The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 156

"I say, you!"

"Well, what say you?" asked Fred, without moving.

"The commissioner wants to speak to you instantly."

"Well, tell him to come in," I responded.

"He can't; he's 'ossback."

"And we are at breakfast," Fred cried.

"He's in a hurry."

"So are we."

"Will you come?"

"Certainly; after we have finished eating our breakfast."

The fellow uttered an oath, and withdrew his head to report to his superior officer. In a few minutes afterwards we heard the heavy steps of men approaching us, and looking up we saw the dark face of the commissioner, and the bull-dog countenance of Colonel Kellum, who had command of the military in Ballarat.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Fred said, rising, and placing chairs for our visitors.

A brief nod was the only sign of recognition that was returned, but the chairs were not accepted.

"To what are we indebted for this early visit?" Fred asked.

"We have come, sir, for--"

The commissioner had proceeded thus far, when he seemed confused, and stopped. He may have felt that he was about to commit an unjustifiable outrage, and wished the colonel to share half of the responsibility.

"The fact is, sir," the military man exclaimed, most pompously, "we want your horses in the name of the government."

"Our horses, did you say?" Fred asked, with a sweet smile.

"That's what I said, sir," the colonel replied, swelling with bad blood and dignity.

"I think, that you are mistaken, sir, as we are not the owners of any such kind of animals," Fred answered.

"Why, what do you call them, sir?" the colonel cried, triumphantly, pointing to the unconscious brutes, who were eating their provender in the stable which we had built just adjoining the store.

"Those are horses, certainly, sir, but they don't belong to us."

His face was a picture when he replied, it was so gentle, and appeared so bland and courteous, as though he would not offend for the world.

CHAPTER Lx.x.xII.

SAME CONTINUED.--DEATH OF ROSS.

"Young man," cried the colonel, his face swelling as though the hot blood would burst through its thin covering, "do you mean to tell me that those animals do not belong to you or your partner?"

"In the first place," answered Fred, with quiet dignity, "my name is Frederick ----, and I desire to be addressed as such in our communications, and not by the ambiguous t.i.tle of 'young man.' In the next place, as I told you before, we are not the owners of those animals."

"It's a trick to cheat us," muttered the commissioner.

"Did you address a remark to me?" Fred asked, turning to the police officer.

The commissioner declined to reply, but he seemed to feel what he had uttered.

"The animals are wanted, and we shall take them, sir, for the use of the government; for the use of the government, sir, I suppose that you understand," the colonel cried.

"That is something that we have no control over, and are not interested in. I have no doubt that the owner or owners of the animals know how to protect their own property, and will do so."

The commissioner made a signal to his men, and three or four of them started for the stable to remove the animals. Just at that moment the agent of the stage company entered the store, and his presence was never more desirable.

"Hullo," he cried, "what the devil are you doing with my horses, Fred?"

"We are doing nothing with them, but these gentlemen seemed to think that government was in want of them, and therefore are about to confiscate them. I am glad that you have arrived in time to make terms of sale."

"Terms of the devil!" the agent shouted; "here, you, sirs, take those animals back to the stable, or I'll break you finer than a piece of quartz after it has pa.s.sed through a mill!"

The men stood irresolute, and looked towards their chief.

"We want the animals," the colonel said.

"And will have them," the commissioner exclaimed.

"Gentlemen," said the agent of the stage company, "these animals belong to me; I have paid for them, and have a bill of sale, and the man who dares to detain them does so at his peril."

"Let us see the doc.u.ment," the military man said, after a whispered consultation with the commissioner.

The agent handed the paper to the colonel, and he studied over it carefully.

"Why, this doc.u.ment was signed last night," he exclaimed, with a sour look at Fred.

"What's that got to do with the question?" the agent asked, abruptly.

"Because I believe that it's a d----n trick to cheat the government!"

shouted the colonel, boiling over with rage.

"Do you dare address such words to me, sir?" cried Fred.

"Or to me, either?" demanded the agent.

"Your uniform shall be no protection, unless you unsay what you have uttered," Fred continued, advancing in a menacing manner towards the colonel.