The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 68

Smith shook his head to intimate that he was in blissful ignorance, and just then one of the Californians, who acted as doorkeeper, put his head into the tent and shouted,--"They're coming, Charley; are you ready for 'em?"

"You see," our friend said, with great coolness, "that something to drink is expected, and yet we have nothing to offer. What are we to do?"

"What have you been accustomed to do?" interrogated Fred, beginning to think that he had fallen among queer people, his countrymen included.

"Well, a gallon or two of gin, or the same amount of brandy, has always been considered as about right. It all depends on a man's circ.u.mstances.

Now, you," and Charley fixed his eyes with great earnestness upon Fred's form while speaking, "I calculate, is worth something considerably handsome, and can afford to treat the boys pretty liberal."

"Is any thing more customary?" asked Fred, with a slight sneer.

"Well sometimes, when it's a pretty bad case, I've known a feller to come down liberally with beer; but of course you can do as you please about that. They sell first rate at the Californe saloon--new tap, just arrived," and Charley's eyes sparkled at the prospect of getting a drink.

"Then, perhaps, as I and my friend are strangers here, you will do me the pleasure of acting as master of ceremonies, and order what you think fit."

"But you'll pay for the fixens, you know," our friend said, with true Yankee sagacity; and as he spoke he watched narrowly to see if the money was forthcoming to back up the request.

"Certainly," answered Fred, with a melancholy smile at the prospect before him. He drew from his pocket a number of gold pieces and handed them to Charley, who clutched them with avidity.

"I say, Bob," our California friend exclaimed, running to the entrance of the tent; "it's all right. Tell the folks to wait, and we'll have something to wet their whistles. He's come down handsomely, and no mistake."

"Any orders?" asked the fellow addressed as Bob.

"Yes, indeed; go down to my place and tell my partner that we'll be there in a few minutes, and that we intend to drink him dry afore morning."

"A pleasant prospect," I muttered, in an undertone, to Fred. "It seems that the fellow is proprietor of a saloon, and is determined that we shall pay him for his trouble by drinking all that he has got."

Charley intimated that he would show us the way, but Fred held back.

"Why can't you drink your ale without my presence?" he asked, impatiently.

"'Cos we don't approve of haristocracy here in Ballarat, and it would make the miners think that you didn't want to 'sociate with 'em. It wouldn't do."

"But if you should tell them that I am slightly injured, and need rest, wouldn't that have some effect?" Fred inquired, driven almost to desperation.

"Well, the only effect it would have you'd be obliged to receive the folks in your tent, and perhaps that would not be agreeable. But you can do jist as you please, remember. I've been at Ballarat for six months, and I should think I know'd the ideas and habits of the miners purty well."

"For Heaven's sake, let us go to your place without delay, and get through with the business. I've half a mind to turn my back upon Ballarat to-morrow," cried Fred.

"You won't do that, I reckon, while there's so much of the root of all evil in the ground. Why, I s'pose you come up here to get rich, and you is going jist the right way to work to do it. To-morrow you'll be the most popular man in the mines, and there's no telling what the boys may do for you. Perhaps send you a delegate to the governor-general, to ask him to clip off the taxes which we have to pay for digging gold. I tell you there's a brilliant future before you, so come along."

We could not resist such a plea, and, followed by about half a thousand miners, teamsters, and idlers, we gained the saloon owned by our friend, which proved to be the much vaunted "Californian Retreat."

The saloon was made of sail cloth, not exactly in the form of a tent, for a slight frame was visible of a square order, and to the joist was the cloth tacked. A few rough boards, evidently taken from boxes, formed the bar, or counter, and half a dozen shelves were nailed up behind it, composed of the same material.

On the shelves were a dozen or more black bottles, and three cracked tumblers stood upon the bar ready to use. A pitcher of water, that almost steamed with heat, was arrayed before the tumblers; but that, I imagine, was intended as an ornament, and not for use, for I did not observe, while I was at the mines, a man make use of such liquid to qualify his liquor. The merchants of Melbourne and the carriers of freight between the city and the mines saved them the trouble.

In the rear part of the saloon was a good sized Yankee stove, black with dirt, and rust, the acc.u.mulation of many days' cooking, during which fried pork was the staple article; and it was evident that the presiding genius of the _cuisine_ department had been regardless of how much fat was spilled, and how much dirt his patrons consumed.

Three or four berths, near the stove, shaped like those found in the steerage of a s.h.i.+p, completes a description of every thing in the Californian Retreat worthy of notice. In one of the berths I noticed a man who appeared to be very sick, for he hardly opened his eyes when the crowd which followed us to the saloon rushed in in a disorderly manner.

"Well," said our friend Charley, rubbing his hands with an air of great satisfaction, and glancing around his premises, "this looks snug, don't it?"

"Very," I answered, rather dryly.

"You won't find in all Ballarat a saloon that can begin to compare with this in point of neatness, and a supply of all the luxuries of the season. Our liquors are first rate, and no mistake; and although we is out of cigars, we have got some of the juiciest n.i.g.g.e.r-head that you ever seed."

The miner, who appeared to exercise such sway over his comrades, edged his way through the crowd.

"I came here," he said, "thinking that the duel feller had axed us to wet our whistles, but it 'pears that I am mistaken."

The speaker, now that I had time to study his countenance and appearance, I found was a man nearly six feet, six inches high, broad across the shoulders, with a face ma.s.sive and determined, yet not wanting indications of good nature.

"Don't be in such a stew, Ben," cried Charley, rus.h.i.+ng towards him, and preventing his leaving the saloon. "The thing is all right. The dueller feller pays for all, and we're only waiting for my partner to roll in a keg of some of the slickest Yankee whiskey that was ever made in York State, I tell you."

"Is that so?" asked stout Ben, as he was called, and his face appeared to express satisfaction at the news. "That is r-e-l-i-a-b-l-e, I s'pose, Charley?" "My word for it, Ben. But come and shake hands with Burley's tamer, and encourage the youngster with your patronage."

The giant, drew the back of his hand across his mouth as though it was watering for the whiskey, but after a slight urging, the second time he suffered Charley to conduct him to the corner of the saloon, where Fred, Smith, and myself were standing, receiving congratulations from all who wanted a drink of liquor free of cost.

"This is the chap, Ben," Charley said, nodding towards Fred, and that was all the introduction which was deemed necessary.

"I am happy to know you," said "Fred, grasping n hand that was about the size of a shoulder of mutton, and twice as hard and nubby.

"You did putty well with Burley, and I am glad of it," Ben replied, shutting his fist and compressing Fred's bind for what he intended as a gentle squeeze--but I could see by my friend's face that he would be very glad when it was relinquished.

"A fine shot you made of it, sir," Ben said, not noticing that he had inflicted a large amount of pain.

"Is the poor fellow badly hurt?" asked Fred.

"Well, he's got an ugly hole in him, and it's hard hunting--the sawbones will have to find the lead."

"I hope that, he will live," repeated Fred. "I did not seek his life, and I should be sorry to think that an act of mine sent him from the world with all his sins unrepented of."

"Never you mind about that," replied Ben. "If a feller wants to take your heart out, you've got the right to say to that feller, you don't come it; and if the feller still persists, you is bound to act on the defensive, and either lick him or kill him, I don't care which. I jinerally lick 'em."

As I glanced at the st.u.r.dy limbs of the giant miner I thought that he would be apt to meet but few men who would not prefer the shooting to the licking.

"You often have trouble here in Ballarat?" Fred asked.

"Well, no, I can't say that I see much of it. Sometimes the fellers make a rumpus, but they generally let me alone, and that's all I ax of 'em.

But whar's that 'ere licker we's to have? 'Pears to me it's rather slow in getting 'long."

"Here it comes," shouted Charley, bustling around the crowded room, if, indeed, room it could be called. "I had to wait for it to be unloaded, Ben, 'cos it arrived only an hour or two ago from Sydney."

"You say it's the real New York first proof whiskey, do ye?" asked Ben, holding a tumbler two thirds full of the stuff up to the light, and scanning its color with a critical eye.

"The real thing, and no mistake. It's just sich as you used to git when chopping away down in the backwoods of Maine," replied Charley.

We then discovered, what we had all along suspected, that the miner was an American, and belonged in the Eastern State.