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

Chaps Vid Their Rifles 'Ave Gone Vid The Green Vons, And Now The Colonel

Don't Care An Old Button For The Rest. An Attack Vill Be Made To-Night

At One O'clock, But Don't Tell That I Said So."

We Did Not Promise A Compliance With His Request, And After A Liberal

Drink Of Whiskey Steel Spring Left Us To Plot Mischief, And To Steal

Whatever He Could Lay His Hands On During The Melee.

We Held A Short Counsel, And Then Resolved That, As The Time Was Near At

Hand When The Attack Was Contemplated, We Would Risk Our Lives In

Witnessing It, And, If Possible, Render Some Assistance To The Injured,

Whether Miners Or Soldiers. We Locked Up Our Gold In The Safe, And Then

Started For Gravel Pit Hill. The Streets Were Silent And Deserted. Not A

Policeman Wearing A Blue Coat Was To Be Seen Until We Entered The Square

Where The Palisades Were Erected, And There We Found About Five Hundred

Men Drawn Up In Line, Silent And Immovable, Their Muskets Gleaming By

The Starlight, Awaiting But The Order To Open A Volley Upon The Poor

Fellows Who Were Cooped Up Behind The Timber, Full Of Pluck, Yet Hardly

Prepared To Meet So Many Disciplined Men, And Hoping That Only A Menace

Was Intended.

"Who Comes There?" Shouted A Sentry, As We Approached.

"Friends," I Replied.

"Well, Friends, Stand Back And Keep Out Of Sight, Or You'll Lose The

Number Of Your Mess," The Soldier Added, Jocosely.

We Had No Desire For Such A Calamity, And Therefore Retired To Another

Part Of The Hill, And Managed To Secrete Ourselves From Observation By

Keeping Within The Shadow Of A Friendly Tree.

We Had Not Been In Our Position More Than Fifteen Minutes When We Heard

A Clash Of Arms, And The Sound Of Many Feet In Motion. The Soldiers Were

Formed In Two Columns, And Were Rushing With Headlong Speed Towards The

Palisades.

The Movement Was So Sudden That The Miners Were Entirely Unprepared.

Many Of Them Were Asleep, And Others Had Laid Their Guns Aside, And Were

At Work Strengthening The Fortifications When The Soldiers Commenced The

Attack. A Number Of The Bravest Raised A Shout And Discharged Their

Muskets At The Approaching Columns, But The Soldiers Did Not Falter.

They Answered The Cheer Of The Miners With A Yell, At The Sound Of Which

Many Of The Young Men Became Panic-Stricken, Threw Down Their Arms, And

Fled For Their Lives.

Amid The Uproar I Could Hear The Loud Voice Of Ross Urging His Men To

Stand To Their Posts Firmly And Fight To The Last, And A Few Obeyed, And

Poured Straggling Volleys Upon The Red Coats. Occasionally I Could Hear

The Sharp Crack Of The American Rifle, And I Felt Sorry To Think That My

Countrymen Were Fighting Against Men Who Would Show Them No Mercy If

Victory Perched Upon The Banner Of The Government Officials.

Cheer After Cheer Both Parties Gave, And Then There Was Heard The Sound

Of Axes And The Placing Of Scaling Ladders, As The Soldiers Gained The

Palisades.

"On Them, Bullies!" Shouted A Voice, Which I Recognized As Colonel

Kellum's; "Show The D----D Rebels No Quarter! Kill, Kill, Kill!"

The Soldiers Had Got Their Blood Up, And Responded To The Barbarous

Orders With A Yell Like Famished Tigers On The Scent Of Blood. The

Timbers Were Torn Away, And In Rushed The Disciplined Men, Firing Volley

After Volley Upon All Who Met Their View. We Could Hear The Groans Of

The Wounded, And Shrieks Of The Dying, Until At Last The Firing Ceased

For The Want Of Victims, Many Having Made Their Escape.

"Do You Surrender?" We Heard The Colonel Shout; And Although We Could

Not See Whom He Addressed, We Suspected That Ross And His Boldest

Adherents Were Making A Stand In The Enclosure.

"Let Us Try And Save Them," Cried Fred; And Without Listening To Our

Warning, He Started Towards The Palisade, Followed Close By Mr. Brown,

Smith, And Myself.

The Soldiers Took But Little Notice Of Us, Thinking That We Were

Government Officials; So We Worked Our Way By Them Until We Reached The

Spot Where Colonel Kellum Was Standing, Surrounded By His Officers.

"Do The D----D Rebels Surrender?" The Colonel Repeated, Just As We Could

Witness The Proceedings.

"Here's The Leader Of 'Em, Sir, That Says He Will," Cried Two Or Three

Soldiers, Escorting Ross Towards The Colonel.

"The Leader, Hey! Bring Him Here," Was The Command.

Ross Walked Firmly Towards His Conqueror, And Stopped When Within A Few

Paces.

"Are You The Leader Of These Ragamuffins?" Demanded Kellum, Arrogantly.

"I Was The Leader Of The Miners, Sir," Ross Replied, Firmly.

"You Own It, Do You? Hand Me Your Gun."

Ross Complied With The Command.

"Is It Loaded?" The Colonel Asked.

"Yes, Sir," Was The Brief Response.

"Then I Will Discharge It For You," The Military Despot Said.

He Cocked The Piece, Placed It Within Two Feet Of The Canadian's Breast,

And Fired. The Unhappy Man Sprang Into The Air, Threw His Arms Wildly

Over His Head, And Fell A Corpse, A Bullet Having Entered His Heart.

There Was A Cry Of Horror At The Atrocity Of The Deed; Not From Any Of

The Officers Who Were Present, But From The Soldiers, Who Were Not Used

To Warfare Of That Description.

"O, Cowardly Deed," Cried Fred, Who Could Not Prevent Giving Expression

To His Feelings.

"Ha! What Was That?" Roared The Colonel, Turning Towards Us.

I Endeavored To Drag Fred From The Scene, But He Resisted My Efforts

Stoutly.

"I Say That To Shoot A Prisoner In Cold Blood Is Murder, And None But A

Base Coward Would Resort To Such An Act," Cried Fred, Raising His Voice.

"Secure That Man," Roared The Colonel; But Not A Soldier Stirred To

Enforce The Order.

"In The Name Of God, Make Your Escape," Whispered Mr. Brown; But Fred

Disdained To Fly.

"Will No One Obey Me?" Roared The Colonel, Turning To His Officers. "Do

You Refuse To Do Your Duty? By G----, I'll Break Every Man In The

Regiment, Unless You Are A Little More Prompt. Arrest That Man, Sirs,

And Bring Him Before Me," He Continued, Turning To His Officers.

They Obeyed, But Unwillingly, And Moved So Slowly That Fred Could Easily

Have Escaped Had He Been So Disposed. I Sought To Urge Him To Dodge

Behind The Soldiers, But He Sternly Refused; And When The Officers

Surrounded Him, He Walked With A Firm Step Towards The Tyrant, And

Without Suffering A Hand To Be Laid Upon His Shoulder.

"You Find Fault With The Method Which I Resort To To Punish Rebellion,

Do You?" Demanded The Colonel, With A Savage Laugh.

"If It Was With My Last Breath, I Would Protest Against So Cowardly An

Outrage," Replied Fred, With All The Contempt That He Could Assume.

"Hullo! I Know That Voice," Cried Kellum, Starting Forward, And Pulling

Fred's Cap From His Face. "D----N Me, If I Didn't Think So," He

Continued. "You Are The Grocer That Dared To Raise Your Hand Against Me

Yesterday Morning. Iron Him, And Away With Him To The Barracks."

"For What Crime, Sir?" I Asked, Starting Forward.

"For Rebellion," Shouted The Colonel. "He Has Dared To Interfere With

The Army Of Her Majesty, While Suppressing Treason."

"He Came Here To Assist The Wounded, And Had No Intention Of Interfering

With The Soldiers," I Said.

"Away With You, Or I'll Lock You Up, And Send You To Melbourne For

Trial, With Your Partymen. Go."

"Don't Provoke Him," Whispered An Officer. "Obey Him, And We Will Do All

That We Can For Your Friend."

"Will You Allow Me To Exchange One Word With Your Prisoner?" I Asked Of

Kellum.

"What, Not Gone Yet?" He Roared. "Ready," He Shouted, Addressing His

Soldiers, "Aim," And The Word To "Fire," Was Trembling On His Lips, When

The Officers Forced Us From The Presence Of The Brute, And We Heard The

Cries Of The Wounded As They Were Roughly Handled By The Soldiers, For

The Purpose Of Securing Them And Conveying Them To The Barracks.

The Soldiers Were Also Employed In Attending To Their Own Wounded,

Several Of Whom Had Fallen, And While I Carefully Picked My Way Through

The Crowd I Stumbled Over A Prostrate Body, Which Caused Us To Stop, And

See If We Could Be Of Any Assistance. I Stooped Down And Placed My Hand

Upon The Man's Head, And Felt His Hot Blood Gush From A Wound In His

Heart. I Removed The Poor Fellow's Broad Rimmed Hat, And Saw, To My

Surprise, That It Was Steel Spring.

"Why, It Is Our Old Companion," I Cried, Feeling Really Sorry At His

Misfortune. "Help Me To Lift Him Up, And We Will Carry Him To The

Store."

"It's No Use," Gasped The Wounded Man. "Got A Ball In My Breast; All

Over Vid Me--Sorry I Came 'Ere--Didn't Mean To--Didn't Get Pay For

This--Don't Disturb Me. I Shall Die In Ten Minutes--Know It--Vill Bet

All The Money I've Got That I Do--I'm Sorry For All My Rascalities."

He Ceased To Speak, And Placing His Hand Upon His Breast, Groaned As

Though Suffering Terrible Pain. The Blood From His Wound Flowed On

Unceasingly.

"Cheer Up, Old Friend," I Said, Encouragingly. "There Is Life Still

Left, And We Can Get You On Your Feet In A Few Weeks By The Aid Of A

Doctor. We Will Get A Litter, And Carry You To The Store."