A TIMELY RESCUE
One circumstance led Harry to hurry his intended departure. He found to
his dismay that the hotel charge for their very plain accommodations
was a pound a day for each of them. But Melbourne was full of
strangers, drawn thither by flaming accounts of the richness of the
mines and the bright prospects of acquiring sudden fortunes, and war
prices were prevalent everywhere.
“A pound a day!” exclaimed Jack in open-eyed amazement. “Do they take
us for millionaires?”
“I began to think they were imposing upon us,” said Harry, “till I made
inquiries elsewhere. I find a pound a day is about the usual tariff for
such accommodations as we have.”
“But we have only a small bedroom, and the meals are very common.”
“That is true, but it seems to make no difference.”
“Our money will soon be gone at that rate,” said Jack soberly. “Mine is
already gone.”
“No, it isn’t, Jack. We are going to share and share alike, you know.”
“But that is imposing on you, Harry,” protested the young sailor
earnestly.
“Let me judge of that, Jack; I’d a good deal rather have your company
and half of the money than be alone and have the whole.”
“Thank you, Harry. You are a true friend. I can’t do much for you, but
I’ll do what I can.”
“If I had known of the high prices, I would have drawn more money from
the professor,” continued Harry. “However, I can make this do. But I
want to start to-morrow, if possible. We shall then be owing four days’
board each, and that will make eight pounds.”
At this point Fletcher joined them.
“By the way,” said he nonchalantly, “I want to ask a little favour.”
“What is it?” asked Harry unsuspiciously.
“I am rather short of money. Can you lend me five pounds?”
“I am sorry to refuse, Mr. Fletcher,” he said, “but Jack and I are
ourselves very poorly provided with money, and just before you came
in we were considering how we could manage to pay for the necessary
outfit.”
“Haven’t you got five pounds?” asked Fletcher quickly.
“Of course we have, or we should be unable to get to the mines.”
“Then I think you might oblige me,” he continued, looking very much
displeased.
“I am the best judge of my circumstances,” said Harry shortly.
Fletcher looked hard at him, and saw that the boy he had to deal with
had a mind of his own, and was not to be imposed upon easily. Still he
made a further effort.
“Then I think,” he said coldly, “I shall not be able to assist you in
your preparations.”
“Just as you please,” answered Harry promptly. “As you volunteered, I
accepted your proposal. Now I will act for myself. I have heard of a
party about to start, and I will arrange to join it.”
Fletcher felt that he was outgeneralled. He did not mean to let Harry
and Jack slip through his fingers, for he had an idea, notwithstanding
Harry’s disclaimer, that he had a large sum of money, and thought he
would be a good party to hang on to. He saw that he had made a false
move, and hastened to repair it.
“Excuse me,” he said, assuming a hearty tone; “I was hasty, and I
apologise. You are right, and I like you too well to cut up rough, just
because you can’t do me a favour. There, take my hand, and we will make
it all up.”
“With pleasure,” answered Harry, as he accepted the proffered hand, and
Jack followed his example. Nevertheless, Fletcher’s demand had produced
an unpleasant effect upon him. The coarse-grained selfishness of the
man had shown through his outward varnish of good-fellowship, and he
felt that henceforth he must be on his guard.
“I may have to ask for some money, however,” continued Fletcher, in an
offhand manner, “for it is necessary to buy supplies for our journey.
You know we shan’t be able to put up at hotels on our way, but must
furnish our own meals.”
“So I have heard,” answered Harry. “What is it customary to take?”
“Well, it will be best to buy a bag of coffee, a sack of flour, some
ship biscuits, potatoes, and sugar. That will do to start on, and we
shall vary our diet by what we are able to kill on the way.”
“What can we kill?”
“Well, kangaroo meat isn’t bad, and we can bring down a few birds
occasionally.”
“Then we shall need guns?”
“Yes, it will be well to have them.”
This was another expense upon which Harry had not calculated. He began
to think that he had been very improvident. The professor would readily
have left him twenty pounds more, and as it would have been repaid with
his own money, he was sorry he had not availed himself of it.
“How much do you think the supplies will cost?” asked Harry.
“Well, you had better let me have ten pounds. I think that will be
sufficient.”
“For the whole or for our share?” asked Harry pointedly.
“For your share,” answered Fletcher, after a pause. “It seems to me you
are very suspicious.”
Really he had intended to make the two boys pay for the whole stock of
provisions and save his own purse, for he had in reality as much money
as they.
“I only wanted to understand clearly,” said Harry quietly. “As we are
in some sort partners, that is fair, is it not?”
“Oh, yes,” returned Fletcher, but he did not respond with any alacrity.
“I’m always fair and aboveboard, I am. No man can say that Dick
Fletcher ever tried to get the best of him. Why, if I was better fixed
I wouldn’t let you two boys pay at all. I’d shoulder the whole thing
myself.”
“Your offer is a very kind one, Mr. Fletcher----”
“Don’t say Mr. Fletcher; call me Dick,” interrupted their new
acquaintance.
“I will if you wish it, though as you are so much older, it hardly
seems proper. What I was going to say was that Jack and myself are
determined to pay our share. We couldn’t accept any such favour as you
mention.”
“Now, if you let me have the ten pounds I’ll take all the trouble off
your hands, and have everything ready for a start to-morrow morning.”
“I would prefer to go with you and help select the articles.”
Fletcher looked disconcerted.
“Oh, well, if you think I ain’t capable----” he began.
“I think nothing of the kind, but I want to learn as much as I can. I
may have to do it alone some time.”
It was well Harry adhered to his determination. It saved him three
pounds, and Fletcher was forced to pay his share, as he had not
intended to do. While they were making purchases they were accosted by
a tall loose-jointed man, whom it was easy to recognise as a Yankee.
“Goin’ to the mines, boys?” he asked in a strong nasal tone.
“Yes,” answered Harry.
“So am I. I’d like to hook on to your party if you ain’t no objections.”
For some reason Dick Fletcher did not appear to relish the proposal.
“I don’t think we can accommodate you,” he said abruptly.
“I think we can,” said Harry, who was beginning to be distrustful of
Fletcher, and felt safer in adding another to the party. “There are but
three of us, and we shall be glad of your company.”
Dick Fletcher looked angry, but did not venture to oppose the plan
further.
On the last evening spent in Melbourne the boys decided to take a
farewell walk about the city, not knowing when it would again be their
fortune to see it. Neither Fletcher nor their new Yankee acquaintance
was at hand, and they started by themselves. They did not confine
themselves to the more frequented streets, but followed wherever fancy
led.
They had no thought of an adventure, but one awaited them.
As they were turning the corner of a narrow street, their attention was
suddenly excited by a sharp cry of blended surprise and fright.
“What is it, Jack?” asked Harry, grasping his companion by the arm.
He did not need to await a reply, for by the indistinct light he saw
two men struggling a short distance farther on. One appeared to be an
old man, with white hair, the other was a man of middle age. Clearly it
was a case of attempted robbery.
“Run, Jack, run!” said Harry, in excitement. “Let us help the old man!”
“I’m with you,” answered the young sailor briefly.
Harry had in his hand a heavy walking-stick--his only weapon--but
he did not stop to consider the personal risk he was running. As he
drew near, the old man, whose feeble strength was quite unequal to a
conflict with a man so much younger, swayed and fell backward. His
assailant bent over him, and despite his feeble resistance began to
search his pockets, at the same time indulging in savage threats.
The old man gave himself up for lost, but help was nearer than he
anticipated.
So occupied was the villain with his disgraceful work that he did not
hear the approaching footsteps.
His first intimation of them came in a sounding blow over his
shoulders, given by Harry’s stick, which was laid on with a good will.
He jumped to his feet with an oath, and darted a rapid glance at his
two assailants. Then, much to the surprise of Harry, he turned and ran
rapidly away. It was a piece of great good luck, Harry thought, for he
was not at all sure that he and Jack combined would have been a match
for the highwayman.
“Are you hurt, sir?” asked Harry, bending over the old man.
“Not seriously,” was the reply. “Will you kindly help me up?”
With Jack’s help Harry got the old man on his feet. He was a tall man,
of splendid aspect, over sixty years of age. He looked like a gentleman
of wealth and position.
“You have had a narrow escape, sir,” said our hero.
“Yes, indeed,” answered the old man, “thanks to your brave
interference. It surprises me that my brutal assailant should have run
away from two boys.”
“I am surprised also, sir. I feared we should have a hard fight. I
suppose his object was robbery.”
“Yes, he must have heard in some way that I had a large sum of money
about me. Thanks to you, it is safe.”
“I am very glad, sir.”
“Do you mind accompanying me to my house? This attack has made me
timid.”
“With pleasure, sir.”
The old gentleman lived perhaps a quarter of a mile distant in a
handsome house. He pressed the boys to enter, and they did so. He
questioned them as to their plans, and then selecting two bank-notes,
urged the boys to accept them as a recognition of the help they had
given him at a critical moment. The boys, however, declined positively
to accept any compensation, but expressed their satisfaction at having
been of service.
“At least,” said the old gentleman, “you must promise to call on me
when you return from the mines. There is my card.”
“That we will do with pleasure, sir,” answered Harry.
He looked at the card, and read the name of Henry A. Woolson.
“Harry,” said Jack, as they resumed their walk, “do you know that
robber had a look like Fletcher?”
“So I thought, Jack, but I had only a glimpse, and could not be sure. I
wish he were not to be in our party.”
“We must be on our guard; I don’t fancy him much.”
When the boys saw Fletcher in the morning he appeared as usual, and
they were disposed to think they were mistaken. Yet the lurking
suspicion occurred to them from time to time, and made them feel uneasy.
The next day they set out on their journey, accompanied by Dick
Fletcher and Obed Stackpole.