"What have you to say for yourself, why I shouldn't hand you over at
once to the police?"
Nothing could be more whimsically striking than the contrast between
Juniper Graves' grand and jaunty bearing a moment before, and his
present utter crawling abjectness. He became white with terror, and
looked the very picture of impotent cowardice. But this was but for a
minute; then his self-possession returned to him. He felt that, if his
master gave him over immediately in charge to the police, everything was
lost; but if he could only get a hearing for a few minutes, before any
further step was taken, he was persuaded that he could manage to stem
the torrent that was bearing against him, especially as, fortunately for
him, Frank Oldfield and himself were alone. His first object,
therefore, was to gain time.
"Oh, Mr Frank, Mr Frank!" he cried beseechingly, "spare me--spare me--
you don't know all--you're labouring under a great misapplication; if
you only knew all, you'd think very indifferently of me."
"That's just what I do now," said the other, smiling in spite of
himself. Juniper saw the smile. He was satisfied that his case was not
hopeless.
"Pray, Mr Frank," he said humbly and softly, "pray do take your hand
off my coat; there's no need, sir--I shan't try to escape, sir--I'll
follow you as impressively as a lamb--only give me time, and I'll
explain all."
"Indeed!" exclaimed Frank; "do you mean to tell me that you'll explain
back my fifty pounds into my pocket again?"
"Yes, sir, and more besides, if you'll only be patient and hear me.
Thank you, sir. If you'll just step in here, sir, I hope to be able to
explain all to your satisfaction."
They entered a little office connected with a weighing-machine, which
happened to be vacant at the time.
"Now, mind," said Frank Oldfield, when they were shut in alone, "I'll
have a straightforward statement, without any prevarication, or I give
you over at once into custody. If you can't clear yourself, and I don't
see how you possibly can, there's the jail before you, the only place
you're fit for."
"I'm quite aware, sir, that appearances are against me," said the other
meekly; "but, Mr Frank, you'll not refuse to listen to your old
servant, that's devoted himself so faithfully to you and yours in
England, and came across the seas just because he couldn't abide to be
separated from you any longer."
"Come, sir," said Frank Oldfield sternly; "I'm not to be talked over in
this way. You weren't so very anxious to avoid separation when you left
me on a sick-bed, and made off with my fifty pounds. Come, sir, give me
your explanation, as you call it, at once, and without any nonsense
about your faithfulness to me and mine, or I shall put the prison-door
between you and me, and that'll be a separation you'll not get over so
easily."
"But you haven't heard me, sir; you haven't heard all. You don't know
what I have to say in attenuation of my offence."
"I mayn't have heard all, Juniper, but I've both heard and seen about
you a great deal more than I like; so let me warn you again, I must have
a plain, straightforward statement. What have you done with my money,
and how can you justify your abandoning me in my illness?"
"Ah! Mr Frank, you little know me--you little know what's in my heart.
You little know how every pulse reverberates with deepest affection.
But I'll go to the point, sir, at once;" for Frank began to exhibit
signs of impatience. "When I saw you was getting ill, sir, and not able
to care for yourself, I says to myself, `I must ride off for a doctor.
But what'll my poor master do while I'm gone? he's no power to help
himself, and if any stranger should come in--and who knows it mightn't
be one of these bushrangers!--he'd be sure to take advantage of him and
steal his money while he lay helpless.' So says I to myself again, `I
think I'll risk it. I know it'll look awkward,'--but there's nothing
like a good conscience, when you know you haven't meant to do wrong.
`I'll just take the money with me, and keep it safe for him till I get
back.' Nay, please, Mr Frank, hear me out. Well, I took the fifty
pounds, I don't deny it; it may have been an error in judgment, but
we're all of us infallible beings. I rode off to find a doctor, but no
doctor could I find; but I met a young bushman, who said he'd get some
one to look after you till I could return."
"And why didn't you return; and how came you to want two horses to fetch
the doctor with?" asked Frank impatiently.
"Ah! dear sir, don't be severe with me till you know all. I took both
the horses for the same reason that I took the money. I was afraid a
stranger might come while I was away, perhaps a bushranger, and the very
first thing he'd have laid his hands on would have been the horse."
"Well; and why didn't you come back?"
"I did try, sir, to come back, but I missed my road, and made many
fruitful efforts to regain my lost track. At last, after I'd tried, and
tried, and tried again, I gave up in despair, and I should have perished
in the scowling wilderness if I hadn't met with a party going to the
diggings. Then the thought crossed my mind, `I'll go and dig for gold;
if I succeed, I'll show my dear master that I'm no slave to Mammoth, but
I'll lay down my spoils at his feet; and if I fail, I cannot help it.'
Well, sir, I went and dug with a good will. I prospered. I came back
to look for my dear master, but I could not find him--he was evacuated.
At last I heard that you were going to England, Mr Frank, and I said to
myself; `I'll go too. I'll pay my own passage. I'll be the dear young
master's devoted servant, and he shall see by my unwearied intentions
that I never really could have meant to do him wrong.'"
"And do you really think me such a fool as to believe all this?" asked
Frank contemptuously.
"Yes, sir; I do hope you will, sir," was the reply of Juniper. "There,
sir," he added, "I'll give you the best proof that I'm not the rogue you
took me for. Please, sir, to read what's on that packet, and then open
it."
Frank took from his hands a heavy parcel, on which was clearly written,
"F Oldfield, Esquire; from Juniper Graves." He opened it. It contained
six ten-pound notes and a leather bag full of nuggets.
"There, sir," said Juniper, triumphantly, "you can tell that this is no
got-up thing. I've had no time to write these words on the paper since
you collared me. I've carried it about just as it is for weeks, as you
may plainly see by looking at the cover of it, till I could give it into
your own hands."
It was clear, certainly, that the paper had been folded and directed
some considerable time back, as was manifest from the marks of wear and
rubbing which it exhibited. Frank was staggered.
"Really, Juniper," he said, "I don't know what to think, I can't deny
that this packet has been made up for me before our present meeting, and
it has all the appearance of having been some considerable time just as
it now is. It certainly looks as if you didn't mean to rob me, as
you've paid me, I should think, nearly double what you took. Of course,
I don't want that. I shall not take more than my fifty pounds."
"Oh, sir, do take the rest, as some amends for the anxiety I've caused
you by my foolish act, in taking charge of your money in the way I did
without your knowledge or permission. It was wrong, and I oughtn't to
have done it; but I meant it for the best. And oh, dear master, do
think the best of me. I never did mean to harm you; and I'm ready to go
with you now from the Pole to the Antipathies."
"No, Juniper, I shall only take my own," said his master; and he
restored him one of the ten-pound notes and the nuggets, which Juniper
accepted with apparent reluctance.
"So far," said Frank Oldfield, "let bygones be bygones. I trust that
you'll not make any more such awkward mistakes."
"You're satisfied then, sir?" asked Graves.
"Yes, so far as my money is concerned. But there's a graver charge
against you still. Jacob Poole has informed me, and asserts it most
positively, that you stole into his tent at the diggings and tried to
murder him."
"Well, did I ever!" exclaimed Juniper, holding up both his hands in
amazement. "I really think, sir, that young man can't be quite right in
his head. _Me_ try to murder him! why, I've never set eyes on him since
the day he spoke so impertinently to me at the cottage. _Me_ murder
him! what can the poor, silly young man be thinking of. It's all his
fancy, sir; merely congestion of the brain, sir, I assure you; nothing
but congestion of the brain."
"It may be so," replied Frank; "but here he comes himself; let us hear
what he has to say on the subject."
They both stepped out into the open air as Jacob Poole came up.
Poor Jacob, had he seen the "father of lies" himself walking with his
master, he could hardly have been more astounded. He rubbed his eyes,
and stared hard again at Frank and his companion, to assure himself that
he was not mistaken or dreaming. No; there could be no doubt of it.
Frank Oldfield was there, and Juniper Graves was as clearly there; and
it was equally plain that there was more of confidence than of distrust
in his master's manner towards the robber and intended murderer. What
could it all mean?
"Come here, Jacob," said Frank. "I see you look rather aghast, and I
don't wonder; but perhaps you may find that Juniper Graves here is not
quite so black as we have thought him. He acknowledges that he took my
fifty pounds, but he says he never meant to keep it; and that he missed
his way in looking for a doctor, and afterwards joined a party at the
diggings."
"Well, Mayster Frank?" said Jacob, with a look of strong incredulity.
"Ah, I see you don't believe it, and I own it don't sound very likely;
but then, you see, he has given me a proof of his wish not to wrong me;
for--look here, Jacob--he has returned me my fifty pounds, and wanted me
to take another ten pounds, and some nuggets besides, his own hard
earnings at the diggings; only, of course, I wouldn't have them."
"Indeed, mayster," replied Jacob, with a dry cough of disbelief; and
glancing at Juniper, who had assumed, and was endeavouring to keep up on
his cunning countenance, an appearance of injured virtue.
"Yes, indeed, Jacob," said his master; "and we mustn't be too hard upon
him. He did wrong, no doubt, and he has made the best amends he could.
If he had been a thorough rogue, he never would have cared to seek me
out and return me my money with large interest. And, what's more, he's
coming over to England in the same ship with us; not as my servant, but
paying his own passage, just for the sake of being near me. That
doesn't look like a thoroughly guilty conscience."
"Coming home in the same vessel with us!" cried Jacob, in utter
astonishment and dismay. "Coming home in the same vessel!"
"Yes, Mr Poole," said Juniper, stepping forward, and speaking with an
air of loftiness and injured innocence; "and, pray, why not coming home
in the same vessel? What have _you_ to say against it, I should like to
know? Am I to ask _your_ leave in what ship I shall cross the brawny
deep? Have you a conclusive right to the company of our master?--for he
is mine as well as yours till he himself banishes me irresolutely from
his presence."
"You shall not sail in the same vessel with us, if I can hinder it, as
sure as my name's Jacob Poole," said the other.
"And how _can_ you hinder it, Mr Poole, I should like you to tell me?
I ask nobody's favour. I've paid my passage-money. I suppose my brass,
as you wulgarly call it, is as good as any other man's."
"Well," said Jacob, "I'll just tell you what it is. You'll have to
clear up another matter afore you can start for England. You'll have to
tell the magistrate how it was as you crept into my tent at the
diggings, and tried to stick your knife into me. What do you say to
that, Mr Juniper Graves?"
Just the very slightest tremor passed through Juniper's limbs, and the
faintest tinge of paleness came over his countenance at this question,
but he was himself again in a moment.
"Really," he exclaimed, "it's enough to throw a man off his balance, and
deprive him of his jurisprudence, to have such shocking charges brought
against him. But I should like, sir, to ask this Mr Poole a question
or two, as he's so ready to accuse me of all sorts of crimes; he don't
suppose that I'm going to take him for judge, jury, and witnesses,
without having a little shifting of the evidence."
"Well, of course, it's only fair that you should ask him for proof;"
said Frank.
"Come, then, Mr Poole," said Juniper, in a fierce swaggering tone,
"just tell me how you can _prove_ that I ever tried to murder you?
Pooh! it's easy enough to talk about tents; and knives, and such things,
but how can you prove it that I ever tried to murder you? a likely
thing, indeed."
"Prove it!" exclaimed Jacob, evidently a little at fault.
"Yes, prove it. Do you think I'm going to have my character sworn away
on such unsubstantial hallucinations? Tell me, first, what time of the
day did it happen?"
"It didn't happen in the day at all, as you know well enough."
"Was it dark?"
"Yes."
"Could you see who it was as tried to murder you, as you say?"
"No."
"Then how do you know it was me?"
"I hit the scoundrel with my spade," said Jacob, indignantly, "and made
him sing out, and I knowed it were your voice; I should have knowed it
among a thousand."
"And that's all your proof," said the other, sneeringly. "You knowed my
voice."
"Ay," replied Jacob; "and I left my mark on you too. There's a scar on
your hand. I haven't a doubt that's it."
"Can you prove it?" asked the other, triumphantly. "A scar, indeed! Do
you think scars are such uncommon things with men as works hard at the
diggings, that you can swear to one scar? A precious likely story!"
"Ah, but I saw you myself."
"When?"
"At two of the preachings."
"Preachings! and what then? I didn't try and murder you at the
preachings, did I? But are you sure it was me, after all, as you saw at
the preachings?"
"Quite."
"How was I dressed? Was the person you took for me just the same as me?
Had he the same coloured hair--smooth face, like me?"
"I'll tell you plain truth," said Jacob, warmly; "it were you. I'm as
sure as I'm here it were you; but you'd blacked your sandy hair, and
growed a beard on your lip."
"Well, I never!" cried the other, in a heat of virtuous indignation.
"Here's a man as wants to make out I tried to murder him; but when I
asks him to prove it, all he says is, he couldn't see me do it, that he
heard my voice, that I've got a scar on my hand, that he saw me twice at
some preachings, but it wasn't me neither; it wasn't my hair, it wasn't
my beard, and yet he's sure it was me. Here's pretty sort of evidence
to swear away a man's life on. Why, I wonder, young man, you ain't
ashamed to look me in the face after such a string of tergiversations."
"I think, Jacob," said his master, "you'd better say no more about it.
It's plain you've no legal proof against Juniper; you may be mistaken,
after all. Let us take the charitable side, and forget what's past.
There, shake hands; and as we're to be all fellow-voyagers, let us all
be friends."
But Jacob drew back.
"No, mayster; I'll not grip the hand of any man, if my heart cannot go
with it. Time'll show. By your leave, I'll go and get the dog-cart
ready; for I suppose you'll be going back to Adelaide directly?"
His master nodding assent, Jacob went to fetch the vehicle, and on his
return found his master in earnest conversation with Juniper.
"Good-bye, then, Juniper, till we meet next Thursday on board the
_Sabrina_," he cried.
"Good-bye, sir; and many thanks for your kindness."
Jacob, of course, uttered no word of farewell; but just looking round
for an instant, he saw Juniper's eyes fixed on him with such a look of
deadly, savage hatred, as assured him--though he needed no such
assurance--that his intended murderer was really there.
"I think, Jacob, you're rather hard on Juniper," said his master, as
they drove along. "He has done wrong; but I am persuaded he has still a
strong attachment to me, and I really cannot think he can have been the
person who tried to murder you. Why should you think it, Jacob? He's
never done you any harm before."
"Mr Frank, you must excuse me; but I'm sure I'm not mistaken. He's
always hated me ever since the day I spoke out my mind to you at the
cottage. Take my word for it, Mr Frank, he's no love for you; he only
wants to make a tool of you, just to serve his own purposes."
"Nay, nay, Jacob, my good fellow; not so fast. He cannot be so utterly
selfish, or he never would have offered me the extra ten-pound note and
the nuggets, over and above the fifty pounds, if he hadn't really a love
for me, and a true sorrow for what he has done wrong."
"I cannot see that," was the reply. "Of course, he knowed he was likely
to meet you when he came to Adelaide; and he was pretty sure what'd
happen if you gave him in charge to the police. He knowed well enough
they wouldn't listen to his tale; so, just to keep clear of the prison,
he gave you the money, and made up his story just to save hisself. He
knowed fast enough as you'd never take more nor your fifty pounds."
"Ah, but Jacob," said his master, "you're wrong there. He had made up
the parcel, nuggets and all, and directed it to me long before he saw
me. Don't that show that he intended it all for me, whether he met me
or no?"
"Not a bit of it, Mr Frank," replied Jacob, bluntly. "He knowed
precious well how to play his game. I'll be bound there's summat wrong
about his getting this gold; I'll ne'er believe he dug it up hisself. I
shouldn't wonder if he hasn't robbed some poor chap as has worked hard
for it; and now he wants to get out of the colony as fast as he can
afore he's found out. And, in course, he's been carrying this brass
lapped up a long time, just in case you should light on him at any time,
and he might seem to have a proper tale to tell. But you may be right
sure, Mr Frank, as you'd ne'er have seen a penny of it if he could only
have got clear out of the colony without coming across yourself."
"You're not very charitable, Jacob, I think," said his master; "but it
may be as you say. And yet, why should he be so anxious to go out in
the same ship with me? If he wanted to keep his money to himself; why
didn't he keep close till the _Sabrina_ was gone, and then sail by the
next vessel?"
"Perhaps he did mean it, Mr Frank, only you happened to light on him."
"No, that cannot be, for he says he has paid for his own passage."
"Then, if that's a true tale," said the other, "I'll be bound he's not
done it with any good meaning for you or me. I shall keep both my eyes
well open, or he'll be too much for me. And as for you, Mr Frank, oh,
don't listen to him, or he'll hook all your brass as he's given you out
of your pocket again, or he'll lead you back to the drink if he can."
Frank coloured, and looked troubled, and turned the conversation to
another subject.
At last the day of sailing came. The _Sabrina_, taken in tow by a
steam-tug, soon made her way to Holdfast Bay, where she was to lie at
anchor till Saturday morning. Hubert and his uncle accompanied Frank
Oldfield thus far, and then returned in the steam-tug. Before they
parted, Hubert had a long conversation with his friend in his cabin.
His last words were of Mary, and Frank's one special temptation; and
they separated with a fervent grasp, and eyes brimming with tears. Yet
in neither of their hearts was there hope. Hubert felt that his friend
had not satisfied him that he really meant utterly and for ever to
renounce strong drink; and Frank felt that he had withheld any positive
promise so to abstain, because he knew that the deep-rooted purpose of
his heart was to resume the indulgence which would be his ruin, body and
soul.
And where was Juniper? No one saw him on deck; and yet assuredly he was
on board the vessel, for Jacob had seen him come up the side.
Saturday morning, and a fine favourable wind. Up comes the anchor--the
_Sabrina_ bends to the breeze--away they go! Kangaroo Island is reached
and passed. Then emerges Juniper Graves from his cabin between decks,
and smiles as he looks around him. All is safe now.
The _Sabrina_ had been gone ten days, when a weary, downcast-looking man
entered Mr Abraham Oliphant's office.
"Your name ain't Oliphant, is it?" he asked, doggedly.
"Yes, it is," said Hubert, whom he was addressing.
The man got up, and stared steadily at him for a minute.
"It ain't him!" he muttered to himself.
Hubert was inclined at first to be amused; but there was something in
the man's manner that checked his merriment.
"You want my uncle, perhaps," he said.
Mr Abraham Oliphant came at his nephew's summons. The man, who had all
the appearance of a returned digger, shook his head.
"_You've_ neither on you been to the diggings, I reckon?"
"No; we have neither of us been," said the merchant.
"Are there any of your name as has been?" asked the other.
"None; I can answer for it," was the reply. "My sons have none of them
been; and we, with my nephew here, are all the Oliphants in this colony.
No Oliphant has been to the diggings from South Australia."
The man sighed deeply.
"Can you make anything out o' that?" he asked, handing a piece of soiled
paper to Mr Oliphant. "I can't read myself, but you can read it."
The merchant took the piece of paper and examined it. It had once been
part of an envelope, but had been torn and rolled up to light a pipe,
and one end, where it had been used, was burned. The words left on it
were all incomplete, except the names "Oliphant" and "Australia." What
was left was as follows:--
_yes_,
_Oliphant_,
_delaide_,
_th Australia_.
Both uncle and nephew scrutinised it attentively. At last Hubert
said,--
"I can tell now who this belonged to."
"Who?" cried the man, eagerly.
"Why, to one Juniper Graves, a servant of Mr Frank Oldfield's. He
chose to take upon himself to have his letters from England directed to
the care of my uncle, and this is one of the envelopes."
"And where is he? Can you tell me where I can find him?" cried the
digger, in great excitement.
"I'm afraid you'll not find him at all, my friend," replied the
merchant, "for he left the colony in the _Sabrina_ for England ten days
ago."
The effect of this announcement on the poor man was tremendous. He
uttered a violent imprecation, stamped furiously on the ground, while he
ground his teeth together. Then he sat down, and covered his face with
his hands in mute despair.
"I fear there has been some foul play," said Mr Oliphant to his nephew.
"Foul play!" cried the unfortunate digger, starting up furiously. "I'll
tell you what it is. Yon rascal's been and robbed me of all as I got by
my hard labour; and now he's got clean off. But I'll follow him, and
have the law of him, if I work my passage home for it."
"I've always had a suspicion that the fellow had not come honestly by
his gains," said Hubert.
"And why didn't you stop him? Why didn't you have him taken up on
suspicion?" exclaimed the other bitterly.
"I had no grounds for doing so," replied Hubert. "He might have come
honestly by his money for anything I knew to the contrary. There was
nothing to show that he had not been successful, as many other diggers
have been."
"Successful!" cried the poor man. "Ay, he's been successful in making a
precious fool of me."
"Tell us how it happened," said Mr Oliphant.
"Why, you see, gentlemen, my mates and me had done very well; and they
was for going to Melbourne with what they'd got, but I was for stopping
to get a little more. Well, I was all alone, and a little fidgetty like
for fear of getting robbed, when one evening I sees a sandy-haired chap
near my tent as didn't look much used to hard work; so I has a bit o'
talk with him. He seemed a greenish sort of piece, and I thought as
p'raps I might just make use of him, and keep him for company's sake.
So he and I agreed to be mates; he was to do the lighter work, and I was
to do the hard digging, and keep the biggest share of what we got. So
we chummed together; and he seemed a mighty pleasant sort of a cove for
a bit. He was always a-talking, and had his mouth full o' big words. I
never said nothing about what I'd got afore, and he never seemed to care
to ask me. But it were all his deepness. One night he pulls out a pack
of cards, and says, `Let's have a game. Only for love,' says he, when
he saw me look a little shyly at him. `I'm not a gambler,' says he; `I
never plays for money.' So we has a game and a pipe together, and he
pulls out a little flask of spirits, and we got very cheerful. But I
was careful not to take too much that night. However, the rum set my
tongue loose, and I let out something about having more gold than he
knowed of. I was mighty vexed, however, next day, when I remembered
what I'd said. But he never said a word about it, but looked werry
innocent. A few nights arterwards we gets drinking and smoking again.
Then he took a little too much himself. I knowed it, because next day
he was axing me if I'd see'd anything of an envelope as he'd lost. I
told him `no;' but the real fact was, he'd twisted it up to light his
pipe with, and I'd picked up the bit as he threw away, and put it in my
pocket. I didn't think anything about it then; but next day, when he
made a great fuss about it, and the day after too, I said to myself;
`I'll keep the bit of paper; maybe summat'll turn up from it one of
these days.' So I took it out of my pocket when he were not by, and
stowed it away where I knew he couldn't find it. But I shall weary you,
gentlemen, with my long story. Well, the long and short of it was just
this. He managed to keep the spirit-bottle full, and got me jolly well
drunk one night; and then I've no doubt I told him all he wanted to know
about my gold, for I know no more nor the man in the moon what I said to
him. I asked him next day what I'd been talking about; and he said I
was very close, and wouldn't let out anything. Well, it seems there was
a strong party leaving the diggings a day or so arter; but it was kept
very snug. Jemmy Thomson--that was what my new mate called himself to
me--had managed to hear of it, and got leave to join 'em. So, the night
afore they went, he gets me into a regular talk about the old country,
and tells me all sorts of queer stories, and keeps filling my pannikin
with grog till I was so beastly drunk that I knew nothing of what had
happened till it was late the next morning. Then I found he was off.
He'd taken every nugget I'd got, and some bank-notes too, as I'd stowed
away in a safe place. The party had started afore daybreak; and nobody
knowed which way they'd gone, for they'd got off very secret. I was
like one mad, you may be sure, when I discovered what he'd been and
done. I took the bit of paper with me, and managed somehow to get to
Melbourne. I tried to find him out; some only laughed at me. I went to
the police; they couldn't do nothing for me--some on 'em told me it
served me right for getting drunk. Then I went to a minister; and he
was very kind, and made all sorts of inquiries for me. He said he'd
reason to believe as Jemmy Thomson--as the rascal called himself--was
not in Melbourne. And then he looked at my paper. `Call on me to-
morrow,' says he. And so I did. Then he says, `There's no Oliphant
here as I can find out; but there's a Mr Abraham Oliphant, a merchant,
in Adelaide. This letter's been to him; you'd better see him.' So I've
come here overland with a party; and now I must try my hand at summat or
starve, for I shall never see my money nor the villain as stole it no
more."
Mr Oliphant was truly sorry for the unfortunate man, and bade him take
heart, promising to find him employment if he was willing to stick to
his work and be sober. The man was thankful for the offer, and worked
for a few weeks, but he was still all athirst for the gold, and, as soon
as he could purchase the necessary tools, set out again for the
diggings, with an earnest caution from Mr Oliphant to keep from the
drink if he would not suffer a repetition of his loss and misery.
And thus it was that Juniper Graves had acquired his ill-gotten wealth.
Having ascertained that a party was returning to South Australia, he
joined himself to them, and got safe off with his stolen gold. As Jacob
Poole had surmised, he had made up the packet of notes with the nuggets,
that, should he happen to fall in with his master, he might be able to
pacify him, and so prepare the way for regaining his favour and his own
hold upon him. He felt quite sure, from what he knew of Frank
Oldfield's generous character, that he never would take more than the
fifty pounds, and he was aware that unless he made unhesitating
restitution of that sum, he was in danger of losing all, and of being
thrown into prison. And now he was anxious to leave the colony as soon
as possible, that he might put the sea between himself and the man he
had robbed; and, having ascertained that Frank Oldfield and Jacob Poole
were returning to England in the _Sabrina_, he took his passage in the
same vessel, partly with the view of getting his young master once more
into his power, and partly in the hope of finding an opportunity of
wreaking his vengeance on Jacob Poole. Therefore he was determined to
leave no stone unturned to regain his influence over Frank, for his
object was to use him for his own purposes both during and after the
voyage. To this end his first great aim would be to cause, if possible,
an estrangement between Jacob and his master. He also hoped to do his
rival--as he considered Jacob--some injury of a serious kind, without
exposing himself to detection. So far he had succeeded. All had
prospered to his utmost wishes; and, as the shores of Kangaroo Island
faded from the view of the voyagers, he hugged himself in secret and
said,--
"Bravo, Juniper!--bravo! You've managed it to a T. Ah, Mr Jacob
Poole! I'll make your master's cabin too hot to hold you afore any of
us is a month older."