The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 155

"Well, I don't envy you, if these rough miners get an inkling of your profession. Look out for them, for they don't understand practical joking," I remarked.

"That for 'em!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Steel Spring, snapping his fingers. "I know something that vill take the edge off of 'em, if they show any of their spite."

"That's all talk," I replied.

"Perhaps it is;" and Steel Spring shook his head with mysterious silence.

"Give us the information, and let us see how important it is," Mr. Brown remarked.

"Vell, then, vot do you think of a company of artillery comin' 'ere?"

"Impossible!" I replied; "there's been no artillery ordered here as yet.

There's soldiers and policemen enough."

"The commissioner don't think so, for four days ago he sent word to Melbourne for a company to come up and bring their guns vid 'em, and the coveys is already on their vay."

"Then he must have sent despatches that the miners know nothing about,"

remarked Mr. Brown, in a musing tone.

"Lord bless you, I should 'ope so," returned Steel Spring, with some disdain; "he is von of 'em for doing things up secret like, and vot he don't know ain't vorth knowing."

"This is news of some importance," I whispered to Mr. Brown; "the miners should know it, or they will be cut to pieces."

"We are to remain neutral, you know," Mr. Brown said, suggestively, and I felt that if I interfered I could no longer maintain my character as friend to both parties.

I turned to bribe Steel Spring to give the miners a hint of the approaching company, but that worthy had suddenly disappeared in the crowd, and all efforts to find him were fruitless.

For half an hour we remained upon the ground watching the evolutions of the miners, as they went through various military manoeuvres, and then we returned to the store to find that Smith had arrived during our absence, and had brought with him a large stock of goods, and that he and Fred were hard at work unloading them.

I of course joined them without delay, and by sundown the carts were unloaded, and the oxen secured for the night. We were all glad to see our partner, and innumerable were the questions with which we plied him, both before and after supper, and gladly did he answer them, and then produced for our perusal a pile of newspapers from Yankee land, which were worth more than ten times their weight in gold.

While we were sitting around our rude table, making up accounts and conversing about business, Steel Spring entered the store with as much a.s.surance as a first cla.s.s customer. Fred and Smith both welcomed him with a few remarks, but Steel Spring seemed somewhat hurried, and declined to be seated. At length he gave me a signal that he wished to communicate something to me in private, and I followed him to the door.

"I thought that I vould come and give ye a bit of news, 'cos ye alvays treated me vell," he said, in a low whisper, and after a careful glance around to see if there were listeners near at hand.

I acknowledged the remark, and he continued:--

"I heerd the commissioner give orders to-night that your 'osses should be seized in the morning for the sogers to ride on, and I think he is doing it out of spite." "But he has no right to touch private property," I remarked.

"Vot does you s'pose he cares for the right? He vill say that they is needed, and that is 'nough. You can't help yourselves, you can't. Vot is the use of talking?"

"But we will talk, and to some purpose," I replied, indignant at the outrage that was to be committed upon us.

"No, don't you say one vord, 'cos it vouldn't help the matter, and he could hinjure you more than the 'osses is vorth. Do you take and sell 'em. Don't you know some covey vot has got the ready tin vould buy 'em?"

"We had an offer this very morning for all three of the animals by the American stage company."

"Vas the hoffer a good one?" asked Steel Spring, in a low voice.

"Yes; all that the animals are worth."

"Then do you go at vonce and get the tin, and tell the coveys that you vant them taken off now--this werry evening. The commissioner von't interfere vid the stage company. He knows better."

I thanked Steel Spring for his information, and then whispered, while I placed some gold coins in his hand,--

"Don't you think that you could contrive to let Captain Ross know something in regard to the artillery company?"

"I s'pose you have some veighty reasons for axing me to do it?" the spy replied.

"So weighty, that ten sovereigns will be given to the man who conveys the information."

"Ten sovereigns," repeated the fellow, slowly, as though considering of the matter; "you don't know how it vould hinjure my conscience to sell the secrets of the commissioner."

"I will make them fifteen, then," I answered.

"That is somethin' like. The vork is done, and no mistake. The captain vill have the information. To-morrow I vill come for the shiners."

He left me suddenly, and stole silently away in the darkness, just as a policeman halted in front of the store and scrutinized the building as though it was a resort for traitors, and he was determined to keep his eye upon our movements. I knew the man, and he knew me, so I stopped to exchange a few words with him.

"How goes the war?" I asked.

The officer glanced hastily around to see if he was watched before he replied,--

"The times are hard, when we have to look after old acquaintances."

"Why, who are you watching for now?" I inquired.

"Why, I hope that your honor won't be offended, but I have got orders to report all who go into the store, and examine all who leave it."

"The commissioner is carrying matters with a high hand," I replied, "but we can afford to submit to some inconvenience, and still disregard his petty malice. Do your duty, and don't be fearful of offending us."

"I'll do what I am compelled to, and no more," was the response; "if the commissioner thinks I'm going to act the spy on your movements he's d.a.m.nably mistaken, I can tell him."

The officer pa.s.sed along on his beat, and I rejoined my friends and communicated Steel Spring's information. Every one expressed surprise, and protested against such high-handed proceedings. But we were powerless to resist, for the commissioner was supreme in his authority, and there was no appeal, except through the government at Melbourne.

We resolved, however, to defeat his machinations, and I lost no time in visiting the agent of the stage company, stating that we wished to dispose of our horses, and had the satisfaction of receiving the money for them that evening.

The agent desired that the horses should remain in our possession until morning, but he agreed to a.s.sume all the responsibility, and even smiled when I ventured to hint that perhaps the commissioner would visit us at an early hour.

"Give me a bill of sale, signed by your firm," the agent said, "and I will risk all attempts at confiscation."

I did as he requested, and got two or three respectable men to witness my signature, and the delivery of the money, and then I went back to the store and chuckled at the thought of the disappointed commissioner next morning.

We did not retire very early, but sat up with closed doors and darkened windows, and read our papers and talked until long past midnight. Our business affairs were prosperous--we were free from debts of any kind--we had ready money enough on hand to take advantage of the markets, and buy low and sell dear--and to crown all, we had many thousand dollars lying idle in the Melbourne bank, which we could resort to in case of necessity. Our position was good, but a few losses by bad management would have made us as pecuniarily poor as when we reached the country, therefore the little trouble which we had with the commissioner gave us considerable annoyance, for in various ways he could injure us.

We went to bed that night with considerable anxiety on our minds, but with a firm determination that if we were imposed upon we would resist, and even carry our grievances before the governor, if we could obtain redress in no other way. We were anxious for daylight, yet dreaded the disagreeable results which it would bring forth.

No sooner had the sun shown its hot face than we heard a commotion in front of the store, but we remained seated at our table leisurely eating breakfast, and pretending that we cared but little for the excitement in the street. Presently a police officer put his head in at the door and shouted out,--