by Mayne Reid
with the others, he could notwell drink it all without asking them to have a share, as he had alreadybeen treated by his partner. To avoid doing so he had stolen away tothe bush, where he could drink his liquor alone.
"The men who robbed us," said the disconsolate drayman, "could be noothers than them we saw in the grog-shop; and it was my mate Bat whodrew them on to us: for they seemed greatly disappointed, and sworefearfully at not finding him. He flashed his gold-dust before themyesterday; and, of course they came after us to get it. I wish they hadgot every ounce of it. He deserved to be robbed for tempting them."
"Have you lost much?" I asked, of the drayman.
"No," answered he. "Luckily, I had not much to lose--only seventeenpounds. But I care more about my old horse, for I've owned him overthree years."
The digger had lost twelve pounds in cash, and a gold nugget of sevenounces weight.
While both were lamenting their mishap, Bat made his appearance from thebush; and began finding fault with his mate, for not having breakfastready, and the horse harnessed for a start. The effects of the bottleof brandy had only increased the disagreeable peculiarities of Bat'scharacter; and given him a good appetite.
He was now told what had happened, which made him a little more amiable.But his amiableness could be traced to the fact of his being conceitedof the swinish selfishness of which he had been guilty. He seemedhighly delighted to think he had had the good fortune to escape themischance that had befallen his companions; and, instead of sympathisingwith them, he actually boasted of his luck, putting it forward as aproof of his possessing more than ordinary sagacity.
"Will you have a little brandy?" asked his mate, in a tone of voice thattold me the offer was not made in a friendly spirit. "There's a dropleft in my bottle, which, luckily, the bush-rangers did not get holdof."
"Of course I will," answered Bat. "Brandy is a thing I never refuse,especially when on the road, and after camping out all night. Let'shave it."
The drayman produced his bottle, along with his tin pannikin. Theformer was about half full, and its contents were poured into the cup.
When Bat reached forth his hand to take hold of the vessel, the brandywas thrown into his face; and the next instant he himself fell heavilyto the earth--from the effects of a blow administered by the clenchedfist of the drayman!
Bat rose to his feet, and tried to show fight; but no efforts he couldmake, either offensive or defensive, hindered him from getting hisdeserts. It was the first time I had ever been pleased at the sight ofone man punishing another.
After getting a thorough thrashing from his irate partner, Bat took uphis blankets, and then started back along the road towards Ballarat--having, for some reason or other, changed his mind about going to Avoca.
I paid the drayman what I had agreed to give him for taking my "swag;"and, accompanied by the digger, who had been robbed along with him, Icontinued my journey afoot--each of us carrying his own blankets andtent. We left the poor drayman alone with his dray, in what the Yankeescall a "fix," for he dare not leave the vehicle, and the goods itcontained, to go in search of a horse, and without one it would beimpossible for him to transport his property from the place.
I would have stopped along with him for a day or two, and lent him someassistance, had it not been, that he was one of those unfortunatecreatures so often met in the Australian colonies, who seldom speakwithout using some of the filthy language imported there from the slumsof London. For this reason I left him to get out of his difficulty thebest way he could; and, for all I know to the contrary, he is stillkeeping guard over his dray, and the miscellaneous lading it contained.
Volume Three, Chapter IV.
THE "SWEET VALE OF AVOCA."
We arrived near the Avoca diggings late in the afternoon. Seeing a goodspot for pitching a tent, my companion stopped, and proposed that weshould go no further: as that place was exactly suited to his mind.
"All right," said I. "If it suits you--you had better stay there."
While the digger was disencumbering himself of his load, I walked on. Idid so, because my travelling companion was a man whose acquaintance Idid not care to cultivate any further. I did not take the trouble tosatisfy myself of any reason for leaving him in this unceremoniousmanner. I only knew that I did not like his society; and, therefore,did not desire to pitch my tent near him--lest I might have more of it.
My principle objection to remaining with the man was this. I had formedan idea, that nothing was to be gained from him--neither knowledge,amusement, friendship, money, nor anything else--unless, perhaps, itmight have been, a worse opinion of mankind; and this of itself, wasjust ground for my giving him the good-bye.
After going a little farther on, I pitched my tent in a place I madechoice for myself.
Next morning I walked forth, to have a look at the new gold-field.
There are not many spectacles more interesting to the miner, than thattermed a "rush" to a gold-field newly discovered, and reported to be"rich."
The scene is one of the greatest excitement. On the ground to which the"rush" is directed, all the vices and amusements to be met with in largecities, soon make their appearance. Where, perhaps, a month before, nota human being could have been seen, taverns, with magnificent interiordecorations, billiard-rooms, bowling-alleys, rifle-galleries, theatres,and dancing-saloons, will be erected; in short, a city, where, but a fewweeks ago, there was nothing but the "howling" wilderness!
On my arrival at the Avoca diggings, I marked out a "claim," and forseveral days my occupation was that of "shepherding" it.
To "shepherd a claim," is to keep possession of, and merely retain it--until, by the working of other claims near, a tolerably correct opinionmay be formed: as to whether yours will be worth digging or not.
The system of shepherding claims, is only practised where the gold liessome distance below the surface; and where the claim can only beprospected at the expense of some money and trouble.
The claim I had marked out, was a large one--larger in extent than oneperson was entitled to hold. For this reason, on the third day, after Ihad taken possession of it, another man bespoke a share in it along withme.
I did not like the look of this man; and would have objected to workingwith him; but he would not consent to divide the ground; and the onlyway I could get clear of him was, to yield up the claim altogether.This I did not wish to do: for it stood, or rather "lay," in a goodposition for being "on the lead."
I have said that I did not like the look of the intruder. This disliketo him arose, from the circumstance of his having a strong "Vandemonianexpression" of countenance; and I had a great prejudice against thosewho, in the colonies, are called "old lags."
We "shepherded" the claim together for a few days, when the prospect ofits being on the lead, became so fair, that we at length commencedsinking a shaft.
The more I saw of my companion, while we were toiling together, theweaker grew my aversion to him; until, at length, I began to entertainfor him a certain feeling of respect. This increased, as we becamebetter acquainted.
I learnt that he was not from Tasmania, but from New South Wales; and myprejudice against the "Sydneyites" was even stronger (having been formedin California,) than against the "old hands" from Van Dieman's Land.
The "Vandemonians," generally speaking, have some good traits aboutthem, that are seldom met amongst those from the "Sydney side." Theconvicts from the former place, have more generosity in theirwickedness, less disposition to turn approvers on their companions incrime, while at the same time, they display more manliness and daring intheir misdeeds, than do the "Sydney birds."
One would think, there could not be much difference between thecriminals of the two colonies: since both originally come from the sameschool; but the characteristics distinguishing classes of_transportees_, change with the circumstances into which they may bethrown.
My new partner proved to be like few of the "downey coves" I hadencountered in the diggings:
for I found in him, a man possessing manygood principles, from which he could not be easily tempted to depart.
He did not deny having been a convict, though, on the other hand--unlikemost of his class--he never boasted of it.
"Drinks all round," can usually be won from an old convict in thefollowing manner:--
Offer to lay a wager, that you can tell for what crime he had beentransported; and as his own word is generally the only evidence to beobtained for deciding the wager, ten to one it will be accepted. Tellhim then: that he was "lagged for poaching," and he will immediatelyacknowledge that he has lost, and cheerfully pay for the "drinks allround."
This game could not have been played with the subject of my sketch:since he freely acknowledged the crime for which he had