_ CHAPTER LIV. THE WAY THE COLONISTS OBTAIN WIVES IN AUSTRALIA
"Vell, of all the jolly things in the world, if this don't knock um," Steel Spring said, with one of his most hideous grins. "I told my friend, Murden, and I halso 'inted the same thing to 'is excellency the governor, the last time that I dined vid him, and just as he was axing me to take vine, that I would vager a stiff glass of viskey, vich you vill ax me to take by and by, that you vouldn't know me on the first occasion of my visit. 'Steel Spring,' said the governor, 'it can't be did;' and ven I pledged my vord as a gentleman and a man of probity, that I vould vrite to him the result, in a strict sense, he shook my 'and, and said I was a honor to the land wot give me birth, and that he 'oped he should never be called upon to part vid me. Ven can I 'ave the viskey?"
I stood a few minutes surveying the ex-bushranger with admiration, and hardly knowing whether he most deserved a kicking or a word of praise for his falsehoods and perfect disguise. While I was considering the matter, Fred joined us, being awakened by the shrill chuckling of our visitor.
"You have not forgotten how to lie, at all events," I said, "and perhaps the peculiar talent that you display in that line may be of some service to us; so, for the purpose of keeping in practice, all your stories will go undisputed at present."
"Ven a man is perfect in a certain line of things, he don' vant practice, unless he grows rusty, or is out of employment. Now, since I have been connected vid the police force, I've almost forgotten how to speak the truth; and, somehow, I don't think that it agrees vid me; for unless I'se honest I have a fit of blues that lasts me until I've made up to my reckness. Ven can I have the viskey?"
I gave him a glass of strong American whiskey, which would make the tears come into a man's eyes unless his throat was sheathed with tin; but Steel Spring tossed it down, and smacked his lips, as though it was so much water.
"Now, then, I feel like a man vot has found a nugget--perfectly happy for the time being, but miserable as soon as the excitement has passed away, 'cos he don't know when he shall get another."
"When did you reach Ballarat?" Fred asked, as soon as Steel Spring was inclined to hold his tongue.
"This evening. I've been on the road two days, but feel as fresh as a newly-hatched parrot."
"Did Murden tell you what we required of you?" I asked.
"He said something about my getting the vorst thrashing that I ever had in my life, unless I obeyed orders. So here I am, ready to go to vork and do my best."
"Where are you stopping?" I inquired.
"Vell, the lieutenant said that I vos to play _loose_; and pretend not to go near you, unless I vos so fixed up that even my dear friend, the governor, vouldn't know me; and I don't think that he vould, had he seen me to-night."
"But where are you stopping?" I again asked.
"Vell, I am at Dan Brian's 'Cricket,' and I must say that my old friend keeps tiptop lush, and is disposed to be civil," answered Steel Spring.
The "Cricket" was one of the vilest places in Ballarat; and its proprietor, Dan Brian, one of the most noted characters. He was once a convict, but made his escape, and joined a gang of bushrangers. For two years he lived in the bush, and subsisted by killing sheep and cattle.
Soon after the gold mines were discovered, he helped to rob a government escort of dust on its way to Melbourne, and two thousand ounces of gold fell to his share. His ill-gotten wealth made him long for an opportunity to squander it; and unknown to the gang, he sent word to the captain of police at Melbourne, and asked what terms he could receive if he betrayed his comrades.
Of course the police were too ready to accede to any proposition that Dan might make to haggle about terms; and the Judas was promised not only his life and a free pardon, but it was intimated that the treasure in his possession should never be claimed by government.
On these considerations Dan promised to turn traitor; and one day he persuaded the gang to visit a spot which they considered unsafe, but which Dan swore no policeman would ever dare to venture in. The bushrangers were surrounded, surprised, and captured, and executed to a man, with the exception of the betrayer.
After this bloody piece of work, the fellow spent most of his money in dissipation, and when it was nearly all gone, he determined to open a resort for thieves and assassins at Ballarat; and although the police knew the kind of house he maintained, yet they were unable to break him up for want of evidence to convict him and his guests.
Some went even so far as to say that he furnished information to the police for certain considerations, but Mr. Brown always denied the imputation with great eagerness.
"Does Dan know what brings you to Ballarat?" I asked, resuming the conversation with our visitor.
"He's already bin pumping, but the clapper don't work. I told him I was after a few _scrags_, for the purpose of raising a gang; and taking the bush agin; and he thinks it's so, and promised to help me. I 'opes I don't forfeit your confidence by being compelled to tell a lie. It goes agin me, you know."
We readily promised him that all such little failings on his part should be overlooked; and after a second edition of whiskey, we laid our trouble and plans before him, and gave him full directions how to proceed.
He was to frequent all places where crime was committed or planned; to converse with all sorts of characters, honest or otherwise; to avoid the police, and pretend an intense hatred for them; and when he wished to communicate with us, it must only be done in the night time, and dressed in such a disguise that none of his gang would recognize him.
In case of his discovering Follet's companion in the attempted assassination, he was to let us know, so that the fellow's arrest could take place immediately; and while we agreed to find money for his expenses, we promised a handsome gratuity in case he was successful.
Steel Spring listened with more patience than I ever gave him credit for, while we were enlightening his mind; and although he asked a dozen different questions, which we considered at the time as frivolous, we answered them to the best of our ability, and gave him what insight we were able to regarding the company that Follet had been in the habit of keeping.
"There, that will do for the present," Steel Spring said. "Ef the feller is in Ballarat, I shall hear of 'im afore long. Give me another drink of viskey, and I'll be off, 'cos a select company of the _elite_ of Ballarat expects me to honor their supper vid my presence in about an hour's time, and ven I gives my vord to a gentleman I don't like to disappint um. Keep cool, and don't be afeerd of swinging on this little affair, 'cos there's no danger. Ef I thought there was, I should certainly speak to my friend, the governor."
"Mr. Murden did not send you here to jest, did he?" asked Fred, a little sternly.
"O, by no means; and I didn't mean any 'arm by vot I said. Please don't say anything to the lieutenant."
We promised; and Steel Spring turned to go, quite satisfied. Just as he reached the door, he stopped, and drew a very dirty-looking letter from his bosom, and handed it to us.
"I'd almost forgotten that Lieutenant Murden sent this letter by me. Good night. I'll see you again to-morrow some time, but it will be late in the evening;" and with these words he stole from the store as noiselessly as a serpent creeping towards a paroquet sleeping on a gum tree.
We broke the flaming red seal of our friend's letter, and read as follows:--
MELBOURNE, Jan. 24th, 18--.
My dear friends: You may believe that I was astonished when I got your letter. Such damnable scrapes as you two are always getting into, warrants me in saying that a keeper is needed in your store to take the entire charge of you. I wish that I could get away for a few days; I'd run up and lend you a helping hand to clear up that shocking affair.
As I can't leave, I send Steel Spring, agreeable to request. May you make the most of him, for such a liar never went unhanged. As an incentive to stir himself in your behalf, I thrashed him like the devil on the afternoon that he left, and promised a repetition unless he obeyed orders, and followed your directions to the letter.
I find that the oftener I lick him the better he likes me; and he actually pretended to feel grieved at parting. I have great hope that he will live long enough to be honest; but I have reasonable doubts of the scheme, and it would not surprise me any day to hear that he had taken to the bush. Still, I must say that I find him useful in a number of ways; and a better detective cannot be found in the country, for no matter what I have placed him on, he has followed it up until the mystery was unravelled.
Yesterday, a ship load of interesting girls, many of them in interesting conditions, arrived from England, being sent out by a society for the prevention of pauperism, or something like it. They are intended as wives for us poor colonists; and I wish that you had been here, to have seen the fun and the rush for the first choice. The ship was surrounded by boats, until at length the crowd was so great I had to take twenty-five men, and hire a steamboat to carry us down the river, to where the vessel was lying. The uproar and confusion was great--terrific.
Men wanted their first pick, and swore frightfully when they couldn't be gratified. The women all wanted stout, healthy husbands, and rich ones at that, and they shrieked some when told that they must take them by lot.
However, sooner than go unmarried, the girls at length consented to any arrangement that was proposed; and then what a time we had of it! for you are well aware that delicacy is not a characteristic of Australia. Amidst the crowd, struggling for a wife right manfully, did I observe the teamster whom Smith has in his employ, and who made you one visit with his load of goods while I was at Ballarat. He did honor to the firm, for the fellow got one of the best looking (and I will say at the same time, one of the most vicious, if I am any judge of faces) on board, out of a cargo of one hundred and ninety-eight.
I asked your man what he intended to do with a wife in his circumstances.
"Marry her," he replied, "and take her to Ballarat, and go into the mining business."
So look out for an addition to the population in a short time.
A day was required to get all the girls married off; for those who were left till the last stage were not of an enticing character; and there was a slight prospect of a row between the snub-nosed women, each of whom thought she was superior in point of beauty to the others; and not until I sent on shore and got three Victoria miners, not over scrupulous in taste, were they disposed to be silent.
You should have been in Melbourne on the first night of the arrival. Of course, where so many marriages took place, some little latitude was allowed to the happy couples; and more carousing I have not seen since whiskey was only a pound per gallon. The beauty of the arrangement was that the men got drunk, and one half of them could not tell the next morning whom they had married, or whether they had married at all.
The wives were in the same state of blissful ignorance, for they had not known their husbands long enough to get familiar with their features; and you will admit that where all men wear their beards in full, there is some resemblance between us bipeds.
Our police office was besieged from morning until night, by anxious husbands and inconsolable wives. Six different times was your friend seized upon and claimed as the lawful spouse of six different women, two of whom were the snub-noses spoken of above.
I hope you will admire the taste of your employee in the selection of a wife, and that you will continue to conduct yourself in a decorous manner after her arrival. Fair play, and don't take advantage--(the balance of the line was illegible.)
I must close my letter by once more recommending you to keep a bright lookout for Steel Spring, and to write me information if he does not come up to your expectations. Let me hear from you as soon as practicable, and don't forget to send me all the news that is stirring, including mining tax and other matters. By the way, the artillery corps in this place have received orders to be in readiness for instant duty and marching order. They are practising with their guns every day. Their destination is a secret, although I think I can _guess_ where they are to go.
Yours in purity and honesty,
MURDEN.
The next day we informed the inspector of Steel Spring's arrival, and the place where he was domiciled; and the former hinted to his sergeant that the latter should be watched narrowly, but was not to be interfered with unless something criminal was noted, in which case he was to be arrested without delay. Of course Mr. Brown did not impart to his subordinates what the ex-bushranger was attempting to accomplish, and the matter always remained a secret to them.
We saw nothing of Steel Spring until two days after his arrival, when he paid us a nocturnal visit, disguised as usual, and gave us some information that was of real importance.
"I'se getting along werry slowly," he said, "'cos I've got to creep afore I can walk. But things is vorking, and no mistake; and I 'spected ven I took that horn of viskey the other night, that it would clear my hideas, and make me find somethin'."
"Well, what have you found out?" I demanded.
"That the confounded dust gets into my throat, and keeps me dry, and I think will really drive me into a galloping consumption time. I'se dry now, and I think that if you had some vater here vid the brackishness taken off vid a little somethin' good, that it would help me."
We understood the hint, and gratified it; only after we had poured out a tumbler of whiskey, he refused to have it spoiled by adding a drop of water, as he thought that the latter was most too salt to agree with his constitution. He drained the glass, smacked his lips, and made up such a hideous face that he would have frightened a person of delicate nerves into fits, had his countenance been seen.
"Now, then, for the information!" I cried.
"Vell, then, to business. I vant some more money."
"You shan't have it until you give a good account of yourself, and tell us what you have done with the gold we already gave you."
"O, werry well," the mutinous scamp replied, moving towards the door; "ven you get ready to give me the chink, I'll be ready to vork for you, and not until then."
He had already got his hand upon the latch, and was making a motion to open the door, when Fred sprang upon him by his collar, and despite of his long, spider-like legs, hurled him to the floor, where he lay for a moment motionless and senseless. He raised his head, however, after a while, and attempted to get to his feet, but Fred was watching his motions, and grasping him by his neck, choked him, until the impudent fellow was almost black in his face, and was glad to beg for mercy.
"Will you answer our questions now?" Fred asked, giving him a shake.
"I'll do any thing hereafter," he gasped, "that you desire; only don't squeeze the breath entirely out of my body."
"Now, then, tell us what information you have received, and let us have no more of your impudence; and if you don't tell a straight story we'll beat you to death with our horsewhips."
Steel Spring understood the meaning of the language used, and he saw that he had men to deal with who were not disposed to submit to his demands and impudence, as he supposed they would. His confident air was gone, and an abject one assumed its place.
"Last night," he commenced, "I vas sitting vid a few coves in Dan's crib, talking flash, ven von of 'em mentioned the case which I is hunting up. I pretended that I didn't, know vot vas meant, and axed in a careless sort of vay for the particulars. One of the coves tells me how old Critchet got lammed, and then said that the coves didn't get anything, 'cos the old feller had carried all of his money to the government office, and took a paper for the amount. I axed him how he knowed, and he said he seed the old cock lugging the dust to the office, and followed him, thinking that if he could get a chance he would crack him over his head, and make a raise. I didn't make many 'quiries, 'cos I thought I vould vate a little vile until I got 'quainted."
"And was there any thing said about the parties who committed the outrage?" I asked.
"There vas a few hints, but not enough to give me a hold. However, von of the chaps said that he would show me a man vot helped in the business to-morrow night, if I vished."
"And what answer did you make?" we inquired eagerly.
"I said that I thought he would make a good pal for the bush, and that I would like to know him, and talk the matter over with a few good ones vot I had already spoken to."
"And what do you propose to do in case the assassin meets you?" we demanded.
"Get him to talk of the matter--praise him for his courage, make him boast of it, and then nab him, and vere is he? Ve have the feller fast and no mistake, and vether the old gent lives or dies ve don't care, 'cos ve shows the commissioner that you're hinnocent."
"How many men will be required to act as you state?" we asked.
"As few as possible," responded Steel Spring, promptly; "three besides myself. Say Mr. Brown and both of you."
We knew enough of Dan's crib to be certain that, if an attempt was made to arrest a noted character, there would be a struggle, and possibly bloodshed; and we had seen too many desperate battles not to know that a shot can be fired by a pretended friend with more coolness than an enemy, and no one the wiser for it. I scrutinized Steel Spring's face to see if I could read his thoughts, but nature had given him eyes of such a peculiar hue and shape that I was baffled in my attempt.
"Do you mean honestly to assist us if we agree to your plans?" I asked.
"So help me Heaven," he cried; and one of his hands was raised as though swearing to the truth of his words.
"We want no oaths, because we know the value that you place upon them; but let me impress upon your mind that to-morrow night we will accompany you--that each of us intends to carry a revolver, (and you know what execution we can do with them,) and the first shot fired shall be at your body if we see any signs of treachery. Now go, and meet us to-morrow night at any time you see proper."
I opened the door as Fred ceased speaking, and, with a thoughtful brow, Steel Spring passed out of the room, and was soon lost to view as he skulked homeward. _