The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 31

"Blast it, that is not what I mean. Are you born gentlemen?" pettishly exclaimed the captain.

"No one can be born gentle, but every man an be a gentleman if he but studies the courtesies of life," remarked Fred.

"And have you so studied?" asked the captain, with a smile.

"All Americans study," replied Fred, "though perhaps no two are alike.

We try to be civil and attentive to all, and those qualities will pa.s.s for good breeding all the world over."

"By heavens, you are right," cried the captain, with genuine English bluffness, "and I should have known better than to have thought you would have accepted of a bed at the station house. Come with me, and make my house your home. I a.s.sure you both a welcome."

"You will excuse us, but we made an engagement before we entered the city to stop at Smith's house, and we told him to rely upon our word."

"And do you prefer his company to mine?" asked the captain, with astonishment.

"We are better acquainted with him," Fred said, evasively.

"But the man has been convicted as a felon and is only at liberty now on parole."

"He has atoned for his fault, and has shown himself a brave man," I replied.

"But with one word I can order him to prison again, and make him serve out his sentence."

"You would not think of doing such an unkind act, I know," rejoined Fred, with a smile.

"I don't know but I shall have to for no other reason than to get his company away," said the captain, smiling; "you will pardon me if I misjudged you both on account of your dress; we have many strangers landing at our port, and if they disguise themselves in the clothing of workmen, they must not feel slighted if they are taken for such."

"We are but workmen," I replied, "and to prove it, I will commence now.

You have it in your power to help confer a benefit, and I mean to work until I get your consent to the scheme."

"Pray, what is it, sir? Any thing in my power I will do willingly."

"We wish the pardon of Smith, and your lieutenant will tell you that he richly deserves it for the gallantry and mercy which he has shown."

"Your request is one fraught with difficulty, but I will see the lieutenant-governor, Mr. Latrobe, and lay the subject before him.

Perhaps you would like to speak to the gentleman himself on the matter."

"Perhaps it would be better if we did," replied Fred, with no expression of astonishment on his face at the proposal.

"Then I will get you an audience to-morrow afternoon, and mind, don't be afraid to speak to the governor when you see him."

"Have no fear on that point," I replied, with a smile.

"Then good-by until to-morrow; I'll send Murden for you when the governor is ready."

The captain so far forgot his aristocracy that he actually extended his hand at parting, and shook our fists with a right good will.

We joined Smith, who was standing a short distance from us, and had listened to every word that had been uttered with a face of scarlet, but as we turned away, I heard the captain remark,--

"Those are singular young fellows, and somehow I begin to like them."

"Well, Smith," I said, as he drove his team from the yard, "we are to have a hearing to-morrow, and perhaps in the evening may be able to celebrate your liberation."

"It will hardly be of use to me," he replied, bitterly. "Let a man do ever so well, the charge of once having been a convict will be repeated in his ears until he is no longer able to hear it. G.o.d knows I have repented of my crime, and only ask an opportunity to commence a new life; and I heard the very man who should have shielded me, say, 'he's only a convict,' and wonders that you dare trust your lives with me."

"He don't know you, Smith," replied Fred, consolingly. "Wait until he hears of your bravery, and knows what you have done, and then you'll see how quickly he will shake you by the hand, and congratulate you."

"Do you think so?" asked Smith, musing over Fred's words.

"I know it will be so; but be you ever so exalted or humble, Smith, there's no man on the island we would sooner call friend."

"Then let them call me convict--if I but possess the esteem of two honest men, who know me thoroughly, hard epithets will fall harmless."

Not another word was spoken during our walk through the streets of the city to the suburbs, where stood the rough board house of Smith, exactly as we had left it a month before. A dozen or twenty buildings had been thrown together in the vicinity during our absence, and were occupied by respectable looking people, who were engaged in business in Melbourne.

A number of fresh, rosy-faced women, true models of English wives, came to their doors as we stopped, and apparently wondered who we were.

We unlocked the door, and found every thing undisturbed; and while Smith drove off his team for the purpose of taking his oxen to pasture, I started a fire in the old stove, and Fred went after water, and to get the materials of a good supper together, which, by long fasting, we keenly felt the need of.

By the time we had eaten our meal it was past sunset, when, recollecting the business which was laid out for the morrow, we pressed Smith into service, and started towards Collins Street for the purpose of buying clothing suitable to wear when ushered into the presence of the lieutenant-governor, who, we were given to understand, did not relish flannel shirts and heavy boots, even if they did cover valued colonists.

By good luck we found a man who kept an a.s.sortment of really excellent ready-made clothing, and after chatting with the fellow until he had reduced his prices one half, we purchased two complete suits.

Pleased with our purchases, we carried them to the house, drank one bowl of good punch, which Smith made as a sort of night-cap, as he termed it, and then lighting our pipes, turned in, and after a brief review of the events of the day, sank into a deep sleep.

CHAPTER XVIII.

LARGE FIRE IN MELBOURNE.--ENGLISH MACHINES AT FAULT.

I know not what the others were dreaming about, but I imagined myself standing by a pile of brush and branches, on which was placed the dead bodies of Black Darnley and his gang, and I thought that I had just applied a match to the dry wood, and that the flames were soaring heavenward, filling the sky with a luminous, blood-red color, and that the corpses, as the fire licked their bodies, began shouting, in derisive tones, for more fuel, when a hand was laid upon my shoulder, and my dreams vanished in an instant. I sprang to my feet, and even then but half awake, I reached for my revolver, and tried to recollect where I was, and how I came there. The room, was as light as day, and through the single window streamed the glare of such a fire as I had seen in my dream.

I could hear the roaring of the flames, and a shouting of voices afar off; and an old cracked bell, upon a church a short distance off, was laboring hard to start into life the sleepers of the city.

"The city is on fire!" cried Smith, giving me another shake to awaken me into consciousness; "all Collins Street appears to be in a bright blaze."

"Wake Fred, and we will go and lend what a.s.sistance we can," I replied, thoroughly aroused.

While Smith proceeded to do so, I stepped to the door, and surveyed the scene, which was grand in the extreme; and I felt my blood course through my veins wildly, as old recollections of volunteer service were brought back, when gentlemen of the utmost respectability pet.i.tioned for admittance to our organization.

That fire was like the blast of a trumpet, and all the old feelings, which had lain dormant for many years, were revived, and I wished that I had an engine and a brave company, to rush to the rescue. While I stood surveying the flames, I was joined by Fred, an old fireman like myself, but cooler, and not so impulsive.

"Do you see!" I exclaimed; "half of the city appears to be in flames, and I do not hear the working of an engine. Let us hasten, and render what a.s.sistance is possible."

"Where are your engine houses?" asked Fred, turning to Smith, who appeared to be remarkably cool and unconcerned.

"That's more than I can tell, and I don't believe that even the captain of police can find one, try he ever so hard," replied Smith.