Part 23 (1/2)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
BOB'S STORY: WILD LIFE AT THE DIGGINGS.
”Well, it all came about like this, Archie: 'England,' I said to myself, says I, 'ain't no place for a poor man.' Your gentry people, most o'
them anyhow, are just like dogs in the manger. The dog couldn't eat the straw, but he wouldn't let the poor hungry cow have a bite. Your landed proprietors are just the same; they got their land as the dog got his manger. They took it, and though they can't live on it all, they won't let anybody else do it.”
”You're rather hard on the gentry, Bob.”
”Well, maybe, Archie; but they ain't many o' them like Squire Broadbent.
Never mind, there didn't seem to be room for me in England, and I couldn't help noticing that all the best people, and the freest, and kindest, were men like your Uncle Ramsay, who had been away abroad, and had gotten all their dirty little meannesses squeezed out of them. So when I left you, after cutting that bit o' stick, I made tracks for London. I hadn't much money, so I tramped all the way to York, and then took train. When I got to London, why I felt worse off than ever. Not a soul to speak to; not a face I knew; even the bobbies looking sour when I asked them a civil question; and starvation staring me in the face.”
”Starvation, Bob?”
”Ay, Archie, and money in my pocket. Plenty o' s.h.i.+lling dinners; but, lo! what was _one_ London s.h.i.+lling dinner to the like o' me? Why, I could have bolted three! Then I thought of Harry here, and made tracks for whitechapel. I found the youngster--I'd known him at Burley--and he was glad to see me again. His granny was dead, or somebody; anyhow, he was all alone in the world. But he made me welcome--downright happy and welcome. I'll tell you what it is, Archie lad, Harry is a little gentleman, c.o.c.kney here or c.o.c.kney there; and deep down below that white, thin face o' his, which three years and over of Australian suns.h.i.+ne hasn't made much browner, Harry carries a heart, look, see!
that wouldn't disgrace an English Squire.”
”Bravo, Bob! I like to hear you speak in that way about our friend.”
”Well, that night I said to Harry, 'Isn't it hard, Harry.' I says, 'that in this free and enlightened land a man is put into gaol if he snares a rabbit?'
”'Free and enlightened fiddlestick!' that was Harry's words. 'I tell ye what it is, Bob,' says he, 'this country is played out. But I knows where there are lots o' rabbits for the catching.'
”'Where's that?' I says.
”'Australia O!' says Harry.
”'Harry,' says I, 'let us pool up, and set sail for the land of rabbits--for Australia O!'
”'Right you are,' says Harry; and we pooled up on the spot; and from that day we haven't had more'n one purse between the two of us, have we, Harry?”
”Only one,” said Harry; ”and one's enough between such old, old chums.”
”He may well say old, _old_ chums, Archie; he may well put the two olds to it; for it isn't so much the time we've been together, it's what we've come through together; and shoulder to shoulder has always been our motto. We've shared our bed, we've shared our blanket, our damper and our water also, when there wasn't much between the two of us.
”We got helped out by the emigration folks, and we've paid them since, and a bit of interest thrown in for luck like; but when we stood together in Port Jackson for the first time, the contents of our purse wouldn't have kept us living long, I can a.s.sure you.
”'Cities aren't for the like of us, Harry,' says I.
”'Not now,' says Harry.
”So we joined a gang going west. There was a rush away to some place where somebody had found gold, and Harry and I thought we might do as well as any o' them.
”Ay, Archie, that was a rush. 'Tinklers, tailors, sodjers, sailors.' I declare we thought ourselves the best o' the whole gang, and I think so still.
”We were lucky enough to meet an old digger, and he told us just exactly what to take and what to leave. One thing we _did_ take was steamboat and train, as far as they would go, and this helped us to leave the mob a bit in the rear.
”Well, we got high up country at long last--”
”Hold!” cried Harry. ”He's missing the best of it. Is that fair, Johnnie?”