OPPORTUNE ARRIVAL OF MR. BROWN.--THEY SEND FOR STEEL SPRING.
Of all persons in the world the one most welcome to our eyes was Mr.
Brown, the inspector; and when he made his appearance at the door,
looking dusty, hot, and tired, we were tempted to rush forward and
embrace him, for he seemed as though capable of delivering us from the
perplexing situation in which we stood, although in what manner we were
unable to say, for the commissioner was his superior officer, and could
dispose of us as he pleased, regardless of the remonstrances of his
associate.
"My dear boys," the inspector said, coming hastily towards us, and
extending his hand, regardless of the presence of the commissioner, who
scowled at the interruption, yet did not think it worth while to protest
against it,--"my dear boys," he continued, "I have but this moment
arrived in Ballarat from a short visit to Melbourne, where I was
unexpectedly called on business, and learned at the office that some
trifling charge had been trumped up against you, and without waiting to
change my dress, or wash the stains of travel from my face and hands, I
hurried here to see in what way I could assist you."
"And we gladly welcome you, for we find that a grave charge is preferred
against us, and all our assertions of innocence will not avail us,"
returned Fred, in a sorrowful tone.
"Pooh! don't be low spirited--I'll investigate the facts of the case,
and I'll warrant that every thing will be all right. I will relieve you
of a troublesome duty, sir, and take charge of this matter," the
inspector said, turning to the commissioner; but to Mr. Brown's surprise
the latter bowed rather coldly, and declined the offer.
"I have begun to investigate this matter, and will complete it, sir," he
said.
"I believe that I have always attended to the duties of my office in a
satisfactory manner, and this is the first time during my connection
with the police force that I have been supplanted by a superior," cried
Mr. Brown, rather angrily.
"I shall act my pleasure in this case, or in any other that I choose to
interfere with. Here are two men charged with a heavy robbery and an
attempt at assassination, and my duty will not permit me to let the
parties escape until a full investigation is made;" and the commissioner
straightened himself up as though he was as immovable as granite.
"An attempt at assassination?" echoed the inspector, turning towards us
for an explanation.
"That is the charge," I replied.
"And who dares make such an assertion?" Mr. Brown asked, his face pale
with suppressed excitement.
"Mr. Follet has presented the complaint to me, and backed it with some
proof that looks conclusive," the commissioner said, pointing to the
perjured villain, who stood with sullen aspect a short distance from us.
"Do you dare bring such a charge against these men?" asked the
inspector, facing the lying scamp, and endeavoring to get a glimpse at
his face. "Take time for your answer, and consider the suspicious manner
in which you stand in the estimation of the police at Ballarat. I know
you and your doings."
Follet made an appealing gesture to the commissioner, and the latter
interfered.
"I will have no browbeating of the witness," he said. "He appeared
before me in good faith, and until his assertions are contradicted, I
shall consider that he is under my protection."
"But if I can show you that he is unworthy of belief, and that for
months past he has been in the habit of gambling with money which he has
purloined from his uncle, and that he owes large debts which he has
contracted, and is unable to pay, will that have any effect upon you in
judging of this matter?" demanded Mr. Brown, with some warmth.
"If you can prove to me that these young men are innocent of the charge,
then I shall be ready to listen to complaints against Follet, but not
until then. Bad habits sometimes prejudice the minds of a jury against a
witness, and testimony is weighed in connection with circumstantial
matters which are brought to light. I think that we have a strong case,
for there are marks of blood, and the victim is found under this roof
almost lifeless, but with bandages on the wounds. Now it is a question
in my mind, whether this binding up of the injuries is not a trick for
the purpose of escaping punishment. If--"
"But these men are above suspicion," cried the inspector, impatiently.
"I have not finished yet," the commissioner said, coldly. "I was about
to observe that if more evidence was wanting this would complete it;"
and bending down, he inserted his arm in a barrel that was partially
filled with rice, and to our utter consternation, held up to our view a
sheath knife covered with blood.
"Perhaps your friends can account for the presence of this knife in
their store?" asked the commissioner, with a cold smile at the distress
that he saw upon our faces.
"We cannot," I answered. "We had two dozen of just such knives when we
commenced business, and sold the last one that we had yesterday."
"I will wager a hundred ounces that Follet put the knife in the barrel
when he visited the store this morning," cried the inspector,
dogmatically.
"Did you sell a knife of this pattern to Mr. Follet?" asked Sherwin,
turning to us.
Mr. Brown seemed to take fresh courage at the question, and we could see
that he was anxious for us to answer in the affirmative. Had we done so,
the commissioner would have been staggered with the coincidence, and our
dismissal have followed instantly.
But we disdained to lie even to save ourselves from incarceration, and
much to the disgust of Mr. Brown, and the triumph of the commissioner,
we replied without a moment's hesitancy,--
"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 assailants; 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 assumed.
"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 refreshing, 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 documents 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 assertions 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 assent 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 anticipating 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 assailants, 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 assist 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.
"If he will, we can set the fellow at work, and he will be able to get
information that no policeman in Ballarat could possibly obtain. He must
be supplied with a liberal amount of money, and must represent himself
as being connected with a gang of bushrangers between here and
Melbourne. I will give the 'Traps' a hint not to molest him unless he
betakes himself to roguery again, and I suppose that he will some day."
"But won't suspicion be aroused if Steel Spring is seen to enter the
store, or hold communication with us?" we asked.
"Of course it would," returned the inspector, with a smile, at our
innocence; "of all the persons in Ballarat, you must he the most
avoided, and when an interview is needed, a rendezvous must be appointed
where there is no fear of listeners. Take my word for it, in less than a
fortnight we shall have the true account of the attempted assassination,
and if Follet's companion does not leave the town, we will nab him, and
'pinch' him severely. Write to the lieutenant at once, and don't fail to
tell him that your reputation, and perhaps life, depends upon the loan
of Steel Spring."
With these parting words, the inspector left for his office, and without
delaying for a moment, I sat down, and briefly wrote an account of the
transaction in which we were involved, and stated the necessity there
was for the employment of a spy of Steel Spring's adroitness. I
succeeded in getting my note posted before the mail left Melbourne, and
soon after my return to the store, the surgeon of the police force made
his appearance, and examined the wounds of our patient with some
considerable skill, and did us the honor of saying that he could do no
more than we had already done; and John Bull like, wondered where we got
our knowledge of the art of healing. He thought that there was danger of
inflammation; and ordered a cooling draught and low diet, and then said
that he considered we were competent to attend the patient, unless he
was worse, in which case we were to send for him, and not without.
And we did attend the old gentleman; hour after hour, and night after
night, we watched by his side, barely taking rest ourselves, for fear
that he would suffer; and although he was unconscious of our kindness
and attention, and was wandering in his mind, many miles away to his
family and friends in busy London, yet we never lost our patience, or
refused to gratify his wants, as far as lay in our power.
Day after day passed, and we were impatient to hear from Murden. Mr.
Brown had put his police to work to find out the accomplice of Follet,
but all attempts to discover him had proved futile.
Follet still remained obstinate and defying; and to add to our misery,
our patient was hovering between life and death, and it seemed as though
a feather would turn the scale either way.
One night, soon after twelve o'clock, and while I was taking my turn
watching by the bedside of Mr. Critchet, I heard a gentle tap at the
door. I paid no attention to the first summons; and not until a
repetition warned me that some person was desirous of entering, did I
cock my revolver, and without disturbing Fred, stole softly to the door,
which I unlocked, and discovered a man with a long black beard and
slouched hat, standing on the doorsteps, whistling, in a low key, the
popular negro tune, just introduced into Australia from California, by a
band of negro singers, of "Nelly Bly."
"What is wanted?" I asked, bringing my revolver up so as to command his
head, in case his visit was hostile.
"Can you tell me the time of night?" he demanded, in a tone so gruff and
guttural, that I thought he must have slept in a mine for a week, and
that the dampness had gone to his lungs.
"Ask the first mounted policeman that you come to," I rejoined, and was
about to slam the door to, when I heard a peculiar chuckle that arrested
my attention.
"Veil, if this 'ere isn't a go!" the man with the black beard said; "a
feller comes hall the vay from Melbourne to see a friend, and gets the
door shut in his face."
I knew the voice, and should know it if I met its owner fifty years
hence. I seized the visitor by his collar, dragged him into the store,
shut the door, tore off his black beard, and had revealed to my eyes the
grinning countenance of _Steel Spring!_