Look Out!" Shouted The Stage Agent; And His Words Of Caution Were None

Too Soon, For The Colonel Drew His Sword Suddenly, And Made A Desperate

Lunge At Fred, Which He Avoided, And The Point Of The Blade Struck

Against A Nail Keg, And Broke Short Off.

"A Brave Man, To Refuse To Meet A Grocery Dealer," My Friend Said,

Sarcastically; "I Hope That The British Army Is Not Composed Of Such

Noble Spirits As You; If It Is Assassination Must Be Held In Repute

Wherever There Is A Regiment."

The Colonel Was Too Angry To Reply, But I Thought That He Seemed Ashamed

Of His Late Attempt On The Life Of My Friend, For He Sheathed His Sword

Without Seeking To Again Use It.

"You Shall Hear From Me In The Course Of The Day," Kellum Said, And

Without Looking To The Right Or Left He Marched From The Store, Mounted

His Horse, And Left Our Part Of The Town In Peace.

"He Is The Most Unscrupulous Colonel In The English Army," The Agent

Said, After We Had Got Rid Of Our Unwelcome Visitors; "He Is Feared By

His Men, And Disliked By His Officers, And He Was Never Yet Quartered In

A Town Without Finding Cause To Quarrel With Some Of The Inhabitants. He

Has Been Sent Here To Crush This Rebellion, And Unless You Shoot Him He

Will Do It, Even If He Has To Shed Torrents Of Blood.

"By The Way," The Agent Said, As He Turned To Leave The Store, "The

Miners Must Have Employed Our Countrymen To Chop Wood For Them Last

Night, If I Might Judge From Appearances."

"How So?"

"Why, Haven't You Heard The News?" He Asked, In Surprise.

"No; What Has Transpired?"

"Why, The Miners Are Building Fortifications On Gravel Pit Hill, And

Last Night The Sound Of Axes Was Heard From Dark Until Light. A Thousand

Trees Were Felled And Trimmed, And Cut Into Suitable Lengths For A

Palisade, And Even Now Men Are At Work Digging Holes In The Sand To

Insert The Ends Of The Timber. The Miners Mean Mischief, And We Shall

Have A Hot Fight Before Long."

"But Why Don't The Commissioner Interfere, And Prevent The Men From

Continuing The Work?" I Asked.

"That Is Something That I Cannot Explain, Although I Have Endeavored To

Solve The Mystery. The Miners Think That He Is Frightened, And Therefore

Count On An Easy Victory."

The Agent Bade Us A Good Morning, And Walked Off To Attend To His

Duties.

"Can't You See Through This Seeming Indifference?" Asked Mr. Brown; "The

Commissioner Has Sent For Artillery, And Expects The Arrival Of The

Company In A Day Or Two At Farthest. The Palisade Will Afford But

Trifling Resistance To A Twelve Pound Cannon Ball. Besides, There Is

More Glory For The Officers If The Miners Are Fortified. Be Assured That

The Commissioner Winks At The Operations Of The Disaffected, Simply

Because He Can Crush Them More Effectually If Cooped Up, Than Displayed

Upon The Plain."

"But If The Artillery Were Cut Off And Sent Back To Melbourne With The

Loss Of Their Guns, The Miners Would Have The Best Of The Bargain," I

Suggested.

"By The Lord Harry, I Never Thought Of That," Cried Mr. Brown, With

Enthusiasm; "That Would Be Worth A Careful Consideration If Ross Only

Could Get The Idea. I've Half A Mind To Suggest It To Him."

While He Was Speaking Steel Spring Entered The Store, Ostensibly To Buy

A Plug Of Tobacco, But In Reality Not To Pay For It.

"Well," I Whispered, While Serving Him, "Did You Convey The Information

To Ross?"

"Of Course," He Replied, Promptly.

"And What Did He Say?" I Asked.

"That He Now Knew His Friends, And Would Take Measures To Prewent The

Sogers From Getting Here In A Hurry."

I Had No Time To Talk Farther With Steel Spring, For He Seemed Impatient

To Be Gone, So I Slyly Slipped The Money Into His Hand, And He Left The

Store With A Chuckle Of Such Intense Delight That A Tall Policeman Near

The Door Asked Him Where He Got His Swipes.

Trade Was Remarkably Good That Day. There Was A Steady Stream Of Gold

Dust Pouring In, In Exchange For Many Articles Which Were Usually Slow

Of Sale. A Large Portion Of Our Stock Of Liquors Was Sold In Bottles And

Demijohns, And There Were Many Inquiries For Powder And Lead, But We

Were Not Allowed By The Authorities To Deal In Such Articles, And Even

If We Had Been, We Should Have Declined To Sell Them Under The

Circumstances, Knowing That The Ammunition Was Intended For The Especial

Benefit Of The Soldiers And Police Officers, And In The Latter Force We

Had Many Friends.

We Closed The Store Earlier Than Usual That Night, For There Was An

Agitation Pervading The Working Class That Showed That The Eventful Hour

Was Approaching When The Miners Were To Measure Their Strength With The

Disciplined Soldiers Of Their Country. The Red Coats Were Under Arms At

Their Barracks, And A Man Informed Me That He Had Seen Each Soldier

Served With Ball Cartridges, And That Afterwards They Loaded Their Guns

Carefully, As Though Determined To Make Every Shot Tell.

Two Or Three Times During The Evening We Were On The Point Of Venturing

Into The Streets; But A Fear Of Getting Embroiled With The Military

Prevented Us.

We Heard The Heavy Tramp Of Men As They Marched Through The Street, And

Each Moment Expected To Listen To The Roar Of Musketry. While We Were

Thus Expectant, A Light Rap At The Door, And A Voice With Which We Were

Familiar, Attracted Our Attention.

I Unbarred The Door And Let In Steel Spring.

"Things Is Vorking," He Said, Rubbing His Hands With Glee; "'Fore

Morning We'll 'Ave A Fight, And I Don't Care Vich Vins, I Don't."

"How Do The Miners Remain?" I Asked; "Are They Firm?"

"Vell, Vot There Is Of 'Em Is Brave 'Nough, But That 'Ere Ross Has Sent

Avay 'Is Best Men, And Let Others Go 'Ome For The Night. He Vill Catch

It Afore Mornin'."

"The Man Is Mad," Remarked Mr. Brown. "He Should Have Kept Every Miner

Under Arms Through The Night. The Commissioner Means Mischief, I'll

Warrant."

"Don't He, Though!" Exclaimed Steel Spring, Winking Both His Eyes

Violently.

"What Are His Plans?" I Asked.

"Vell, 'Tain't Hardly Right In Me To Tell 'Em," The Fellow Said, As

Though He Didn't Want To Reveal All That He Knew, Although I Could See

That He Was Anxious To, "But The Commissioner Has Sent Out Men To

Mislead The Party Vot Has Gone To Stop The Artillery, And They Vill Get

On Another Road And Not Come Back For