The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 98

"We are as much in the dark as yourself," I replied, examining the superscription of the letter, and finding that the address was to the "Two Americans, who keep the store."

"Well, open it and enlighten us," the lieutenant said, carelessly, and we complied, and found that the contents were as follows:--

"BALRAT, AUSTRALE.--You felers is in danger and i wont to tel you of it, but i mustnt be seen round or i shal be spected and then no confidince will be plac in me, the felers round think you is agin um in the mining tack, but i say no, take care of your store to night, or you wil see the devil. no more now. A MAN YOU BENIFITTED ONE TIM."

"A pleasant kind of note, truly," remarked Murden, laying down his pipe; "and I don't believe that the writer of the letter had any idea of needlessly alarming you. He is evidently your friend, and would call and give you information were he not fearful of being suspected by his comrades."

"But what is this danger that we are threatened with?" queried Fred.

"I don't know, but it strikes me very forcibly that I have been the means of involving you in difficulty. The spy who overheard our plans last night has evidently reported that you are on the side of government, and to vent their spite against you is undoubtedly the object of the disaffected miners. What they intend to do I don't know; but this I do know--I will have every policeman in Ballarat stationed around your store before it shall come to harm, and I will lose my own life but I will preserve yours and your property." Murden spoke with an air of sincerity and confidence that convinced us he was in earnest.

"Our property," repeated Fred, in a musing tone, and he glanced around the store, where bale and cask were strewed in confusion.

"That is what is aimed at," cried my friend, suddenly starting up.

"Depend upon it, the villains mean to fire the store and destroy all the goods that we have purchased at such a large expense. But we will be ready for them."

He drew his revolver from his belt and examined carefully each barrel, and then saw that the caps were fresh and fitted well.

"In that they shall be disappointed," Murden exclaimed; "I will go to the police quarters at once and state the facts of the case. A dozen men shall be detailed to guard your store, day and night, until all danger is past."

The impetuous officer, filled with this idea, would have rushed instantly to the inspector's; and before Fred could stop him he had got into the street.

"Come here for a moment," cried Fred, in a quiet tone, and Murden doggedly consented.

The instant that he was in the store Fred closed the door and locked it, and put the key in his pocket.

"What is it you wish!" asked the lieutenant, after a moment's silence, surprised at the act.

"I wish you to hear a little reason, and not ruin us with your good intentions," my friend answered, quietly.

Murden looked astonished, but made no reply. He refilled his pipe and lighted it in silence. At length he asked,--

"What do you mean by saying that I shall ruin you with my intentions? Do you think that I do not feel very keenly the situation in which my own thoughtlessness has placed you?"

"We have no doubt that your motives are good," replied Fred, "but we know that you will listen to reason, and after a few words of explanation will agree with us that our course is right."

Murden looked incredulous, and puffed away at his pipe vigorously; but he muttered, "Go on," and we discovered that he was softening rapidly.

"It is evident," Fred went on to state, "that the disaffected portion of the miners at this place think that we are in league with government in endeavoring to force the tax upon them, and, to revenge themselves, undertake to burn our store. This we must prevent."

"That is what I told you in the first place," interrupted the lieutenant. "We must have a police force around the store, and shoot down every suspicious character that approaches during the night."

"Such a course would soon make the mines too hot to hold us, and instead of getting sympathy, we should get the undying hatred of every man in Australia. No, no; we must meet violence with kindness, and instead of making enemies, make friends."

"Go on, and tell me how you will act to do so," cried Murden.

"It is very simple: we must watch for those who seek to harm us, and convince them of our friendship," responded Fred, earnestly.

"By hanging or shooting, I suppose," replied Murden.

"Neither one nor the other method should we adopt. We will keep watch, and if an incendiary seeks to fire our building, we will seize him, and convince him that we are favorable to his cause, or that we mean to remain neutral during the coming struggle, and then set him free to return to his friends with the news."

"Hadn't you better throw in a gla.s.s of liquor, and a few plugs of tobacco?" asked the officer, sarcastically, never having heard of such kind of treatment to people who were disposed to be vicious.

"Your suggestion is good, and shall be acted on," replied Fred, pleasantly. "Have you any other?"

"No, but I wish to tell you that you are laboring under a mistaken idea, and that you will regret your benevolent motives. Such a course as you describe might answer very well if the population of Ballarat was made up of high-minded and honorable men, and not the refuse of the old countries, whose crimes have outlawed them, and whose greatest inclination is to be in mischief."

"You forget," said Fred, "that this tax movement originated with the best and most intelligent men at the mines, and that the cla.s.s of people you have described are bushrangers, or else men who live upon the community without work. If ever the miners and the government do have a collision, you will be surprised at the respectable ranks that the former will show."

"I have no doubt of it," responded Murden, dryly.

"Under these circ.u.mstances, we must think that it is better to depend upon ourselves than upon the police for protection, because the instant that the latter are arrayed on our side it will be known all over Ballarat, and then our business and reputation will be lost."

"Then you are really serious?" queried Murden, after a moment's thought.

"Quite so, for it is our only hope to escape persecution," returned Fred.

"Well, perhaps you are right," the officer said, "and I will consent to follow your suggestions; but I claim the privilege of a.s.sisting you in your watch."

"That we are quite willing to accord, and as it is past twelve o'clock we may as well begin it, for there is no knowing how soon our enemies may steal upon us."

To prevent the dog from giving an alarm we tied him up, and then extinguished our lights, and carefully walked around the building, keeping well in the shade, so that if any one was approaching we could be informed of the fact, and be prepared to give a warm reception. The night was very quiet and warm, and the only sounds to be heard were the humming of the thousands of insects that filled the air, or an occasional howling of some dog, tied up during the temporary absence of its owner, or the loud snoring of Steel Spring, who, taking but little interest in matters that did not concern his stomach or himself, went to sleep at an early hour in the evening with his head resting on a herring box, and his long legs on a barrel, and such doleful sounds did he emit from his nasal organ, that even the horses were kept in a state of perpetual irritation, and were inclined to refuse their provender.

Occasionally on the heavy night air would come a dull sound, like a splash of water, which showed that some industrious miners were trying to keep their claim clear, and for that purpose were bailing out water day and night.

Twice did we patrol around our store, and yet saw nothing of danger or any suspicious circ.u.mstance. Hour after hour pa.s.sed away, and we began to grow dozy from the effect of a hard day's work, and we sat down within the building, and thought that we would refresh ourselves with a few whiffs from our pipes; but while filling them, a low growl from Rover startled us. In an instant I was by the dog's side, and quieted him with a word, and during all the confusion that ensued that night, the hound did not disgrace his training.

The sound that had started the dog appeared to us to proceed from a tent some distance off; but we were not certain in that respect, and listened attentively. For a few minutes all was quiet, and then we distinctly heard the cracking of a stick, and then all was still for the s.p.a.ce of five minutes.

We cautiously moved, so that we could observe every portion of the building, and yet we saw nothing that deserved notice, and we began to think that our imaginations were running riot, when a repet.i.tion of the cracking sound once more occurred.

"Some one is under the building," whispered Fred.

Our store rested upon two small hillocks, which was an advantage during the wet season, for the water was all carried off towards the river, and the constructor of the store had rightly judged that it would flow under the building, and leave the front part perfectly dry. It was, therefore, very easy for one or more persons to crawl along the rough gulf which the water coursed over, and stopping under the former, kindle a fire that would give us great difficulty to extinguish in the absence of engines and scarcity of water.

We all listened attentively, but no sound was heard, and we began to fear that the flames might already be kindled, and that the incendiaries had made their escape. Smith and Murden agreed to creep down one side of the building, while Fred and myself undertook to guard the other.

With this understanding we parted company, and cautiously reached the gulf, so that we could look under the building, and there, sure enough, we saw that ample preparations had been made for smoking us out, for a pile of kindling nearly a foot high was raised, and two men, who, when they spoke, did so in whispers, were busy adding to it.

"There, there's enough," cried one, "to set fire to all the shanties in Ballarat. Light the match, and let's be off, or the dog will be snuffing around, and then we shall have the fellers about our ears."

"Faith, there's mighty little fear of that, for don't you hear 'um snore as though they hadn't slept a bit for a month. Pile on the stuff, and let's have a rousing fire while we are 'bout it," replied the other; and his voice sounded familiar to us, although who the speaker was we had no idea.

"You forget that firewood is dear at Ballarat," and he chuckled as he spoke, as though amused at the thought.

"Thin we'll have it chaper before long," returned the other; and by his language we knew that he was an Irishman.