by Mayne Reid
brisk pace, in the opposite direction!
For a moment Oakes appeared surprised--as if uncertain what to make ofit. All at once, however, his comprehension became clearer; and,calling to me to follow him, he set off in pursuit of the fugitives.
The two had diverged from each other in their flight; and, as they hadalready got a good start of us, both were successful in making theirescape. When Oakes and I came together again, he informed me, that themen were his old mates, who had robbed him on the Bendigo diggings!
We repaired to the police encampment; and, after procuring a force,proceeded to the tent of the runaways.
As a matter of course, we found that the birds had flown; and could notbe discovered anywhere upon the diggings.
We were no more troubled with them, as "sleeping partners" in the claim.
Volume Two, Chapter XXXIII.
A FRIGHTFUL NUGGET.
When Oakes and I got back from our search after the thieves, wediscovered that still another defection had taken place in the firm.During the interval of our absence, Mr John Darby had sold his share,to a person, who had the appearance of having work in him, after whichthat talkative gentleman had quietly slipped away from the spot.
I had noticed that he had not seemed highly delighted with the idea ofmy friend Oakes coming into the company; and I presumed that this wasthe cause of his sudden desertion of us.
On making my conjecture known to Oakes, I received from him thefollowing explanation:
"I knew Darby," said Oakes, "when he first arrived in the colonies. Hehad come over here, as many others do, under the belief that hard workwas degrading to a gentleman, such as he loudly proclaimed himself tobe. Suffering under this affliction, he would not condescend to becomea miner, but obtained a situation in the government camp at Bendigo.
"One day I had the misfortune to pass an hour in his company--duringwhich he seemed struck with a fit of temporary sensibility, and declaredhis intention to take to gold-digging.
"Toiling to get gold," said he, "is manual labour, I admit; still it isnot degrading to a man of fine sensibilities. I'm told that there aremen of all the learned professions engaged in mining; and that acelebrated author is now a gold-digger at the Ovens. Gold-diggers haveno masters; and I have even heard, that they affect to despise usgovernment people at the camp."
I afterwards ascertained that Mr Darby had been dismissed from thegovernment employment, just before making these remarks; and to thiscause, no doubt, might be assigned the change, that had taken place inhis views regarding "labour."
Not long after that interview with him, he made his appearance nearwhere I was working, in the Bendigo diggings. He had some mining toolswith him--such as gold-diggers sometimes buy for the amusement of theirchildren. He appeared as if he intended to pick up a fortune, withoutsoiling his hands with the dirt, since both of them were gloved!
Paying no heed to some derisive cries that greeted him as he came uponthe ground, he strutted on, looking out for a claim.
The place, he at length selected for his debut in gold-digging, waschosen with some apparent judgment.
Seeing two old shafts, about ten yards apart, that had the appearance ofhaving been well worked, he supposed the ground between them must alsobe worth working; and just half-way between the two he commenced sinkinganother.
The soil of the place was shallow--not over eight feet in depth--andDarby, inspired by high hopes, toiled industriously for the greater partof a day. At the end of each hour it could be seen that his head haddescended nearer to the level of the earth; and, before leaving off inthe evening, he had got waist deep into the dirt.
Next morning he was again at work, at a very early hour.
"I sha'n't be surprised," said he to one of his neighbours who waspassing, "if I should find a jeweller's shop here. If it turns outwell, I shall be on my way home to-morrow. As good luck would have it,the Great Britain sails for England next week."
"I shall not be surprised at your good luck," replied the miner, with asignificant smile; "at least, not any more than you'll be astonished atfinding no gold in that hole."
"I won't be at all astonished," retorted Darby; "astonishment is avulgar feeling, that I'm not in the habit of indulging in. So far asthat goes, it would make little difference to me, whether I found nogold at all--a nugget the size of myself--or the devil."
Darby continued toiling for nearly an hour longer. At the end of thistime, he was seen suddenly to spring up out of the hole; and run withall the speed, his tottering limbs could command, in the direction ofhis tent--falling down, once or twice, on the way!
Some of the diggers had the curiosity to go, and look down the hole hehad made--in the hope of discovering the cause of his so suddenlyforsaking it. To their surprise they saw a human corpse! It was partlyuncovered. The face, with its half decayed features, had been exposedto view by the spade of Mr Darby, who had been all the time engaged inre-opening an old tunnel excavated by their former owners between thetwo worked-out claims.
Some man had been murdered; and his body concealed in the tunnel. Ofcourse the miner who had "chaffed" Darby in passing knew nothing ofthis. He only knew that a tunnel was there; and that Darby would get nogold out of the shaft he was sinking; but the man was as much astonishedas any of us, on seeing the horrible "nugget" that had rewarded thelabours of the "gentleman gold-digger."
We heard that afternoon that Darby--immediately after receiving paymentfor his share in our claim--had started off to Melbourne, with theintention of returning to England. He had still retained enough prideof character, or vanity, or whatever it might be called, to dread theridicule, that he knew must await him, should Oakes tell us the story ofthat Bendigo nugget.
His defection was a fortunate circumstance for us: as it led to ourprocuring, in his place, a partner capable of performing a full share ofthe toil we had before us.
On that day Fortune appeared determined to favour us. Before night wehad disposed of the two shares, abandoned by the "swipers," to a coupleof first-class miners.
Next morning we all went to work with a will. Even George and theapothecary--stimulated by the example of the others--did their best toimitate it.
This, however, was on their part only a spasmodic effort. Before manydays had elapsed, the toil proved too great for their powers ofendurance; and each entered into an agreement with a "working partner,"who was to have one-half of their gold in return for the labour ofgetting it out for them.
After this arrangement had been made, we could count on a proper workingcompany; and our progress in the _exploitation_ of the mine was,thenceforth, both regular and rapid.
We had not been long engaged upon the claim, when we discovered that it_was_ "on the line," and our toil was lightened by the golden prospectsthus predicated.
I was struck with the interest which Oakes appeared to feel in theresult. He would scarce take time, either for eating or sleeping, and,I believe, he would have continued to toil twenty-two hours, out of thetwenty-four, had we allowed him!
When the claim was at length worked out, and the gold divided, Oakescame to me, and paid back the fifty pounds I had advanced towards thepurchase of his share.
"You have made my fortune," said he, "and I am going home with itto-morrow. It is not a large one; but it is all I require. I must nowtell you what I intend to do with the money--as I believe that will besome reward to you, for your generosity in taking me into the claim. Ihave a father, who has been in prison for seven years for debt; and allfor the paltry sum of a hundred and sixty pounds! Six years ago, I lefthome, and turned sailor, only that I might get my passage to someforeign land--where I might make the money to pay this debt, and take myfather out of prison. I knew I could never raise it in England--wheresome of our governing people tell us we are so prosperous, andcontented! One hundred and sixty pounds was a large sum, for a youngfellow like me to get together. I knew I could never make it up, byfollowing the sea; and I had begun to despair of ever doing so, until
Igot aboard of a ship in Cape Town bound for Melbourne. Of course Ijoined the ship, with the intention of escaping from her, when we shouldreach Melbourne. I need hardly tell you, that I succeeded. One night,as we were lying anchored in Hobson's Bay, off Williamston, I slippedinto the water; and, by swimming more than a mile, I reached the shore.Soon after, I found my way to the Bendigo diggings.
"While working out that claim on Eagle-Hawk Gully--of which I have toldyou--I was the happiest man on earth: but, when I discovered that mymates had absconded with my gold, I was driven nearly distracted. Itwas a cruel disappointment to a man, anxious to liberate an honestfather from prison, as well as extricate a mother and two sisters from asituation of extreme misery.
"Since then I have had no good luck--until you got me into this claim wehave just completed. Thank God, I've got the money at last; and may Heonly grant that I