Lost Lenore: The Adventures of a Rolling Stone Page 54

inclination: asa sign for me to accept the offer--which I did.

  The money was paid down; and after all had finished tossing, numberforty-seven was declared the winner. This had been my score. Thewoman, therefore, belonged to the young man, who had bought it from me.She was at once handed over to him; and inaugurated the "nuptials" byflinging her arms around his neck, and giving him a sonorous "buss" uponthe cheek!

  After we came away from the place, I learnt from my mate, that theaffair was what he called "a sell."

  "Then why did you propose that we should take a chance?" I asked.

  "Why," he replied, with a significant shrug, "well, I'll tell you. Iwas told to come to the raffle, because I was working with you--who theythought would be likely to take a share. Had you not taken one, theywould have supposed that I had cautioned you not to do so; and I shouldhave made enemies amongst some of the old hands--who look upon me as,being in all things, one of themselves."

  "And you think that the woman will not live with the young man who wonher?"

  "I'm sure of it. She'll go along with him for awhile; but she won'tstay with him. She'll run away from him--join, Brumming, again--and thetwo will repeat the same dodge at some other diggings."

  I divided the fifteen pounds with my partner; and retired to my tent--well pleased that I had so disposed of my chance, and no little amusedat the grotesque chapter of "life on the Avoca," it had been my fortuneto be witness to.

  A few weeks after the occurrence, I read in a newspaper: that the policeon the Bendigo diggings had arrested a man for trying to dispose of hiswife by a raffle; and I have no doubt that the man was "poor old NedBrumming!"

  Volume Three, Chapter VIII.

  CAUGHT IN HIS OWN TRAP.

  A "claim," adjoining the one in which my partner and I were working, wasmuch richer than ours. The primitive rock lay farther below thesurface--showing that there had been a basin in the creek, or river,that hundreds of years before had flowed over the "vale of Avoca."

  In this basin had been deposited a great quantity of earth containinggold: for the soil was thickly impregnated with the precious metal.

  This claim was owned by three men. Two of them appeared to berespectable young fellows; and I incidentally learnt from them, thatthey had been playmates in boyhood, shipmates on their voyage to thecolony, and had worked together ever since their arrival at thediggings. An old convict was the third partner of these two young men.He had first marked out the claim, and for a while kept sole possessionof it; but, seeing that he would be unable to manage it by himself, hehad allowed the other two to take shares in it.

  They had joined the convict only for that one job; and had done so,because they could not find any other favourable opportunity for"getting on the line."

  One day, when I was standing by at the windlass of our own shaft, I sawthe old convict come towards his claim--apparently after having been tohis dinner.

  I had observed one of the young men let himself down the shaft, but afew minutes before. Soon after, I heard his voice from below calling tothe convict--who had placed himself by the windlass, after his arrival.I then saw the latter lower the rope, and hoist the young man to thesurface. The old convict was then lowered down; and, as soon as he haddetached himself from the rope below, I noticed that the young manhastily drew it up and in a manner that betrayed some extraordinaryexcitement.

  "Hoist up your mate, and bring him here," he called to me. "Quick!I've something terrible to tell you of."

  I called to my partner to get on the tackle; and, as soon as he had doneso, I drew him up out of the shaft.

  While I was doing this, the young man who had called to me, summonedsome others in the same manner; and five or six men who chanced to benear, hastened up to the spot.

  As soon as we were assembled around him, the young fellow began:

  "I have a strange story to tell you all," said he. "My friend has beenmurdered; and the man who has committed the crime is below. We have himsure. Will some one go to the `camp' for the police? I shall not leavethis spot, till I see the murderer in their custody, or see him dead."

  The commotion, caused by this startling announcement, brought severalothers to the place; and a crowd was soon collected around the claim.Two or three started off for the police encampment.

  While waiting for their return, the young man, who had called us aroundhim, gave an explanation of his conduct in having summoned us thusstrangely.

  "I came up out of the shaft," said he, "about half-past eleven o'clock;and went home to cook dinner for myself and my friend. I left him alongwith our other mate--the murderer--who is now below, at work, stowingaway some of the pipe-clay that we had finished working with. Iexpected him to follow me to his dinner in about half-an-hour after. Iwaited for him till nearly one; and as he did not come, I ate my dinneralone, and then returned here to go on with the work.

  "When I came back, I could see no one. I called down the shaft,thinking both were below.

  "As there was no answer, I let myself down by the rope, intending to goto work by myself. I supposed that my mates had strayed off to somegrog-shop--where they might spend a good part of the afternoon. Theyhad done this once before; and I thought they might do it again.

  "After getting below, I lit the candle; and looked about to see whatthey had been doing, since I left them at eleven o'clock.

  "The first thing that met my eyes, was the toe of a boot sticking out ofthe pipe-clay--where we had been stowing it away, in the worked-out partof the shaft. What, thought I, is their object in burying the bootthere?

  "I took hold of it--there was just enough of it protruding out of thepipe-clay to enable me to get a grasp of it. I felt that there was afoot in it. It was a boot belonging to my friend. I knew it--notwithstanding its being plastered over with the clay. I drew out theboot; and along with it the body of the man to whom it belonged. He wasdead! I think it is probable he was not quite dead, when covered up;and that in his death-spasm he had somehow moved his foot, causing it toprotrude a little out of the clay.

  "I have no doubt," continued the young miner, "that my seeing that boothas saved my own life: for the man who has murdered my friend, wouldhave served me in the same way, had we both been down below, and Iignorant of what he had already done.

  "Just as I was about climbing up the rope to get out, I saw the man whois now below here, preparing to let himself down. I called to him, inmy natural tone of voice; and told him that I wanted to go above for aminute--to get a drink. This, no doubt, put him off his guard; and hehelped me up.

  "I then asked him what had become of Bill--that was my friend's name.

  "`He did not come home to dinner,' said I, `and he is not below.'

  "`When we came up to go to dinner,' said he, `and were about startingaway from here, I saw Bill meet a stranger, and shake hands with him.They went off together.'

  "I suggested that he might probably have strayed off upon a spree; andthat we were not likely to get any more work out of him that day. Iadded, that, after I had had my drink, we could both go below, and workwithout him. This seemed to please my other partner--who at oncedesired to be let down into the shaft.

  "I lowered him at his request--telling him I should follow soon after.

  "He and his victim are now in the shaft. Had he succeeded in killingboth of us, he would not only have got all the gold we had obtained inthe claim, but some more besides." This story excited in the minds ofall present, a feeling of horror, joined to a keen desire forretribution. Several shouted out to the old convict--commanding him tocome up; that his crime was known, and escape would be impossible.

  The murderer must have heard every word; but no answer was returnedeither to the threats or commands of those above. There was no occasionfor the latter, either to be in haste, or in any way uneasy about theman making his escape. He could not possibly get clear from the trap,into which his partner had so adroitly cajoled him. He must either comeout of the shaft, or starve at the botto
m of it.

  The policemen, soon after, arrived upon the ground; and were madeacquainted with all the circumstances.

  One of them hailed the convict--commanding him "in the Queen's name" tocome up.

  "You are our prisoner," said the policeman, "you cannot escape; and youmay as well surrender at once."

  There was no answer.

  One of the policemen then placed himself in a bowline knot at the end ofthe rope; and was gently lowered down into the shaft--several menstanding by at the windlass.

  "Hold there!" cried the convict from below. "The instant you reach thebottom, I'll drive my pick-axe through you."

  The men at the windlass ceased turning--leaving the policeman suspendedhalf way down the shaft.

  He was a man of superior courage;