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The Gold Hunter's Adventures by William H. Thomes

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"'You are sleepy,' I said. 'Occupy my bed to-night, and I'll sit by the
fire.'

"'The floor will do for me. Give me a sheep-skin and let me stretch
myself before the fire.'

"Finding that he was resolved not to deprive me of the bed, I spread
half a dozen skins upon the hearth, and giving him a pipe well filled
with tobacco, retired to my couch, and lay watching his huge form by the
faint flicker of the fire, which had begun to grow dim.

"In a few minutes Darnley's head, which he had supported upon his hand,
sank upon his pillow; 'the pipe dropped from his mouth, and by his heavy
breathing I knew that he slept. Wicked thoughts then crowded upon my
mind. Within my reach was a gun, well charged with slugs, and there,
lying upon the hearth, was an escaped convict, whose life was forfeited
by the laws of Australia, and pardon and official patronage granted to
any man that shed his blood. Nay, more, I had the moans of purchasing my
freedom by exhibiting proofs that I had taken his life, and I thought of
the many years that must elapse before my term would expire.

"I reached towards the gun, and considered that I should but do my duty
in slaying him as he lay; but other thoughts succeeded, and I now thank
God that my hands are not stained with the blood of a man who trusted to
my goodness of heart. I fell asleep during my meditations, and when I
awoke, Darnley was still sleeping in front of the cold fireplace.

"I moved about the room as gently as possible, and tried to avoid
awakening him; but while I was endeavoring to kindle a fire, he suddenly
started up, his countenance inflamed with passion, and his deep-set eyes
glaring like those of a tiger.

"'I'll never be taken alive,' he shouted, throwing his huge form upon
mine, and crushing me to the ground with his weight, while his hand
sought my throat which was compressed in his grasp until my eyes started
nearly from their sockets.

"In his half-awakened madness I should have been strangled, had it not
been for my dog, that flew at his leg, and inflicted a savage bite that
caused Darnley to relinquish his hold and turn upon the brute; but by
the time that he had staggered to his feet, he awakened to his
situation, and became calm and penitent, and asked my pardon a dozen
times for his mistake. I forgave him, but resolved to keep at a
respectful distance the next time he slept.

"I gave him a hearty breakfast, and when he got ready to leave placed a
pair of sheep-skin shoes upon his feet; but all my arguments did not
induce him to accept of the garments that belonged to me, as he feared
that in case he was taken they would be traced and involve me in
trouble. It was considerate in him certainly, but from that day to this
he has baffled all attempts at capture; but how much longer he will be
permitted to go at large is only known to God."

"And did he ever pay you another visit at the hut?" I asked, as Smith
paused.

"Quite frequently; but he always came alone, and would not allow one of
the gang whom he gathered about him to molest my flocks. I saw him on my
last trip to the mines, and he tried to bribe me to purchase him a pair
of revolvers; but I refused, and he left me without a word of reproach."

It was nearly four o'clock when Smith finished his account of the
bushranger; and as the heat was not so oppressive as at noon, we decided
to travel eight or ten miles farther that evening, before we camped for
the night.

The oxen were found, driven towards the cart, and yoked; and, with many
a sharp crack of the stockman's whip, we crossed the stream, and once
more pursued our way towards Ballarat.




CHAPTER III.

TRAVELLING IN AUSTRALIA.--AN ADVENTURE WITH SNAKES.--CARRYING THE MAILS.


During the rainy season in Australia, the roads leading to the mines are
almost impassable, as the soil is light and the water easily penetrates
to a great depth. Teams, with half a dozen yoke of cattle, can scarcely
draw a heavy cart, as the brutes sink to their knees in mud at every
step, and the wheels of the vehicle are buried to the axletree most of
the time. Five or ten miles per day is as great a distance as animals
can travel; and even at that rate it is quite common for the oxen to
give out, and be left by the roadside, a prey for dogs and other wild
animals.

The natives of the island,--for the race bears no resemblance to that
class of people to whom we are wont to ascribe an elastic step, a noble
bearing, and undaunted courage--have been known to follow a team for
twenty-four hours, expressly for the purpose of picking the bones of an
ox which they imagined would soon give out; and when the poor brute is
left to die, they crowd upon him like vultures, and hack off huge strips
of quivering fresh before his breath has departed.

In the summer season, when no rain falls to lay the dust or irrigate the
earth, the streams, which, during the winter, are like mountain
torrents, and sweep every thing opposed to them towards the ocean,
become puny little rivulets, and as the summer advances, disappear
altogether from sight, and nothing but deep gulches mark the spot where
but a few months before a large body of water flowed.

Then the roads become hard and dry, and the light earth, pulverized by
the numerous wheels which are continually passing over it, is taken up
by the hot winds and whirled along the vast, plains, obscuring the sight
as effectually as though there was a deep eclipse. The eyes and nostrils
of the traveller become irritated by the fine particles, and the dust is
sifted into his ears and mouth. The latter gets coated with dust, and
all moisture is denied the palate. Vainly the tongue is rolled from side
to side to check the burning thirst, until at last the member gets so
swollen that it becomes incapable of motion, and then, unless relief is
soon afforded, death ensues. Water, slimy, stagnant water, is drank with
as much eagerness as a glass of iced Cochituate in summer.

The various sink holes with which the prairies abound are drained of
their contents, and if the traveller is unacquainted with a miner's
life, he does not wait until the liquid is strained and boiled, and thus
relieved of many of its bad properties, but swallows a large quantity of
the nauseous filth, and for many days after repents of his folly. He
that drinks at a sink hole, and suffers long and repeated attacks of
fever and ague, or dysentery, in consequence, learns to avoid it in
future.

As Fred and myself were old miners, and had tramped over a large portion
of California, and knew the dangers of such indulgence, we were not
likely to be caught; although we had a good guide with us in the person
of the convict, who really appeared to take an interest in our welfare,
and gave us much friendly advice.

The sun did not set for three hours after we started, on the afternoon
that we crossed the gulch; and while we found the heat growing less
oppressive, we certainly did not feel much refreshed by its
disappearance, as our legs, unaccustomed for many days to long walks,
began to grow stiff, while blisters formed upon our feet and galled us
extremely.

We would have given a small sum to have been enabled to halt for the
night; but pride prevented us from asking Smith to do so. We were
fearful that he would laugh at us, and we had our reputation as
Americans at heart too much to let him think that we were failing even
on the first day from Melbourne. But as mile after mile of ground was
got over, we could keep silent no longer.

"How much farther do you intend going before camping for the night?" I
asked of the convict in a careless sort of way, although I could hardly
prevent limping.

"Feel tired?" he inquired, with a grin.

"O, no," I answered, with an indifferent air.

"Well, as you are not tired, and night is the best time to travel,
suppose we keep on until daylight?"

"I'll be ---- if I do," broke in Fred. "I've got a great blister now, on
my great toe, bigger than a silver dollar, and my boot seems inclined to
raise others. I'll tell you what it is, Smith, for the last two months
we've been on shipboard, and not walked five miles during that time, and
if you think we can compete with you as a pedestrian, you are mistaken."

Fred jerked out his words as though each step he took cost him an
immense amount of pain, and I've no doubt it did. The convict laughed
silently, and relieved his feelings by cracking his long whip, bringing
the end of the lash to bear with great precision upon the flanks of the
leading yoke of cattle, which testified their appreciation of his
attention by kicking at the heads of those following; and as such
playful amusement was calculated to inspire vitality in the animals,
they started off with renewed speed, and Fred and myself, with many
groans, limped after.

"I can't stand this," cried my companion, after a few minutes' brisk
walk. "My feet are raw, and getting worse every moment. I'll try an
experiment."

He sat down in the middle of the road, and while the team rolled on,
jerked off his boots and stockings, and declared, as we hastened to
overtake Smith, that he felt he could walk all night, and that hereafter
he would go barefooted.

"Well," cried Smith, as we reached the team, "how do you feel now?"

"Fresh as a daisy," returned Fred, clapping his boots together as though
they were a pair of cymbals.

"What have you got in your hands?" asked Smith; for, it being already
dark, it was hard to distinguish objects at a short distance.

"My boots," cried Fred, triumphantly.

"Are you barefooted?" asked the convict in surprise.

"Yes."

"Then if you value your life, put on your boots again, and keep them on
as long as you are in the mines. You are liable at any moment to step
upon a poisonous snake; and if bitten, no power on earth can save you.
The natives pretend to cure bites, but I have some doubts on the
subject."

Smith spoke seriously, and as there might be much truth in what he said,
Fred willingly complied, although he groaned with pain as he drew on his
boots, and once more hobbled along beside the team.

"About three months ago, I was freighting a party up to the mines," said
Smith, "and a youngster became foot-sore. He took off his boots,
although I told him there was danger of treading upon snakes in the
dark. He laughed at me; but before his mirth had ceased, he uttered a
yell, and sprang wildly towards the team, which I had suffered to get a
little in advance.

"When he started, I suspected the cause, and groping carefully about in
the dust with my whip, soon discovered a small snake, not larger in
circumference than my lash, but which I readily recognized as one of the
most poisonous in the country. The natives call them _capi-ni-els_, or
what signifies little devils. As the impudent scamp was hissing and
darting out his tongue at me, I gave him a blow on the head, ground him
into powder with the heel of my boot, and then passed on to overtake the
team.

"It had got some distance from me; but before I reached it, my young
passenger could no longer walk, and by the time I had checked the oxen,
he had swollen to twice his usual size, and was lying panting by the
side of the road, incapable of moving or speaking. I got a large
quantity of brandy down his throat; but it had no effect, and in twenty
minutes' time he was a dead man. We buried him where he fell, and I'll
show you his grave when we reach it."

"I for one shall take good care to keep my boots on," I replied, after
the convict had finished his story.

"Why do they frequent a road in preference to other parts?" asked Fred,
who seemed to have almost forgotten his lameness, while listening to
Smith's yarn.

"Because the light dust over which we are passing retains the heat of
the sun longer than the soil by the road. Snakes are fond of dragging
their forms over it, as it is soft, and keeps them warm during the
night. I have known teams to be stopped, and obliged to seek a route on
the prairie, simply because a large number of snakes were not disposed
to yield the right of way.

"The first load that I ever carried to the mines, and when I was anxious
to make as much money as possible in a very short space of time, I was
stopped in this same way. I was jogging along one night, all alone, and
urging my oxen to their utmost speed, when all at once the leaders shied
out from the road, and then stopped. I cracked my whip, and roared at
them frantically, but it was of no use.

"Forward they would not budge, and at last they fairly turned, and were
making very good time towards Melbourne; but I soon stopped that game,
and once more got them headed the way I wanted them to go. When they
arrived at the spot at which they had balked a few minutes before, they
went through with the same antics, and then I thought it best to see
what was the matter. Walking forward, I was saluted with a hissing
sound, that greatly resembled the noise which an enraged gander emits
when a stranger trespasses upon his brood.

"I paused for a moment, and tried to discover, through the darkness,
what occasioned the noise, but could not, although I thought I saw
something moving not far from me. I retreated, quieted my cattle, took
my lantern and gun, and walked back to the spot. By the light of the
candle I saw about half a bushel of snakes, coiled up in a heap, and all
alive with rage at being disturbed. I hardly knew what to do. There they
were, and gave no indications of leaving the road; and I no longer
wondered at the reluctance of the oxen in refusing to pass over them.
Had they done so, it is very probable I should have lost every one of
the animals, for they could not have escaped being bitten; and then they
would have died in a few hours, and I should have suffered a great
pecuniary loss.

"I had a quantity of fine shot in my wagon-box, which I used for small
birds. I drew the charge I had in the gun, and instead of a bullet, put
in about a handful of the shot, and then setting my lantern as near the
mass of snakes as I dared venture, I retreated a few paces, and taking
deliberate aim, fired at them.

"The charge made dreadful havoc, and dozens of them were killed and cast
out of the heap by those unharmed; but instead of causing them to escape
to the prairie, they only seemed more determined to dispute the right of
way, and hissed and ran out their thin, forked tongues as though defying
me to do my worst. Their eyes sparkled like precious stones, and by the
light of the lantern I could see them change, as they moved their
position to face me, and assume a hundred different hues. It was a
terrible and fascinating sight, and for a few minutes I stood and
watched them twist and writhe themselves into a thousand different
shapes. Seeing that I should have to make a regular business at
slaughtering them, I went to work after a while, and poured volley after
volley into the mass, until not more than half a dozen escaped alive.

"Even after they were dead I could not get my cattle along the road
until I had first taken a shovel and thrown the bodies a considerable
distance from the spot. I never saw such a large collection of serpents
before, and I have often wondered why they were gathered in such a
mass."

"Have you ever arrived at any conclusion?" I asked.

"I have thought that they expected an attack from some enemy of the
serpent tribe, and so formed themselves into that shape for resistance."

While Smith was speaking, we heard a team behind us that appeared to be
tearing along at a rapid rate; and even before we could discover its
outlines, we distinguished the cracking of a whip as though the driver
was anxious to see how many times he could snap it in a minute.

"I hear you," muttered Smith, driving his oxen to one side of the road,
and stopping them. "There is no occasion for you to make so much noise
to let people know that you are coming."

Even while Smith was grumbling, a light-bodied cart, with lamps on each
side, drawn by a span of horses, and driven by a man who wore a sort of
uniform, whizzed past us, and by the side of the team rode two soldiers,
dressed in the livery of England. They were out of sight in a moment,
but they threw a jest at us as they passed, and before Smith could
reply, the soldiers were lost to view.

"A hard time you have of it," cried Smith, as he started his team again.

"Who are they?" we asked.

"That is a government team, and carries the mail between Melbourne and
Ballarat. Day and night they are upon the move, and only stop long
enough to change horses and escort. To-morrow at this time the miners
will be in possession of their letters and papers, and I need not tell
you how anxiously news is looked for from home."

"But are we to keep on day and night until we reach Ballarat?" asked
Fred.

"No," replied Smith, touching up his cattle. "Do you see yonder light
far ahead?" he cried, pointing with his whip.

"Yes."

"Well, at that light we'll prepare a cup of coffee, and sleep until
morning. Cheer up; it's only a mile distant, and there is where you will
get your first view of the natives of Australia."




CHAPTER IV.

EATING BROILED KANGAROO MEAT.--AUSTRALIAN SPEARS AND AMERICAN RIFLES.


The natives of Australia are remarkable for the slight quantity of
clothing which they wear, and the thinness of their limbs. Their dress
consists of a dirty piece of cloth, or skin of kangaroo, tied about
their waists, leaving the upper and lower parts of their bodies naked.
Their color is a dingy black, although what exact shade they would
represent were they washed quite clean is a matter of conjecture. A more
filthy race of beings I never saw; and if we adopt the hypothetical
theory of eminent medical gentlemen, that when the pores of the skin are
closed, and perspiration ceases to flow, the patient dies, then the
natives in Australia should, according to that reasoning, have all been
under ground years ago; for I am confident that during my residence on
the island, I never saw one guilty of ablution, or manifest the
slightest anxiety to mingle a little water with their dirt.

With grease upon their faces, filling their long black hair, shining
upon their hands, and smeared upon their bodies, they are as disgusting
a race as can be found upon the globe; and after a brief survey of their
huts and habits, men of a cleanly nature never desire to see them more.
Their limbs bear about as great a proportion to their bodies as the stem
of a pipe to the bowl; and to see them walking, is apt to suggest an
idea that their legs were never intended to carry their frames. The
latter part of their bodies presents a protuberance, even in the
youngsters, caused by their inordinate gluttonous nature, which prompts
them, when fortunate enough to have killed game, to gorge themselves to
repletion, as though they never expected to eat again, and were
determined to fill their stomachs even if they burst.

We soon saw a party of natives of this description seated around a fire,
black with dirt, and gorged with the flesh of a kangaroo. The stockman,
Smith, was busy with his team, and had declined our assistance, as he
saw that we were tired and nearly exhausted with travel. Telling us to
go to the fire and see how we liked the looks of the natives, we
followed his advice, and walked towards them. There were ten or twelve
of them huddled together in a circle, squatted upon their haunches, each
with a piece of raw flesh lying upon the ground, while other junks were
broiling on the coals, to be transferred from thence to the fingers of
those claiming them.

They manifested no surprise or curiosity when Fred and myself halted
within a few feet of them, and regarded their feeding operations with
considerable disgust. Their minds appeared to be too much occupied to
pay the least attention to outward objects, and as they poked their
burning food among the ashes, and licked their fingers, and grunted with
satisfaction, they certainly did not seem better than so many swine. At
least they were not half so clean.

"Well, of all the eating I ever saw, this is the worst," cried Fred,
after a few moments' contemplation.

"Even the Indians of California would be ashamed to look so dirty," I
remarked.

"Hullo," cried Smith, advancing with the sauce pan filled with water,
which he had obtained somewhere in the vicinity, although we could not
in the dark see any evidence of a stream. "Hullo," he cried; "what is
the matter? Why don't you sit down and join the gentlemen? Well, old
Bulger, how are you getting along?" addressing a native that looked
older than the others, and consequently more dirty.

The brute grunted, and paid no farther attention to the address; but
Smith was not to be bluffed that way.

"Let me have a chance at your fire," he said, holding the sauce pan
towards him; but the native gave no attention except to his burning
meat, which he turned over in the ashes with a stick, and apparently had
a great desire to eat raw.

"I know of a way to start him," muttered Smith. "Stand by and watch the
fun," he continued, addressing Fred and myself.

He canted the sauce pan a little one side, and allowed the water to run
over the rim, and strike upon the native's naked shoulder. The fellow
uttered a howl as though seared with a hot iron, and scrabbling away
from the fire, left the convict free access.

"There is nothing like water to start them," cried Smith, laughing, as
he put his dish upon the coals, while those who still kept their places
watched his motions with their little glittering eyes, as though fearful
they should also be subjected to a bath.

The native whom the convict called "Bulger" lingered around the fire for
a short time, as though he had not entirely relinquished all hope of
again joining the circle; but when he found that Smith showed no
indication of yielding his place, he grunted his displeasure, got one of
his companions to rake from the ashes his lump of flesh, and placing the
burning mass upon leaves, walked towards some rude huts which were built
of branches of trees and leaves of the _giro_.

"Good night, Bulgy," shouted Smith, as this latter toddled off; but the
native paid no attention, and soon disappeared within the pile of
leaves.

"You have met these poor devils before--haven't you?" I inquired of the
convict.

"For the last three months they have been camped on this spot, and as
water is convenient here, I generally manage to reach them in the course
of the night. Besides, I make them useful in case my cattle stray away;
and for a piece of tobacco not larger than my thumb they are willing to
run all day."

"Bah," grunted half a dozen voices in chorus, apparently roused to
animation by some word that Smith had spoken.

They extended their small hands, not larger than the paws of an
orang-outang, and greatly resembling them in formation and looks.

"What do they want?" Fred asked.

"They heard me mention tobacco, and now they are begging for some. They
love the needful as well as I do;" and Smith proceeded to fill his pipe,
and then coolly replaced the tobacco in his pocket, much to the
disappointment of the natives, who had followed his motions with anxious
eyes.

"Give them a piece," I said, quick to trace disappointment in their
expressionless faces.

"Not I," returned Smith. "If I want them to-morrow to run after my
cattle, I shall have to give them more, for they would not recollect
that I had supplied them to-night without compensation."

"Then I'll stand treat," cried Fred, handing a small piece of the
needful to the nearest native, who grunted, but whether as an expression
of thanks, or disappointment that it was not larger, is unknown.

The glittering eyes of the gorged natives were instantly fastened upon
the fortunate possessor of the tobacco, greatly to the injury of their
broiling meat. But the native upon whom the present was bestowed showed
no signs of making a dividend. He carefully concealed the tobacco in a
small pouch at his girdle, and after sitting a few minutes in silence,
staggered to his feet, and waddled off.

"'It is get all you can and keep what you get,' with them," said Smith,
as he watched the native enter his hut.

The water in the sauce pan at this moment gave indications of boiling,
and as we all felt hungry, we determined to have supper before
stretching our forms under the shelter of the cart. Our stock of coffee
was produced, the pork and bread unpacked, and while the convict busied
himself frying slices of the former, we soaked cakes of the latter in a
pan of water, and sliced a few potatoes to add a relish to our meal.

At length our supper was cooked; when seated within the light of the
blazing fire, we prepared to enjoy ourselves and perhaps emulate the
natives in their feasts.

"How do you like your coffee?" asked Smith, as I raised my tin pot to my
mouth.

Before I could reply, my attention was directed to a blaze that suddenly
enveloped one of the huts, and which threatened to extend to the others.
As the materials of which it was built were light and dry, but few
minutes' time would be necessary to consume it; so I started up,
intending to assist in extinguishing the flames.

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