Our claim was at length completed, and we--the shareholders--with some
of our friends determined to hold a little jollification. We engaged a
private room in the hotel, where we had divided our gold; and, after
settling all accounts, we sat down to as good a dinner, as the landlord
could place upon his table.
After dinner, our pipes were lit; and the only business before us, was
to find some amusement for the rest of the evening.
"Rule Britannia," "The Red, White, and Blue," and "The Flag that braved
a Thousand Years," were sung, and duly applauded. The poet of the
company then gave us a song of his own composing, which, whatever may
have been its merits, met with the approval of the company.
As it was understood that "the Elephant" and "Bill" were going to give
up gold digging for good, and were to start for Melbourne the next day,
one of the party came out with a proposal, warmly seconded by the rest.
"Elephant," said the person thus proposing, "now that you and Bill have
made your fortunes, and are going to give up the business, suppose you
tell us all what you intend doing with your money--so that, when we have
made our fortune, we shall have your example to guide us in spending
it?"
The individual who made this request, had once been a convict in
Tasmania. He was rather a good-looking man, about forty-five years of
age, and went by the name of Norton. The little bird called "rumour,"
had chirupped about the diggings many tales of his former achievements
in crime--all of which, however, seemed to have been forgotten.
The reader may ask, why those of our company, who professed to be
respectable men, should associate with one who had manifestly been a
transported felon?
The answer is, that we were in circumstances very different from those
who might think of putting such a question. Ten or twelve men were
required for working a mine on the Gravel-pits; and where nearly all the
people of the place were strangers to each other, a man could not very
well make choice of his companions, at least not all of them. Norton
had bought a share in the claim from one of the first holders of it; and
all that the rest of us could require of him, was, that he should
perform his share of the work.
On such an occasion as that of dividing the gold, he had as much right
to be one of the company, as any other shareholder.
"I will agree to what you propose, on one condition," responded the
Elephant, to the proposal of Norton; "and I have no doubt but that my
friend, Bill, will do the same. But in order that you should understand
what I intend doing in the future, it will be necessary that you should
be told something of my past. This I am willing to make known, if you,
Norton, will give us a true account of the principal events of your
life; and Bill will probably gratify your curiosity on the same terms?"
"Oh certainly," said Bill; "if Norton will give us his history, I'll
give mine."
The idea of an old convict giving us a true account of his misfortunes
and crimes, was thought to be a very happy one; and the whole company
were amused at the way the "Elephant" had defeated Norton's attempt to
gratify his curiosity: for they had no idea that the convict would make
a "confession." But to the surprise of all, he accepted the terms; and
declared himself ready and willing to tell "the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth."
Olliphant and Bill could not retreat from the position they had taken,
and Norton was called upon to commence. The glasses were again filled,
and the short black pipes relit.
The company kept profound silence--showing the deep interest they felt
in hearing the life narrative of a man, with whose crimes rumour had
already made them partially acquainted.
"I am," began Norton, "the son of a poor man--a day labourer, and was
born in the north of Scotland. Inspired by the hopes common to youth, I
married early. In consequence, I had to endure the misery every man
must meet, who is cursed with poverty, and blessed with a family he is
unable to support.
"The mutual affection my wife and I entertained for each other, only
increased our wretchedness. It was agony to see one who loved me,
having to endure the privations and hardships to which our poverty
subjected us.
"By almost superhuman exertions, and by living half-starved, I managed
at last to scrape together a sufficient sum to take me to America--where
I hoped to be able to provide a home for my wife and child.
"I had not the means to take them along with me, though I left enough to
secure, what I thought, would be a permanent home for them until I
should return.
"My wife had a brother--an only relative--who lived in a lonely house
among the hills. He and his wife kindly agreed to give my old woman a
home, until I should either return, or send for her.
"I will not weary you with the particulars of what I did in America--
more than to state that I went to the copper mines near Lake Superior;
and that I was not there a year, before I was so fortunate as to find a
rich vein of ore, which I sold to a mining company for 6,000 dollars.
"I sent my wife a part of this money, along with the intelligence, that
I would soon return for her. With the rest, I purchased a small farm in
the southern part of the State of Ohio; and leaving a man in charge of
it, I returned to Scotland for my family.
"I got back in the middle of winter--in December. It was a very cold
morning, when I arrived in sight of the hovel, that contained all I
loved most dear on earth. It was Christmas Day; and, in order to have
the pleasure of spending it along with my wife, I had walked all the
night before. When I drew near the house, I noticed that the snow--that
had been falling for two days--lay untrodden around the door!
"I hurried up inside, when I saw, lying on the floor, and partly covered
with rags, my wife and child. They were what men call--_dead_!
"The appearance of the hut, and of the dead bodies, told me all. They
had died of cold and hunger.
"I afterwards learnt, that my brother-in-law had died some time before;
and that his wife immediately afterwards had gone away from the hovel to
join some of her own relatives, who lived near the border.
"My poor wife had disposed of every thing that would sell for a penny;
and had in vain endeavoured to find employment. The distance of the hut
from any neighbour, had prevented her from receiving assistance in the
last hours of her existence: for no one had been aware of the state of
destitution to which she had been reduced.
"During the severe storm preceding her decease, she had probably
lingered too long in the hut to be able to escape from it; and had
miserably perished, as in a prison.
"Neither she, nor the child, could have been dead for any length of
time. Their corpses were scarcely cold; and it was horrible for me to
think, that I had been walking in the greatest haste throughout all that
stormy night, and yet had arrived too late to rescue them!
"When sitting by their lifeless forms, in an agony of mind that words
cannot describe, I was disturbed by the arrival of a stranger. It
turned out to be the post carrier, who stepping inside the hut, handed
me a letter. At a glance, I saw it was the letter I had sent from
America--enclosing a draft for twenty-five pounds.
"Why has this letter not been delivered before?" I inquired of the man,
speaking as calmly as I could.
"He apologised, by saying that the letter had only been in his
possession _four days_; and that no one could expect him to come that
distance in a snow storm, when he had no other letter to deliver on the
way!
"I took up an old chair--the only article of furniture in the house--and
knocked the man senseless to the floor.
"His skull was broken by the blow; and he soon after died.
"I was tried, and convicted of manslaughter, for which I received a
sentence of ten years transportation.
"At the end of three years, I obtained a ticket-of-leave for good
conduct. And now, gentlemen, I have nothing more to tell you, that
would be worth your listening to."
At the conclusion of Norton's narrative, several of the company, who
seemed to be restraining themselves with great difficulty, broke into
loud shouts of laughter. Norton did not appear to be at all displeased
at this, as I thought, unseemly exhibition!
I afterwards learnt why he had taken it in such good part. It was
generally known, that he had been transported for robbing a postman; and
the cause of their mirth was the contrast between the general belief,
and his own special account of the crime.
For my part, I could not join in their mirth. His story had been told
with such an air of truth, that I could not bring myself to disbelieve
it. If not true, the man deserved some consideration for the talent he
had exhibited in the construction of his story: for never was truth
better counterfeited, or fiction more cunningly concealed, under an air
of ingenuous sincerity.
Volume Three, Chapter XVI.