A "claim," adjoining the one in which my partner and I were working, was
much richer than ours. The primitive rock lay farther below the
surface--showing that there had been a basin in the creek, or river,
that hundreds of years before had flowed over the "vale of Avoca."
In this basin had been deposited a great quantity of earth containing
gold: for the soil was thickly impregnated with the precious metal.
This claim was owned by three men. Two of them appeared to be
respectable young fellows; and I incidentally learnt from them, that
they had been playmates in boyhood, shipmates on their voyage to the
colony, and had worked together ever since their arrival at the
diggings. An old convict was the third partner of these two young men.
He had first marked out the claim, and for a while kept sole possession
of it; but, seeing that he would be unable to manage it by himself, he
had allowed the other two to take shares in it.
They had joined the convict only for that one job; and had done so,
because they could not find any other favourable opportunity for
"getting on the line."
One day, when I was standing by at the windlass of our own shaft, I saw
the old convict come towards his claim--apparently after having been to
his dinner.
I had observed one of the young men let himself down the shaft, but a
few minutes before. Soon after, I heard his voice from below calling to
the convict--who had placed himself by the windlass, after his arrival.
I then saw the latter lower the rope, and hoist the young man to the
surface. The old convict was then lowered down; and, as soon as he had
detached himself from the rope below, I noticed that the young man
hastily drew it up and in a manner that betrayed some extraordinary
excitement.
"Hoist up your mate, and bring him here," he called to me. "Quick!
I've something terrible to tell you of."
I called to my partner to get on the tackle; and, as soon as he had done
so, I drew him up out of the shaft.
While I was doing this, the young man who had called to me, summoned
some others in the same manner; and five or six men who chanced to be
near, hastened up to the spot.
As soon as we were assembled around him, the young fellow began:
"I have a strange story to tell you all," said he. "My friend has been
murdered; and the man who has committed the crime is below. We have him
sure. Will some one go to the `camp' for the police? I shall not leave
this spot, till I see the murderer in their custody, or see him dead."
The commotion, caused by this startling announcement, brought several
others to the place; and a crowd was soon collected around the claim.
Two or three started off for the police encampment.
While waiting for their return, the young man, who had called us around
him, gave an explanation of his conduct in having summoned us thus
strangely.
"I came up out of the shaft," said he, "about half-past eleven o'clock;
and went home to cook dinner for myself and my friend. I left him along
with our other mate--the murderer--who is now below, at work, stowing
away some of the pipe-clay that we had finished working with. I
expected him to follow me to his dinner in about half-an-hour after. I
waited for him till nearly one; and as he did not come, I ate my dinner
alone, and then returned here to go on with the work.
"When I came back, I could see no one. I called down the shaft,
thinking both were below.
"As there was no answer, I let myself down by the rope, intending to go
to work by myself. I supposed that my mates had strayed off to some
grog-shop--where they might spend a good part of the afternoon. They
had done this once before; and I thought they might do it again.
"After getting below, I lit the candle; and looked about to see what
they had been doing, since I left them at eleven o'clock.
"The first thing that met my eyes, was the toe of a boot sticking out of
the pipe-clay--where we had been stowing it away, in the worked-out part
of the shaft. What, thought I, is their object in burying the boot
there?
"I took hold of it--there was just enough of it protruding out of the
pipe-clay to enable me to get a grasp of it. I felt that there was a
foot in it. It was a boot belonging to my friend. I knew it--
notwithstanding its being plastered over with the clay. I drew out the
boot; and along with it the body of the man to whom it belonged. He was
dead! I think it is probable he was not quite dead, when covered up;
and that in his death-spasm he had somehow moved his foot, causing it to
protrude a little out of the clay.
"I have no doubt," continued the young miner, "that my seeing that boot
has saved my own life: for the man who has murdered my friend, would
have served me in the same way, had we both been down below, and I
ignorant of what he had already done.
"Just as I was about climbing up the rope to get out, I saw the man who
is now below here, preparing to let himself down. I called to him, in
my natural tone of voice; and told him that I wanted to go above for a
minute--to get a drink. This, no doubt, put him off his guard; and he
helped me up.
"I then asked him what had become of Bill--that was my friend's name.
"`He did not come home to dinner,' said I, `and he is not below.'
"`When we came up to go to dinner,' said he, `and were about starting
away from here, I saw Bill meet a stranger, and shake hands with him.
They went off together.'
"I suggested that he might probably have strayed off upon a spree; and
that we were not likely to get any more work out of him that day. I
added, that, after I had had my drink, we could both go below, and work
without him. This seemed to please my other partner--who at once
desired to be let down into the shaft.
"I lowered him at his request--telling him I should follow soon after.
"He and his victim are now in the shaft. Had he succeeded in killing
both of us, he would not only have got all the gold we had obtained in
the claim, but some more besides." This story excited in the minds of
all present, a feeling of horror, joined to a keen desire for
retribution. Several shouted out to the old convict--commanding him to
come up; that his crime was known, and escape would be impossible.
The murderer must have heard every word; but no answer was returned
either to the threats or commands of those above. There was no occasion
for the latter, either to be in haste, or in any way uneasy about the
man making his escape. He could not possibly get clear from the trap,
into which his partner had so adroitly cajoled him. He must either come
out of the shaft, or starve at the bottom of it.
The policemen, soon after, arrived upon the ground; and were made
acquainted with all the circumstances.
One of them hailed the convict--commanding him "in the Queen's name" to
come up.
"You are our prisoner," said the policeman, "you cannot escape; and you
may as well surrender at once."
There was no answer.
One of the policemen then placed himself in a bowline knot at the end of
the rope; and was gently lowered down into the shaft--several men
standing by at the windlass.
"Hold there!" cried the convict from below. "The instant you reach the
bottom, I'll drive my pick-axe through you."
The men at the windlass ceased turning--leaving the policeman suspended
half way down the shaft.
He was a man of superior courage; and, cocking his revolver, he called
to the convict: that he was going down anyhow--adding, that the first
move made to molest him in the execution of his duty, would be a signal
for him to blow out the brains of the man who should make it.