The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 21

As daylight appeared, one by one of the gang that had escaped uninjured, were called out, manacled, and confined to a tree, to prevent all possibility of flight. There were many fierce oaths uttered by the wretches, as they felt the bracelets slipped over their wrists by Murden; and two of the hardened villains boasted of the murders which they had committed, and laid plans for a continuance of their crimes when they escaped, as they expected to do.

It was with difficulty that the policemen could be restrained; and once when Murden was absent for a few moments, and had left the charge of the prisoners to Fred and myself, one of the men, carried away by sudden rage at the taunts which the bushrangers hurled at him, raised his carbine, and if Fred had not struck up the barrel just as he did, the sheriff of Melbourne would have been spared the necessity of finding hemp for one robber. As it was, the ball whistled harmlessly over his head.

"You are mad!" cried Fred; "would you murder the wretches in cold blood?"

"Ay!" shouted the indignant policeman; "they have committed many murders, and it is time their career was ended."

"I grant that," returned Fred; "but these men are now in the hands of the law, and are ent.i.tled to a fair trial. You are paid for protecting them, as well as apprehending. Do not let your conscience ever accuse you of murdering a prisoner."

"You are right, sir," returned the policeman, with evident respect; "I was foolish to be so moved, and beg you to forgive me."

"I have nothing to forgive," replied Fred, amused at the man's earnestness; "but if you wish to do a really good action, lend Jack and myself aid to bind up the wounds of these poor, grumbling wretches."

"That I will," cried the policeman, laying down his carbine, and following us to the bank of the river, where the sufferers were still lying, groaning with pain.

Just as we began washing the blood from their wounds, Murden joined us.

He looked astonished to think that we took so much interest in the men, and after a moment's hesitancy, said,--

"I have been trying to arrange with Smith to return to Melbourne with his team, and carry these wounded men and my prisoners. He refuses to consent until he has obtained your acquiescence in the measure. I have told him that his goods, which are scattered around here, are nearly ruined by rough handling, and that he will have to sell them at a sacrifice at the mines. While he is gone, they can be stored at the hut, and sold most any time to travellers at an advance, while, if taken where the market is glutted, he is sure to lose on them."

We were so much surprised at the communication, that we looked at the lieutenant in astonishment, and for a few minutes did not answer.

"Come, come," said Murden, with a smile, "don't look as though you had lost all your friends. Say you will go with us. Two weeks' time is all we ask, and then you can go to the mines in any other part of the island you please."

"But you forget," I said, "that we are not rich, and can but ill afford this inactive life. We came to Australia to make a living, and so far, with the exception of the booty which we captured from Black Darnley's gang, we have not made a dollar. Even our prize money will have to be given up to the government, to be returned to its rightful owners, and besides--"

"There, there, that will do, most honest Americans," said Murden, with a smile. "Now listen to me for a moment. You made a good thing by seizing on what treasure Darnley had. The government will be too rejoiced at his death to care whether he had money at the time he was killed, or not.

Keep what you have got--say not a word about it to any one, for if you do, you will be the laughing-stock of all Australia. The originality of the act would surprise our good people, and you would be looked upon as fit subjects for an insane asylum."

Fred and myself looked at each other, and I read in my companion's face that he considered the advice, in our present circ.u.mstances, as being sound and rational.

"We have resolved to keep the money," we said; "but as for retracing our steps to Melbourne, we hardly think that it will pay. We have already been two weeks in the country, and have not dug the first ounce of gold."

"And you may be six months here, and yet be unable to do so. Let me reckon, and see how badly you have done. In the first place, there are one thousand pounds reward offered for Darnley, dead or alive. Prove to me that he is dead, and the money is your own. For every bushranger killed or captured, one hundred pounds are offered, and I need not tell you that we have twelve here which I can verify--four dead, two wounded, and six prisoners. That is not a bad night's work, I should think."

"But we think it wrong to accept of money for shedding human blood,"

Fred said.

"But you don't think it wrong to delay your journey half a dozen days for the purpose of hunting men who would have cut your throats for a sixpence. Throw aside all such ideas of propriety, and remember that you are in a country where the struggle for gold engrosses all other pa.s.sions; men will look upon you as fools, to reject that which you are ent.i.tled to. Go with me to Melbourne. Help escort these villains to the city, for remember my force is weakened now, and I promise that you shall receive more pay for the service than you can make at the mines."

"It is to help me to freedom," cried Smith, who had approached us unperceived, during our conversation, and had listened to it attentively.

"For you we will do any thing, old friend," we said, extending our hands to the honest convict, who grasped them eagerly, and shed tears of joy at the fair prospect which he possessed of once more being called a free man.

After making up our minds in regard to the course which we intended to pursue, we entered into the spirit of the undertaking with our whole hearts. We prepared lint and bandages, and bound up the wounds of the bushrangers, and placed them beneath the roof of the hut which they had endeavored to storm the night before. After we had accomplished this painful duty, we selected a place for the burial of those killed.

Beneath the branches of a cedar tree we scooped out the earth with a broken shovel, and then were about to place the bodies of the bushrangers in the grave, when the glistening of a ring on the middle finger of the right hand of one of the dead men attracted my attention.

I stooped down and removed the ring, and attentively examined it.

To my surprise, I found that it bore the emblems of the masonic fraternity--a square and compa.s.s upon a broad disk, while on each side were small flakes of gold in their native state, placed layer upon layer, like the scales of a fish. The ring I judged to weigh near an ounce, and was a ma.s.sive hoop of gold, and made by some artist of rare talent.

I knew that the ruffian could not be a mason, and I was lost in conjecture, for a few moments, as to the probable fate of the owner.

There was no doubt that the robber had taken a fancy to it, and to obtain possession, had undoubtedly committed murder. While it was pa.s.sed from hand to hand, Smith suddenly exclaimed,--

"I knew the owner of this ring. It was I that freighted him and his goods to the mines. He was an American, and had had the ring manufactured in California expressly to order. I am certain that I am correct, for when we pa.s.sed this very stream, the owner requested me to wear it while he bathed."

"But his name?" I asked.

"I only heard him called Edward by his companions; but I know that he was an American, and he said he belonged in New York, or New England city, I don't know which."

I could but smile at Smith's geography, although the scene before me was not well calculated to provoke mirth. I sighed over the unhappy fate of Edward, and handed the jewel to Murden, when he returned it, saying,--

"Keep it, my friend, and may you at some future day be enabled to trace the family of the owner, and tell them of the sad fate which their relative probably met."

[With this object in view, I have left the ring with the publishers of the American Union, thinking that probably these sketches might attract the attention of some person cognizant of the manufacture of the jewel, and the rightful ownership. The publishers in Boston will be happy to answer all questions concerning the property, and considering the scenes which the ring has gone through, it may indeed be regarded as a curiosity. I shall always retain the ring, and when I gaze at the emblems which are engraved upon it, my thoughts will wander back to the sad scenes which I witnessed while in Australia, and the violent death of the wearer.]

"In with the bodies," cried Murden, "we have much to do before sunset."

As soon as the grave was filled in, the troop regained their former jocularity, and they began dividing among themselves the property which they had found upon the persons of the bushrangers.

The amount was not large, not more than a hundred pounds, yet Murden received his share without a blush, appearing to think that he was doing no more than his duty. Even the dead policeman was remembered, and as he had left a widow in Melbourne, his portion was deposited with the lieutenant, to be paid to her. As Fred and myself were offered our portion, we declined, and begged that it might be given to the lady in question, which action on our part raised us in the estimation of the men immensely.

"Dare you venture across the prairie this forenoon?" asked Murden; "I would not ask you, were it not necessary to use all despatch to reach Melbourne as soon as possible; but to benefit you and your friends, the convicts, I must get a sight of Darnley and his gang."

"If that is your object," we replied, "we are prepared to accompany you as soon as you are ready. Let us get a cup of coffee and a piece of broiled lamb, and then start."

"But my prisoners?" suggested the lieutenant.

"Leave them in charge of a portion of your men until we return," I replied.

"That is easily said; but while I am gone, my men, who are but human, will probably make free with that keg of rum, which I have thus far kept from their reach; and if they are without restraint, would be just as likely to let the prisoners escape, or shoot them, or get to quarrelling among themselves, as any thing else."

"Where is the keg?" asked Fred.

The officer poked aside some bushes where he had placed it, and revealed its hiding place.

"I'll soon quiet your anxiety," Fred said, and as he spoke he pulled out the spigot, and the Jamaica rum mingled with the earth.

"A harsh proceeding, but the best under the circ.u.mstances," cried the lieutenant, with a mournful look, as he heard the rum gush forth as though saying "good, good;" "I love a drop of good liquor, but men, when drinking, have no discretion."

Murden turned away with a sigh, as though the strong fumes which a.s.sailed his nostrils were suggestive of lost hopes, and for the remainder of the day, he was melancholy.

On reentering the stockman's hut, we found him seated beside his daughter's rude couch, tenderly bathing her head with fresh river water.

She was conscious now, but still very weak and feeble, and spoke in whispers. She held out her hand to us when we entered, and smiled, as though thanking us for the care which we had taken to revenge her injuries.

Her pulse we found to be more regular, and if she received no fresh shock, we thought there was a prospect of her being entirely well in a few days, and so we told her.

At our request Murden stationed one of his men at the door with strict orders to admit no one who would be likely to disturb her, and after we had partaken of our rude repast, we got ready for our hot ride over the plain to the forest.