The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ), William H. Thomes [best story books to read .txt] 📗
- Author: William H. Thomes
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Since My Return From Australia, I Have Been Solicited By A Number Of
Friends To Give Them A History Of My Adventures In That Land Of Gold,
Where Kangaroos Are Supposed To Be As Plenty As Natives, And Jump Ten
Volume 2 Introduction Pg 2Times As Far, And Where Natives Are Imagined To Be Continually Lying In
Ambush For The Purpose Of Making A Hearty Meal Upon The Bodies Of Those
Unfortunate Travellers Who Venture Far Into The Interior Of The
Country--Where Bushrangers Are Continually Hanging About Camp Fires,
Ready To Cut The Weasands Of Those Who Close Their Eyes For A
Moment--And Lastly, Where Every Other Man That You Meet Is Expected To
Be A Convict, Transported From The Mother Country For Such Petty Crimes
As Forgery, House-Breaking, And Manslaughter In The Second Degree.
My Friends Have All Desired To Hear Me Relate These Particulars, And
Have Honored Me With A Large Attendance At My Rooms, And Sat Late At
Night, And Drank My Wine And Water, And Smoked My Cigars, With A Relish
That Did Me Great Credit, As It Showed That I Am Something Of A
Connoisseur In The Choice Of Such Luxuries. And Then They Laughed So
Loudly At My Jokes, No Matter How Poor They Were, That, For A Few Days
After My Arrival Home, I Really Thought The Air Of Australia Had
Improved And Sharpened My Wit.
I Should, No Doubt, Have Continued Feasting Those Who Listened So
Patiently To My Yarns, Had Not A Sudden Idea Entered My Head, One Night,
When The Company Were The Most Boisterous. I Was In The Act Of Raising A
Glass Of Wine To My Mouth, When It Occurred To Me That Before I Left
This Country For Australia, Via California, Scarcely One Of Those
Present Had Assembled On The Dock To Bid Me Farewell.
I Placed The Untasted Wine Upon The Table Again, Lighted A Cigar, And
Was Soon Buried In Smoke And Reflection. I Thought Of The Time When I
Had Not Money Enough To Pay My Passage To The Golden State--Of The
Exertions I Had Made To Raise The Amount Necessary, And The Many
Refusals That I Had Met With At The Hands Of Those Who Now Professed To
Be My Friends.
I Blew Aside The Smoke That Enveloped My Head, And Fixed My Eyes Upon
One Red-Faced Cousin, Who Owned Bank Shares, And Bought Stocks When Low,
And Sold Them When A Rise Had Taken Place. He Had Laughed At Me For My
Impertinence In Supposing That He Could Loan Me Money, And Now He Was
Seated At My Table, Chuckling At My Jokes, And Swearing, While He Helped
Himself To Liquor, That I Was The Best Fellow Alive, And That There Was
Nothing But What He Would Do For Me.
Could It Be Possible That The Possession Of Fifty Or Sixty Thousand
Dollars Had Wrought Such A Change? I Was Forced To Believe It, And I
Grew Sad At The Thought, And No More Jokes Escaped My Lips That Night;
But The Company Remained As Late As Usual, And Declared By A Unanimous
Vote That They Would Meet Again At The Same Place The Next Evening, And
Hear Further Particulars.
Before Sunset The Next Day I Had Changed My Apartments, And Taken
Private Lodgings With A Friend Who Had Visited Me But Once Since My
Return, And Had Then Refused To Accept Of The Hospitalities That I Was
Disposed To Offer Him. He Had Lent Me Money Without Security--He Had
Declined Taking Interest For The Same--He Had Welcomed Me On My Arrival
As Warmly As I Expected--He Did Not Ask Me How Much Dust I Had Brought
Back And He Never Said A Word About His Wish To Be Repaid The Few
Volume 2 Introduction Pg 3Hundred Dollars That He Had Advanced Me When I Left Home To Seek My
Fortune. When I Did Offer Him The Money, And Thrust A Diamond Ring Upon
His Finger As A Token Of My Esteem, He Blushed Like A Young School Girl,
And Declared That He Didn't Deserve It.
At His House, Then, I Took Up My Abode; And While His Family Treat Me
With Respect, They Possess None Of The Fawning Which Characterizes My
Other Friends. As The Latter Have Frequently Expressed Their Sorrow For
My Sudden Removal, And Their Anxiety To Know What Events Befell Me In
The Mines Of Australia, I Have Come To The Conclusion That I Would Put
Them In Print; And Now Those Who Used To Drink My Liquor And Feast At My
Table Will Learn How I Acquired My Fortune, And Then, If So Disposed,
They Can Follow In My Footsteps And Gain A Competence For Themselves.
This Much I Have Told The Reader In Confidence, And With The Hope That
It Will Not Be Repeated, As My Red-Faced Cousin, Who Every Day Is To Be
Seen On 'Change, Might Be Seriously Angry If He Was Suspected Of
Mercenary Motives. With This Introduction I Will Commence My Narrative.
Volume 2 Chapter 46 (A Marriage, And An Elopement) Pg 4
In A Few Minutes We Reached The Mine. As There Was No One In Sight, The
Policeman Concluded To Give The Signal At The Entrance Of The Shaft That
The Owner Was Wanted, And As The Mine Was Not Very Deep, We Were Not
Kept Waiting Any Length Of Time For His Appearance. The Tackle For
Lowering And Raising The Miners Was Worked, And First The Head And Then
The Body Of A Man Appeared In View.
"Here's Two Gentlemen--They Want To See You, Mr. Henrets," The Officer
Said.
"My Name Is Herrets," The Miner Said, "And Why You Will Persist In
Calling Me Henrets Is Beyond My Comprehension."
"One Name Is As Good As The Other--What Is The Difference?--Both Begin
With H And End With S."
We Found That The Officer's Description Of The Man Answered Very Well.
His Hair Was Sandy, His Eyes Were Blue, And His Skin Was Very Fair And
Beardless. He Was About Five Feet Six Inches, And Not Very Stout.
Volume 2 Chapter 46 (A Marriage, And An Elopement) Pg 5
Dressed As He Was, In Mining Clothes, Stained With Many A Stratum Of
Earth, We Could Form But A Poor Opinion Of His Good Looks, Even Had We
Been Disposed To Estimate His Beauty Before His Understanding.
"What Can I Do For You?" He Asked, Addressing Fred And Myself, In A Tone
That Was Intended To Be Excessively Conciliatory.
"Before We Answer That Question We Must Ask One," Fred Replied. "Were
You Ever An Apprentice To A Cordwainer In London?"
The Man's Face Flushed Scarlet, And He Seemed Extremely Agitated At The
Question--But At Length He Replied,--
"I Was An Apprentice To A Cordwainer, But My Indentures Were Given Up
Before I Left England, Sir."
"And Your Master Had An Only Daughter, Whose Hand You Demanded In
Marriage," Fred Continued.
"Yes, But I Meant Nothing Wrong; Upon My Word, Gents, I Didn't," He
Exclaimed, Hastily, Evidently Considering Fred And Myself In Some Way
Connected With The Law, As We Were Under The Guidance Of A Police
Officer.
"That Remains To Be Seen," Returned Fred, In A Mysterious Manner,
Evidently Taking Some Delight In Frightening The Simple-Minded Young Man
All He Could.
"O, I Can Tell You All About It," Herrets Exclaimed With Eagerness.
"That Is Unnecessary," Fred Replied. "We Know All, Or Nearly All; But
What We Wish To Discover Is, Why You Did Not Join The Lady At Melbourne,
As You Promised In Your Letter?"
"Join The Lady At Melbourne?" The Young Fellow Repeated, Hardly Knowing
What To Say; "Why, I Wrote To Her That If She Would Come To Australia I
Would Pay Her Expenses, And Marry Her, Besides. That Was Fair, Wasn't
It? But She Didn't Write Me That She Would Come; So Of Course I Thought
That My Hundred Pounds Were A Dead Loss, And That The Girl Had Got
Another Feller, Which I Don't Call Exactly Fair; Do You?"
We Did Not Commit Ourselves By Any Opinion, As We Did Not Know But That
Some Day It Would Be Brought Against Us.
We Formed An Opinion, However, Respecting The Mental Capacity Of The
Youth, For Whose Sake The Poor Girl Had Wandered So Many Miles; And I No
Longer Wondered That She Saw A Difference Between Her Lover And Fred.
"Then You Received No Letter From Miss Purcel, Announcing That She Would
Sail On Such A Day, And Requesting You To Be On The Lookout For Her?"
Asked Fred.
"Of Course I Didn't," Responded The Young Man, With Commendable
Eagerness. "That Is Just What I Am Finding Fault With."
Volume 2 Chapter 46 (A Marriage, And An Elopement) Pg 6
"Then
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