The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 103

"Mr. Follet never purchased a knife at our store."

"Do you wish for more conclusive proof?" asked Mr. Sherwin.

"Proof?" echoed the inspector; "I hope that you don't call the finding of the knife in that barrel proof. I do not believe that these young men, the preservers of my life, would commit an outrage of the kind that you charge them with for all the gold in Ballarat."

"Time will, perhaps, reveal the secret of the affair. Mr. Critchet may live, and be able to give us a clew to his a.s.sailants; and until he recovers or dies, I think that I shall be justified in committing your friends to prison without bail."

The words of the commissioner fell upon our ears like a thunderbolt. A dozen different ideas coursed through my brain, yet I was too much bowed down with grief to attempt to form them into tangible shapes. And even while I was thinking what would become of the store and contents during our imprisonment, Mr. Brown broke the ominous silence.

"This is a case where bail can be readily given, if you will accept of it, and any amount that you may name will be forthcoming," the inspector said, addressing the commissioner.

"I have concluded not to accept of bail, and I shall not alter my determination, sir. I leave the prisoners in your hands, and you will render a good account of them to me when I call for them."

The commissioner bowed coldly, and was about to return to his office when Mr. Brown interrupted him.

"I am not a rich man, as you know," he said, "but I have a little property, and it can readily be converted into cash. I will place five thousand pounds in your hands for the appearance of these gentlemen, if you will admit them to bail."

"And we will deposit half of that sum in addition to insure our appearance," cried Fred, eagerly.

The commissioner shook his head, and already his foot was on the doorstep, when Mr. Brown detained him.

"I shall be absent from Ballarat for four days," he said, testily.

"Where do you propose going?" inquired Mr. Sherwin, with a slight indication of curiosity.

"To Melbourne, as fast as horse can carry me. I start immediately."

"May I ask for what object?"

"To lay this matter before his excellency the governor-general, and obtain an order for the admission of the prisoners to bail, and the detention of Follet for conspiracy. Michael, run to my office and bring my best horse."

The policeman started on a run, and was lost to sight in a cloud of dust that swept along the street. The commissioner looked slightly perplexed and undecided. He was evidently taken by surprise at the position which Mr. Brown had a.s.sumed.

"You cannot hope that the governor will rule contrary to my decision?"

Mr. Sherwin said.

"I know that he will. His excellency has too great an esteem for these gentlemen to allow them to languish in prison when no stronger proof than the story which a broken-down gambler can invent is urged as evidence against them."

"Do you mean to say that the governor is acquainted with these (men, he was intending to say, but altered it) _gentlemen_'?"

"So well that he has granted every request that they have made; and he has even offered them commissions in the service in return for many acts of bravery which they have performed."

Mr. Brown was right in the first instance; for the only requests that we had ever made were for the pardons of Smith and the old convict.

"Are you sure that you are not mistaken?" inquired the commissioner, with a sudden degree of interest that was quite refres.h.i.+ng, when contrasted with his former indifference.

"I am so sure," Mr. Brown said, in answer to the commissioner's question, "that three days since I saw the governor, and he inquired for these gentlemen, and sent a message that they must call and see him the first time that they visited Melbourne."

"Have you any letters or doc.u.ments to prove that his excellency regards these gentlemen with unusual interest?"

The inspector glanced towards us, in hope that we could rescue him from the position in which his a.s.sertions had placed him, but we were afraid that we could benefit him but little, as we were not in possession of an autograph letter from the governor, and what was more, had never seen one. I suddenly recollected, however, having in my possession a copy of one of the Melbourne papers, in which our services at the great fire were mentioned in eulogistic terms; and I concluded that I would let Mr.

Sherwin peruse the paragraph, in hopes that he would imagine much more than the reality.

My experiment succeeded admirably.

Mr. Sherwin eagerly perused the paragraph; and after he had concluded, folded the paper, and requested permission to speak with Mr. Brown in private for a few minutes. Obedient to the intimation, the policemen and the rest of us fell back, and suffered the two officers to have a quiet talk. They whispered together earnestly for a time, and then Fred and myself were summoned to the council.

"The commissioner is not disposed to press this matter," Mr. Brown said.

"I have convinced him that you are a little different from what he supposed; and he will admit both of you to bail until such time as Mr.

Critchet is able to testify, or at least until more evidence is offered than what Follet brings forward."

We bowed our thanks, and blessed the governor-general, to think that his name made such a difference with his officers.

"We cannot be too careful in this part of the country," the commissioner said, "whom we trust, we are so liable to imposition. Our life is a hard one, to make the best of it; and I shall be glad when I am changed to some other location, where jurisdiction is not taken so extensively as at Ballarat. I have long desired a change."

Mr. Brown winked with both eyes in a violent manner, as though warning us that the pitch of his regret at being at Ballarat was yet to come.

"One good turn deserves another," Mr. Sherwin said; and then lowering his voice, he continued, "May I hope that you will remind his excellency that I deserve a better position than the one that I now hold?"

Promises are easily made, (_vide_ politicians in this country, where offices are to be obtained;) and the reader will not wonder, considering the light in which we stood, that we murmured a ready a.s.sent to his wishes. The commissioner looked gratified, while Mr. Brown grinned with delight.

"What shall we do with the wounded man, and this young fellow, Follet?

He has made a strong charge against these gentlemen, and he should be made to give heavy bonds to meet it at the proper time," said the inspector, pointing to the nephew, who stood trembling, as though already antic.i.p.ating trouble.

"Well, really," Mr. Sherwin said, "I don't see why the old man should not remain under the charge of your friends until his injuries terminate one way or the other. Suppose you send the government physician to attend him, and a fortnight from to-day I will call the case up, and decide whether to dismiss it or send it to trial."

"And Follet? Hadn't he better be put under heavy bonds for his appearance?" insinuated the inspector.

"Certainly; it is very important to keep him. Let him be committed to jail until he can find bonds in one thousand pounds;" and with a cheerful wave of his hand, the commissioner left us.

"You see how much you have injured yourself in trying to fasten your crime upon these gentlemen," Mr. Brown remarked, addressing Follet; "if you will make a free confession, I will endeavor to get you as comfortable a sentence as possible."

"Will you?" sneered the wretch; "you shall offer better terms than that before I will let them up. I have the game in my own hands, and my evidence will tell before a jury."

"Take him away," cried Mr. Brown, addressing a policeman; and after the prisoner was out of hearing, he continued, "There is too much truth in what he says, and we have work before us to discover who his accomplice is, and bring him to justice. Even if Mr. Critchet does recover, it is probable that he will not be able to identify his a.s.sailants, and in that view of the matter I need not tell you in what a precarious situation you will stand."

We saw the force of his reasoning, and looked to him for advice.

"We must set the police at work to find Follet's accomplice; and I will not leave a stone unturned on 'Gravel Pit Hill,' but I will discover him if in Ballarat"

"And is there any way that we can a.s.sist you?" I asked.

The inspector thought for a few moments before he replied.

"If we could but get Murden to lend us Steel Spring for a week or two,"

he muttered, "I think that we could make that scamp serviceable to us."

"Murden will accommodate us in that respect, I am sure, if we make application," I returned.