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 'Ave No Doubt Of It; But I Shan't Give You A Chance Now. I've Turned

'Onest, And Intends To Lead A Different Life." And Steel Spring Grinned

In Triumph, And Opened And Shut His Long, Flexible Limbs With Wonderful

Dexterity.

"You Turned Honest!" Muttered The Inspector, With An Incredulous Glance.

"That's The Vay That Ve Is Doubted," Whined The Treacherous Scamp,

Wiping His Eyes, And Pretending To Feel As Though His Heart Was Broken;

"Ven Ve Leaves Off Our Bad Vays, And Becomes Associates For The Police,

Then Ve Is Suspected Of Being Bad. There's Precious Little 'Couragement

For Us."

"Don't Be Too Hard On The Lad," The Lieutenant Said, "For He Helped Us

Convict Half A Dozen Of The Worst Bushrangers In The Country, A Few

Weeks Ago, And He Saved His Own Life By--"

"Turning Government Evidence, I'll Be Sworn," Cried The Inspector,

Eagerly.

The Lieutenant Nodded, And Continued, "Two Or Three Of The Fellows

Tried To Get Clear, On The Ground That They Were Prisoners In The Hands

Of The Bushrangers, And I'll Confess That The Plea Was Having A Telling

Effect On The Jury; But When Steel Spring Opened His Mouth, He Brought

Them."

"And Didn't You Tell Me How To Swear, And Didn't I Do It?" The Wretch

Exclaimed, Triumphantly.

"Silence, You Fool!" And Steel Spring, Obedient As A Dog, Held His

Tongue.

"The Fact Of It Is," Murden Said, After A Pause, "The Government Has

Granted The Fellow A Full Pardon, And I Have Taken Him Into My Service

For The Present, In Hopes That His Reformation Will Be Complete."

"I Know That It Will," Chimed In The Lank Wretch, But A Look Silenced

Him.

"And Now Suppose You Should Tell Me Why You Have Paid Ballarat A Visit?"

The Inspector Inquired.

"I'm On Business Connected With The Government, And To Consult With You

In Relation To The Mining Tax."

"Will Government Send The Troops?" Asked The Inspector, Eagerly.

"Hush!" Replied Murden, Glancing Towards Us; "You Should Be More

Cautious, Mr. Brown."

"O, These Are Friends Of Ours, And Espouse Our Side, And, If Necessary,

Will Fight For Us," Returned The Inspector.

"Softly," Rejoined Fred; "We Fight For No One But Ourselves, And We Have

Never Given You Or A Living Man To Understand That We Will Take Up Arms

Against The Miners. The Question Is Too New For A Decision On Our Part;

Slightly As We Have Investigated It, We Must Say That Our Sympathies Are

With The Miners Instead Of The Government."

"Just As I Supposed," Muttered Murden; But Whether In Disappointment Or

In Anger I Could Not Tell.

"Why, I Really Thought That I Had Proved To You That A Tax Was

Necessary," Mr. Brown Said, In An Apologetic Strain.

"A Slight Tax, Certainly, Is Necessary," Fred Replied; "One That Will

Help Support A Force To Preserve Order And Regularity In The Mines, But

Not A Tax That Is Large Enough To Support The Whole Government Of

Australia. Let A Trifling Sum Be Named, Say A Few Shillings Per Man, Per

Month, And Exempt Those From Paying It Who Are Sick, Or Unfortunate In

Their Operations."

The Lieutenant And Inspector Did Not Reply For Some Few Moments. Each

Appeared To Be Pondering On The Words That Fred Had Uttered, Without

Knowing How To Answer His Arguments.

"At Least," The Lieutenant Said, "We Can Trust Our American Friends, And

Therefore There Is No Occasion For Our Adjourning From These Comfortable

Quarters."

We Returned No Answer, And He Went On, Unmindful Of Our Presence.

"The Governor And Council Have Concluded That The Miners Have Abused The

Government Without Cause, And That Their Rebellious Attitude Is Of So

Hostile A Nature That Prompt Action Must Be Taken, As It Is Feared That,

If The Miners Are Allowed To Continue In Their Present Course, The

Colony Will Soon Be In A State Of Revolt, And That Independence Will Be

Declared. Therefore, To Save The Effusion Of Blood, And Teach The Miners

That They Must Respect The Laws, It Is Proposed To Provoke A Collision,

And Shoot A Few Of The Ringleaders; And After That Is Effected, Peace

And Quietness Will Be Restored."

"The Governor And Council Are Mad, If They Expect To Maintain Peace By

Such Means," Fred Said; But No Notice Was Taken Of His Remark.

"But The Troops?" Asked The Inspector, Anxiously.

"Will Be On Their Way To Ballarat In Less Than A Fortnight. Even Now,

Munitions Of War Are Packing, And Wagons Being Got Ready To Forward

Stores, And Accompany The Soldiers On Their March. Things Are Working So

Quietly And Effectively That Even The Officers Of The Regiment Are Not

Aware That They Are To Leave Melbourne."

"And My Instructions?" Asked The Inspector.

"To Play The Spy, As Usual!" Cried A Gruff Voice, Within A Few Feet Of

Us, On The Outside Of The Building.

We Started Up In Such Surprise And Rapidity, That The Inspector Stumbled

And Fell Head Foremost Against Steel Spring, Striking The Latter Full In

His Stomach, And Sending Him, Like A Cannon Ball, Out Of The Back

Entrance Of The Store Amidst The Horses, Stabled There In Company With

Rover, For Security.

Before The Scamp Could Gain His Feet, The Dog, Still Entertaining A

Little Animosity Against His Old Enemy, Flew At Him, And With A Vigorous

Bite Tore Off A Portion Of His Pants, Where They Were The Fullest, And

Then Luckily Desisted From Further Damage, Probably Not Liking The

Taste.

"Some One Has Been Listening!" Exclaimed The Lieutenant, Rushing Towards

The Front Door, Followed By The Inspector And Fred, While I Proceeded To

The Relief Of Steel Spring, Who Made More Noise Than All The Rest Of Us.

"There He Goes--Follow Him!" Shouted Murden, As A Form Was Seen To Run

Towards The River, Although The Night Was Too Dark To Distinguish Who It

Was; And After Running A Few Yards, The Pursuers Returned Completely

Baffled, And Bewildered At The Turn Affairs Had Taken.

"What Is To Be Done Now?" Asked Mr. Brown, With A Bewildered Air.

"Vy, I Shall Have To Get A New Pair Of Pants, I S'pose," Answered Steel

Spring, Who Imagined That The Conversation Was Addressed To Him.

"Silence, You Fool; We Are In No Humor For Jesting," Returned Mr. Brown,

Angrily.

"I Don't Think It Any Joke To Have A Big Dog Tear Ye, And Spile New

Clothes," Steel Spring Muttered, Although Not Loud Enough For Mr. Brown

To Hear.

"Some Person Has Overheard Our Plans, And The Miners Will Be

Forewarned," Murden Said. "Who Would Have Supposed That An Eavesdropper

Was Concealed Within Hearing?"

"But What Is To Be Done?" Reiterated Mr. Brown.

"There Is Where I Need Advice Myself," The Lieutenant Answered Looking

First Upon Fred And Then Upon Myself, As Though Desirous Of Our

Opinions.

There Was An Ominous Pause, But At Length Fred Concluded To Speak In

Relation To The Matter, And His Remarks Were Received With Attention.

"This Mining Tax," He Said, "Is One That Will Have To Be Abolished

Before Many Months, Because It Is Oppressive, And Applies To All Without

Distinction. The Miner Who Digs His Fifty Pounds Of Nuggets Per Week, Or

The One Who Does Not Get Gold Enough To Make A Finger Ring, Are

Compelled To Conform To The Law; And As There Are More Blanks Than

Prizes In This Lottery--For Gold Digging Is But A Lottery--Of Course The

Poorer Class Feel That They Are Aggrieved, And Desire An Equalization

Law, So That A Man Can Pay According To His Earnings.

"As Soon As A Conflict Does Occur, The Government Will Be Defeated. It

May Not Be In Fighting Battles, But It Will Be In Public Resentment. Let

Ten Or A Dozen Miners Be Killed By The Police Or Soldiers, And The

Governor-General And His Council Will Be Driven From The Country By

Popular Opinion.

"The Mother Country, As She Valued Her Possession, Would Not Dare To

Retain Him Or Friends In Office, For If They Did, A Revolution Would Be

The Consequence. With The Retirement Of The Government, All Those Who

Had Aided It Would Be Compelled To Leave, Or All Those Who Had Taken A

Prominent Part In The Warfare Against The Miners. Therefore, If You

Desire To Make Australia A Home, Don't Be Mixed Up In The Present

Struggle, If Possible."

"I Am Half Inclined To Think That You Are Right," Murden Said, At

Length.

"I Also Begin To Think So," The Inspector Remarked.

"I've Hall 'Long Hentertained Similar Hideas," Steel Spring Said, But He

Was Not Attended To.

"But We Are Officers Of The Police Force, And Must Respond When Called

For Duty," The Lieutenant Observed.

"Granted," Replied Fred; "But It Is Very Easy To Get Exchanged,

Especially If The Request Is Backed With A Rare Specimen Nugget."

The Two Officers Exchanged Glances, And Nodded Acquiescence In The Views

Promulgated.

"I Think," Murden Said, "That My Time Will Be So Occupied With Affairs

At Melbourne That I Shall Not Be Able To Visit Ballarat Again This

Year."

"And I Have An Intense Desire To Be Near An Uncle Of Mine In Sydney.

Will You, Mr. Murden, Forward My Petition For An Exchange?" Asked The

Inspector, With A Smile Of Great Meaning.

"It Will Give Me Great Pleasure To Undertake The Commission. I Have

Heard Of Some Very Fine Specimens Of Gold Being Taken From These Mines,"