When Oakes and I got back from our search after the thieves, we
discovered that still another defection had taken place in the firm.
During the interval of our absence, Mr John Darby had sold his share,
to a person, who had the appearance of having work in him, after which
that talkative gentleman had quietly slipped away from the spot.
I had noticed that he had not seemed highly delighted with the idea of
my friend Oakes coming into the company; and I presumed that this was
the cause of his sudden desertion of us.
On making my conjecture known to Oakes, I received from him the
following explanation:
"I knew Darby," said Oakes, "when he first arrived in the colonies. He
had come over here, as many others do, under the belief that hard work
was degrading to a gentleman, such as he loudly proclaimed himself to
be. Suffering under this affliction, he would not condescend to become
a miner, but obtained a situation in the government camp at Bendigo.
"One day I had the misfortune to pass an hour in his company--during
which he seemed struck with a fit of temporary sensibility, and declared
his intention to take to gold-digging.
"Toiling to get gold," said he, "is manual labour, I admit; still it is
not degrading to a man of fine sensibilities. I'm told that there are
men of all the learned professions engaged in mining; and that a
celebrated author is now a gold-digger at the Ovens. Gold-diggers have
no masters; and I have even heard, that they affect to despise us
government people at the camp."
I afterwards ascertained that Mr Darby had been dismissed from the
government employment, just before making these remarks; and to this
cause, no doubt, might be assigned the change, that had taken place in
his views regarding "labour."
Not long after that interview with him, he made his appearance near
where I was working, in the Bendigo diggings. He had some mining tools
with him--such as gold-diggers sometimes buy for the amusement of their
children. He appeared as if he intended to pick up a fortune, without
soiling his hands with the dirt, since both of them were gloved!
Paying no heed to some derisive cries that greeted him as he came upon
the ground, he strutted on, looking out for a claim.
The place, he at length selected for his debut in gold-digging, was
chosen with some apparent judgment.
Seeing two old shafts, about ten yards apart, that had the appearance of
having been well worked, he supposed the ground between them must also
be worth working; and just half-way between the two he commenced sinking
another.
The soil of the place was shallow--not over eight feet in depth--and
Darby, inspired by high hopes, toiled industriously for the greater part
of a day. At the end of each hour it could be seen that his head had
descended nearer to the level of the earth; and, before leaving off in
the evening, he had got waist deep into the dirt.
Next morning he was again at work, at a very early hour.
"I sha'n't be surprised," said he to one of his neighbours who was
passing, "if I should find a jeweller's shop here. If it turns out
well, I shall be on my way home to-morrow. As good luck would have it,
the Great Britain sails for England next week."
"I shall not be surprised at your good luck," replied the miner, with a
significant smile; "at least, not any more than you'll be astonished at
finding no gold in that hole."
"I won't be at all astonished," retorted Darby; "astonishment is a
vulgar feeling, that I'm not in the habit of indulging in. So far as
that goes, it would make little difference to me, whether I found no
gold at all--a nugget the size of myself--or the devil."
Darby continued toiling for nearly an hour longer. At the end of this
time, he was seen suddenly to spring up out of the hole; and run with
all the speed, his tottering limbs could command, in the direction of
his tent--falling down, once or twice, on the way!
Some of the diggers had the curiosity to go, and look down the hole he
had made--in the hope of discovering the cause of his so suddenly
forsaking it. To their surprise they saw a human corpse! It was partly
uncovered. The face, with its half decayed features, had been exposed
to view by the spade of Mr Darby, who had been all the time engaged in
re-opening an old tunnel excavated by their former owners between the
two worked-out claims.
Some man had been murdered; and his body concealed in the tunnel. Of
course the miner who had "chaffed" Darby in passing knew nothing of
this. He only knew that a tunnel was there; and that Darby would get no
gold out of the shaft he was sinking; but the man was as much astonished
as any of us, on seeing the horrible "nugget" that had rewarded the
labours of the "gentleman gold-digger."
We heard that afternoon that Darby--immediately after receiving payment
for his share in our claim--had started off to Melbourne, with the
intention of returning to England. He had still retained enough pride
of character, or vanity, or whatever it might be called, to dread the
ridicule, that he knew must await him, should Oakes tell us the story of
that Bendigo nugget.
His defection was a fortunate circumstance for us: as it led to our
procuring, in his place, a partner capable of performing a full share of
the toil we had before us.
On that day Fortune appeared determined to favour us. Before night we
had disposed of the two shares, abandoned by the "swipers," to a couple
of first-class miners.
Next morning we all went to work with a will. Even George and the
apothecary--stimulated by the example of the others--did their best to
imitate it.
This, however, was on their part only a spasmodic effort. Before many
days had elapsed, the toil proved too great for their powers of
endurance; and each entered into an agreement with a "working partner,"
who was to have one-half of their gold in return for the labour of
getting it out for them.
After this arrangement had been made, we could count on a proper working
company; and our progress in the _exploitation_ of the mine was,
thenceforth, both regular and rapid.
We had not been long engaged upon the claim, when we discovered that it
_was_ "on the line," and our toil was lightened by the golden prospects
thus predicated.
I was struck with the interest which Oakes appeared to feel in the
result. He would scarce take time, either for eating or sleeping, and,
I believe, he would have continued to toil twenty-two hours, out of the
twenty-four, had we allowed him!
When the claim was at length worked out, and the gold divided, Oakes
came to me, and paid back the fifty pounds I had advanced towards the
purchase of his share.
"You have made my fortune," said he, "and I am going home with it
to-morrow. It is not a large one; but it is all I require. I must now
tell you what I intend to do with the money--as I believe that will be
some reward to you, for your generosity in taking me into the claim. I
have a father, who has been in prison for seven years for debt; and all
for the paltry sum of a hundred and sixty pounds! Six years ago, I left
home, and turned sailor, only that I might get my passage to some
foreign land--where I might make the money to pay this debt, and take my
father out of prison. I knew I could never raise it in England--where
some of our governing people tell us we are so prosperous, and
contented! One hundred and sixty pounds was a large sum, for a young
fellow like me to get together. I knew I could never make it up, by
following the sea; and I had begun to despair of ever doing so, until I
got aboard of a ship in Cape Town bound for Melbourne. Of course I
joined the ship, with the intention of escaping from her, when we should
reach Melbourne. I need hardly tell you, that I succeeded. One night,
as we were lying anchored in Hobson's Bay, off Williamston, I slipped
into the water; and, by swimming more than a mile, I reached the shore.
Soon after, I found my way to the Bendigo diggings.
"While working out that claim on Eagle-Hawk Gully--of which I have told
you--I was the happiest man on earth: but, when I discovered that my
mates had absconded with my gold, I was driven nearly distracted. It
was a cruel disappointment to a man, anxious to liberate an honest
father from prison, as well as extricate a mother and two sisters from a
situation of extreme misery.
"Since then I have had no good luck--until you got me into this claim we
have just completed. Thank God, I've got the money at last; and may He
only grant that I shall live to reach old England with it, in time to
relieve my suffering relatives. That is all I care for in this world;
and if I can accomplish it, I shall be willing to die."
At my request Oakes promised to write to me from Melbourne; and let me
know in what ship he would sail.
This promise was kept, for, the week after, I received a letter from
him, informing me--that he had embarked in the ship "Kent," bound for
London.
I could not help offering up a silent prayer, that favouring winds would
safely waft him to his native shore; and that his long-cherished hopes
might meet with a happy realisation.
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