Lost Lenore Part 31

continued Farrell. "Do you know why he was so desirous to hear of his wife's death?"

"You said something about another woman."

"I did. Who do you suppose that other woman was?"

"I haven't the slightest idea."

"I'll tell you then. _It was my wife_! He wanted his own wife to die, so that he could go home and elope with mine. It's a fact--_and he's done it too_. That's who the second epistle he used to get, was from.

I have just got a letter from my brother, giving me the whole news.

It's interesting, isn't it?"

"Yes; what are you going to do?"

"Find them, and kill them both!" said Farrell, hissing the words through his teeth.

"I should not do that. A man is fortunate in getting rid of a wife, who would treat him after that fashion. Your thanks are rather due to your fair-dealing friend, for relieving you of any further trouble with such a woman."

"There's some truth in what you say," rejoined Farrell. "But I don't like being humbugged. He was such a plain-speaking fellow, I wonder why he didn't tell me what he was intending to do, and who was writing to him all the time. In that case, perhaps, I should have made no objection to his running away with her. But there _is_ one thing, I should have decidedly objected to."

"What is that?"

"Furnishing the money to pay their travelling expenses--as well as to keep them comfortably wherever they have gone."

"Did you do that?"

"I did. When Foster left the Stanislaus to go home, I entrusted all my gold to him--to take home to my precious wife. For all his frank open ways, and plain-speaking, he did not tell me that he intended to a.s.sist my wife in spending it; and that's what gives me the greatest chagrin.

I've been regularly sold. Over every dollar of that money--as they are eating or drinking it--will they be laughing at the fool who worked so d.a.m.ned hard to make it. Now I don't like that; and I should like to know who would. Would you?"

"Not exactly. But where do you expect to find them?"

"In this city--San Francisco."

"What! They surely would not be such simpletons as to come out to California, and you here?"

"That's just what they'll do," replied Farrell. "They'll think their best plan to keep clear of me, will be to leave the States, and get out here, by the time I would be likely to reach home. They will expect me to start from this place, the moment I hear the news of their elopement; and that by coming here, they will be safe not to see me again--thinking I would never return to California. For that reason I don't intend going home at all; but shall stay here till they arrive."

After spending the evening in his company, I admonished the injured husband--in the event of his meeting with his false partner and friend-- to do nothing he might afterwards regret.

Farrell and I then parted; and I saw no more of him before leaving San Francisco.

I sojourned another week in the capital of California; and, having learned enough of its mysteries and miseries, I began to make preparation for my voyage across the Pacific.

An eminent banking firm in London had established an agency in San Francisco; and by it I forwarded to England all the gold I had collected--excepting a few ounces retained for my travelling expenses to Australia.

I found no difficulty in obtaining a pa.s.sage from San Francisco to the latter place. Gold-diggings had been recently discovered in New South Wales--in Port Philip, as Victoria was then called; and as many people from the colonies wished to return, for their accommodation, numbers of large ships were being "laid on" for Sydney and Melbourne.

There is no cla.s.s of pa.s.senger so profitable as the gold-digger _going away from a diggings_; and this being a fact, well-known among the captains and owners of ships, there was no scarcity in the supply of vessels then fitting out in the harbours of California.

Volume Two, Chapter XI.

A DIFFERENCE AMONG DIGGERS.

I engaged pa.s.sage in the Dutch brig "Ceres," bound for Sydney; and sailed in the early part of June out of San Francis...o...b..y.

When I again embark as a pa.s.senger in a Dutch vessel, it will be after I have learnt to speak that detestable lingo. Of all the crew of the "Ceres," only the first officer could speak a word of English; and, during the time I was aboard the brig, I discovered more than one good reason for my resolve never again to embark in a ship, where I could not understand the language by which she was worked.

A majority of the pa.s.sengers had originally come from the Australian Colonies to California; and were now returning to their homes-- dissatisfied with a country, where they were not regarded as good citizens.

The worst characters amongst them had conceived a strong antipathy for everything American.

This will be easily understood, by taking into consideration the fact, that many of the people from the Australian Colonies who went to California, were men of infamous character. Indeed it is rather to the credit of the Californians: that they had treated with some severity these English convicts, who had made their appearance amongst them, for the express purpose of thieving and robbing.

I do not wish to be understood as saying, that all the gold seekers from Australia were of this character. I formed the acquaintance of many Anglo-Australian diggers, who had won the respect of all who knew them.

Too many of the cla.s.s, however, were undoubtedly bad men. They had been bad men in their mother country, were bad men in the colonies, bad in California; and will continue to be bad wherever they go. They justly merited the contempt, which the Americans had bestowed upon them.

I have more respect for the great nation to which I belong than to defend the conduct of its convicts, against the opinions formed of them by the people of California.

There were three or four Californians amongst the pa.s.sengers of the "Ceres," who appeared to be respectable, as they were well conducted young men, yet they were intensely hated by a majority of the pa.s.sengers--merely because they were Americans, and not English convicts from the colonies.

The Australians, while in California, when not drunk, generally behaved themselves like other people. This, however, arose from the absolute compulsion of circ.u.mstances, and the dread of being punished for their misdeeds; but no sooner had we got clear of the Golden Gate, than they resumed their former vulgar habits of acting and speaking; and not a sentence could be uttered by one of them, without reference to the circulating fluid of the body.

Early in the month of August, we came in sight of one of the numerous groups of islands with which the Pacific ocean is enamelled.

About twelve o'clock at night--while going at a speed of not more than five knots an hour--we ran straight upon a reef of rocks.

A scene of wild confusion then ensued--every one expecting the brig to go immediately to the bottom--but it was soon ascertained, that she was hanging or resting on a point of the rocks, which had penetrated her timbers; and that she was in no immediate danger of sinking.

Fortunately the weather was calm at the time, and the sea perfectly tranquil, else the brig would certainly have been knocked to pieces.

As usual, the long boat was found to be _not_ sea-worthy; and there was but one other, a small pinnace, that would hold about twelve of the seventy-six pa.s.sengers comprising the cargo of the "Ceres"--to say nothing of her crew!

We could see land, about a mile from our position; and it was evident, that no watch could have been kept aboard; else the brig could not have been lost.

As soon as order had been somewhat restored, and our exact situation ascertained, the crew, a.s.sisted by the pa.s.sengers, commenced building a raft, upon which, when finished, we were to attempt making a pa.s.sage to the sh.o.r.e.

At daybreak we obtained a better view of the land--indistinctly seen during the darkness. It was a small island--apparently about three miles in circ.u.mference--with groves of palm trees standing thickly over it.

The raft having been at length got ready, the work of landing commenced.

By nine o'clock all hands were ash.o.r.e; and then some efforts were made towards transporting to the beach such provisions as could be saved from the wreck of the brig.

The men, who first volunteered their services for this duty, were some of the most disreputable of the pa.s.sengers.

Their object in returning to the brig was simply to plunder. The boxes belonging to their fellow-pa.s.sengers were broken open by these scoundrels, who appropriated to themselves every article of value they could conceal about their persons.

When the work of saving the provisions really commenced, it was found that there was but little to be saved. All the bread, and most of the other stores, had got soaked in the sea-water, and consequently spoilt.

A barrel of beef, and another of pork, were all the stores that could be procured in a fit condition for food.