ATTEMPT OF THE HOUSEBREAKER.--ATTACK BY THE SNAKE.
I confess that it is somewhat startling to awaken a few minutes before
sunrise, and see a dozen rough, gaunt, ragged men, standing near the
entrance of one's tent, and to hear them whisper in a low tone, as
though they intended murder, or robbery at least; and it was with the
latter impression that I sprung from my couch, revolver in hand.
"What is the meaning of all this?" I asked, rubbing my eyes, not being
thoroughly awakened.
"Ah, yer honor is awaken, is ye?" inquired a familiar voice; and upon
closer inspection, I found that our Irish friend, whose hand Fred had
dressed the succeeding evening, was one of our visitors.
"Ah, it's you, is it?" I asked, hastily concealing my revolver. "What
has sent you here so early?"
"Faith, it's yer honor that may well ax that. It's a beautiful night's
rest I had, yer honor, and I couldn't rest without coming and telling
yer honor of it. It's painless is my hand, and it's all owing to the
doctoring, I know, glory to God; and it's a few friends of mine I've
brought wid me, whom I hope yer honors will look at for my sake, and
long life to yer honors' ginerosity."
"Well, this is cool, certainly," I said, in a low whisper to Fred. "What
are we to do? We can't afford to devote all our nights and mornings to
practising on the philanthropic style."
"We must make the best of our bargain, at present If we should turn them
away, people would say that we possessed no feeling, and as likely as
not we should get insulted in some manner or other during the first
drunken fray that occurred near our new place of business. As we have
begun, so must we finish."
I concluded that Fred's advice was far the best, and without another
complaint, I assisted him to go through with our new patients. As usual,
they left, profuse in their thanks, but no substantial token of their
appreciation was deposited with us.
There was one thing that we found we were running short of, and that was
salve; and we saw, perhaps with some tokens of satisfaction, that when
that was ended, our career of doctoring would also terminate.
After breakfast, Smith yoked up his team, and moved our tent and worldly
goods to the new house which we had purchased the day before. The man
from whom we had bought it was all packed up and ready to start for
Melbourne that very day, and when he found that Smith was going on the
same journey, he engaged a passage, and expressed, in heartfelt thanks,
his joy at the prospect of his soon leaving Ballarat forever.
"I 'ope," he said, in cockney dialect, "that I never shall be obliged to
earn my living in a country vare the spiders are as big as a 'at, and as
savage as a bull dog--vare snakes crawl into bed vith yer, and drive yer
out--and vare the inhabitants had rather tell a lie than the truth. I'm
going 'ome to Hingland, and those vot vant gold may come 'ere and dig it
if they please, for all I care."
Our parting with the honest fellow who had been our companion for so
many days, and who had shared with us so many adventures, was of a
sorrowful nature, and it seemed as though all that we held dear on the
island was lost to us. Even Smith tried hard to conceal his grief, and I
saw moisture in his eyes as he turned towards his rattle, after
receiving our instructions for the last time, and started on his long
journey.
The team was just disappearing from view, when his passenger, who, owing
to his rheumatism and a light freight, was allowed to ride, struggled to
his feet, and gave us a parting salutation.
"Look out for the snakes," he yelled; "they is apt to enter the 'ouse
during the night and if you value your dog you'd better tie him on to
the roof, or he'll be swal--"
The balance of the wretch's remark was lost in the distance, but we knew
its meaning, and almost wished the same might befall the late proprietor
of the building, before he reached Melbourne.
Our feelings were not very lively during the day, yet we went to work
and made many improvements in our future home, and even got hold of a
few boards,--remnants of boxes,--which we nailed on the roof; and by
purchase and favor, were enabled to complete it in the course of a week,
so that by spreading tarred sail cloth upon the boards, we flattered
ourselves that we should be comparatively protected from the heavy rain
storms which comprise the winter months.
We cleaned out our store, and arranged the few articles which we owned,
and got ready for commencing business when Smith returned. Then we began
painting a huge sign on strong sail cloth, and acting on the inspector's
suggestion, called our place the "International Store."
By night time we were thoroughly tired, and were ready to thank fortune
that our usual number of patients was not present to demand our
_professional_ aid. The inspector dropped in to see us for a short time,
after supper; but he did not stop long, as a large meeting of the miners
was to take place that night, and he expected quite a stir would be made
in regard to the mining tax. We were therefore left alone to pass the
night, and after an inspection of the horses, and finding that they were
doing well, we "turned in," as the sailors say, and slept soundly for
three or four hours, when I was awakened by a low growl from Rover, who
was lying at my feet.
I started at the sound, and listened, but could discover no cause for
alarm. Still, I saw that the hound was restless, and through the
darkness observed that his eyes burned like coals of fire, and that he
appeared to be watching for further signs of danger.
Thinking that the noise of some brawler had disturbed him, I again lay
down; but as I did so the dog uttered another low growl, and crept near
my face, as though fearful of something that was invisible to my eyes.
I patted his neck, and to my surprise I found he was trembling as I had
never known him before. He crouched close to me, and seemed almost
inclined to desert me; but I soon calmed him, although, for the life of
me, I could not understand why he should appear so frightened.
For a few minutes I sat upright and listened attentively, but not a
sound rewarded me for my patience. I heard Fred breathing heavily a few
feet from me, but I disliked to awaken him, as I knew that he was very
tired when he went to sleep, and as yet I had seen nothing that
warranted me in disturbing him. I was just about to speak to the dog in
an angry tone, when he suddenly uttered a sharp yelp, and I heard a
slight rustling within a few feet of me.
It was a peculiar sound, and startled me. It was not like the heavy or
light tread of man, but it seemed as though some substance was being
drawn across the floor at a cautious rate. Again it stopped, and all was
still; I held the dog firmly by the collar, but he trembled so violently
that I began to partake of his fear, and no longer delayed in awakening
Fred.
I reached over, and placed my hand upon my comrade's face, and the touch
awoke him instantly.
"Hist!" I whispered; "don't speak above your breath for your life. There
is some person in the room!"
I could feel my friend place his hand upon his trusty revolver, and I
knew that he was prepared for action. I shifted my position so that I
could got beside him, and then, armed in a similar manner, I awaited
further developments.
"What has disturbed you?" he asked, in a whisper that would have been
inarticulate two paces from us.
"I can't imagine. Even Rover has taken fright; and for the first time;
see how he trembles," I responded.
"Get your matches all ready, and when we wish a light we will have one
without delay. Hark! What was that?"
We both listened attentively. Not ten feet from us, we could hear a
movement that now sounded as though a man was crawling upon his stomach.
Carefully he appeared to work his way along, stopping every few seconds,
as though uncertain whether to advance or recede; and it seemed as
though we could hear our night visitor breathe during his pauses.
We did not wish to use our pistols, for we did not know but that the
former proprietor of the store was in the habit of giving lodgings to
miners, who were not acquainted with the change of ownership; but we
made up our minds that we would guard against such interruption of our
slumbers in future.
"We had better ask what he wants," whispered Fred, "and then we will
light a candle and examine him."
"Go ahead; your lungs are the strongest," I answered, in an audible
tone.
At the sound of my voice, the slow, slimy movement upon the floor
ceased, and the visitor appeared to be listening.
"Who goes there?" demanded Fred, with a voice slightly tremulous. It
appeared to me that I could hear a slight breathing near, but I was not
sure. The slow moving or creeping across the floor had ceased; we
listened for a repetition of it.
"Are you a friend or foe?" Fred asked.
There was no response for a moment, and then the slow, cautious movement
began again.
"Strike a light," whispered Fred, "and let us see what this means."
Among the effects which we had found in the store was a large lamp for
burning alcohol; this Fred had cleansed and trimmed the day before, and
filled with spirits of turpentine, for the purpose of using it in
cooking. I knew where it was placed; so I crept carefully along on my
hands and knees, and suddenly lighted it with a lucifer. As the huge
wick took fire, I hastily glanced over my shoulder, for fear that an
assassin should strike a blow before I could be on my guard.
A startling yell from Fred caused me to spring to my feet, and as I did
so, a long, dark object flashed before my eyes, and narrowly missed my
head. The next instant my yell of terror was added to Fred's, for in the
middle of the floor, with waving tail, and eyes that blazed like coals
of fire, was a monstrous snake of a jet black hue; the huge mouth of the
reptile was thrown open to its widest extent, and was armed with fangs
an inch in length!
For a short time after my cry of terror, I remained silent, not daring
to move, for fear that the reptile, who appeared to be debating which of
us to attack first, should make a spring, and encircle me in his
dreadful folds, and crush out my life before I could utter a prayer.
Even to this day I can remember how I trembled, and how weak my knee
joints appeared to grow; and even now, I fancy I can see the slimy,
gleaming monster examine first me, and then the flickering flame of the
lamp, as though only astonishment at the illumination kept him at a
distance.
I did not for a moment lose sight of that powerful, waving tail, or the
glowing eyes, although I thought I would give all the world to be miles
from the spot.
I had heard of the monstrous size that black snakes acquired in
Australia, but I had regarded the stories as travellers' yarns, and only
got up to intimidate new comers. Now that I was satisfied of the truth
of the accounts, I could have wished that an earthquake would swallow
the reptile, so that it but left me secure.
I glanced hastily towards Fred. He was seated on his bed, as startled
and surprised as myself, but I thought that I saw his hand move slowly
towards his revolver, and I prayed that his eyes would not deceive him
when he fired.
Rover had disappeared, but I could hear his loud bay outside of the
building, and I hoped that it would attract attention, and that
assistance would reach us before it was too late.
Still that fearful and muscular tail waved and played in the air, as
though undecided where to strike.
For a moment I removed my eyes from the bright orbs before me, and to my
surprise, I saw a quantity of old canvas, stowed in a corner where we
had left it the day before, begin to move. The snake was apparently
attracted by the same object, and moved its body slightly to get a
better view. I thought, with horror, that perhaps it was the mate of
the reptile, and that Fred and myself would furnish a meal for each.
Still, I watched the canvas and the movements of the snake closely. The
former was gradually and carefully unrolled, and then, to my surprise, I
saw the head of a man thrust cautiously out, as though to discover the
cause of the recent noise, and why a lamp was burning at that hour of
the night.
The snake saw the man's head as quick as myself--at least, I judged that
it did by its motions; for the huge mouth expanded wider than before,
and a long, forked tongue darted back and forth, as though longing for
something to gorge. The tail of the reptile also waved more gently, as
though uncertain where to strike.
To my surprise, the man who was concealed in the canvas appeared to pay
no attention to our hideous visitor, for he pushed aside the cloth that
covered him, and seemed desirous of either investigating the contents of
our money-pouches, or else making his escape from the building.
He was an ugly-looking fellow, as seen by the flickering of our lamp,
and had I been unarmed, I should have cared but little about meeting him
in the dark; under the present circumstances I almost welcomed him as a
friend, and would willingly have given him a few hundred pounds, if,
when he left us, he could carry our shiny visitor along with him.
We watched both the man and the snake with an unflagging attention. The
former, to my surprise, did not appear to observe the danger that he was
in, and I could only account for it when I saw that his eyes were
watching my movements, as though fearful that a well-directed shot was
to punish him for his intrusion.
The fellow was well armed, I could perceive, for a pair of pistols was
stuck in his belt, and a long, glittering knife reposed near them. Once
I saw him make a movement with one of his hands towards his belt, as
though anxious to try the chances of a shot in my direction, but he
apparently altered his mind, and arose to his feet.
I hastily glanced towards the snake; the movement of its long tail
ceased, and the reptile coiled itself up as though to escape
observation, but the fire of its eyes burned as brightly as ever, and
the long fangs were exhibited, as though determined to bite something
before long.
Still the stranger did not appear to observe the dangerous position that
he was in, for he seemed too much occupied with scrutinizing Fred and
myself to attend to objects in his immediate vicinity. Our silence must
have struck him with wonder, for after a while he spoke.
"Darn it!" he exclaimed, pettishly, "why don't some of you hail a
feller? or are you all struck with a Spanish mildew?"
We returned no answer.
The snake appeared to be as much interested as ourselves, and hardly a
motion of his black, glistening skin could I observe; but his eyes
seemed to emit sparks of fire, so brilliantly did they blaze.
"You can't hail a convoy, hey?" demanded the stranger, in a contemptuous
tone; "has my appearance put a stopper on your tongues, or what is the
matter?"
We still remained silent, awaiting the finale of so singular a meeting.
"You can talk glib enough when you get with old Brown, and other police
fellows, after having shot down the best man in the mines--you know who
I mean--and I tell you that he is a better man than either of you two
lubbers, squatting there, with faces whiter than a ship's main royal!
You know the feller I mean--Pete Burley; he never trembled when a feller
hailed him."
We let the ruffian--for his last words convinced me: that he had visited
us for no good--go on.
The snake had, inch by inch, moved its location, and was partly
concealed from the sight of Burley's friend by a barrel. The light,
also, was not shed over that portion of the floor, and while every
movement of the monster was distinctly revealed to me, the ruffian could
not, without stepping towards us, observe it.
"I s'pose you fellers want to know why I am here," the ruffian asked,
with a sneer.
I tried to reply, but I could not; my eyes were fastened upon the
glowing orbs of the snake, and it seemed to me that if I spoke, he would
spring towards me.
"I'll tell ye why I am here, and how I got in. I want to revenge the
injury which you have inflicted upon my friend Burley, and I also want
to get a few pounds to pay me for the trouble I have taken in his
behalf; so just heave ahead and shell out the shiners, and then we'll
spin a yarn 'bout other affairs. Interest first, and then satisfaction."
I heard every word that the villain uttered, but if he had drawn a
pistol, and offered to have shot me where I stood, I could not have
moved a hand in my behalf. I struggled to overcome the feeling, but it
was in vain; the glistening, restless eyes of the snake were on me, and
seemed to dance with triumph at their thraldom. The tail was motionless
now, as though awaking the result of the conversation.
I wondered that Fred did not come to my relief; but the longer that I
looked, the less I thought on the subject, and after a while I began to
really enjoy my situation, and to feel surprised that I had considered
the monster so terrible. I felt a strange desire to move forward, and
fondle the snake, and the eyes that at first seemed so hideous now
looked like glittering stones of inestimable value. The black, slimy
skin appeared to be of burnished gold, and I thought that if I could but
touch it, I should be enriched forever.
Even in my stupor I could hear the loud barking of Rover, on the outside
of the building, and it passed through my mind, like an electric shock,
that he was uttering a howl for my death. But, like a flash, the bitter
feeling that I experienced passed away, and I no longer regretted that I
was to die; in fact, I felt rather rejoiced that I was so soon to end my
troubles, and it appeared that I had got but a step to move forward, and
I should be surrounded with all the pleasures of paradise.
"Why, what is the matter with you two lubbers?" I heard the ruffian ask,
the few minutes' silence that had prevailed having startled him; "darn
yer eyes, can't one of ye speak, and say that you'll come down with the
shiners?"
I could hear the loud breathing of Fred, and I thought that he was
trying to answer, but if he did attempt it, the effort was a failure,
and the words died in his throat unuttered.
I do not know how long I stood thus silent and motionless, but it seemed
to me hours; and each moment I could feel that I was growing weaker and
weaker, and more strongly urged forward in the direction of the snake.
And then the tail of the monster, which had lain dormant for some time,
began to exhibit signs of life, and to form graceful curves in the air,
as though enjoying a mighty triumph, or beckoning other monsters to come
forward and witness the result of an interview with the lords of the
creation.
"Blast your picturs!" exclaimed the ruffian, and I heard him move as
though he intended to come towards us.
I could not withdraw my gaze from the snake, and if I should live a
thousand years, I never could hope to witness such a gorgeous display as
the eyes of the monster exhibited when the sound of footsteps disturbed
the silence of the room. Showers of gold, silver, and precious stones,
all mingled together, and exhibited by gas light, would be but a poor
comparison, when contrasted with the splendor that I thought I observed
in the serpent's eyes.
I heard the ruffian take one, two, three steps towards us, and I heard
him utter an oath at our apparent indifference, and then, like a flash
of lightning, I saw the tail of the snake gleam through the air, and
encircle, coil after coil, the stout body of the midnight robber!
I heard a sudden exclamation of horror; a fearful imprecation escaped
the lips of the ruffian, and then the wonderful spell, which had bound
me for I know not how long, was dissipated, and weak and trembling, I
staggered back, and sank upon the floor, too much exhausted to escape
from the building, and too much overcome with horror, at the struggle
going on before me, to offer aid.