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

Smith Started In Search Of One, And Left Mr. Brown And Me To Look After

The Wounded Man.

"'Tis Werry Kind Of You, But 'Tis No Use." Steel Spring Whispered. "I've

Got A Load Here That Vill Keep Me Quiet Arter I'm Dead. I Shan't Be Able

To Steal Then, 'Cos Gold Vould Be Of No Use To Me Vere I'm Going."

"If You Want To Save That Covey's Life, You'd Better Make Him Hold His

Gab, And Get Him Off The Ground As Soon As Possible," An English Soldier

Said, Stopping For A Moment To Examine Our Old Companion's Wound, And

Then Passing On With As Much Indifference As It Was Possible To

Manifest.

Luckily The Litter Arrived, And We Managed To Get Steel Spring On To It,

And Carried Him To The Store. There Was But Little Life In Him, And That

Little We Tried To Retain, And Consulted With The Best Doctor In

Ballarat For That Purpose. The Physician Said That The Ball Would Have

To Be Extracted First, When The Wound Would Heal Of Itself, If Nothing

In The Shape Of Inflammation Intervened, And To Prove That He Was Right,

Probed The Wound, Started The Bleeding Afresh, And In Less Than An Hour

After The Spy Was Carried To Our Store He Was A Corpse, And The Doctor

Had Sent In His Bill For Medical Attendance, And Charged In Proportion

To His Ignorance, Which Was Immense.

Leaving Smith To Manufacture A Coffin Out Of The Spare Boards And Boxes

Which The Store Contained, Mr. Brown And Myself Started For The Head

Quarters Of The Commissioner For The Purpose Of Seeking An Interview,

And Obtaining The Release Of Fred, Who, I Doubted Not, Would Be Set Free

In The Morning, As No Charge Could Be Brought Against Him Of A

Rebellious Nature.

We Found A Guard Of Soldiers Stationed Around The House, And An Eager

And Excited Crowd Was Kept At A Distance By A Line Of Bayonets. I Saw

That The Miners Were Anxious To Learn If Any Of Their Friends Were

Wounded Or Taken Prisoners, Yet Could Obtain No Satisfactory

Information, As All Intercourse With Those In Custody Was Denied.

"Stand Back, Sir," Cried A Sergeant, As Mr. Brown And Myself Pressed

Forward For The Purpose Of Reaching The Entrance To The Building.

"Hullo, Richards! Is That You?" Mr. Brown Exclaimed, Extending His Hand.

"Ah, Excuse Me, Sir; I Didn't Recognize You. Sorry To Be Obliged To Stop

You, Sir, But Have Got Positive Orders To Admit Only Those Having

Business."

"Then We Are Just The Ones To Pass, For We Have Business Of Importance

With The Commissioner."

"Ah, That Alters The Case. Pass In, Gentlemen;" And As The Soldiers

Lowered Their Bayonets, We Slipped Past Them, And In A Few Minutes Found

Ourselves In The Ante-Room Of The Commissioner.

"You Had Better Go In Alone, For I Can Be Of No Service To You,"

Whispered Mr. Brown; And I Felt The Truth Of The Remark.

I Boldly Followed An Officer Into The Commissioner's Room, And Soon

Found Myself In The Presence Of Kellum, The Commissioner, And Half A

Dozen Captains And Lieutenants.

"I Tell You, That Every Dog Of Them Should Be Shot, And Then You'll Hear

No More Of Taxes And Rebellion. That's The Way I'd Punish Treason, And

It Will Be Effectual. We Should Have No More Meetings And Political

Speeches By Men Who Don't Know What They Are Ranting About. We Have Got

The Rebels At Our Feet. Let Us Trample Upon Them."

"It Will Not Do," Replied The Commissioner, Mildly, With His Usual

Crafty Calculation. "The Home Government Will Hear Of The Matter, And

Rake Us Over The Coals For It. Besides, The Newspapers Would Raise A

Prodigious Row, And Then Parliament Will Have To Appoint A Commissioner

Of Inquiry. No, No; I've Thought The Matter Over Carefully, And I'm

Convinced That We Should Get Awfully Blackballed If We Shoot The

Rascals, Although"--And He Smiled And Rubbed His Hands With Glee--"I

Should Like The Sport."

"Say But The Word, And In Fifteen Minutes Every Dog Of Them Shall Be

Dead," Cried The Colonel, Who, Having Tasted Blood, Wished For More.

"No, No; Let Us Send Them To Melbourne, Where A Long Imprisonment And

Low Diet Will Be The Fate Of Each."

The Colonel Was About To Make Some Observation, When An Officer Touched

His Elbow, And Called His Attention To Me.

"Hullo, By G----D, Sir, How Long Have You Been In This Room?" He Roared.

"I Should Judge About Five Minutes," I Replied, Calmly.

"And Your Business Here?" He Demanded, Fiercely; And I Saw That He Had

Not Forgotten The Blow Which Fred Dealt Him The Day Before.

"My Business Is Not With You, Sir, But With This Gentleman," I Replied,

Turning To The Commissioner.

"Well, Transact It, And Be Off. If That Sergeant Admits Another Grocer,

I'll Hang Him Before Morning."

I Did Not Notice The Sneer, But Turned Towards The Commissioner, Upon

Whom I Hoped To Make A Favorable Impression.

"I Have Called, Sir, To See If I Could Not Make Arrangements For The

Release Of My Friend, Who Was Taken Into Custody To-Night, And Who Is

Innocent Of Any Connection With This Rebellion."

"What Arrangement Do You Wish To Make?" The Commissioner Asked.

"I Will Give Bonds To A Large Amount For His Appearance At Any Time That

You May Appoint."

"Why, The Grocer Thinks That He Is In A Court Of Law," The Colonel Said,

With A Most Insulting Sneer.

"No, Sir," I Replied, "I Thought That I Was In The Presence Of

Gentlemen."

"None Of Your Insolence Here," The Bully Roared, Not Liking The Smile

Which He Saw Upon The Faces Of His Officers.

"Insolence Is But A Poor Weapon To Gain A Cause, And A Gentleman Should

Never Use It Unless To Rebuke Presumption," I Replied.

"We Cannot Take The Bail That You Offer," The Commissioner Said. "Your

Partner Was Arrested For Giving Vent To Treasonable Expressions, And

After He Was Taken Into Custody, On His Person Was Found A Dangerous

Weapon, In The Shape Of A Revolver."

"Don't Say That The Pistol Was Dangerous To Any One But Himself," The

Colonel Cried. "I Dare Say That If He Had Attempted To Shoot Any One, He

Would Not Have Known How."

"There Is Where You Do The Gentleman An Injustice," An Officer Remarked.

"If You Did Not Think Him Dangerous, You Should Have Met After The Scene

In Our Store," I Said, Addressing The Colonel, And Alluding To The Blow

Which Fred Had Struck Him.

"I Am Not Accustomed To Meet Every Pauper That Presents Himself For

Battle. I Don't Wish To Place Him On A Level With Myself, And Therefore

Will Wait Until He Proves Himself A Gentleman."

"There Is Where You Are Mistaken, Colonel," Said A Young Gentleman

Dressed In The Uniform Of A Captain. "I Had The Pleasure Of Meeting Both

Of These Gentlemen At A Levee Of The Governor's, And I Know That He

Spoke Very Highly Of Them, And Offered To Reward Them With Lucrative

Positions For Their Services In Destroying Two Or Three Bands Of

Bushrangers, Who Had Long Been A Terror To Travellers. It Does Not

Require A Patent Of Nobility To Make Them Gentlemen."

"Why, Captain Fitz, You Had Better Offer To Defend The Prisoner, You

Speak So Warmly In His Behalf," Sneered The Colonel.

"I Am Not A Lawyer, Sir, Although If I Am Called Upon To Give My

Testimony, I Think That I Shall Say What I Please Regarding The

Slaughter Of Twenty-Two Miners, Whose Only Crime Was Protesting Against

An Unjust Tax."

"Say What You Please, And Welcome; But While You Are Under My Command

You Must Obey My Orders Or Else Stand The Chances Of A Court-Martial. I

Don't Think That The Miners Agree With You," The Military Despot

Continued, After A Moment's Consultation With The Commissioner; "I

Desire That You Take Command Of The Escort Which Is About To Start For

Melbourne With The Prisoners. You Will Lose Not A Moment, But Report

Yourself Ready In An Hour's Time."

"I Do Not Require Even A Moment's Time," Replied The Young Man; "I Am

Ready Now, And Am Only Too Anxious To Start."

"As For You, Sir," The Colonel Said, Turning To Me, "You Can See Your

Friend After He Reaches Melbourne, But Not Before. He Is Charged With A

Serious Crime, And Those Higher In Power Than Myself Must Deal With

Him."

I Left The Apartment, Uncertain What To Do Or Where To Go. Mr. Brown

Joined Me In The Ante-Room, But Read The Result Of My Mission In My

Face.

"There's No Hope?" He Asked.

"None; He Goes To Melbourne To-Night."

"So Much The Better," Answered Mr. Brown, Promptly; "Now We Shall Have A

Fair Chance For His Freedom; For Great Things Can Sometimes Be

Accomplished In That City."

"But Fred Will Suffer On The Route," I Remarked, "And Unless He Is Cared

For, Will Never Reach The City Alive."

"Don't Give Yourself Any Uneasiness On That Score," Captain Fitz Said,

He Having Heard My Last Remark; "I Will Take Care That He Is Treated

With As Much Consideration As The Circumstances Will Admit Of, And See

That He Wants For Nothing."

I Uttered A Few Hurried Thanks, And The Captain Was About To Pass, When

I Detained Him.

"Is There Any Means By Which We Can Obtain An Interview With My Friend?"

I Asked.

"I Fear Not," He Answered, In A Hesitating Manner, Which Inspired Me

With Some Hope.

"Only A Few Words," I Pleaded.

"If The Colonel