The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 113

We did not wait for him to carry his request into effect, for we lent him a helping hand with the cattle, although, to tell the truth, the animals did not seem in the least grateful for the a.s.sistance, and attempted, with their long horns, to transfix certain portions of our anatomy that we were not disposed to have injured. At length, however, the animals were turned loose, and then Smith was at liberty to reply to our interrogations.

"In the first place, I've got a dozen or twenty letters, and about the same number of newspapers from the States. I'll tell you how I fixed it."

"But the papers?" we cried.

"I'm coming to 'em as fast as I can. Just as I got into Melbourne, a big American s.h.i.+p dropped anchor, and on board I went. I got hold of the captain, told him the news, and then boned him for papers. I informed him that I wanted them for countrymen of his, and he gave me all that he had, and here they are."

Smith pulled the precious doc.u.ments from his knapsack, and in a few minutes we were absorbed in devouring the contents of letters, and Boston and New York newspapers.

We never knew the name of the captain who responded so promptly to Smith's appeal, but wherever his fortune may lead him, may he have fair winds, and high freights, and never lose a spar.

No one can understand the joy with which a letter is received from home, unless he has travelled in foreign lands, and been without advices from friends for many months. The letters were the first that we had received while in Australia, and we prized them more on that account, perhaps, than if we had been in constant communication with the States.

We had written from California, announcing our departure, and directing that all letters should be sent to Melbourne until further notice, and the warm expressions which our epistles contained showed that our friends had not forgotten us.

Smith, who seemed as fresh as the day that he started from Melbourne, left us to our letter-feast, and prepared supper with that dexterity which had distinguished him many times; and even when we had put our papers under lock and key--so greedy were we, and fearful that some acquaintance would step in, and desire to borrow a journal before we had gleaned the news--waved us back, and expressed himself competent to perform his allotted task without interference.

"You talk about home and the news until after supper, and leave me alone, 'cos after we light our pipes we shall have business matters to look over, and figure up, unless the woman and her husband gets along, and then we shall see fun."

"What woman do you mean?" I asked.

"Why, didn't I tell you that Barney was married?" demanded Smith.

"Of course you did, and said that he was about five miles from town, and would be here in two or three hours' time."

"Well, Barney has his wife with him, and a pretty life she is leading him. I listened to her scoldings and complaints until I couldn't stand any more, and then I whipped up my cattle and got out of the sound of her tongue, and by good management I have avoided her for two days. She is good looking, but has got the spirit of the devil in her composition."

We recollected that Murden, in his letter, alluded to the lady, and although we were not impatient to see her, we know that she would have some claims upon our hospitality for her husband's sake, and to prevent her from breaking out into open mutiny, we made some few preparations to receive the lady with becoming honors. We got out a small tent that we owned, and had made on the pa.s.sage from San Francisco to Australia, and pitched it near the store for the express accommodation of the bride and groom, and then stocked it with a mattress and blankets, and thought the lady would be delighted at our delicate attentions. We even kept back supper an hour, and added a number of little luxuries, on purpose to give her an agreeable surprise, and show that we were still susceptible of woman's influence and beauty.

At about seven o'clock we heard the rumbling of wheels, and the loud, quick crack of a stockman's whip. Smith glanced anxiously towards the supper, and was visibly agitated, as though he expected to receive disastrous news. Rover, who had been lying near the door, waiting with remarkable patience for his supper, uttered a howl, and retreated towards the horses, as though to communicate some bad intelligence.

"Why don't you stop the team, if this is the place, you confounded fool?" we heard some one say.

"That's her," groaned Smith; "I should know that voice if I was off the Cape of Good Hope, and I almost wish that I was at sea, or on a desert island."

We hurried to the door, to receive our guest, and with our curiosity somewhat excited to see the woman whom all appeared to dread.

To our extreme surprise, we saw a female not more than twenty years of age, dressed in the latest style of Melbourne fas.h.i.+on, with a frank, pleasing face, looking fresh and clean, which was so extraordinary, in that part of the world, that we rather exceeded good manners by the length of our gaze.

We little knew, at the time, that the lady, for the purpose of making a favorable impression upon our susceptible hearts, had insisted upon her husband's stopping his team, a few miles from Ballarat, while she made her toilet, and to do so, had used all the water in the water kegs, to the great distress of the oxen, who were really suffering for a drink.

Yes, the bride was really handsome, and would be called so in any civilized portion of the world, where beauty is recognized by the standard of regular features, clear skin, white teeth, and a perfect form. Her eyes, too, were large, black, and l.u.s.trous, and she understood the use of them as well as the most arrant Spanish coquette that ever lived.

I advanced to the team, and extended my hand for the purpose of a.s.sisting the lady to alight, for her husband seemed occupied with his cattle, and unable to afford her those delicate attentions which a wife sometimes requires.

"Who, in the devil's name, are you?" she asked, in a quick, pert manner, as though determined to astonish us on the first hour of her arrival.

I heard a smothered laugh in the store, as though Smith was endeavoring to prevent an explosion, and even Fred had hard work to retain his countenance.

"This gentleman, Maria," cried the woman's husband, rus.h.i.+ng to my rescue, "is one of my employers, whom I spoke to you about."

"O, is he?" she asked, with a strong stare, first at me and then at Fred. "Well, I don't see any thing remarkable about him, and he isn't half as good looking as the fellow standing in the door."

The compliment to Fred, at my expense, was answered by another suppressed groan from Smith, while the poor husband hardly knew whether to abuse his better half or coax her.

"Don't talk that way to strangers," the poor devil pleaded, but his good nature was all thrown away.

"Go and attend to the cattle," she ordered, "and let me alone. I haven't had a moment's peace since I married you, and I almost wish that I had fallen to the stout miner who wanted me so much. He was something like a man, and was as big as two of you."

"I wish, with all my heart, you had," muttered the bridegroom, but he took good care not to let her hear him.

"Well, give me your hand," the wife exclaimed, addressing me; "I see that no one is coming to my a.s.sistance, and a poor beau is better than none, as we used to say in Radcliff Highway." And when I extended my hand, she grasped it warmly, pressed it strongly, and with a display of ankles that put my modesty to its severest test, gave a spring, and was on the ground beside me.

"Well, you ain't so bad looking as I thought for," Maria continued, flas.h.i.+ng a wicked glance at me, with her large eyes, that stirred my blood, in defiance of her forwardness and vulgarity. "We shall be cronies, I know. Only let me have my own way, and make love to me, and we shall get along quite pleasantly."

"But you forget your husband," I insinuated, seeing that that worthy individual began to look rather black at the idea of having a rival in his wife's affections.

"O Lord! what's the use of mentioning Barney? He's a poor coot, and will soon get used to my ways; won't you, deary?"

The husband didn't make an audible reply, but I understood him to say "d.a.m.n," quite distinctly.

"What have you got for supper!" our female visitor asked. "I'm hungry enough to eat a two-year-old baby. Let me have something, that's a good feller, and then we'll talk about other matters."

I didn't admire her impudence, but as Fred was inclined to keep in the background, and Smith wouldn't respond, I had to do the honors of the house with as much dignity as possible. I seated her at our rough table, and helped her liberally, and was pleased to see that absence from her haunts in London had not diminished her appet.i.te, or caused a regretful feeling in her heart.

"I'm glad I accepted the chance to visit this country," she said, "for I begin to like it. The old fogies promised that I should have a husband as soon as I arrived, and they kept their word, but I wished that I'd got a larger one. I don't like little men, and never did."

Her husband was heard to observe that he preferred a quiet woman to a noisy one, but the remark didn't seem to make much of an impression.

"By the way," Mrs. Barney cried, "where am I to sleep to-night? in that little room?"

Before we could answer her, she arose from the table and ran towards it, and saw our patient lying upon the bed.

"Hullo!" she exclaimed, in astonishment, "what is that old fellow doing there? I can't have him with me!"

I explained to her that a bed had been provided in a tent but a few feet from the store, where she and her husband could make themselves comfortable, if they were so disposed, but she would not listen to me.

"Do you s'pose," she cried, "that I'm such a fool as to sleep out under a tent, where I shall be liable to be eaten up by the savages? My old man can sleep there, but I'm going to pa.s.s the night in the store."

We a.s.sured her that we could not consent to any such arrangement. That all our papers and every thing that we possessed in the world was in the store, and that we could not think of leaving under any consideration whatever.

"Well, who wants you to leave?" she demanded, with a flash of her amorous eyes, that would have told powerfully on men of more nerve than ourselves; "there can be no harm if I stay here. You are men of honor, I suppose?"

Again did her large, black eyes fall upon me, but I was blind to her blandishments and arts; and, at length, Maria appeared to entertain the same opinion, for she threw out signals to Fred, and when she found that they were not answered, she commenced the practice of a thousand arts, which a woman knows so well how to use, to make him feel an interest in her welfare. But all her play was useless, and even when she pretended that her hair, long, black, and wavy, fell around her shoulders accidentally, and when she laughed, and threw it back from her fresh, child-like face, we were not melted, for we remembered that she had a husband, and that his rights were sacred.

Her bold challenge was unheeded, and Maria felt that she was defeated, even where she was sure of victory. She had, apparently, entertained a different idea respecting us, and for a few minutes she sat looking humbled, but not ashamed. It seemed a pity that one so fair should be so rude and vile; but the streets of London soon corrupt, and the haunt from whence Maria graduated is notorious for its wantons.

We pitied her husband, although we had only known and employed him for a short time, yet we had found him honest and industrious, and apparently disposed to do well. I could see that he felt grateful for the course which we had pursued, and I determined to have a long talk with him, upon the first favorable opportunity, in regard to his future prospects.

"Well," Maria muttered, after sitting in silence for a short time, suddenly starting up, "if I am to be turned out of doors. I suppose that I must go without delay. Come along, old man, if you are coming," she continued, addressing her husband, and the latter obediently followed to the tent, which we had been to some pains to prepare for her.