CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
MORE UNEXPECTED DISCOVERIES--CAPTAIN BUNTING MAKES BILL JONES A FIRSTMATE--LARRY O'NEIL MAKES HIMSELF A FIRST MATE--THE PARTING--NED SINTONPROVES HIMSELF, A SECOND TIME, TO BE A FRIEND IN NEED AND IN DEED.
"It never rains but it pours," saith the proverb. We are fond ofproverbs. We confess to a weakness that way. There is a depth ofmeaning in them which courts investigation from the strongestintellects. Even when they are nonsensical, which is not unfrequentlythe case, their nonsense is unfathomable, and, therefore, invested withall the zest which attaches, metaphysically speaking, to theincomprehensible.
Astonishing circumstances had been raining for some time past around ourbewildered adventurers, and, latterly, they had begun to pour. On theafternoon of the day, the events of which have been recorded in the lastchapter, there was, metaphorically speaking, a regular thunder-plump.No sooner had the party returned to old Mr Thompson's cottage, thandown it came again, heavy as ever.
On entering the porch, Lizette ran up to Tom, in that pretty trippingstyle peculiar to herself, and whispered in his ear.
"Well, you baggage," said he, "I'll go with you; but I don't likesecrets. Walk into the parlour, friends; I'll be with you in a minute."
"Tom," said Lizette, pursing up her little mouth and elevating her pertnose; "you can't guess what an interesting discovery I've made."
"Of course I can't," replied Tom, with affected impatience; "now, pray,don't ask me to try, else I shall leave you instantly."
"What an impatient creature you are!" said Lizette. "Only think! Ihave discovered that my maid, whom we hired only two days ago, has--"
"Bolted with the black cook, or somebody else, and married him,"interrupted Tom, with a look of horror, as he threw himself into anyeasy-chair.
"Not at all," rejoined Lizette, hurriedly; "nothing of the sort; she hasdiscovered that the little girl Mr Sinton brought with him is hersister."
"What! Kate Morgan's sister!" cried Tom, with a look of surprise. "Iknew it; I was sure I had heard the name before, but I couldn't rememberwhen or where; I see it now; she must be the girl Larry O'Neil used totalk about up at the diggin's; but as I never saw her there, of course Icouldn't know her."
"Well, I don't know about that; I suppose you're right," repliedLizette; "but isn't it nice? They're kissing and hugging each other,and crying, in the kitchen at this moment. Oh! I'm _so_ happy--thedear little thing!"
If Lizette was happy she took a strange way to shew it, for she sat downbeside Tom and began to sob.
While the above conversation was going on up-stairs, anotherconversation--interesting enough to deserve special notice--was going onin the parlour.
"Sure don't I know me own feelin's best?" remarked Larry, addressing NedSinton. "It's all very well at the diggin's; but when it comes todrawin'-rooms and parlours, I feels--an' so does Bill Jones here--thatwe're out 'o place. In the matter o' diggin' we're all equals, nodoubt; but we feels that we ain't gintlemen born, and that it's a'k'ardto the lady to be havin' sich rough customers at her table, so Bill an'me has agreed to make the most o' ourselves in the kitchen."
"Larry, you're talking nonsense. We have messed together on equal termsfor many months; and, whatever course we may follow after this, you_must_ sup with us to-night, as usual. I know Tom will be angry if youdon't."
"Ay, sir, but it ain't `as oosual,'" suggested Bill Jones, turning thequid in his cheek; "it's quite on-oosual for the likes o' us to sup witha lady."
"That's it," chimed in Larry; "so, Mister Ned, ye'll jist plaise to makeour excuges to Mrs Tom, and tell her where we've gone to lo-cate, asthe Yankees say. Come away, Bill."
Larry took his friend by the arm, and, leading him out of the room, shutthe door.
Five seconds after that there came an appalling female shriek, and adreadful masculine yell, from the region of the kitchen, accompanied bya subdued squeak of such extreme sweetness, that it could have come onlyfrom the throat of Mademoiselle Nelina. Ned and the captain sprang tothe door, and dashed violently against Tom and his wife, whom theyunexpectedly met also rushing towards the kitchen. In another moment acurious and deeply interesting _tableau vivant_ was revealed to theirastonished gaze.
In the middle of the room was Larry O'Neil, down on one knee, while withboth arms he supported the fainting form of Kate Morgan. By Kate's sideknelt her sister Nelly, who bent over her pale face with anxious,tearful countenance, while, presiding over the group, like an amiableogre, stood Bill Jones, with his hands in his breeches-pockets, his legsapart, one eye tightly screwed up, and his mouth expanded from ear toear.
"That's yer sort!" cried Bill, in ecstatic glee. "W'en a thing comesall right, an' tight, an' ship-shape, why, wot then? In coorse it's allsquare--that's wot _I_ say."
"She's comin' to," whispered Larry. "Ah! thin, spake, won't ye,darlin'? It'll do ye good, maybe, an' help to open yer two purty eyes."
Kate Morgan recovered--we need scarcely tell our reader that--and Nellydried her eyes, and that evening was spent in a fashion that conduced tothe well-being, and comfort, and good humour of all parties concerned.Perhaps it is also needless to inform our reader that Larry O'Neil andBill Jones carried their point. They supped in the kitchen that night.Our informant does not say whether Kate Morgan and her sister Nellysupped with them--but we rather think they did.
A week afterwards, Captain Bunting had matured his future plans. Heresolved to purchase a clipper-brig that was lying at that time uselessin the harbour, and embark in the coasting trade of California. He madeBill Jones his first mate, and offered to make Larry O'Neil his second,but Larry wanted a mate himself, and declined the honour; so the captaingave him five hundred pounds to set him up in any line he chose. NedSinton sold his property, and also presented his old comrade with agoodly sum of money, saying, that as he, (Ned), had been the means ofdragging him away from the diggings, he felt bound to assist him in thehour of need. So Kate Morgan became Mrs O'Neil the week following; andshe, with her husband and her little sister, started off for theinterior of the country to look after a farm.
About the same time, Captain Bunting having completed the lading of hisbrig, succeeded in manning her by offering a high wage, and, biddingadieu to Ned and Tom, set sail for the Sacramento.
Two days afterwards, Ned got a letter from old Mr Shirley--the firstthat he had received since leaving England. It began thus:--
"My Dearest Boy,--What has become of you? I have written six letters,at least, but have never got a single line in reply. You must come homeimmediately, as affairs here require your assistance, and I'm gettingtoo old to attend to business matters. Do come at once, my dear Ned,unless you wish me to reprove you. Moxton says only a young andvigorous man of business can manage things properly; but when Imentioned you, he shook his head gravely. `Too wild and absurd in hisnotions,' said he. I stopped him, however, by saying that I was fullyaware of your faults--"
The letter then went rambling on in a quaint, prosy, but interestingstyle; and Ned sat long in his room in old Mr Thompson's cottage poringover its contents, and gradually maturing his future plans.
"It's awkward," soliloquised he, resting his head on both hands. "Ishall have to go at once, and so won't have a chance of seeing Buntingagain, to tell him of poor Tom's circumstances. He would only be tooglad to give him a helping hand; but I know Tom will never let him knowhow hard-up he is. There's nothing else for it," he added,determinedly; "my uncle will laugh at my profitless tour--but,_n'importe_, I have learned much.--Come in!"
This last remark was addressed to some one who had tapped gently at thedoor.
"It's only me, Ned; can I come in? I fear I interrupt you," said Tom,as he entered the room.
"Not at all; sit down, my boy. I have just been perusing a letter frommy good old uncle Shirley: he writes so urgently that I fear I mustreturn to England by the first homeward-bound ship."
"Return to England!" exclaimed Tom, in surprise. "What! leave thegold
-fields just as the sun is beginning to shine on you?"
"Even so, Tom."
"My dear Ned, you are mad! This is a splendid country. Just see whatfortunes we should have made, but for the unfortunate accidents thathave happened!" Tom sighed as he spoke.
"I know it," replied his friend, with sadden energy. "This is asplendid country; gold exists all over it--not only in the streams, buton the hill-sides, and even on hill-tops, as you and I know frompersonal experience--but gold, Tom, is not _everything_ in this world,and the getting of it should not be our chief aim. Moreover, I havecome to the conclusion, that _digging_ gold ought to be left entirely tosuch men as are accustomed to dig ditches and throw up railwayembankments. Men whose intelligence is of a higher order ought not toignore the faculties that have been given to them, and devote theirtime--too often, alas! their lives--to a species of work that the merestsavage is equally capable of performing. Navvies may work at the mineswith propriety; but educated men who devote themselves to such work are,I fear, among the number of those to whom Scripture specially speaks,when it says, `Make not haste to be rich.'"
"But there are other occupations here besides digging for gold," saidTom.
"I know it; and I would be happy and proud to rank among the merchants,and engineers, and such men, of California; but duty calls me home, and,to say truth," added Ned, with a smile, "inclination points the way."
Tom Collins still for some time attempted to dissuade his friend fromquitting the country, and his sweet little wife, Lizette, seconded hisefforts with much earnestness; but Ned Sinton was immovable. He tookpassage in the first ship that sailed for England.
The night before he sailed, Ned, after retiring to his room for the lasttime in his friend's house, locked his door, and went through a varietyof little pieces of business that would have surprised his hosts hadthey seen him. He placed a large strong-box on the table, andcautiously drew from under his bed a carpet-bag, which, from the effortmade to lift it, seemed to be filled with some weighty substance.Unlocking the bag, he proceeded to lift out handful after handful ofshining dollars and gold pieces, interspersed here and there withmassive nuggets. These he transferred into the wooden box until it wasfull. This was nearly the whole of Ned's fortune. It amounted to alittle more than 3000 pounds sterling. Having completed the transfer,Ned counted the surplus left in the bag, and found it to be about 500pounds. This he secured in a leather purse, and then sat down to writea letter. The letter was short when finished, but it took him long towrite, for he meditated much during the writing of it, and several timeslaid his head on his hands. At last it was completed, put into the box,and the lid screwed down above it. Then Ned read a chapter in theBible, as was his wont, and retired to rest.
Next day Tom and Lizette stood on the wharf to see him embark forEngland. Long and earnest was the converse of the two friends, as theywere about to part, probably for ever, and then, for the first time,they became aware how deep was the attachment which each had formed forthe other. At last the mate of the ship came up, and touched his hat.
"Now, sir, boat's ready, sir; and we don't wish to lose the first of theebb."
"Good-bye, Lizette--good-bye, Tom! God be with and bless you, my dearfellow! Stay, I had almost forgotten. Tom, you will find a box on thetable in my room; you can keep the contents--a letter in it willexplain. Farewell!"
Tom's heart was too full to speak. He squeezed his friend's hand insilence, and, turning hurriedly round, walked away with Lizette theinstant the boat left the shore.
Late in the evening, Tom and his wife remembered the box, and wentup-stairs to open it. Their surprise at its rich contents may beimagined. Both at once understood its meaning; and Lizette sat down,and covered her face with her hands, to hide the tears that flowed,while her husband read the letter. It ran thus:--
"My Dearest Tom,--You must not be angry with me for leaving thistrifle--it _is_ a trifle compared with the amount of gold I would giveyou if I had it. But I need not apologise; the spirit of love in whichit is given demands that it shall be unhesitatingly received in the samespirit. May God, who has blessed us and protected us in all ourwanderings together, cause your worldly affairs to prosper, andespecially may He bless your soul. Seas and continents may separate us,but I shall never forget you, Tom, or your dear wife. But I must notwrite as if I were saying farewell. I intend this epistle to be theopening of a correspondence that shall continue as long as we live. Youshall hear from me again ere long.
"Your sincerely-attached friend,
"Edward Sinton."
At the time Tom Collins was reading the above letter to Lizette, in abroken, husky voice, our hero was seated on the taffrail of the shipthat bore him swiftly over the sea, gazing wistfully at the recedingshore, and bidding a final adieu to California and all his goldendreams.
The Golden Dream: Adventures in the Far West Page 28