BY NAT GOUL-O
Fourteenth] Routledge's Railway Library Advertiser.
[Issue.
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Fourteenth] Routledge's Railway Library Advertiser. [Issue.
THE HONEY OF WISDOM!
WE GATHER THE HONEY OF WISDOM FROM THORNS, NOT FROM .FLOWERS.
NOBILITY OF LIFE.
" Who best can suffer, best can do."—Milton.
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At any time a dainty draught,
Which will dispel disease's shaft;
More prloeless than the richest gold,
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And all throughout our native land
Should always have it at command."
"Cirom the late Rev. J. W. NEIL, Holy
A Trinity Church, North Shields
" dear Sir,—As an illustration of the beneficial effects
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ENO'S 'FRUIT SALT' WORKS, LONDON, S.E. [By J. C. EnosPatent.]
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Fourteenth] Routledge's Railway Library Advertiser. [Issue.
FOR ALL
Bilious & Nervous Disorders
SUCH AS
SICK HEADACHE, CONSTIPATION,
WEAK STOMACH, IMPAIRED DIGESTION,
DISORDERED LIVER & FEMALE AILMENTS.
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In Collapsible Tubes, of all Druggists, or from the Proprietor,
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Prepared only by the Proprietor—
THOMAS BEECHAM, ST. HELENS, LANCASHIRE.
Sold by all Druggists and Patent Medicine Dealers everywhere
THE MINERS' CUP
NAT GOULD'S SPORTING NOVELS
Crown 8vo.. Picture Boards.
THE DOUBLE EVENT
RUNNING IT OFF
JOCKEY JACK
HARRY DALE'S JOCKEY
BANKER AND BROKER
THROWN AWAY
STUCK UP
ONLY A COMMONER
THE MINERS' CUP
THE DOCTOR'S DOUBLE
THE MAGPIE JACKET
Also, uniform with the above,
ON AND OFF THE TURF IN AUSTRALIA
THE MINERS' CUP
A COOLGARDIE ROMANCE
by
NAT GOULD
AUTHOR OF ' THE DOUBLE EVENT,' ETC.
LON DON
GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS, LIMITED
Broadway, Ludgate Hill
MANCHESTER AND NEW YORK
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. MATES ..... 9
II. AWAY TO THE WEST . . . . l8
III. THE LAND OF THE BLACK SWAN . .26
IV. ON THE MARCH . . . 35
V. THE TOP OF THE ROCK . . • 44
VI. THE SALT LAKE . . . *53
VII. A DYING REQUEST . . . .62
VIII. A WONDERFUL DISCOVERY . J 2
IX. EXCITEMENT AT COOLGARDIE . . ,82
X. THE LONE HAND CLAIM . . .92
XI. IN FULL WORK . . . . I03
XII. MISSING . . . . .114
XIII. THE DEAD MAN'S RING . . . 124
XIV. THE DEAD MAN'S DAUGHTER . . .134
XV. ALEC MAKES A DEAL . . . .146
XVI. DANTE AND SNAGS . . . . 158
XVII. THE MINERS' ARMS . . . . 168
XVIII. BLACK BOB . . . . . 180
viii
Contents
CHAPTER PAGE
XIX. SNAGS IN DISGRACE . . . . 191
XX. THE MINERS' CUP .... 202
XXI. ROUGH-AND-READY JUSTICE . . .214
XXII. THE STORM . . . . .225
XXIII. A BLAZING TOWN . . . • 235
XXIV. DORA DOUGLAS .... 246
XXV. DORA DOUGLAS'S STORY . . .258
XXVI. RECONCILIATION .... 267
XXVII. THE WIFE'S CONFESSION . . >277
XXVIII. HOMEWARD BOUND . . . .287
XXIX. SUCCESSFULLY FLOATED . . • 297
XXX. A GOLDEN LAND .... 306
THE MINERS' CUP
CHAPTER I.
mates.
' If I could only find a mate I'd be off to-morrow,'
said Alec Wilton.
' Where to ?' asked his companion, an older man
than Alec Wilton by many years.
' To Coolgardie,' said Alec ; ' that's the place for
a man like me. They are finding gold enough
there to make the fortunes of dozens of men/
' Don't know much about the place,' said William
Barker, for such was the man's name, ' but I do
know a good bit about mining.'
'Why not join me and go to West Australia,
then? I have not had much experience in that
line myself, but I have been used to roughing it,'
said Alec.
' Got no money,' said Will Barker,' and it is no
10
The Miners' Cup
use going to a place like that without a few pounds
in your pocket'
' I have known you a good many years, Bill/
said Alec Wilton, 'and I have always found you
a straight-gper. I'll tell you what I will do. If
you will come with me I will find the money for
the pair of us, and we will go and see what this
wonderful find is like, and what sort of a country
it is. How much coin should we want ?'
' Oh, a couple of hundred apiece would do us,'
said Will Barker.
' I have more than that,' said Alec; ' I can rake
up five hundred pounds, or perhaps six hundred.
Should we be all right with that ?'
' As right as a bank; but it is hardly fair that
you should put up all the money,' said Barker.
' Will you go ?' said Alec.
' If you wish it, but it's a wild-goose chase, I
fear. It's a terrible country out West, and per-
haps, after all, the field may turn out a duffer.
If you are determined to go, Alec, I'm your man,
and I'll stand by you to the last,' said Barker.
f I know you will,' said Alec ; ' that is why I
should like you for a mate. You have helped
me out of a tight fix before to-day, old fellow,
and I am sure we should agree. If you will be
my mate, Will, we shall strike a fortune, I hope.'
' I'm an older man than you, Alec, and I know
what is before us if we go. I tell you it is no
easy task, and you will have to rough it. Maybe
our lives will be in danger. It is an almost un-
Mates
ii
known country. Consider if you could not do
better here,' said Barker.
' I have been considering the matter ever since
I saw the account of the discovery in the paper a
week ago. It was lucky I met you, Will. You
are just the man I want for a mate, but I hardly
thought you would tackle the job after the rough-
ing you have had in miners' camps,' said Alec.
' I have roughed it, and I have had my troubles,
Alec, as you know/ sighed Will Barker. ' When
my girl ran away and left her old father, it nearly
broke my heart. I have never been the same man
since, Alec. I never shall be as bright and merry
as I was in the old days ; but I forgive her. She
was sorely tempted, and a miners' camp is no
place for a pretty young girl with no mother. It
was my fault. I ought to have looked after her
better.'
f Look here, Will, if you go on blaming yourself
for that girl's conduct, I shall throw you over,
mate. I know all about it. You may depend
upon it, she is well enough off with the man she
married, and if she is not, then it's my belief she
will come back to her old dad. They always do,
mate. It's when the trouble comes upon them
they want to return to the old home. Don't you
trouble your head about Lil. You would have
heard of her if she had been down on her luck,'
said Alec.
4 Perhaps I should, lad, but I never liked Bob
Morris. He was an out-and-out swell compared
12
The Miners' Cup
to me, but he'd a black heart, or I'm much mis-
taken,' said Will Barker.
'Never saw him,' said Alec. 'Have another
glass, mate, and forget all these troubles. Let us
drink success to our Coolgardie trip, and hope we
may find nuggets as plentiful as whisky is in
Sydney.'
The ' mates ' were in Roberts' Hotel when the
above conversation took place, and the barman
had been taking particular notice of what they
had been saying.
He knew Alec Wilton well, and he had seen
Will Barker before. He thought it would be much
better to go to this new goldfield than to slave
behind a bar all his life.
He served them with a couple of whiskies and
sodas, and said, as he took the money:
' Wish I was going with you, Mr. Wilton; I'm
about sick of this game.'
Alec laughed as he said good-naturedly : ' Well,
Tom, I see no reason why you should not come.
We will go first, and if the field promises well we
will let you know, and you can follow us and run
a pub at Coolgardie when the township is firmly
established.'
'I'm on,' said Tom. ' There's always a lot of
money to be made on that lay on a new field.'
' Then, we will not forget you,' said Alec, as he
and his mate left the hotel.
Alec bought a paper, looked down the shipping
columns, and found there was a steamer on
Mates
13
Saturday, which caught the Tekapo in Melbourne,
bound for Albany and Freemantle, and from the
latter port they could work their way from Perth to
Coolgardie.
' We will go on Saturday, Will,' said Alec.
' Now we have made up our minds, we had better
make a start as early as possible.'
' Not been long making up your mind,' said Will,
with a smile; * it never did take you long to do
that. Do you remember when you set old Tozer's
horse at that five-barred gate out of the stockyard
up on his station at Louth. I reckon it did not
take you long to make up your mind about that.'
'By Jove, it did not!' said Alec, with a laugh.
' How surprised old Tozer looked. His best horse,
too. He nearly had a fit over it. But the beggar
jumped it splendidly, did he not, Will?'
'Yes. I never saw a much better jump; clean
over, and you did ride him well. Many a man
would have broken his neck over that jump.'
' Nonsense, Will. Raven was a good horse. He
could jump like a deer,' said Alec.
' That's all very well,' said Will, ' but he was a
devil of a brute to ride, and you knew it.'
' I acknowledge he was not a lady's mount,' said
Alec; ' but with a man that knew him he was a
pretty safe conveyance.'
'We had good times on old Tozer's station,' said
Will. ' It was like a rest to me after mining life.'
Will Barker looked hard at Alec Wilton's
handsome face, flushed with health and full of
The Miners' Cup
expectancy and boyish eagerness. He looked at
the fine stalwart figure and thought:
' It is a pity he should go to this infernal, out-
landish place. Such a fine young chap, too. He
does not know what is before him. Perhaps it is
just as well. He can reckon on one thing, and
that is, Will Barker will never desert him.'
' What are you in such a brown study for ?' asked
Alec.
'Thinking if you would not act wiser if you
threw up this scheme, and remained in Sydney.
You ha\e the old country to consider, Alec. It
would not do for anything to happen to you/ said
Will.
'My family have not done much for me,' said
Alec. ' I have had to look out for myself here,
and it has done me no harm. My stepfather is a
man I could never respect.'
' There is your mother,' said Will Barker.
' Heaven bless her!' said Alec. ' She would
approve of what I'am doing, Will. With such a
mate as you she would have no fear for her son.'
1 Thank you,' said Will Barker quietly. ' You
can reckon on me, Alec. If it is a case of one to
be taken and the other left, I hope I shall have to
go.'
Alec Wilton put his hand on his mate's shoulder
and said, in a soft voice, that had a quiver of
genuine emotion in it :
'You saved my life once, Will. It is my turn
next. I owe you a debt it is difficult to repay. I
Mates
15
may be thoughtless, but I have never forgotten
that.'
Will Barker put out his hand and clasped Alec's
with a powerful grip.
'Do not mention that. Any man would have
done the same in my place. I merely pulled you
out of the river.'
' At the risk of your own life,' said Alec. ' You
forget to mention that.'
' My horse was stronger than yours. That was
the advantage I had over you. When your fellow
was washed from under you, I was bound to come
to the rescue,' said Will.
'You may think lightly of it; I do not/ said
Alec. ' Some day I hope to be able to prove my
gratitude/
It does not take men situated as Alec Wilton
and Will Barker were long to make up their minds
in Australia. They had no ties to bind them, and
no settled homes.
They were men on the hunt for fortune. Men
who loved an adventure, and were not to be daunted
by obstacles difficult to overcome.
Will Barker had led an adventurous life for the
past thirty years or more. He had married a
woman who did not care for him, but thought he
was a man of money. When she found out her
mistake she spent freely all he had, and then
left him, leaving behind a daughter four years
old.
Lily Barker was the idol of her father's heart.
16
The Miners' Cup
She lived with him and shared his wandering and
unsettled life. It was five years since she had left
him, and run away with her bold, dashing lover,
Black Bob Morris as he was called.
Will Barker had never seen his child from that
day to this, and he commenced to think she must
be dead. If Bob Morris had treated his girl ill,
Will Barker meant to repay him fourfold for it,
and he was just the sort of man to do it.
Alec Wilton had been in the colonies five or six
years. He left England because he could not
agree with his stepfather. His mother had been
loth to part with him, but she felt it would be for
the best that he should absent himself for a time.
They corresponded regularly, and Alec was well
posted in the affairs of the old country, and the
immediate circle in which he had been accustomed
to move.
He first met Will Barker on Tozer's station, in
the western district of New South Wales, and the
men had formed a friendship that proved lasting.
Will Barker was not an over-well educated man,
but he was one of Nature's gentlemen—an honest,
warm-hearted, true man. He had taken to Alec
immensely. He liked the youth's headstrong,
independent way, and admired him for his pluck
in the saddle and in his work.
Alec Wilton could use his fists well, and Will
Barker often smiled as he thought how the new
chum had settled a big hulking shearer who had
made fun of him.
Mates
i 7
The man had stood up to Alec with a scowl on
his face, and meant business. He slashed Alec
badly about the face, and the fight looked to be
going against him, when he gave the man a
terrible uppercut under the chin that made his
teeth rattle, and sent him down on to the shed floor
with a thud that knocked all the breath out of him.
The men cheered lustily at Alec's victory, for
his opponent had been the bully of the shearers'
camp, and made the most of his fighting powers.
Alec Wilton was a good all-round athlete, a man
who had been well trained in body as well as mind.
The body, unfortunately, with some of the up-to-
date young men is a secondary consideration, used
merely to dress to advantage, and utterly neglected
for manly exercises.
It was a lucky thing for Alec Wilton he met
Will Barker in the hotel, and persuaded him to go
to Coolgardie.
He could not have found a better mate. If
Will Barker had no money, he had what would
probably prove of quite as much use—a thorough
practical knowledge of mining, and had done no
end of ' specing ' in his time. They had met in
George Street quite by accident, and had merely
adjourned to the hotel for a glass.
It is chance meetings such as this that often
change the course of a man's life, and bring about
events that would otherwise never have happened.
The ' mates ' were to meet with many adventures
in the golden land to which they were bound.
2
i8
The Miners' Cup
CHAPTER II.
away to the west.
Alec Wilton left the procuring of such things
as they might require to Will Barker, who knew
what it was necessary to take with them.
Will's spirits rose considerably as he once more
purchased the familiar articles he had so often used
in his miner's life.
He was a good buyer. There was no humbugging
him, and the tradesmen saw they had a practised
man to deal with, and no fool, and respected him
accordingly.
The day to sail from Sydney came at last, and
the mates found themselves on board the steamship
Adelaide, bound for Melbourne, where they would
tranship into the Tekapo for Freemantle.
It was a lovely night as the Adelaide steamed
down the harbour. The moon was shining brightly,
and it was almost as clear as day.
As they stood on the deck they could see the
city gradually disappear in their wake, and its
myriads of lights looked like glowworms dancing
in the night.
The numerous bays and inlets could be seen
and a pale light tinted the beautiful scenery with a
pale soft glow.
There were not many passengers on board, as
the rush for the goldfields had not yet set in. That
Away to the West
19
was to come later on, when thousands of eager
men were to follow in the tracks of the pioneers of
the famous Coolgardie fields.
As the Adelaide steamed through the Heads
and out to sea, both men wondered when they
should enter that harbour again, and what trials
and vicissitudes they would go through in the life
they were about to enter upon.
Will Barker guessed what lay before them, but
Alec Wilton had no conception of what he had to
encounter.
Alec was, however, young and enthusiastic, and
he felt strong enough to pull through any enter-
prise, however desperate it might be.
' We are fairly on our way now, Will,' he said,
as the Adelaide ploughed her way south at a fast
rate of speed.
'Yes,' said Will, ' we're in for it now, Alec. It is
sink or swim. I have no doubt we shall pull
through, somehow. What the deuce is it?' said
Will, looking down at his feet, where he saw a fox-
terrier rubbing against his legs. 'Suppose you
belong to the skipper,' he went on, stooping down
and patting him.
' That's Waxy,' said Alec, ' and he does not
belong to the skipper; he is my sole property,
Will, and I'm proud of him. He took first prize
at the last show, and he deserved it. You know
you deserved it, old dog, don't you ?'
Waxy gave a short, sharp bark, knowing he
had been addressed, and answering in the affirma-
20
The Miners' Cup
tive as well as he was able, with commendable
promptitude.
' What the deuce made you bring him with you ?
said Will. ' He'll never live through the life we
shall have to lead. The little beggar will die the
first march we have to the field.'
' No, he won't, Will,' said Alec, who had a habit
of cutting his words off short, like many another
man who speaks so, but prefers to write differently.
' Who ever heard of a little beggar like that
tramping through the wilds of Australia V said
Will.
' What do you think, Will ?' said Alec.
' Blest if I know what to think,' said Will. ' We
shall have quite enough to do to look after our-
selves, let alone the dog.'
'You've heard of Stanley, the explorer, in
Equatorial Africa—the fellow that found Emin ?
Ungrateful beggar!—I mean Emin, of course,' said
A'^r..
Heard his lecture in Sydney,'said Will. 'By
Jove ! he's a fellow we could do with out here to
explore the interior of this country. It's the man
who can live on imaginary beefsteaks for a month
or two, and fancy there is an unlimited supply of
water when he's dry, that ought to go into the
interior.'
' Well, he took a fox-terrier with him on his first
march through the forest in search of Emin. And
the little beggar, as you would call him, walked all
the way. He died of sheer grief because Stanley
Away to the West
21
would not take him back with him when he went
to look for the rear column, and left him behind
at the fort. Now, if Stanley's dog could travel
through Equatorial Africa, I don't see why Waxy
should not travel with us to Coolgardie, and further,
if necessary.'
'Argument's good,' said Will. 'He'll be com-
pany for us, anyhow. Where did you pick him
up ?'
' Waxy is a dog with a history. He has a real
historical appendage, although it is sometimes
merely applied to the tail of a dog,' said Alec.
'The first time I met Waxy we had a difference.
He evidently did not take to me. He tore a piece
out of my trouser-leg, and got kicked accordingly.
That did not daunt him, so he flew furiously at my
boot. He was about six months old then, and
game as they make them. I inquired into his
pedigree. I found that he came of the good old
Belvoir stock, which, with all the latest improve-
ments and fads, you cannot beat for pluck and
courage. I took quite a fancy to him. I de-
manded his price. The sum of two pounds was
the value put upon him. I parted with it and
took the dog. I called him Waxy because he was
in such a deuce of a temper when I first met him.
Ever since I got him we have been sworn friends.
He's the best ratter you ever saw, Will. As for
gameness—well, you wait till he gets on to Cool-
gardie and begins to rough it. Then we will sum
up his courage.'
22
The Miners' Cup
Will Barker patted Waxy again, as he said :
' He looks a little varmint. I'm fond of a good
dog. I have no doubt Waxy will agree with me.'
Waxy wagged his tail, then put out his front
paws, lowered his back, put out his hind legs,
opened his mouth, and indulged in a comfortable
yawn and stretch combined.
The second mate came along and saw the dog.
He stopped and patted him.
' Nice dog that, sir,' he said to Alec.
'Yes. He's a good little sort.'
' Good with the rats ?' asked the mate.
' Rather,' said Alec.
' I'll see if I can get him one or two if you'll
come down in the fore-cabin,' said the mate.
' Right you are,' said Alec; ' it will pass the
time away. Come along, Waxy.'
They followed the mate into the sailors' quarters.
There were four large rats in a wire trap.
The mate put the trap on the floor. Waxy lay
down with his paws stretched out and his head on
one side, waiting in eager expectation.
' He's been at this game before,' said the mate.
' Many a time,' said Alec.
Rat number one came out, and Waxy made
short work of it.
' Open the trap and let them all out,' said Alec.
The mate fastened the spring back.
. Waxy knew this meant business. The rats
darted out, but the little terrier had two of them
dead and thrown over his head in a twinkling, and
Away to the West
23
he caught the third as he was making for the stairs.
Satisfied his foes were all slain he smacked his lips
and looked round for applause.
' Splendid dog !' said the mate.
* He is going to Coolgardie with us,' said Will.
'You don't mean to say you are taking a dog
like that with you there ?' said the mate.
' We are,' said Alec ; ' he will be company for us.'
' He might die,' said the mate, in a tone of voice
that indicated: ' It would be a pity for such a dog
to die there; it does not matter much about you
men.'
' Waxy never says die,' said Alefc.
' So you are going to try your luck ?' said the
mate. 'I hear it will be a great field. There will
be a rush there before long. Once the gold fever
strikes them, all the old hands will be making in
that direction.'
' We want to get there before the rush,' said
Will. ' Bayley and Ford's find is a good one ; I
have heard about that on the best authority.
They have been out there for months. We shall
strike beyond them in the direction of theMurchi-
son. It's a bad country, I believe, but we must
take our chance.'
' Wish you luck, anyway,' said the mate ; ' a
man with a dog like that deserves to have luck.
Should not wonder if he scratched you up the first
nugget.'
' The mate's evidently a dog fancier,' said Alec,
as he walked away to attend to his duties.
24
The Miners' Cup
( Better leave Waxy with him until we come
back,' said Will; ' he'll take good care of him, I'll
be bound.'
' I would not leave him behind for a fifty-ounce
nugget,' said Alec; ' i have a notion Waxy will
bring us luck.'
' I hope he will,' said Will Barker.
When the Adelaide reached Melbourne, they
found the Tekapo did not sail for a couple of days.
The news of the gold find at Coolgardie had
created some stir in mining circles in Melbourne,
but the friends were glad to find that not too much
faith was as yet put in the field.
This was what they had wished for. They were
desirous of anticipating the rush, so kept their
intentions to themselves.
There was a fairly good list of passengers on the
Tekapo, but as Will Barker said, their names did
not read like a mining crowd.
' We shall get on the ground early/ said Will;
' that will be a lot in our favour. We must strike
out for fresh country. No doubt Bayley and Ford
have taken up a lot of land, but there's heaps more.
I once met an old miner that had been over this
ground, and he said it was a wonderful country.
We have a little capital, so shall be able to get
horses, or camels, if necessary. I prefer horses.
Have been on camels up Bourke way, and don't
relish the method cf locomotion. You talk about
sea-sickness; it's a mere trifle to the motion of a
camel.'
Away to the West
25
' We shall do all right if we strike water enough,'
said Alec.
' That we must look out for,' said Will; ' we
can't live without it. Water is often a good deal
more precious than gold.'
On board the Tekapo they found all bustle and
stir, in readiness for a start, and it was not long
before they were steaming down the Yarra, and by
six o'clock they had cleared Port Phillip, and were
well on their way to the west, and, as they hoped,
fortune.
Will Barker knew what a lottery the search for
gold often proved.
He was, however, determined to do his utmost
to put Alec Wilton on the right scent.
He had succeeded before, and he saw no reason
why he should not do so again. He had spent his
money foolishly in the past, but he was determined
if ever he struck gold again to stick to it.
As for Alec Wilton, he had faith in himself and
faith in his mate.
He had a presentiment they were bound for the
land where gold was to be found in abundance.
That night he dreamt of walking over fields
of gold, and picking up nuggets as large as
eggs.
There was one particularly large one he had his
eyes on, the size of an emu egg.
He put out his hand to take it. He clutched it
hard.
A sharp bark woke him. He had caught hold
26
The Miners' Cup
of Waxy's head, who had settled himself down on
his bunk, and was squeezing it hard.
Alec laughed heartily as he said to Waxy :
' Never mind, old dog. I took your head for a
nugget. That's an augury of good luck, I guess,
Waxy.'
CHAPTER III.
the land of the black swan.
The Tekapo steamed to the golden west, bearing
our two friends on their way to fortune or disap-
pointment.
The search for gold is exciting, but the chances
of success are few and far between, and occasion-
ally the luck seems all on one side.
The Tekapo did not call at Albany. She rounded
Cape Howe, and when off Cape Leeuwin encoun-
tered heavy weather, which is often the case.
Freemantle was reached in safety, and from
there Alec Wilton and Will Barker proceeded up
the Swan River to Perth, the capital city of West
Australia.
Perth is a beautifully-situated city, sloping, as it
does, down to the edge of the Swan River, where
the boats of the Royal Perth Yacht Club lie at
anchor.
Undoubtedly there is a great future before West
Australia, and Perth is bound to become a vast
and important city.
The Land of the Black Swan 27
Will Barker set about making several purchases
in Perth, and it was a couple of days after they
landed before they were well on their way in a
train to Northam.
Northam was safely reached, and from there
they were to proceed on horseback to Southern
Cross, the railway not being open at this time, and
on from there to Coolgardie. The distance they
had to travel from Northam to Southern Cross was
about 160 miles, and the shortest cut, so they were
informed, from Southern Cross to Coolgardie was
121 miles, or close upon 300 miles in all.
At this time there was not a very clearly-defined
track to Coolgardie, and they had to be guided
by the knowledge Will Barker possessed of the
country.
It was desperate hard work. They had their
own horses to ride, and a couple of pack-horses on
which were carried their goods and chattels, and
food for both man and beast.
' Curious country, this/ said Will, when they
were well on their way to Southern Cross. ' So
far as I can judge, I do not think there are many
people ahead of us on the field. We shall have
every chance, Alec, my lad. It is always as well to
be on the ground before a rush ; we have more
chance of striking something rich then.'
4 I'm glad you thought of sending on a lot of
things by the coach to Southern Cross,' said Alec;
' we should never have been able to carry enough
on these pack-horses.'
28
The Miners' Cup
Will Barker smiled as he replied :
' I reckon we're travelling in luxurious fashion
now, Alec. I have seen the time when I should
have tramped the distance on foot, and trusted to
luck and Providence to pull me through. Miners
are much better off now than they were in the old
days, I can tell you.'
'What an awful time you must have had occa-
sionally !' said Alec. 1 It does not appear to have
done you much harm, though.'
' No; I'm tough enough yet,' said Will, ' and I
reckon I shall be able to see you through this,
Alec.'
' That I am sure you will. Look at Waxy, Will;
he's trudging along in great style. He'll last it
out, too, I think,' said Alec.
The little terrier was bravely trotting along with
the horses, and seemed to revel in the exercise,
after being cooped up on board ship and in the
train. It is surprising what powers of endurance
these game little terriers possess.
When they reached Youndegin, about twenty-
three miles from Northam, they stopped for the
night, and were well satisfied with their day's
work. So far they had found the country fairly
fertile, with a rich chocolate soil, and here and
there clearings, on which sheep were pasturing.
Next morning they were up early, and were
directed to go on to Tamin, where there was a
water catchment.
Here they found the country sandy, and with
The Land of the Black Swan 29
numerous peculiar rises of granite in it, also plenty
of eucalyptus-trees, and grass-trees, commonly
called ' black-boys.'
At Mooranapping they came upon a grand well
of water, and here they camped for several hours,
snatching a well-earned rest.
Up again, and away, for Will was determined
there should be no delay in reaching the field.
' We shall want all the goods we can save in
this forced march when we go north from Cool-
gardie, in the direction of the Murchison,' said
Will. ' That country has not yet been properly pro-
spected, and we must be the men to do it. Now,
prospecting a new country is no easy task, and
we shall have to husband our strength, and pre-
pare to face the worst. Fortunes are not easily
made, Alec, but I feel certain there is a big one
at stake for us here.'
' We are fairly on our way into the heart of the
land of the black swan, now,' said Alec. £ I wish
we were at Coolgardie.'
It is not necessary to describe their journey
elaborately. They went over a tract of country
that since their time has been, trodden by thou-
sands of feet. We have to deal at present with
what happened to them before the rush set in, and
before Coolgardie became a thriving township.
This will follow later on ; at present the two
friends are hurrying on to the land of gold, known
to but few persons.
They went past Tootagin and M'Alister's Well,
30
The Miners' Cup
and then reached Burracoppin Station, where
begins the Boodelin forest.
From Yorkrakine to Southern Cross they found
very little water, but a sandy waste, with salt-
pans and salt-water pools on various sides.
' There will be a permanent water-supply here
before long,' said Will, as he pointed out the
soakages at the foot of the granite rises to Alec.
' There are plenty of natural rock-bed catchments
for sinking there, I should say.'
' Looks like it,' said Alec; ' things seem to grow
here a bit better. There's a lot of forest timber
about, but it is patchy.'
'Those gimlet gums are rum-looking things,'
said Will.
' Look like a lot of red pennants floating from
a mast/ said Alec.
' That's the bark streamers,' said Will; ' curious,
are they not ?'
' There's something moving over yonder,' said
Alec, shading his eyes.
'Where?' asked Will. ' Over there. Oh yes,
I see. It's a couple of natives. Wonder if the
beggars are peaceable about here ? Some of 'em
up in North Queensland have given me a warm
time. I like to be prepared for these fellows;
they are treacherous beggars. You get a spear
into you before you know where you are.'
' Give 'em a start/ said Alec ; and he pulled out
his revolver and fired a shot.
'Shouldn't have done that,' said Will. 'See,
The Land of the Black Swan 31
they are scared, and making off. We might have
got some information out of them.'
' Can you talk to these black chaps ?' said Alec.
'Not in this country, but I have had a lot of
experience with them, and can generally make
them understand by signs. It is time enough to
fire a shot or two when you see they mean danger,'
said Will.
When they reached the place where they had
seen the blacks they halted.
There was a cluster of big gum-trees, and a
soakage near, and beyond a dense mass of wild
growth peculiar to the country.
' There's a good ambush there,' said Will ; ' but
I expect they will have gone far enough away.
The beggars do not like the sound of a revolver
shot.'
They dismounted, and Waxy soon discovered a
pool of water, in which he eagerly quenched his
thirst, men and horses following his example.
' Look here, Will!' cried Alec, as he examined
one of the huge trees carefully.
The tree was covered with figures of animals,
lizards, and birds, all beautifully carved in the
bark. So perfect were the figures, that Alec was
astonished and amazed.
' The black fellows do that,' said Will. ' Clever
beggars at that carving game. It is a wonder to
me how they get such ideas into their dense
heads.'
' Those carvings are beautiful,' said Alec. £ Look
32
The Miners' Cup
at that lizard. Why, it's perfect, Will! There's
a bit of fine work, that bird. These blacks are
evidently smart fellows.'
4 That tree cut down and carted away bodily to
one of our big cities would be worth exhibiting,'
said Will; 4 but I doubt if anyone would readily
credit that West Australian blacks had done that
carving in this desert of a place.'
4 Plenty of birds about here,' said Alec, as a flock
of parrots with their gaudy plumage flashing in the
sunshine passed with a chatter overhead.
'They are generally to be found about these
-soakages,' said Will. 4 When you see birds
about you may safely reckon there is water
handy somewhere. Look at those bronze-winged
pigeons.'
4 And I'm hanged if that is not a magpie !' said
Alec. 4 Magpies are irrepressible birds; they are
always cropping up in all sorts of outlandish places.
I wonder if I shall ever see the magpies in the fields
of old England again?'
4 Of course you will, Alec,' said Will. 4 We are
here to make our fortunes, and then you can go
home with a light heart and spend your hard-
earned wealth like a prince.'
4 Like a prince of the land of the black swan,'
said Alec. 4 If some of my old-country pals could
only see me now, I reckon they would be a bit
surprised.'
After a good rest they pushed on again, and in
due time reached Southern Cross. They had
The Land of the Black Swan 33
still a hundred and twenty miles to go before Cool-
gardie was reached.
At Southern Cross they met several men who
had been surveying the country on behalf of the
Government, and they gave a good account of it,
which cheered Alec and Will considerably. .They
also gave them valuable information as to how they
should proceed on their journey. The surveyors
and their men had camel teams with them, and
recommended Will to use these animals.
' Not if I can avoid it,' said Will. ' I know the
camel well. He is a useful animal, I grant you,
but his method of locomotion does not fit in with
my ideas of comfort.'
' Probably not, but you get used to it in time,'
said one of the party.
It took Alec and Will nearly a week before they
reached Coolgardie, and they were mighty glad to
get there. At that time Coolgardie was merely a
name, not a township. There were a few shanties,
but it was about the most unpromising place a man
could strike. Here they were, however, and here
they meant to stay until fortune favoured them, or
deserted them altogether.
' Here we are at last,' said Alec, as he got off his
tired horse.
'Beautiful place, is it not?' said Will. 'Never
struck a more unpromising land.'
' We shall not care much about its unpromising
appearance if we have luck/ said Alec.
'No; that makes all the difference,' said Will.
3
34
The Miners' Cup
' We will pitch our camp here, and then in a day
or two we will make north towards the Murchison.'
They saw Bayley and Ford's claim, and found
it all that it had been stated to be even by the most
sanguine speculators.
The country near it looked wonderfully rich, and
Will's mouth watered as he examined some of the
rich specimens found on the surface.
' Not many on the field at present,' said Will to
Alec that night. 'Those specimens I have seen
to-day, Alec, are wonderful. If we can strike any-
thing like that, our fortunes are made in no time.
There are miles upon miles of new country for us
to go into, and it will be hard luck indeed if we do
not get on to something good before long.'
' This great gold output cannot be kept dark for
long,' said Alec. ' I should not wonder if in another
year Coolgardie is a big mining township. You
know how they spring up, Will, like mushrooms.'
The difficulty is,' said Will, ' where to begin.
We want to get into the richest country, if
possible.'
' Then you think we are sure to find gold of
some sort,' said Alec.
' Gold, mate!' said Will. ' If I'm not very much
mistaken you will live to bless the day you set
foot in the land of the black swan.'
On the March
35
CHAPTER IV.
on the march.
When Will Barker and Alec Wilton left Cool-
gardie, they branched out in a north-easterly
direction.
They knew when the rich find at Coolgardie was
faithfully reported in Melbourne, and some of the
specimens exhibited, there would at once be a rush
to the field. But they had a good start of several
months, and during that time they hoped to be
able to strike a rich patch.
They were well provisioned, and Will reckoned
they would last for six months or even more on
the stock they carried on their pack-horses.
It was a brilliant morning when they left their
camp of the previous night and got on the march
again. The sun was shining in all its splendour,
and by mid-day the heat was oppressive.
The country looked like a vast sandy plain, and
most uninviting and unpromising. For a week
they rode on, and only halted when absolutely
necessary, Will ' specing ' the ground in all direc-
tions as they went along with a miner's practised
eyes.
A miner like Will Barker was as good at' specing'
gold as a black tracker is at tracing a runaway.
Often Will would jump from his horse, sling the
bridle over his arm, and turning over the loose
earth with his boot, pick up stones containing
Tiie Miners' Cup
specks of gold plainly visible. They did not keep
a straight path, but diverged to the right or left as
Will thought fit, and consequently they covered a
lot of ground.
On the sixth night they were out they camped in
a lonely desolate spot at the foot of a huge granite
rock, rising like a great cairn from the ground—a
West Australian pyramid not made with hands.
These huge rocks were of solid granite, and Alec
thought how wonderful Nature was as he looked at
them. How had they got there? They looked as
though they had been placed there as monuments
to dead men buried ages and ages ago.
They pitched their tent and Will soon had the
billy boiling and tea prepared.
They had so far been very sparing with the
water they had with them, and they had seen no
signs of any during the day.
They had marched through a land almost devoid
of interest, but where they were camped for the
night there was wild grass about enough to feed
the horses, and also rough trees and undergrowth,
and the infernal spinifex abounded on all sides
like a cactus, covering the earth and making walk-
ing anything but pleasant.
Both men were tired. They had tethered their
horses and they enjoyed a hearty meal. They
were as much cut off from their fellow-men as if
they had been placed in a dungeon for solitary
confinement.
The hum of many insects was in the air, and the
On the March
37
chatter of a few birds in the trees, which made
Will think there must be water somewhere at hand.
Waxy had got thin with constant travel, for the
terrier declined to be put in a bag on one of the
pack-horses. He preferred to walk. He was now
engaged in hunting round for stray mice and rats,
of which there seemed to be many about, strange
to say.
The moon was shining on the scene as Will and
Alec sat chatting inside their tent, which was a
light one and barely large enough for them, but
they did not care to encumber themselves with a
more commodious one. Will was in one of his
silent moods, and Alec went outside the tent to let
him have his think out.
' Wonder what he's seen to-day that makes him
so quiet,' thought Alec. ' He's always something
on when he is like this. Perhaps he has seen some
signs that lead him to think we are on the right
track for gold.'
It was a strange scene Alec looked out upon
from the tent. As far as his eyes could see was
one level plain almost unbroken except for these
curious granite rocks. It was a desolate scene,
and Alec felt a strange depression at his heart as
he looked at it.
He had read of travellers in West Australia
being driven mad by the heat and want of water,
and death from thirst he knew was the most
horrible of all deaths. Sooner than die of thirst
he would shoot himself. He had made up his
38
The Miners' Cup
mind to that on more than one occasion. They
had no water for their horses to-night, and he
watched them as they cropped the dry rank grass
which must have been as hard to swallow as dry
bread in a parched man's mouth.
' Poor beasts,' said Alec, ' I wish we could find a
good watering-place for them. Waxy looks dry,
too. Puts his tongue out in a most suggestive
manner.'
Waxy had indulged in some of his master's tea,
but it had not quenched his thirst, and he longed
for more. He was sniffing around in search of a
damp spot, if such a thing was to be found.
Alec watched the dog's proceedings. He was
glad he had brought Waxy with him. The terrier
was a relic of the civilization they had left behind.
Waxy reminded him of many a gay scene in which
he had been present.
Presently Waxy commenced to scratch, and in
a very short time he had scooped a hole, and stood
contemplating his work with eager expectation.
He wagged his tail, gave a short sharp bark ex-
pressive of satisfaction, and then buried his head in
the hole he had just made.
' Hang me if I don't think he's found water!'
said Alec, as he went to the spot.
Sure enough Waxy had struck not ' oil,' but
water, which oozed up into the hole he had made
until it was nearly half full. The dog had noticed
the earth was damp, and at once instinctively com-
menced to dig for water.
On the March
39
' You're a clever dog,' said Alec, as he patted him.
' I dare say if we were to dig deep enough we should
get enough for the horses.'
He went to the tent and told Will what had
happened.
4 No good digging,' said Will. 4 The dog has
got enough for himself, but it is only in small
quantities the water can be obtained. We must
wait till morning and have a look round.'
4 All right,' said Alec, 4 but the horses are badly
in want of a drink.'
' They'll do if they are never any worse off than
they are now,' said Will, as he commenced to cut
up some tobacco, rubbed it in the palms of his
hands and then filled his pipe.
4 What's on your mind, Will ?' said Alec.
'You've been precious quiet all day.'
4 It's enough to make a man quiet, the possi-
bilities of this country,' said Will.
' Beastly country, I call it,' said Alec. ' I never
struck such a God-forsaken place before.'
' There you're wrong, Alec, my boy,' said Will
slowly. 'I tell you this is a golden land, Alec.
It reeks with gold. I'm certain of it—but where
to begin ? What we want is to strike a rich reef,
where it won't knock out in a few months. We
want something permanent, Alec ; no mere surface
gold.'
4 But surely there is no gold in a place like this/
said Alec.
4 We've been tramping over it all day,' said Will.
40
The Miners' Cup
M'm certain of it. You'll see, in twelve months from
now there will be thousands of men on Coolgardie
and beyond it. In three or four years the place
will be a huge township, prosperous, and with men
rolling in money. There will be syndicates enough
floated out of this country to astonish even the
London stock-brokers, and that is saying a lot.'
' But what about water ?' said Alec.
'That's the drawback up to date/ said Will;
'but that will be remedied in no time. Boring for
water will commence as soon as the field is
established, and no fear but what plenty will be
found.'
'Not many people been over this ground, eh,
Will ?' said Alec.
' No,' said Will; ' and it gets richer every day.
We must take up a big area when we do strike
what we want.'
'You talk confidently, Will,' said Alec. 'Are
you certain we are bound to strike it ?'
' Positive!' said Will, ' and without much trouble,
either. You will be a Coolgardie Monte Cristo
before I have done with you, Alec.'
' And what about you ?' said Alec.
' You found the money, so I'll take a modest
share,' said Will.
' But you found the brains and the experience,'
said Alec. ' That quite balances any money con-
siderations. What good would the money have
been without you ?'
'If every man talked like that there would be
On the March
4i
less trouble in mining camps,' said Will. ' The
men that find the money often forget the man that
finds the gold.'
' That's not my way,' said Alec. ' We share and
share alike, Will; that's the bargain.'
' As you wish,' said Will. ' Money is not much
to me, but I honestly confess I like the finding of
it. It's a grand thing, Alec, to think a man can
get out of the earth as much gold as he wants.
Gold, that men have fought, and thieved, and
murdered for. Gold, that can buy nations and
purchase all the world can give in exchange.'
'You're becoming quite romantic, Will,' said
Alec, with a laugh. ' Halloa ! what's that ?'
A shadow flitted across the brown plain in front
of their tent.
' Blacks,' said Will. ' Keep quiet. I'll have a
look out.'
Will crawled to the side of the tent, and lifting
it up at the bottom, looked out He saw a black
fellow sitting down quietly contemplating the tent.
The look of surprise on the fellow's face clearly
showed Will that he had not seen a tent before. It
was quite evident from this they had gone a long
way out of the beaten track which men on former
occasions had taken in the direction of the Mur-
chison.
The aboriginal had a spear in his hand, and
looked a formidable sort of man. Will went out
of the tent and walked towards him. The black
raised his spear, but at a sign from Will he dropped
42
The Miners' Cup
it. He had given one of the peace-signs he had
known among the blacks in the Northern Territory,
and the aboriginal had evidently recognised it.
Will beckoned him, and the black cautiously
approached, but when he saw Alec come out he
seemed inclined to bolt. Then Waxy made a dead
set at his bare legs, and that caused him to hesitate
again.
' Seems quiet enough,' said Alec.
' He is now,' said Will; ' but there must be
some more of them about, and when they are in
numbers they are dangerous. This fellow is a
king among them, I should say.'
The black commenced to jabber and make
signs, which they could not understand. Will was
smoking his pipe, and the black pointed at it.
Alec gave him a piece of twist tobacco, which he
at once bit between his teeth, and then smacked
his lips.
' We shall have to keep a watch to-night,' said
Will, ' as he may bring some of his tribe here,
which will be awkward.'
'You camp first,' said Alec.
' No,' said Will. ' I can keep awake better than
you. When you have had a snooze I'll call you.
Then you will be able to keep guard better.'
Alec was thoroughly tired out, so he went into
the tent, and was soon sound asleep.
Will gave the black a small drain of rum, and
again he smacked his lips in evident relish.
' He's been up north,' thought Will. ' Wonder
On the March
43
what made him stare at the tent so. I fancied he
had not seen one before. Perhaps it is different in
shape or something.'
The black pointed in the direction of a clump of
trees in the distance, and then made off.
' His party are camped over there, I reckon/ said
Will. ' I'll wake Alec, for we must get out of this
early in the morning.'
Alec took his place at the tent-door, and looked
in the direction Will had shown him the black had
gone.
About a couple of hours after Will had gone to
rest, Alec saw half a dozen blacks approaching
their tent. He went inside and roused Will.
' Sorry to disturb you,' said Alec, ' but the blacks
are coming towards us, and we had better give
them a warm reception if they mean mischief.'
'They are treacherous fellows,'said Will. Til
get the gun ready and give them a taste of shot.
If I fire low at a long range it won't hurt them,
but it will scare the life out of them.'
The blacks stealthily came towards the tent,
evidently thinking the occupants were asleep.
When they were just within range Will took aim
at the foremost black's legs, and fired. A loud
screech followed, and as the mates rushed out of
the tent, with Waxy barking at their heels, they
saw the blacks running like mad across the plain.
' Nothing like a few stray shot to frighten them,'
said Will, laughing. ' I guess I tickled that fellow's
legs well, but it won't do him much damage. We
44
The Miners' Cup
shall have to keep a sharp look-out, Alec, for there
must be a good many blacks around here.'
' You spec for gold,' said Alec, 'and I'll look out
for the darkies.'
' Right you are,' said Will. ' Now we'll strike
the camp, and then march.'
CHAPTER V.
the top of the rock.
Some terribly hot days were experienced during
the next week, and both Alec and Will suffered
much, while the horses were nearly worn out, what
with scarceness of water and inferior food.
But they kept on their course, and Will was
determined not to prospect in earnest until he
came upon ground that looked better than any
they had yet seen, and showed more signs of being
gold-bearing ; so they worked on and camped at
night, worn out and weary.
The strain was commencing to tell on Alec, who
had not been hardened to this sort of life as Will
Barker had.
Insufficient food and a thirst that he never
seemed able to quench pulled Alec down. Wilh
as he looked at him, became anxious. He feared
Alec might be stricken down with fever, and that,
in a desolate place like this, would be a terrible
calamity.
The Top of the Rock
45
He cheered his mate up as well as he could, and
trusted to strike a better country before long.
'I feel awfully knocked up to-night, Will,' said
Alec, 'and my head burns like fire. I believe I'm
getting the fever.'
' Nonsense, man !' said Will. 'Go to sleep, and
don't dream about fevers ; they are such beastly
companions.'
Alec tossed about uneasily, and Will Barker
watched him earnestly. He felt his pulse, and
found it beating rapidly, and his hand and head
felt like a hot iron.
' He's got it safe enough,' said Will. ' What the
deuce can I do? He'll be raving for water as soon
as he wakes, and I have only a small drop left.
I'll give him a good dose of quinine ; that will do
him good. After that I shall have to explore a bit.
I don't like leaving him by himself, but there's no
help for it—water we must have from somewhere.
There must be some about, for I see so many emu
and kangaroo tracks, and they are sure to make
for the water.'
When Alec Wilton woke, he commenced to talk
at random ; but when Will had given him a dose,
he became better and more rational.
'What on earth shall we do if I am ill long,
Will ?' he said. 'What an awful place for a fellow
to be taken bad ! What a fearful place to die in !'
he moaned.
' Who talks about dying ?' said Will Barker.
' You'll never die in a country like this, Alee;
4 6
The Miners' Cup
we have come here to get life, not death. Do you
think you will be all right for a couple of hours if
I go out and look round ?'
He did not want to let Alec know the water
had run out; it might excite him.
' Of course I shall,' said Alec ; '1 feel better
now. What a drag I am on you !'
' Not a bit of it,' said Will. 'You have not got
acclimatized yet; you will be all right in a day or
two.'
' I hope so,' said Alec, who felt as though his
head would burst, so badly did it ache.
'You keep in the tent until I return,' said Will,
' and do not stir out.'
'All right,' said Alec, who felt there was no
need to caution him not to stir. He did not
know that fever-stricken men occasionally do
remarkable things, for which they are not re-
sponsible.
It was with some misgiving Will Barker mounted
his horse and set out to look for water.
He followed tracks he saw in the loose, sandy
soil, and which he fancied would lead him to
water.
He had traced half a dozen such tracks without
success, for they came to a sudden stop where the
wind had blown the sand over them, and they
were obliterated.
He commenced to feel the pangs of thirst him-
self, and he knew how Alec must feel, parched as
he was with the fever. It was this thought for his
The Top of the Rock
47
suffering mate that made him well-nigh mad with
anxiety.
Not a sign of water could he see anywhere—not
even the smallest soakage. All was hot, barren,
dry, and dusty, and the wind, which had risen, was
whirling the loose earth and sand about in all
directions.
Will Barker's eyes, ears, and mouth were full of
the dry, hot particles, and he could hardly breathe
through his nostrils.
His horse showed signs of distress, and the
poor brute's eyes proved how he was suffering.
At this time Will Barker would have given all
the gold in the west to come on a refreshing stream
of water.
It was no use going further ; he must return to
the camping-place and see how Alec was faring.
He had ridden a long way, much further than
he imagined, and his return was a tedious process.
It seemed a terrible time to him, anxious as he
was to get back.
At last he saw the tent in the distance, pitched
as usual against one of the granite rocks which
rose almost perpendicularly out of the ground, but
appeared to be flat on top.
Then he saw Alec sitting outside, with no hat on
his head, exposed to the full heat of the sun.
' He's mad with fever,' said Will to himself.
* Wonder how long he's been sitting there ? It's
enough to kill him. What a fool I was to leave
him !'
48
The Miners' Cup
He rode as fast as his tired horse could go, and,
when he reached the tent, flung himself out of his
saddle and went to Alec.
He put his hand on his shoulder, but Alec did
not move. He sat with his elbows on his knees,
his chin resting on his hands, and his eyes fixed
with a wild gaze on vacancy.
Will Barker shook him roughly. He knew this
stupid, dreamy fever; he knew Alec Wilton was
in danger of losing his senses if he could not rouse
him.
Alec was roused out of his tethargy by Will's
vigorous shaking, and looked up into his face.
' It's you, is it, Will ?' he said in a hollow voice.
' For God's sake get me a drink ; I'm parched to
death ! I could tear my throat out, and my tongue
is all blistered ! Why did you take the water away
with you ? You might have left a fellow a drop,
any way.'
Poor Will! he felt he would cut off his right
hand if by doing so he could have obtained a can
of water for Alec. He must not let him know
there was not a drain of water at hand.
' Come into the tent, Alec,' he said kindly. 'You
should not have come out into the sun ; and you
have no hat on. It's a wonder you are not dead
from sunstroke.'
' Am I sitting in the sun ?' said Alec. ' What a
fool I am, to be sure ! I came out here to look for
you, and I suppose I sat down without thinking. I
believe I am going mad, Will.'
The Top of the Rock
49
'You will go mad if you sit here,' said Will.
' Come inside, and I'll get you a drink.'
Alec suffered Will to lead him inside the tent.
He flung himself heavily down, and, strange to say,
fell fast asleep.
' The heat has done it,' thought Will. ' It gives
me a respite, anyhow. He may forget about the
water—no ; it is impossible to do that. Lord!
how thirsty I am! I could drink a well dry! I
have been in as tight a fix as this before to-day,
but then I had onl^ myself to look after; now I
have Alec, and the poor chap's got a deuce of a
fever. Halloa, Waxy, you look a bit dried up.
Can't you search for water again, old boy ?'
Waxy feebly wagged his tail, and lay down with
his bright-red tongue lolling out, and showing his
mouth was as dry as Will's or Alec's.
' No go this time,' said Will, as he looked at the
dog's fore-paws and saw he had been scratching
again. ' Come with me, Waxy, and we will have
another search.'
The dog seemed to understand him, and dragged
himself after Will.
What an awful afternoon it was ! The sun was.
not so powerful now, but the heat was oppressive.
A hot wind was blowing, and the red dust-storms
gathered all around them.
Will Barker looked with despairing eyes at the
sky, but he saw no signs of rain. Then he looked
at the parched earth with not a drop of water in it;
not even a trace of moisture.
4
50
The Miners' Cup
'What shall I do?' moaned Will. 'I am clean
beaten this time. If Alec wakes up and asks for
water and there is none, he will go mad/
' Will, where are you ?'
It was Alec calling out from the tent in a weak
voice.
' Here,' said Will; ' I'm coming to see you in a
minute.'
' Get me a drink, Will. Only a drop. For
God's sake get me a drop of water or I shall die.'
Will Barker clenched his hands and set his teeth
hard. He would be compelled to own the truth to
Alec sooner or later, and then how would it be ?
He had half made up his mind to tell him then,
when he saw a bird circling in the air over the top
of the granite rock.
He watched its movements with interest. It was
a large bird, and he did not remember having seen
one like it before.
What made it hover over this particular rock ?
Suddenly it swooped down like a hawk on to the
top of the rock.
Will Barker could not see it now. The bird
appeared to have disappeared into the rock.
Then a thought struck Will that nearly made
him give a loud shout of joy.
What if there was a hollow in the top of the
rock and it contained water ! The bird must have
flown down to drink. What else could it have
dropped down suddenly like that for ?
With feverish eagerness Will commenced to
The Top of the Rock
5i
clamber up the side of the rock, which was very
steep. He cut his hands on the jagged portion
of the rock, but he cared little for such paltry
hurts.
He gained a foothold in every little crevice, and
gradually but surely he got nearer to the top.
It was a desperately hard struggle, but he did
not mean to be beaten. He was almost at the top
when his foot slipped, and he lost a lot of ground.
He struggled on again. This time he was more
careful.
At last! He had his hands on the top ridge,
and he pulled himself up with a great effort.
Then he stood on top of the granite rock, and
a sight met his eyes that almost took his breath
away. Was it a miracle ? Could it be real ?
There before him lay a deep clear pool of water,
shining in the sun like a mass of silver.
The granite rock at the top was hollowed out
like a basin, and there was a depth of at least four
feet of magnificent water in it.
How the hollowed basin was formed Will did
not then stop to think. He had no time to think.
He saw before him water—water that he knew
was to them at that moment worth more than all
the gold in West Australia.
He could restrain his feelings no longer. He
gave a wild shout of joy, and, hardly knowing
what he was doing, he leaped into the basin and
splashed the water about in delirious delight. He
danced in it for very joy. He shouted like a lad
52
The Miners' Cup
let loose from school. He ducked his head in it.
He opened his mouth, his eyes, his nostrils, and
deluged himself with the precious liquid. Then
he shook himself like a giant refreshed. He must
hasten to Alec at once and impart the news of the
great discovery he had made. Luckily he had a
flask in his pocket. He filled it with water and
hastened down, tearing his clothes in the hurried
descent
He rushed into the tent. He was just in time.
Alec lay on his back with his eyes starting out
of his head and his parched tongue hanging
out.
Will put his arm round his head and raised him
up. Then he poured the water down his throat
and dashed it in his face. He emptied the flask,
and Alec closed his mouth with a sigh of satisfac-
tion and fell back asleep again.
' A narrow shave, Alec, my boy,' said Will; ' but
you'll pull through now. Thank God I found that
water.'
He went out again and, tying the water-bags
round his neck, once more ascended the rock.
He filled them, and, slinging them over his
shoulders, slipped down the rock again. How the
horses drank the cool refreshing draught, and
little Waxy rolled over with delight after indulging
in a big billycan full of water!
Will Barker slept better that night than he had
done for many a day. He had no fear for the
morrow now, He felt that Alec Wilton would
The Salt Lake
53
pull through the fever, and that before many days
were over they would be able to resume their
search.
CHAPTER VI.
the salt lake.
Alec Wilton's recovery was more rapid than
Will Barker anticipated. This was mainly due
to Will's nursing. In this wild place he tended
Alec tenderly, and watched over him with untiring
energy. Will Barker had seen a good deal of
fever and sickness during his searches for gold.
He had seen men die in agony when relief had
come to them too late.
Waxy could not understand his master lying
down continually. It was so different from Alec's
natural mode of life that the dog at once saw the
change, and he would sit contemplating Alec's
recumbent form for hours at a stretch, looking at
him in the most sagacious manner.
'You're a wise dog, anyhow,' said Will. 'I
reckon you've just about fixed up in your doggy
mind what's the matter with your master. We'll
soon have him right, Waxy, and right glad I shall
be when he is strong and well again.'
Alec Wilton was feverish now with haste to
regain his strength, so that there should be no
longer delay.
When he was sound and fit to travel again,
54
The Miners' Cup
Will Barker took him to the top of the granite
rock, and showed him the wonderful discovery he
had made.
Alec was greatly surprised. He thought it
indeed wonderful to find such a large natural tank
in such a place.
' Wonder how it was formed ?' said Alec.
'Must have been the continued action of the
weather for centuries,' said Will. ' The rainfall
here is not enough to have hollowed it out, even
if these rocks had been here for thousands of
years.'
' Perhaps the blacks scooped it out to form a
holding place for water,' said Alec.
' The granite is too hard for that,' said Will;
' although these fellows are mighty clever when
they give their minds to a thing.'
' What are these tracks up the rock ?' said Alec,
when they had scrambled down again.
' They come over the plain, too,' said v Will.
' And, look, they commence to ascend the rock
here.'
Up the rock was a thin track where the sandy
feet of small animals, by constantly passing over
it, had formed, as it were, a miniature road.
' They must crawl to the top to drink,' said
Alec.
Will Barker was tracing the light sandy line
up the rock, when he came to a stop and called
out:
' Look here, Alec, this is more wonderful still.'
The Salt Lake
55
Alec climbed up and found a hole in the rock
about the size of a man's two hands. He looked
inside, and saw the glisten of water.
' Extraordinary,' he said to Will. ' It is like a
huge oil-jar scooped out of the rock.'
Will put his hand in, but he could not touch the
water at arm's length. He got down and brought
up a billycan, and let it down by means of a strap
through the aperture. He pulled it up full of
beautiful water, clear and cool, and wonderfully
refreshing in this parched, dried-up place.
c It's a good depth,' said Will. ' I never saw
anything like this before. That track up to it was
made by mice and small creatures. This will come
in handy another time. If there are waterholes in
this rock, I do not see why they should not be in
most of the others. We shall know how to look for
water now with some chance of success.'
' What a strange land this is!' said Alec.
They struck camp next day and proceeded in a
north-easterly direction, going over much the same
sort of ground they had traversed before. Occa-
sionally they came across a fertile spot in the
sandy desert, which was gorgeous with flowers of
the most beautiful and brilliant colours. It was
a strange sight to see these magnificent flowers
blooming in such a desert place, but to look at
them refreshed the travellers and made them more
contented.
' Some of our swells at home would give a big
price if they could grow flowers like these in their
56
The Miners' Cup
hot-houses,' said Alec, as he stood looking at the
strange scene.
No sooner had they left one of these spots than
their progress was impeded by the thick growth
of spinifex, which is a resinous prickly grass,
most unpleasant and hurtful to travellers in these
wilds. Civilization and cultivation will root out
the spinifex as it does other obnoxious things,
and where it now grows in abundance, in future
years flocks of sheep will be pasturing, and the
squatters have taken possession of the land.
At times the country was almost devoid of
trees, and again it was sparsely timbered with
stunted stumpy roots, that seemed to have stopped
short through want of encouragement from nature.
They were now cantering over a tract of country
where the spinifex was not of such a prickly
growth, and here the land was more fertile. The
rank spiky spinifex grows in the rocky portions,
which are full of mineral wealth, but not favourable
to agricultural purposes.
' This will be a great agricultural country in
time,' said Will Barker.
' Looks unpromising now/ said Alec, smiling
incredulously.
' So did other parts of Australia a hundred
years back,' said Will. ' There were plenty of
places as bad as this in those days that are now
valuable station properties. When these great
goldfields are in full swing the country is sure to
be taken up all around. The one follows the
The Salt Lake
57
other. Discover a permanent goldfield, and a
smiling agricultural community is certain to be
gathered around in years to come. Look at
Ballarat. What a magnificent district her gold-
fields are now in !'
' That's all very well,' said Alec, ' but those
places were never like this.'
'No,' said Will, 'they were not. They never
had half the prospects this field holds out, Alec.'
'You seem to think we are marching on one
continuous goldfield,' said Alec testily.
' So we are,' said Will Barker, as he reined up
his horse and dismounted. ' I'm a good hand at
" specing," Alec. What do you call that ?'
Will Barker stooped down and picked up a
piece of stone, which he spat on and rubbed
quickly. He then handed it to Alec.
'Why, it's all gold,' said Alec, amazed at the
shining mass he held in his hand.
' I reckon it's about as pure as it could be
found,' said Will. ' It is quite free from quartz
and ironstone. It is a genuine nugget, but not
very large. Put it in your waistcoat-pocket for
luck.'
* What's it worth ?' said Alec.
' I should say it's worth about forty or fifty
pounds,' said Will.
' Nonsense !' said Alec.
' I'll bet on it. Never saw such gold. It's
worth four pounds an ounce, if it's worth a penny,'
said Will.
58
The Miners' Cup
' Perhaps there is some more about,' said Alec.
' Maybe,' said Will. ' Don't care for the look
of this particular spot, though. We will push on
a bit further.'
He remounted, and they rode on again.
' That's water in front,' said Alec.
' So it is,' said Will Barker; 'it is a big lake,
I should say.'
As the lake became more visible to them they
saw it was of large extent, and covered an enormous
space of ground.
As they drew near Waxy saw it, and went
bounding off with a sharp bark of delight to get
a drink.
No sooner had the dog tasted the water than
he ran back with a startled expression on his
face.
4 It is salt-water,' said Will; ' the dog will not
drink it.'
4 Salt,' said Alec; 'how the deuce can it be salt
in a place like this ?'
' These flats all round it contain salt,' said
Will, 'and the beds of lakes like this are salt.
The water is so salt that the rain makes no im-
pression on it, and yet there is no outlet to the
sea.'
' Looks like the old bed of a river over there,'
said Alec.
' I dare say there was a river here once,' said
Will; 'by the formation of the country I should
say so.'
The Salt Lake
59
' What an enormous stretch of water to be so far
inland !' said Alec.
'We shall come across more of these lakes/ said
Will, ' but they will all be salt. We have plenty of
water to go on for a day or two, thanks to the find
on the rock. We must look out for some more of
them.'
They skirted the shores of the lake for a few
miles, and then branched off to the east again a
little.
' We have seen no more blacks,' said Alec.
'But there are plenty about,' said Will. 'You
can see their tracks all round.'
' Where ?' said Alec ; ' I can see none.'
' Your eyes are not as practised as mine,' said
Will Barker. ' I can see many signs that there are
blacks in this country. Look at that tree. You
see that lizard cut in the bark ? That has been
done by a black fellow, and from the look of it I
should say it is freshly done. I will go and
examine it.'
Will dismounted and went up to the tree.
' It has not been cut more than a day or two,'
said Will; ' it has not got brown and burnt yet
with the sun. I suppose it is a sign to tell
others of the tribe that white men are in the
country. Some of them have seen us on the
way, or it may be the fellows we fired at have
given the warning. They have had ample time,
and they can travel a long way in a very short
time.'
6o
The Miners' Cup
' Then we must keep a look-out at night again,'
said Alec.
' Not much occasion for that in an open plain
like this,' said Will; 'they have no covering, and
we could see them a long way off on a clear night
like this.'
How they did enjoy their frugal meals after a
hard day's ride! and Waxy, generally tired out
with his run, curled himself up and went to sleep
as soon as he had satisfied himself.
Alec pulled the nugget Will had found during
their day's ride out of his pocket, and looked at it
again.
' It is lovely, Will,' he said.
'That,' said Will contemptuously—'that is a
mere trifle, Alec. We shall find bigger chaps than
him before long. He's the first of any consequence,
so keep him for luck.'
'You bet I shall,' said Alec; 'it will be my
lucky-stone, this. I shall never have it altered
from its present state, and I am sure if I lose it I
shall be unlucky.'
' You're a born miner, Alec,' said Will Barker,
laughing; 'you're full of superstition. Now, I
should not be at all surprised if that bit of gold
got you into trouble.'
' Why ?' said Alec. ' How can it possibly do
that ?'
' Because I think just the opposite to you. I
never set much store by the first nugget; I like to
use it as that chap in Shakespeare did the arrow—
The Salt Lake
61
fling it away, in order to see if there would not be
more to be found where it alights/ said Will.
' But that would be lucky if it struck a patch
where it fell,' said Alec. ' I would risk it for
that/
' No; you keep it, Alec. It is our first find, and
stick to it this time for a change. As a rule, gold
slips easily out of a man's fingers, but let that stick
to yours.'
' I will/ said Alec. ' It will not be a trifle that
will induce me to part with it.'
On again next morning at daybreak, and over a
country that Will Barker said they must traverse
slowly.
Will Barker was unusually silent, and Alec could
see he was looking intently around him on every
side.
He did not care to interrupt Will's meditations,
for he felt they were on the eve of an important
discovery.
Their horses walked at a snail's pace, and so
hard had been their work, and scant their food,
that it was a welcome change to them.
Waxy toiled along in the rear, probably wishing
these wanderings would come to an end, but
trotting on with a stubborn perseverance that had
pulled him through many a tough battle with his
mortal enemies, rats and cats.
Will Barker reined up and dismounted, scanning
the ground eagerly. For several minutes he stood
still, shading his eyes with his hands. Then he
62
The Miners' Cup
moved on, walking slowly, with the horse's rein
over his arm.
Alec dismounted, and took charge of the pack-
horses as well as his own.
For more than an hour this silent march con-
tinued.
Will Barker kept constantly stooping to examine
the ground, and he looked like a man on the track
of some escaped criminal.
Suddenly he put up his hand, and motioned to
Alec to stand still.
Alec did so, not knowing what was to follow, but
eager with expectation.
Will Barker seemed to be listening intently, but
Alec could hear nothing.
'Catch this,' said Will Barker suddenly, flinging
the reins of his horse to Alec ; and he then set off
at a run, leaving Alec standing speechless with
astonishment.
CHAPTER VII.
a dying request.
When Alec Wilton recovered from his astonish-
ment he followed Will Barker as well as he was
able, with the four horses in his charge. Then he
heard a strange sound, which made his face blanch
and his nerves tingle.
It was a strange, weird sound; unearthly, and
like a soul in torment.
A Dying Request 63
Waxy heard it, and commenced to howl in a
plaintive way that made the scene still more
dreary and woeful.
There it was again. It sounded like a moan,
a wail of direst pain and agony. Alec Wilton
looked ahead, and saw Will Barker standing at
the top of what looked like a mound of clay or
dust of some kind, and waving his hand, beckoning
him forward.
As Alec drew nearer the place, the awful sound
increased.
Then he heard a shriek that made the blood curdle
in his veins, it was at once so thrilling and awful.
' Come on, quick!' shouted Will Barker. ' There's
a man here dying.'
This, then, was the strange sound Will had
heard long before Alec could make out what he
was listening so intently at. Alec Wilton hurried
forward, and soon reached the spot.
' It's an awful sight,' said Will Barker. ' He's
beyond hope, but we may relieve his pain.'
' What is it ?' said Alec.
' A man. He's been speared through the groin
by those d d blacks. Curse them ! If ever
I get a chance I'll make them pay for it. I'll
not fire low next time, you bet,' said Will, as he
hastily got some water out of one of the bags, and
filled the billy-can.
He went round to the back of the mound, and
Alec, after fastening the horses securely, followed
]him.
64
The Miners' Cup
It was, as Will Barker had said, an awful
sight.
Lying on his back on the hot, parched ground
lay a man, evidently near at death's door, and
moaning with pain.
There was madness in his eyes. His hands
were clenched fast, and in them he held some-
thing.
His groans were terrible, and he seemed unable
to move.
Will Barker was forcing water down his throat,
and after he had made the man drink, he pulled
out his flask and gave him a drain of brandy.
This seemed to ease him and revive him, but
his head fell back as soon as Will moved his
arm.
' He's in an awful state,' said Will. ' Look
hereand he pointed to the festering wound
where the spear had struck him down.
' No hope for him ?' said Alec.
'None,' said Will. 'He's gone under in the
search for gold, and just when he had struck it,
or I am much mistaken;' and he pointed to the
man's clenched hands.
' What has he got ?' said Alec.
' Nuggets,' said Will. ' One in each hand. He
must have taken them out of his pocket after he
was wounded and fell down. In his madness he
has no doubt been looking at them and raving
over them, and now his hands have closed firm on
them in a death grip.'
A Dying Request
65
Alec shuddered.
' What a horrible fate, to die in such a place ! I
am glad we found him before he died,' said Alec.
' He may tell us who he is. We may be able to
help those he leaves behind, if he has a wife, or
children, or friends.'
' Who said wife ?' shouted the dying man in his
frenzy. 4 I have no wife. Where is she—Lizzie—
my Lizzie—where is she ?'
4 That's his daughter,' said Will, 'you bet. We'll
find her for you, my poor fellow.'
The man turned his glassy eyes and looked into
Will Barker's face.
It was a yearning look, and he evidently wanted
to tell him something, but his memory failed him.
He sank back again with a groan.
Will gave him more brandy. He wanted to learn
how they could help him.
Again the man started up with a wild cry. He
was evidently in his death agonies, and had strength
to fight to the last with the iron grip that was upon
him.
4 There !' he said ; ' there!' pointing in front of
him. 4 Heaps of it! Gold, gold, gold ! Pure,
solid gold ! Millions, I tell you ! Lizzie shall be
the richest'woman in Perth!'
Then he commenced to sing that old plantation
song, 4 There's Gold in the Mountains, Silver
in the Mine,' and, with a wild laugh, fell back
again.
Will and Alec looked on awe-struck. They had
5
66
The Miners' Cup
never seen death in such a guise as this, or in such
a lonesome place.
Will Barker raised the dying man up.
' Is there anything we can do for you ?' said Will.
'Think for one moment, if you can. We are
friends. We will help you. Who is Lizzie? Your
daughter ?'
'My child,' said the man, reason returning for a
moment, ' my only child. It is all for her,' he went
on, wandering again. ' All the gold is for her. You
shall not have it—you shall not! Curse those
blacks ! The treacherous devils ! How my wound
hurts. But I will get better. I must take gold to
her. Tons of it, I tell you. Millions of pounds !
Ah, ah, ah ! Gold can purchase it. Gold can buy
anything, I tell you, Lizzie. We're rich. We
shall never want again. I'll make that purse-proud
beggar recognise you. Gold, gold, and I can't get
to it!'
He struggled violently, and nearly choked in his
effort to get on his feet.
' He's nearly gone,' said Will Barker. ' Poor
chap! It might have been our fate, Alec. I am
afraid we shall reap the benefit of his find.'
' My find !' shouted the man. 'All mine ! You
cannot take it away from me. It is my claim.
All's legal. It is all mine, I tell you. Mountains
of gold !'
He became quieter, and was so still they fancied
he was dead.
' He's gone,' said Alec.
A Dying Request 67
Will Barker put his face close to the man's.
' No, he breathes yet,' said Will ; ' but he is
gasping for breath. He'll be gone soon/
'Lizzie, my Lizzie !' whispered the dying man.
Then, for a moment opening his eyes, he looked at
Will Barker's honest face, and gasped : 'Takecare
of my girl, pard. Take care of her. She's—she's
an '
' Yes,' said Will eagerly. ' I promise you, mate.
Where is she ? Tell me where to find her, and she
shall never want in this life.'
A look of happiness stole over the dying man's
face, as he whispered :
' Thank God, pard, you said that!'
' Who is she ? Where is she ?' gasped Will in his
eagerness.
The man smiled again, a shudder passed through
his frame, his eyes closed, and all was still.
' Dead,' said Will solemnly.
Alec Wilton took off his hat and looked rever-
ently at the dead man. So peaceful did he look
after his struggles, that he rAight have died in
his bed with every help that medical aid could
give.
' We must bury him,' said Will Barker. ' Let me
search him and see what he has about him. There
may be some clue to his identity, without the cursed
blacks have taken all.'
Will searched the dead man's pockets, but could
find no clue. There was not a scrap of paper, not
a sign of any kind to indicate who the man was.
68
The Miners' Cup
' This is bad,' said Will.. ' How are we to find
his girl if we don't even know her name ?'
' He said Perth,' said Alec; ' she must be there.
He no doubt lived there, and came out in search of
gold.'
' Which he found,' said Will. ' Look here.'
He opened the dead man's hands and took a
nugget out of each.
'Splendid gold/ said Alec. 'Poor beggar! to
die when he was on the eve of success.'
' Here's a ring on his finger,' said Will, as he
drew it off and handed it to Alec.
Alec Wilton examined it. It was a heavy gold
ring, plain, with a signet at the top.
It was a clenched hand, and below it was en-
graved ' Vi et Virtute.'
' What is it ?' said Will, looking at the ring.
' That's a clenched fist,' said Alec, ' and " Vi et
Virtute," if I have not forgotten my schooling,
means " By Strength and Valour." '
' Keep that,' said Will. ' It may come in handy
to find the girl with. Put it on your finger, or it will
get lost.'
' It's a good motto,' said Alec. ' He must
come of a good old family. The old story,
I suppose. Been a scapegrace in his younger
days, and come out to the colonies. This is the
last relic of the old home he has got, I'll be
bound.'
He slipped the ring on his finger, and it fitted
exactly.
A Dying Request 69
They buried the man near the place where he
died, and the task filled them with sadness.
They thought how easily they might have met
with a similar fate.
' It's no use our being depressed about it, Alec,'
said Will Barker the next day. ' We did all we
could for him, and we'll do all we can for the girl
if we find her. If he pointed to a rich find just
before he died, then the girl shall share in it. What
do you say?'
' Yes,' said Alec, ' she shall share and share alike
with us if we find her.'
' Then we will search in the direction he
pointed,' said Will Barker; r it looks a likely
country.'
Waxy was scratching at the foot of the mound,
and presently something rolled out of the hole he
had made.
Will Barker was down on his knees in an instant,
examining the place.
Then he sprang to his feet with a shout.
' Man alive, Alec,' he said, ' it's full of gold !'
Will rushed for a pick, Alec followed him, and
they attacked the mound with a will
It came tumbling down now it was loosened, and
they could see it had been recently piled up.
When they had levelled it, they sat down like
men in a dream.
Spread out before them was a shining mass of
gold, so rich, so splendid, that they could not take
their eyes from it.
70
The Miners' Cup
Neither of them spoke. There lay spread out
before them the result of the dead man's toil.
Gold in lumps, solid gold ! Such a sight they
had never even contemplated in their wildest
dreams.
Will Barker was the first to speak.
4 Poor fellow !' said Will. 4 To die at the foot of
such a mound of wealth as that! Alec, there's
thousands of pounds' worth of gold there.'
4 That's for the girl,' said Alec. 4 We must work
for our own. There's plenty more where that came
from.'
'Yes,' said Will, 4 there must be. Over there,'
and he pointed in the direction the dead man had
indicated.
Alec was again examining the heap of gold before
him. He could hardly realize it.
4 She will be a rich woman,' said Will.
4 Yes,' said Alec. 4 Luckily we found it.'
4 Some beggars would not make much fuss about
keeping that,' said Will.
41 dare say not,' said Alec, 4 but we shall not keep
it. I would not keep that dead man's gold for the
wealth of the world.'
4 You're a man, Alec,' said Will, 4 and you're
right. We will search for a claim, and then, my
boy, we will set to work in earnest. First of all, let
us bury this.'
They set to work, and soon had the heap of gold
before them covered from view.
' Looks suspicious,' said Alec.
A Dying Request
7i
'Not it,' said Will Barker. 'I never took much
notice of it before, and I reckon I'm as cute as
most people. No one would imagine gold to be
buried in a conspicuous place like that. If anyone
sees it he will take it for a black king's burial
place, or something of that kind.'
' Waxy made that discovery,' said Alec. ' He
deserves an extra portion of rations.'
' Fie does,' said Will. ' I'll give him a share of
mine. He's a wonderful dog. I'll never go back
on a dog again. He's the prince of terriers. We'll
have a gold collar made for him, and put on it,
"Waxy. This collar was made from his first
nugget." Joking aside, we will start work in earnest
to-morrow, Alec.'
' Right you are,' said Alec. ' We shall have to
return soon, or our supplies will run out.'
'We?' said Will. 'One of us will have to
remain on the claim, my boy. The other will have
to return.'
Alec looked glum. He did not like the idea of
their being separated.
Will laughed as he said :
' Come, cheer up, Alec. I am used to hard riding.
I reckon I shall return and be back again before
you have had time to miss me.'
' Then you will go,' said Alec, ' if the place pans
out well.'
' It will be better for me to go,' said Will. 'You
would lose your way, ten to one. You will take no
harm here.'
72
The Miners' Cup
' What about the blacks ?' said Alec.
Will Barker looked serious.
' I had forgotten,' he said. 'No, we will return
together, Alec, and take as much gold as we can
carry with us.'
'If we find it,' said Alec.
Will pointed to the mound, and said :
' If we find no more here we must take that in.
At any rate, we will move that first.'
' I wonder who that poor fellow was,' said Alec
to himself, as he turned in for the night. ' " Vi et
Virtute!" An excellent motto. Wonder what
Lizzie's like ? We'll find her one of these days,
eh, Waxy ?'
CHAPTER VIII.
a wonderful discovery.
ABOUT ten miles from the place where they had
buried the dead man, Alec Wilton and Will Barker
found traces of a black's camp.
'Ten to one the murderer of that poor fellow is
in this camp,' said Will ; ' let me lay hands on him,
and find any signs that he did it, and I'll show you
how we deal out justice to these treacherous
beggars.'
Before they halted for their noonday meal they
came across a black fellow and his 'gin ' seated at
the foot of a tree.
The ' gin,' when she saw them, ran off at a great
A Wonderful Discovery 73
rate of speed ; but the man seemed paralyzed with
fear, and did not move.
'This is the fellow,' said Will ; 'look here, Alec,'
and he picked up a bundle containing a variety of
articles that had evidently belonged to the murdered
man.
Alec searched amongst the articles and came
across a pocket-book, and in it was the photograph
of a beautiful girl about eighteen years old, and on
the back of the card was the name Lizzie.
' Must be his daughter,' said Alec; ' that's the
murderer, sure enough.'
Will Barker had his eyes on the black, and
his revolver in his hand ready to shoot if he
stirred.
' No other name but Lizzie,' said Alec; 'but
we have a good clue to the girl now in this photo-
graph.'
'What a fine face!' said Will, as he looked at
the photo Alec handed to him. ' She's a good girl,
too, or her looks belie her,' he added with a sigh,
as the thought of his own runaway girl, Lily, came
into his mind.
'And this fellow,' said Alec, pointing to the
black.
' I'll soon settle him,' said Will.
He motioned to the black to rise from his squat-
ting position, and then went through a pantomimic
scene illustrating how the black had murdered the
white man near the mound.
Will pointed in the direction from which they
74
The Miners' Cup
had come. He then scraped some loose earth up
and made a mound. Then he made Alec stand
beside it. He got a long branch from the ground,
poised it like a spear, and then struck Alec in the
groin with it.
He then proceeded to rifle Alec's pockets, and
turned away, leaving him half dead beside the
mound.
The black trembled in every limb. There could
be no doubt as to his guilt. He fell on his knees
and grovelled in the sand and clay.
' Give me a rope,' said Will.
Alec unloosed one from the saddle of his horse,
and handed it to Will.
' Tie one end to the saddle,' said Will, and Alec
did so.
Will knelt on the black, who could not move, so
great was his terror, and fastened the other end of
the rope to his legs, which he bound closely together,
having first slung the rope over the branch of the
tree under which they stood.
' Lead your horse away and haul him up,' said
Will.
Alec looked horrorstruck.
' You're surely not going to leave him hanging
head downwards,' he said ; ' I cannot stand that,
even for a black.'
' Haul away,' said Will, ' and I'll show you what
I am going to do. I'll put him out of suspense in
no time, don't you be afraid of that.'
Alec led the horse on, and the rope tightened.
A Wonderful Discovery 75
When the black felt his feet raised from the ground
he uttered the most fearful yells, and clutched at
the earth with his hands convulsively.
' Haul away,' said Will, in an unconcerned
manner, looking carefully at his revolver.
In another moment the black was hanging head
downwards midway between the bough of the tree
and the ground.
Will Barker took a steady aim at the black's
head and fired.
The bullet sped on its deadly way, and penetrated
the black's brain, and he hung dead.
' Lower away,' said Will, and Alec, turning the
horse, gradually let the body down to the ground.
£ If we could spare the rope we would leave him
hanging there as a warning to others,' said Will;
' as it is, we will let him lie where he is, curse him.'
'That's rough justice,' said Alec.
' But it is justice,' said Will; ' which is a darned
sight more than you get in a law court.'
'You've not much opinion of law courts/ said
Alec, laughing.
' Not I,' said Will; ' law courts are for the rich
men, not for the poor. If you cannot fee a barrister,
what chance have you of getting justice ? There's
the judge on the bench. " Are you represented by
counsel?" says he. "No, your honour." "Oh!
Then I would advise you to consult a solicitor at
once. We cannot have the time of the court taken
up with irregular proceedings and cross-examina-
tions.'"
76
The Miners' Cup
'Then the judges play into the hands of the
legal profession/ said Alec.
'You bet,' said Will; 'they've been at it them-
selves, and I reckon they know what fees and
retainers mean.'
' And suppose the man cannot engage a barrister,'
said Alec.
' Then he don't stand a hundred to one chance
of getting justice, no matter how good his case may
be,' said Will.
' I dare say you're right,' said Alec.
' Sure of it,' said Will; ' but let us be moving.'
They mounted their horses and rode on, Waxy
following, after giving a sniff of contempt at the
dead black.
' What's that ?' said Alec, after they had ridden a
couple of miles, pointing to a shining patch on the
ground a short distance ahead of them.
Will Barker saw it at the same moment as Alec,
and pulling up his horse, waved his hat franti-
cally.
' Come on, Alec !' he cried; ' that's gold.'
Alec Wilton could not believe his eyes. Surely
that shining mass could not be pure gold.
They were quickly on the spot. Will Barker
was on his knees digging under the shining
mass.
' It's gold, pure gold,' said Will; ' it's the biggest
lump I ever saw. Hang me, Alec, I can hardly
lift it. Give us a hand.'
Down went Alec, and tugged away at the mass
A Wonderful Discovery 77
of gold with Will. They managed to get it out,
and rolled it on to the ground. Then they stood
up and looked at it. There could be no doubt
about it. The block before them was almost pure
gold. It shone in the sunlight, and looked lovely,
so rich, so pure, so satisfying.
There is no excitement like the search for gold.
The wealth a man can amass is extraordinary, and
the find Alec Wilton and Will Barker were now
close upon discovering was the richest ever known,
and was to make Coolgardie and the whole country
between there and the Murchison one vast gold-
field, teeming with wealth, and employing thousands
of people.
It was to make Perth the Sydney of West
Australia, a mighty flourishing city, and Free-
mantle a port of vast importance.
The ground upon which they stood was to turn
the desert land of West Australia into a fertile
country, to make the land of the black swan
the Eldorado to which men looked for years to
come.
There lay the huge shining mass before them,
almost as much as they could lift between them,
and nearly solid gold.
It fairly took away Alec's breath. He had
never seen such a sight before, nor had Will
Barker.
But Will did not think so much of the gold
before him as he did of the country upon which
they had now set foot.
78
The Miners' Cup
With the eyes of a practised miner he looked
all around. He knew, although Alec did not,
that they had been working in a circle, and they
were not more than forty or fifty miles from Cool-
gardie. This Will Barker knew would be all in
their favour. He did not know that during the
time he and Alec had been out the news of the
richness of Coolgardie had reached Melbourne
and Sydney, and that hundreds of people were
flocking to the place.
Leaving the horses in charge of Alec, Will
Barker commenced to examine the ground care-
fully. He found every indication of its being rich
in gold, both reefing and alluvial, but he did not
know it was to be the richest find ever discovered.
Had Will Barker and Alec Wilton known then
that the ground they were on teemed with the
hidden wealth afterwards disclosed, their brains
would hardly have withstood the shock.
For a month they were camped here, and
suffered greatly from scarcity of water during their
prospecting.
The nearest water was twenty miles away, and
periodical visits had to be paid to the place in
order to obtain the necessary supplies for them-
selves and their horses.
A good big nugget would have been willingly
bartered for a solid square meal.
Will Barker knew they were both rich men
beyond the dreams of the most avaricious, and yet
with all this gold around them to be had for the
A Wonderful Discovery 79
taking-, they could not obtain the necessaries of
life.
But the richest discovery was yet to be made.
They were out prospecting as usual when Will
Barker found a rich patch of alluvial gold that
staggered them, although their eyes had been
satiated with looking at gold for a month past.
They set to work and soon had a large pile of
specimens collected, which disclosed quite as much
gold as stone.
' This alluvial gold is all shed from a reef,' said
Will. ' By Jove, Alec, we're in for it! I believe
we have struck the richest alluvial and reefing
country in the world. I never even dreamt of
such finds as this. We shall be millionaires, my
lad.'
Alec Wilton could have jumped for joy. He
felt so elated he hardly knew what to do. He
wanted to sing, to dance, to throw up his hat, to
strip off his coat, and have a round or two with
someone. His pulses tingled, his heart beat fast.
He felt an exultation the discovery of gold such
as this alone can bring.
It is different to every other feeling a man can
experience, this finding of the precious metal—
gold.
Alec felt as a man would feel if taken into the
mint and told that the masses of sovereigns and
gold he saw before him were all his.
Will Barker took this wonderful discovery more
philosophically. He acted as a check upon Alec,
So
The Miners' Cup
who would have got into a highly nervous state had
he not been restrained.
Will Barker was thinking how best they could
manage to make the most of their discovery. He
knew that such specimens as they had accumulated
when shown would cause such a rush to Coolgardie
as had never been known.
He feared the claim which he had fixed upon
to take up might be wrenched from their grasp by
fair means or foul.
The sight of such masses of gold, which could
not be concealed from view, would excite the worst
passions in the hundreds of men who would track
them and surround their claim.
It made Will Barker silent. He felt that this
vast discovery carried with it a considerable amount
of danger. Some rough characters flocked to these
gold discoveries. These were men who possessed
nothing, but came out to make a pile as best they
could. There were the syndicate sharks to be
avoided, and the speculators who made tempting
offers for shares in a mine. Will Barker wanted
this country for himself and Alec Wilton. If Alec
had enough money they could manage it all, for
they could get enough gold without much expense
to make them independent of all outside aid.
In the future Will Barker heard the sound of
batteries at work where they stood. He saw
thousands of miners employed on the field, and
water flowing from a dozen artesian bores.
They were indeed in a golden land, a land
A Wonderful Discovery 81
of fabulous wealth, and he meant, if spared, to
make the earth yield forth her hidden treasures for
their benefit.
'How silent you are, Will!' said Alec. 'I
could shout for joy. Look at all this,' and he
pointed to a heap of golden specimens they had
collected.
' That's a mere trifle,' said Will. ' The possi-
bilities of this field, Alec, are enough to make a
man's hair turn gray.'
' Then, you believe in this country ?' said
Alec.
' Believe in it ? I tell you, Alec, the ground we
have been over for the past month is one vast
reef, and the deeper it goes the more gold we shall
get. I have been at this game all my life, and I
am as certain what I say is true as that we are
alive. You are a lucky dog to strike it rich like
this the first time of asking.'
'Thanks to you, Will,' said Alec. 'What a lucky
thing I met you in Roberts' bar !'
' Aye, it was a grand stroke of luck for both of
us,' said Will. ' Do you know where we are?' he
asked suddenly.
' Of course I do,' said Alec. ' We are in the
heart of West Australia.'
' No, we are not,' said Will. 'We're not more
than forty or fifty miles from Coolgardie.'
' Then we have been working back,' said Alec.
'You bet!' said Will. 'The more I saw of the
country, the more certain I was the best gold-bear-
6
82
The Miners' Cup
ing reefs were in this direction. We shall have to
go in and report the find to the warden. I expect
we shall have to go to Southern Cross, but if the
news about Coolgardie has caused a rush, we may
find him removed there. I hope he is at Coolgardie.
It will save no end of trouble. We shall take in as
much of this as we can carry,' said Will, pointing
to the specimens, ' and then engage a camel team
to fetch in the remainder. Under escort it will
then be taken to Perth.'
' How much shall we take up?' said Alec.
'A big claim,' said Will. 'You see that reef.
It's about five feet above the surface, and about
fifteen feet wide in some parts, and the country all
around it is rich with alluvial.'
' Shall we be able to keep so much wealth ?' said
Alec.
'There may be danger attached to it,' said Will.
' We may have to show fight if it comes to a rush ;
but, at all events, if it ever does come to that, we
shall be ready for them.'
CHAPTER IX.
excitement at coolgardie.
It took Alec Wilton and Will Barker a consider-
able time to pack the gold and specimens they had
collected before they made a start for Coolgardie
again, and their rate of progress was slow, owing
to the weight they carried.
Excitement at Coolgardie 83
Towns spring up in a successful mining country
as rapidly as mushrooms, and the growth of Cool-
gardie since Will and Alec had been out prospect-
ing had been remarkable.
As they neared the town they saw on all sides
evidence that vast changes had taken place.
Miners' camps were dotted about all over the
plain, and it was like a busy hive, so many men
were at work fossicking and searching for the
precious metal.
They met camel teams, men with their swags on
their backs, men with hand-carts and wheelbarrows
and every sort of conveyance, all going out into
different parts of the country with the same object
in view—to find the hidden wealth of the ' Golden
Land.'
Alec and Will were naturally objects of much
interest to these people. They had not been seen
in the town, so it was concluded they must have
been out in the country for some months. From
the appearance of their saddle-bags and their pack-
horses' burdens many of the more experienced of
the men on the tramp came to the conclusion that
luck had attended the pair, and they turned back
and followed them on to Coolgardie.
Will Barker had learned that the warden had
been compelled to move from Southern Cross to
Coolgardie on account of the vast increase of busi-
ness there.
This was good news, and would save them a
long journey.
84
The Miners' Cup
Even Will Barker was surprised to see the
town of Coolgardie. It had risen almost as it
were in a night. From a few houses and camps
it had become a flourishing town, with the
main street, Bayley Street, fully a mile long.
Alec Wilton was struck dumb with astonish-
ment.
A few months back Coolgardie was a mere speck
on the face of the earth. Now he saw a large
town, with shops and hotels, with a post and tele-
graph office, and that ever - flourishing mining
newspaper which is started as soon as material can
be got on the ground.
There were hundreds of people congregated
about the main street, and all manner of vehicles
were to be seen.
' It's wonderful!' said Alec. ' Who would ever
have thought of it? Had any one told such a
tale, I would never have believed them.'
' Looks flourishing/ answered Will. ' We shall
be able to have a race-meeting here before long, I
guess. That's about the first thing they get up in
a new mining town like this.'
' What fun it would be !' said Alec; ' but we have
more work to do yet, Will.'
' Yes, any amount.'
They rode to the warden's office, followed by
an excited crowd of people, all anxious to glean
any scrap of information that might put them on
the right scent.
Alec remained with the horses while Will went
Excitement at Coolgardie 85
inside to interview the warden and fix up the busi-
ness connected with their claim.
As Will Barker made his astounding statement
the warden looked at him in amazement. He
had been on goldfields for many years, but he had
never heard of anything like it in his life before.
Will Barker took up a big claim for himself and
Alec, and other claims had been pegged out. Act-
ing on the advice of the warden, Will and Alec
took their valuable loads to the Bank of West
Australia, there to be deposited until such time as
the escort left for Perth.
The bags were carried into the bank and de-
posited with the manager. He was thunderstruck
at the richness of the specimens. In all they had
brought in nearly four hundred pounds' weight, and
the amount of gold was found to be nearly sixteen
hundred ounces. There were also rich nuggets of
from forty to two hundred ounces ; and altogether
there .was about seven thousand pounds' value in
gold.
The news spread like wildfire. One of the
specimens, about fifty pounds in weight, was ex-
hibited, and it looked like a huge mass of gold.
Gold was sticking cut all over it, and it was
difficult to discern which was stone and which
gold.
Crowds of people gazed at this wonderful mass
in amazement.
Then nuggets were exhibited, and when the two
hundred ounce nugget, the gem of the whole, was
86
The Miners' Cup
shown, the town of Coolgardie seemed to have
gone mad with excitement.
' Where is it ? Where did they find it ?' was
heard on all sides.
Rich men from Perth, Melbourne, and Adelaide
on the look-out for buying into a rich claim were
profuse in their offers. As much as fifty thousand
pounds was offered for a share. Alec would have
jumped at such an offer. He thought it munifi-
cent, and so it was ; but Will Barker was
obdurate.
' Let me run this show, Alec,' he said. ' I'll
play it for all it's worth. We'll play a lone hand,
mate, and have the mine to ourselves.'
' Then we had better call it the " Lone Hand "
claim,' said Alec.
' A rattling good name, too,' said Will Barker.
' The " Lone Hand " claim be it.'
When the miners heard that Alec Wilton and
Will Barker had declined an offer of fifty thousand
pounds for a share in the Lone Hand claim the
excitement rose to fever heat. They were the
idols of the hour. All other discoveries had
paled before this. The owners of the Lbne
Hand claim were looked , upon with awe and
respect.
There was, however, a feeling growing up
amongst the miners and roughs in the town
which boded no good to the peaceful men of the
place.
Growls of dissatisfaction were heard when Will
Excitement at Coolgardie 87
Barker refused to disclose in which direction the
great Lone Hand claim lay.
He knew it would be discovered soon enough,
and that when they returned they would be
followed ; but he meant to be there first, if he
had to lead the followers a hundred miles out of
the right track.
In Coolgardie at this time was a gentleman
from Perth, named Reginald Douglas. He was
a successful colonist, a man of great wealth, and
he had come to Coolgardie from Perth in order
to be on the spot ready to buy into any claim
that promised well, and which was discovered by
men ( out of pocket,' and who would readily snap
at the offer of a thousand or two ready cash.
With Reginald Douglas were two English
speculators, who had been attracted to the West
while on a trip of pleasure to the colonies. One
of them, Lord Henry Cartwright, and his college
chum, Percy Norton, had letters of introduction
to Reginald Douglas, so he had entertained them
at his hospitable home in Perth, and then brought
them on to the diggings.
It was Reginald Douglas who had made the
offer of fifty thousand pounds for a share in the
Lone Hand Mine.
He was an experienced hand, and he knew no
such specimens as those brought in had ever been
found before.
He did not find fault with Will Barker for
refusing his offer. On the other hand, he re-
88
The Miners' Cup
spected him for resisting the temptation, and
knew there must be vast wealth of gold in the
claim.
Reginald Douglas at once saw Alec Wilton was
a mere novice at mining, and that Will Barker
was the moving spirit.
He invited them to the hotel, and had a dinner
prepared for them of the best that could be
obtained in Coolgardie, which did not amount to
very much, but which to Alec and Will, after the
privations they had endured, was a meal fit for a
king.
The successful prospectors were introduced to
Lord Henry and Percy Norton, and to Alec
Wilton it was quite a relief to have a chat about
the old land in this far-off part of the world.
Reginald Douglas tried hard to persuade them
to take him into their claim, and he offered to
accept an equal share—a third—at their own
figure.
' You are very liberal, Mr. Douglas,' said Will
Barker, ' and if I was alone in this affair I would
accept your offer ; but I have made up my mind
to make Alec Wilton the richest man in Australia,
and begad ! I'm in a fair way to do it.'
c You seem great chums,' said Lord Henry.
' We are,' said Alec ; and he proceeded to
relate how they came to be at Coolgardie to-
gether.
'And that little terrier,' said Lord Henry, 'has
he followed you in all your adventures ?'
Excitement at Coolgardie 89
4 He has been with us ever since we left Sidney.
Have you not, Waxy ?' said Alec.
Waxy, who had been indulging freely in the
good things provided, gave a grunt of approval,
signifying assent.
4 He's a wonderful dog,' said Will Barker; 4 I
was not for bringing him, but Alec insisted upon it,
and he's turned out as game as either of us. He
found water for us when we were deuced hard up
for a drink.'
4 You will need some protection on your claim,'
said Reginald Douglas, 4 if it is as rich as you say.
I am a magistrate, and I will see you have police
protection if you require it.'
4 Thanks,' said Will ; 4 but I prefer not. I
think the police would aggravate the people.
One or two to protect the gold we have there
would be sufficient. I fancy I can manage the
rest.'
4 Then you have a lot of gold on the ground,'
said Mr. Douglas.
4 Yes ; between two and three thousand ounces;'
and then, as he thought of the dead man's mound,
he added: 4 And more than that considerably, but
it does not belong to us.'
4 How is that?' asked Mr. Douglas, astonished.
Will Barker then proceeded to relate how they
had found the dying man, and how Waxy had
unearthed his store of gold. Also how he had
spoken of his daughter Lizzie, and how they had
meted out justice to the black.
90
The Miners' Cup
'Very strange,' said Mr. Douglas; 'have you no
clue to the man ?'
' None,' said Alec; 'but I have the photo of his
daughter, which we found on the black fellow.'
He took out the photograph and handed it to
Mr. Douglas, who, when he saw it, gave a violent
start.
' Do you know her ?' asked Alec eagerly.
' How very like ! What a remarkable resem-
blance!' he said, looking earnestly at the photo-
graph, and seeming not to hear Alec's question,
which he repeated.
' She is very like my wife's companion,' said
Mr. Douglas ; ' I never saw a more extraordinary
resemblance, and yet it can hardly be.'
'It may be,' said Alec eagerly; 'has her father
been away long ?'
' Yes,' said Mr. Douglas ; ' he had to leave Perth
suddenly, so she said, on important business. That
was two years ago. Nothing has been heard of
him from that day to this.'
' The young lady's name is ' asked Alec.
'Lizzie/ said Mr. Douglas.
' That's the name on the back of the photograph,'
said Alec.
'What a curious thing!' said Mr. Douglas; 'if
this dead man is Lizzie Dixon's father, she will be
a rich girl. It must be so. She has been with my
wife ever since her father left Perth. We have no
children of our own,' he added, with a sigh.
' Was she fond of her father ?' asked Alec.
Excitement at Coolgardie 91
' Passionately/ said Mr. Douglas ; c it will almost
break her heart to hear of his death. I think her
mother deserted him. The girl never alludes to
her mother; her love is all for her father. Poor
fellow, I fancy he was bitterly wronged.'
'I told you, Will, we should find the girl,' said
Alec ; ' we have, I think, done so much sooner than
we expected.'
' Who will tell her how her father died ?' said
Will Barker. ' It was a terrible ending to the man's
life. How he loved the girl! He had evidently
thought of nothing but her happiness in the search
for gold.'
' You must both come and stay with me at Perth
when you have fixed up your claim,' said Mr.
Douglas; ' then we can see what is best to be
done.'
Before they separated for the night, Will Barker
suggested that Mr. Douglas and his two friends
should accompany them to the Lone Hand claim,
and secure the next block of land to it on lease.
Mr. Douglas fell in with the idea, and said it was
the next best thing they could do, as they could
not buy into the Lone Hand claim.
' You will be rich men,' he added, 'if the reef is
what you say it is. I hope it will be permanent.
It will make a vast difference to this place if the
field turns out permanent.'
' You need have no fear of that/ said Will ; ' it is
bound to turn out well. We are in a land teeming
with gold.'
92
The Miners' Cup
' What a place this will become in time!' said
Alec.
'Yes,' said Mr. Douglas; 'I should advise you
to purchase all the land you can lay your hands
on hereabouts. It is certain to be worth fabulous
sums shortly.'
' I like the lord, but I don't like the looks of his
mate,' said Will Barker to Alec as they retired to
their quarters.
' Don't see much wrong with him, Will,' laughed
Alec ; ' but you are generally right in your estimates
of men's characters, so Mr. Percy Norton must
be tested before he is pronounced the genuine
article.'
' I may be wrong,' said Will; ' but it strikes
me he is not a good companion for that young
chap with him.'
' He's as old as I am,' said Alec.
' Maybe,' said Will; ' but he's not as well able
to take care of himself, Alec.'
CHAPTER X.
the lone hand claim.
It was of no use trying to avoid being followed
to the Lone Hand claim. Will Barker soon found
out such a thing would be impossible, and all the
miners and men in Coolgardie who had not yet
been successful were on the track of the party as
soon as they left the town.
The Lone Hand Claim
93
Four mounted policemen accompanied them,
this being even more than Will deemed necessary,
but upon Mr. Douglas's representation he agreed
to that number.
It was a motley crowd that followed close on the
track of the advancing party as best they could.
Only those who were well mounted could keep
up with them, so in a very short time there was a
long tail in the rear.
With feverish haste men jostled each other,
eager to reach this great discovery and obtain
what they could from it.
Upon reaching the Lone Hand claim, Mr.
Douglas was much struck with the nature of the
ground, and wondered how it could possibly have
been missed, situated, as it was, so near to Cool-
gardie.
When, however, Will Barker uncapped the reef,
and they saw the shining masses of gold in it,
they were amazed.
' It must be worth millions,' said Lord Henry,
and Percy Norton's eyes glistened with an envious
light as he thought how Will Barker and Alec
Wilton were the possessors of all this wealth.
One huge block of stone, which seemed to be a
mass of solid gold, weighed half a ton, and of this
it was estimated at least five hundredweight was
gold of the purest kind.*
The mounted police were alarmed for the safety
of the party at the sight of so much gold.
* So reported in the press.
94
The Miners' Cup
Such masses looked almost too rich for an
excited crowd to resist the temptation of rushing.
Will Barker knew, however, that firm, yet fair
dealings with the crowd would probably settle all
difficulties.
' They can search all over the claim/ said Will;
' and are welcome to what they can get, but I'm
d if they shall touch the reef, if I have to put
a bullet in one or two of them.'
In a couple of days five or six hundred men,
with anxious, eager faces, were camped round the
Lone Hand claim.
Some rude, rough, unwritten law seems to guard
these golden claims from robbers far better than
' locks, bolts, and bars' in a bank.
Here lay, so it was estimated, some millions of
pounds' worth of gold, and yet there seemed no
disposition on the part of the five hundred odd
people almost within grasp of it to touch it.
A camel team had followed the Lone Hand
party with an ample supply of goods, including
sundry cases of champagne, and the sparkling wine
was quaffed with eagerness in this barren yet
golden wilderness.
Bottles of beer were worth five shillings each,
or even more, on such a spot, and yet there was
an ample supply.
' This is what I call mining under a luxurious
system I have never before experienced,' said Will.
' Not been many bottles of "fizz" opened here
yet,' said Lord Henry.
The Lone Hand Claim
95
How to best work the great reef at the Lone
Hand was discussed.
Mr. Douglas, with Lord Henry for a partner,
had secured the next claim, and it was decided
miners should be put on at the rate of four pounds
a week, and that Will Barker should manage the
concern.
' Why not throw the two claims into one,' said
Mr. Douglas, ' if ours turns out at all as rich as
the Lone Hand ? They will be more workable if
together.'
'No,' said Will Barker; 'we will not do that.
If your claim, Mr. Douglas, is as good as ours,
then you will be a lucky man. I should advise
you to float your claim in Melbourne or Ade-
laide.'
' We can do it in Perth,' said Mr. Douglas.
' Glad to hear it,' said Will; ' it will save you the
trouble of going further from home.'
So far there had been no discontent amongst the
men round the mine.
The constables, however, towards the end of a
fortnight noticed signs of a change in the demeanour
of a certain number of the miners.
They mentioned it to Will Barker, and he, too,
had noted it.
' There's some fellow amongst them stirring them
up,' said Will to Alec, ' and we shall have trouble
before long.'
'I do not notice any difference in them,' said
Alec.
9 6
The Miners' Cup
' I dare say not,' replied Will; ' but I do, and so
do the constables, and we shall have to look out
for squalls. We have about two thousand ounces
of gold stored in our camp, and I tell you that is a
tempting bait to men with very little appreciation
of the difference between their own goods and
other people's.'
'What do you intend doing V said Alec.
' Nothing,' said Will; 'wait until they do some-
thing, but we shall be prepared for them.'
It was a bright, clear night when Alec saw a
crowd of men, numbering, perhaps, fifty or sixty,
approaching their camp.
He called Will Barker, and the others were soon
on the alert.
' I fancied there would be trouble/ said Will
Barker ; ' now, let us hear what they wTant, and we
shall know how to deal with them.'
' Are any of the men we have employed on the
claim amongst them, do you think ?' asked Alec.
' There may be some/ said Will; ' if so, we must
note them, and they will not work here any
more.'
By this time the men were within speaking
distance of the camp, and a tall, burly fellow,
deputed as spokesman, stepped forward and said
he wanted to speak with the proprietors of the
claim.
Will Barker at once stepped forward and said :
' Then speak out. I will answer for my mate.
What do you want ?'
The Lone Hand Claim . 97
' Fair play,' said the man.
'That's what you are getting,' said Will, who
could keep his temper well under control ; ' we
have allowed all you " dry blowers " on the claim,
and you are welcome to get what you can, but you
are not to meddle with the reefs. That is the law,
and you know it as well as I do.'
' There's a darned sight too much law and too
little justice out here,' said the man ; ' we want a
fair share of the spoil. It ain't right that four or
five men—some of 'em who has never worked at all
■—should have a share like this, with, as they say,
millions of gold in it.'
' Suppose you had found it yourself,' said Will,
' would you have given it up ?'
The man did not answer him.
' Come, be a man,' said Will Barker. ' I'm sure
you are. You look a bit ashamed of your job.
Tell me who has put you up to the game.'
The constables and the others of the party were
standing close behind Will, with their hands on
their revolvers, but they were not discernible.
'You're right, mate,' said the man; 'I'm hanged
if I like the job, as you say. My name's Bob
Rack, and I'm dashed if I'll go any further in the
matter!'
' Then, come over here,' said Will, ' and I'll
shake hands with you.'
Bob Rack came forward and clasped Will
Barker's hand; and as he did so a voice shouted
from the midst of the crowd :
7
98
The Miners' Cup
' He's a traitor, lads ; he's gone over to the enemy.
Remember there are thousands of ounces of gold
there to be had for the taking.'
An angry roar followed the speaker's remarks.
Will Barker, when he heard the voice, dropped
Bob Rack's hand and grasped his revolver. He
was trembling with excitement.
'What is it, Will?' said Alec, who saw the
change in him.
' That voice,' said Will Barker. ' I'd know1 it
anywhere. It's his voice, the villain.'
' Whose voice ?' said Alec, thinking Will must
have taken leave of his senses.
'The villain's that stole my Lily from me,' said
Will. 'That was Bob Morris's voice; I would
know it anywhere.'
'You must be mistaken,' said Alec. 'What
would he be doing here ?'
' I tell you it is his voice!' said Will Barker
savagely. ' I'll shoot him like a dog if he has
brought any harm to my lass.'
'Who is that man?' he asked, turning to Rack.
' He calls himself Leonard Moss,' said Rack.
' He's the man who put the men up to the job.
He's a bad lot. I never liked him, but I could
not well get out of joining them.'
' What is he like ?' asked Will.
Rack described the man, and Will Barker said :
' It is the man. I have a heavy account to
settle with him. Leave him to me.'
' Do nothing rash, Barker,' said Mr. Douglas,
The Lone Hand Claim
99
' or you may ruin all. So far you have done well.
Do not let any personal matter run away with
your judgment.'
' I will try and keep cool,' said Will Barker,
' but it will be a great temptation to shoot him.'
Aloud he said to the crowd : ' Who is that man ?
Let hirn come out and face me if he is not a
coward.'
'Yes, go and speak out,' shouted a score of voices.
A tall, well-built, superior-looking man elbowed
his way through the crowd, and when he saw him
Will Barker's hand clutched his revolver viciously,
for it was indeed by some strange chance Bob
Morris—' Black Bob '—who stood before him.
' So it is you, is it ?' said Will Barker in a loud
voice, before the man had time to speak.
Bob Morris had not recognised Will Barker at
first, but he did so now, and his face paled a little,
but he did not altogether lose command over
himself.
' Do you know the man you have chosen for
your leader in this business?' asked Will in a
loud voice.
' He's all right,' shouted several men. ' Stow
your gas and let him speak.'
' Wait until I tell you who and what this man
is,' said Will Barker. ' He is a scoundrel, a
robber, and a seducer, a man too vile to live with
honest men such as I still believe you are. You
have been led away by his plausible arguments as
others have been before.'
100
The Miners' Cup
A murmur from the crowd, and then a man said:
' Leonard Moss is all right, lads. We'll stick to
him. Rack has thrown us over, but we'll stick to
a man as fights for us.'
This speech was followed by some cheering,
and the crowd came closer.
' The first man that puts his foot on this reef
I shall shoot dead,' said Will Barker, levelling his
revolver. ' We are all well armed, six shots apiece,
and that will account for most of you.'
The men halted when they saw the revolvers
flashing in the moonlight, and scowled at Will
Barker.
' Now, mates—I will still call you mates,' said
Will Barker, ' listen to me. I see there are some
of the men engaged on this claim with you, and,
if I have a say in the matter, they will not work
on it again. That is what they expect, no doubt.
Look at the coward who is urging you on,' and
he pointed at Morris, who shrank back. ' Why,
he has not even told you his name. He is ashamed
of it, and well he may be. His real name is not
Leonard Moss ; it is Robert Morris, and he is
better known as " Black Bob " where I come from.'
' It's a lie !' said Morris.
' No it is not,' said Will, ' and they know it,' he
added, pointing to the crowd.
Morris looked round and saw signs of wavering.
Will Barker went on :
' Listen, mates. Some of you are married, and
have left vvives and children to come and seek a
The Lone Hand Claim ioi
fortune for them here. Let me tell you what this
man has done to one of you, for such I class my-
self. He stole my daughter from my home, such
as it was,' said Will Barker, and his voice trembled.
' He stole my girl, like the vile thief he is, and I
have not seen her from that day this six years or
more gone. I am going to demand my girl from
that man. I am going to ask him what he has
done with her, and where she is now. I am going
to ask him if he married her, and I am going to
reckon with him if all is not well with her. You
hear me, mates. That man is Black Bob, and he
stole my child, as he would steal your own children
if he had the chance. She was a pretty lass, and
he turned her head with his fine ways and dastardly
promises, only made to be broken. He turned her
head, and maybe led her to her ruin, as he would
you men to-night. Will you be led by such a man
as that—a man who would rob a mate of his only
child ?'
A hoarse angry roar from the crowd made Bob
Morris tremble. He knew what it was to be in
the clutches of angry men who had been deceived.
He muttered some words of denial, but the men
saw from his face that Will Barker had spoken the
truth.
4 Let me deal with him,' said Will Barker,
stepping forward. ' Where is my child ?' he asked,
as he faced Bob Morris.
It was a strange scene in these wilds. An angry
crowd of deceived men on one side,-on the other a
102
The Miners' Cup
small knot of men well armed; standing in
advance on either side two men, and one of
those men demanding of the other his stolen
child.
Black Bob gave no answer to Will Barker's
question.
' Where is my child ?' he repeated, as he raised
his revolver.
' She ran away and left me, as she did when she
left you.'
Will's face blanched.
' Is that true ?' he asked hoarsely.
' Yes.'
' Why did she run away and leave you ?' said
Will, still fingering his revolver, and keeping his
eyes fixed on the man's face.
' How the devil should I know ?' said Morris,
with a vile oath added.
'Tell me why she left you,' said Will, 'or,
by Heaven above us, I'll kill you where you
stand !'
' Fancied some other fellow, I suppose,' was the
callous reply.
At this answer Will Barker lost all control over
himself and fired his revolver. He was so excited
however, that he missed his aim, and the bullet just
grazed Bob Morris's arm, and luckily hit no one
else. In the confusion that ensued Bob Morris
seized the first horse handy, and rode hastily away,
imprecations from the crowd following him.
'Let him go,' said Alec to one of the constables.
In Full Work
103
' He's not worth catching, and I would sooner see
Will Barker reckon with him when the time
comes.'
CHAPTER XI.
in full work.
Nothing more was seen of Bob Morris either on
the Lone Hand claim or at Coolgardie. It was
evident he had cleared out, fearing the anger of the
man he had so deeply wronged, and also the rough
justice of the miners, which he must have known in
such cases was swift and sure.
The Lone Hand claim was now in full work.
Batteries were on the ground, water had been sunk
for and found in abundance, and the output from
the mine was simply wonderful. The deeper they
got the richer in gold the stone appeared to be,
and there was evidently a vast abundance of it.
Alec Wilton and Will Barker were rich men.
They were so rich they hardly knew the extent of
their wealth.
The miners at work on the Lone Hand claim
were all contented and well paid, and on the
Douglas claim next to them splendid results were
being obtained.
Alec and Will had to their credit in the bank the
sum of over fifty thousand pounds, and this was in-
creasing weekly. In addition to this, Alec Wilton
had, acting on Mr. Douglas's advice, bought pro-
perty freely in both Coolgardie and Perth, and
104
The Miners' Cup
also taken up some excellent station-land in the
vicinity of the mining district.
Will Barker was resolute on one point When
his share had reached twenty-five thousand pounds
he declined to accept more. Alec Wilton tried to
persuade him they ought to go halves, but Will
would have none of it.
4 You found the money,' said Will Barker, 4 and
but for you I should never have come here.
Twenty-five thousand pounds is more than I shall
want now, and I would give every penny of it
freely to know my girl was safe.'
4 You will find her some day, depend upon it,'
said Alec. 4 Remember, if ever you want more
money, Will, what I have is at your disposal.'
4 I'll agree to that,' said Will, with a smile.
4 You wait until I ask you for it.'
Will Barker was manager of the Lone Hand and
Douglas Mines, at a salary of five hundred pounds
a year for each claim.
It was nearly twelve months since the Lone
Hand had been in full work.
Alec Wilton had not been out of the country,
and had not gone past Coolgardie when lie left the
mine for a week or two at a time.
It was on one of his periodical jaunts to Cool-
gardie, where as the rich young miner he was looked
up to with respect, not only for the money he
possessed, but also on account of his many good
qualities, that a travelling theatrical company had
arrived at the town of the golden west.
In Full Work
ro5
There was by this time a large theatre in Cool-
gardie, hastily erected until a more substantial
structure could be built. Alec saw the bills about
the town, and determined to have a night's amuse-
ment there.
The drama announced was ' The King of Crime,'
and the title attracted him. It was a drama full of
startling situations, in which the King of Crime
assumed innumerable disguises, and prospered in
his villainy until a well-known detective hunted him
down.
Alec saw this play three nights in succession.
Then he commenced to ask himself, Was it the play
that attracted him ? He came to the conclusion
that it was not, but the charms of Miss Irene
Valliant, the leading actress.
She was a remarkably good-looking woman, with
an expressive face, in which Alec fancied he could
discern traces of some hidden sorrow.
The more he watched Irene Valliant the more
fascinated he became with her.
In Coolgardie there were not many of the oppo-
site sex that Alec took much interest in. The
barmaids at the hastily run up hotels were flash
and dashing Hebes whose smiles were lures to
draw the gold from the miners' pockets.
Alec Wilton, like most other handsome young
men of his stamp, had flirted occasionally over a
glass of wine, but he never forgot his position or
the status of the women who served him.
The more he was insensible to their charms the
io6 The Miners' Cup
better these women liked him. They always
respect a man who can take care of himself. It is
the conceited fool and the addle-pated masher upon
whom they prey, and whom they despise.
But Irene Valliant, the actress, was a different
woman to Alec Wilton. True, he had not spoken
to her, but there was a ring about her voice on the
stage that attracted him. She seemed to feel her
part ; to mean what she uttered when she de-
nounced villainy and wrong-doing.
Alec Wilton made up his mind to know Irene
Valliant, and once he had done this it was no diffi-
cult matter to carry out his intention.
Through the agent of the company he obtained
an introduction to the manager and became ac-
quainted with the actors. He was invited 'behind'
to see the King of Crime undergo the various
processes employed in his disguises, and Alec
marvelled at the ingenuity of the actor's make-up.
Behind the scenes at the Coolgardie theatre
was not exactly an enchanted spot. Everything
appeared to have been put up hurriedly. The
theatre looked as though it had been erected
in a hurry, and been dumped down in one lot
without any regard to comfort, or whether the
entrance was at the back or the front. The scenes
were hastily daubed, and the stage had several
creaking boards in it which chipped in at inoppor-
tune moments with a protesting squeak at the
villainies of the King of Crime.
It was after the performance Alec Wilton had
been introduced to Irene Valliant.
In Full Work
107
He found her a modest, attractive woman, and
evidently superior to those around her.
The acquaintance hastily formed he was deter-
mined should not be allowed to drop.
He called upon Miss Valliant next morning and
was admitted.
Irene Valliant was a woman who had suffered.
Alec Wilton saw that plainly, now she was off the
stage, and he became interested in her.
' Have you been on the stage long ?' asked Alec.
'No,' was the reply, 'but I thought I had some
ability, and it was necessary for me to gain a living.'
'Do you like the life ?' said Alec.
' Not what I have seen of it,' she said, with a
smile ; 'but then I have not had much experience,
and this is hardly the sort of company I should
care to gain much experience in.'
Alec Wilton thought to himself: 'She must have
been hard pressed to join this company.'
'You have been successful in your mining
ventures ?' said Irene.
' We have,' said Alec. ' I had an experienced
mate with me. I am afraid I should not have done
much good by myself.'
' I have not heard much about the miners since
I came here,' said Irene Valliant; ' but I am
always interested in mining.'
' An unlucky miner's daughter,' thought Alec.
Aloud he said : ' Ours is the Lone Hand claim. It
is wonderfully rich. I am afraid I am a very rich
man.'
io8 The Miners' Cup
' How nice it must be to be rich !' said Irene
Valliant.
'Just like the rest after all/ thought Alec.
' Love of money is the root of all evil with them.
—Should you like to be rich, Miss Valliant ?' asked
Alec.
' I am a woman/ was the reply.
' Oh,' said Alec, with a world of meaning in his
tone.
' So you think all women love money ?' she
asked, with a smile.
' Very few exceptions,' said'Alec.
' There you are wrong,' said Irene Valliant;
'there are many women who prefer love.to money,
happiness to wealth. I think I could be one of
those women. I think so.'
'And are you not one of those women?' asked
Alec.
'No,' was the decided answer; 'do you know
why I should love to have money ?' she asked
quickly.
' No,' said Alec.
'To purchase revenge,' she said quietly, yet
with deep meaning.
Alec Wilton looked at her in surprise. He saw
a change in her he had not looked for. Her face
had become hard and set, and her eyes were cold
and full of menace. He saw, or fancied he saw, a
likeness in her face to someone he knew well, but
at the moment he could not remember where he
had seen a face like hers.
In Full Work
109
4 You must have suffered some great wrong,' said
Alec.
41 have,' she said; 4 but we will not talk of that/
she added, with a shudder. 41 saw you three
nights in succession at the theatre—do you like the
play ?'
4 Not much,' said Alec frankly.
4 Then why did you go for three nights ?' she
asked, looking at him earnestly.
Alec Wilton hesitated a moment. Then he said :
41 went because I was interested in you, Miss
Valliant. There was something in your face, your
voice, that attracted me.'
Irene Valliant had been so accustomed to hear
men lie to her, that she doubted them all.
4 Do you mean that ?' she asked.
4 Yes,' said Alec; 41 should not say it if I did
not mean it.'
4 Then you are unlike most men I have met.
They generally say what they do not mean. All
but one. All but one,' she added, with a sigh.
4 And that one ?' said Alec Wilton.
4 My father,' she said, with a tremble in her
voice.
4 And he ?' said Alec.
4 Is lost to me,' she answered.
They were silent for a few moments, then Irene
Valliant said :
41 believe what you say, Mr. Wilton. There is
a ring of truth in your voice I have not heard for
many a long day. To me all the men and women
110
The Miners' Cup
I meet seem to be acting parts, both on and off the
stage.'
' I thank you for your good opinion,' said Alec;
'and if I can be of any service to you, you may
command me.'
She thought for a few moments, and then said :
'You wonder, probably, why I have come here
with this company ?'
' The more I see of yow the more I wonder what
induced you to lead such a life,' said Alec ; ' you
could do much better than this.'
' I know that,' said Irene; ' I have done better.
They were only too glad to get me to join them.
They pay me as liberally as they can. I came here
because I had an object in view.'
' May I ask what that object was ?' said Alec.
'Mr. Wilton,' said Irene Valliant, 'I seldom
speak of my past life, but something tells me I
shall not be doing wrong to confide in you to a
certain extent. All I cannot tell you, I dare not
tell you,' and she covered her face with her hands,
evidently overcome by her feelings.
It pained Alec to see her suffer, and he said :
' Do not distress yourself, Miss Valliant. If you
wish to tell me anything, and think I can help you,
by all means do so.'
'You have known most of the men about the
diggings ?' she asked.
' Yes,' said Alec ; ' of course there are hundreds
of men who come and go, staying a short time
when they see there is not much chance for them.'
In Full Work
hi
' Have you ever heard of a man named Morris
said Irene Valliant.
Alec Wilton sprang from his chair.
' Black Bob ?' he said.
'Yes! Yes!' said Irene Valliant; 'you know
him ! Tell me where he is,' and in her excitement
she caught him by the arm.
Alec Wilton placed his hands on her shoulders,
and looked earnestly into her face.
His look startled her, and she shrank from him.
He knew her now. He knew where he had seen
a face like hers. How strange he did not recOg-
nise her before ! he thought.
' What is it ? What is the matter with you ?' she
asked.
' Black Bob is not here,' said Alec quietly; ' he
left some time ago.'
' Gone,' she said despairingly—' gone, when I
fancied I had tracked him down.'
' He had a narrow escape of his life/ said Alec.
' Did he get into trouble ?' said Irene.
' He was the ringleader of the men who made
trouble at our mine, or would have done so, had
they not been stopped,' said Alec; 'he went under
the name of Leonard Moss.'
'Yes, yes,' said Irene eagerly; 'that was the
name he assumed on more than one occasion.'
' What did you want with him ?' said Alec.
' What do I not want of him ?' she said fiercely ;
' he owes me a debt he can only pay in one way.'
' And that is?' said Alec.
112
The Miners' Cup
' With his life,' said Irene slowly, but with such
a concentrated hatred in her meaning, Alec was
startled.
' He must have wronged you deeply,' said Alec;
' but it is no woman's work to take men's lives.'
' And why not ?' said Irene. ' Do not men take
from women what should be dearer to them than
life? Do men not lie and steal to gain all that a
woman holds sacred, and when they have gained it
at the price of a soul lost, do they not boast of
their victory and glory in their victim's shame ?
What does a man deserve but death who slays a
woman's honour V
' Still, I say it is no woman's work to kill a man,'
said Alec.
' Then I will make it a woman's work,' said Irene
Valliant. ' You say he had a narrow escape of his
life. How did it happen ?'
'My mate shot at him,' said Alec, 'and but for
his excitement, which caused him to miss his aim,
Bob Morris would have been a dead man.'
f Why did he shoot at him ?' asked Irene.
' Because he recognised him. Because the man
taunted him, like the brute he is.'
'Taunted your mate?' said Irene Valliant.
' And a dastardly taunt it was,' said Alec, look-
ing hard at Irene. ' This man Morris had stolen
my mate's daughter.'
Irene Valliant started, and turned pale.
' My mate asked him what had become of hen
He asked for his daughter at this man's hands.'
In Full Work
113
'And he said ?' gasped Irene.
' The scoundrel said she had run away and left
him. Then my mate asked why she had done so,
and Morris replied with an oath he did not know.
My mate said if he did not tell him he would shoot
him dead, and repeated his question as to why she.
left him.'
' What did he say ?' murmured Irene faintly.
'The hound said: "She fancied some other
fellow, I suppose." '
Irene Valliant gave a cry as though she had been
struck.
Alec Wilton went on :
' At those vile words my mate lost control over
his feelings. He raised his revolver and fired, but
in his excitement he missed his aim. Black Bob
sprang on to a horse and rode away. He has not
been seen here since.'
Again there was silence between them. Irene
Valliant guessed the truth, but hardly dared to ask
the question.
' And your mate's name ?' she said faintly, avoid-
ing Alec's gaze.
' Will Barker,' said Alec.
' Oh, God ! My father !' said Irene, in a heart-
broken voice, as she fell at Alec's feet in a dead
faint.
' I knew it,' said Alec, as he looked at the in-
sensible form with a pitying glance.
8
U4
The Miners' Cup
CHAPTER XII.
missing.
When Irene recovered from her fainting fit, she
found Alec Wilton standing over her and regarding
her with a look that brought the colour back to
her cheeks.
4 Do you feel better ?' asked Alec ;11 am afraid
the shock was too much for you. I ought to have
thought of that.'
4 You did quite right to tell me,' said Irene.
4 And you will see your father ?' said Alec ; 4 he
is dying to find you. He loves you as much as
ever, and I am sure he will freely forgive you the
trouble you have caused him. He is a rich man
now, and could have double the wealth he has if he
could only be persuaded to take it.'
41 must not see him yet/ said Irene—for such we
may continue to call her for the present—41 dare
not see him. He would forgive me the trouble I
brought upon him, I know well enough, but he
would never forgive me all. , He must never know
what I have been, if I can avoid it.'
41 am sure he will not mind you being on the
stage and joining the company,' said Alec.
Irene blushed as she thought how he had mis-
understood her meaning. It was not her being on
the stage she feared her father would not forgive.
She had a life behind her she did not care often to
look back upon, and yet it was ever vividly before
MISSING
115
her, haunting her, accusing her, holding up to her
what she had been, what she might be again if the
chain of circumstances was too strong for her to
break away from.
' Do not tell my father you have seen me,' she
said pleadingly ; ' promise me you will not.'
'I dare not promise you that,' said Alec; 'it is
the dearest wish of his heart to find you again.
I must tell him I have seen you. It would
be wrong of me not to do so ; but I will also tell
him what you say, that you are not prepared to
meet him yet, and let him judge what it is best
to do.'
' If you do this,' said Irene, ' he will come to
seek me out.'
' I expect as much,' said Alec; ' he will not be
able to keep away from you. Whatever you have
done he will forgive, for Will Barker has a heart
full of sympathy—a heart purer than any of the
gold he has been so proud to discover.'
' I know it,' said Irene; ' you have no need to
tell me this. It is because he is so noble, so
generous, that he must not see me. It would break
his heart to know what I have been—aye, may be
again,' she added wildly.
'You must not talk like this,' said Alec; 'it
excites you. WThatever steps you decide to take
I shall tell Will Barker I have found you. It will
be some slight recompense for all he has done for
me.'
* It will be the worst thing you could do for him,'
n6
The Miners' Cup
said Irene. * It will only bring fresh trouble upon
him—raise hopes that must be dashed to the
ground. Leave him in peace. Let him learn to
think me dead. Teach him to think so and you
will earn my gratitude. Believe me, it is better so,
or I would not ask it.'
' I cannot do it,' said Alec ; ' he must know
you are here. He might come into the town
and see you himself. Then what would he say to
me ?'
She was silent for a few moments, and then
asked:
' When do you return to the mine ?'
* As soon as possible,' said Alec ; * I shall leave
within the hour.'
' And reach there V
'Early in the morning,' said Alec. 'It is cooler
riding during the evening, when the sun is down,
and there is a clear sky and a good moon.'
' And you will tell him you have seen me ?' she
asked.
' Yes,' said Alec ; ' I think he ought to know/
' Very well,' she said, with an air of resigna-
tion. ' But I assure you it would be better not to
do so.'
As Alec Wilton rode back to the mine, he
thought what a curious chance it was that led him
to the theatre, and of his anxiety to become
acquainted with Irene Valliant.
' So she is Lily Barker,' thought Alec; 'a beauti-
ful woman, but with something about her one can
Missing
117
hardly understand. She must have had a hard life
of it with that devil, Black Bob. The brute
ill-treated her, I dare say. I wish I had him
here.'
Alec broke the news to Will Barker as gently and
gradually as possible.
Honest Will was almost mad with delight at the
thought of seeing his child again, his darling, his
bright-eyed, laughing Lily.
He forgave her all the past. He forgot what she
had been, and looked forward to meeting her
again.
He meant to take her to his heart, to spend his
money upon her. She should not want for any-
thing he could give her. It was different to the
old times when they lived a hard life, and she was
tempted sorely.
' She is my girl, my only child,' he said to Alec;
1 and, please God, I will make her happy again.
She shall not hear one murmur from me. What is
there I cannot forgive now she has come back to
me? Nothing, Alec, nothing. Would there were
more to forgive, so that I could show how glad I
was to get her back again.'
Alec took Will Barker's hand and wrung it hard
as he said:
' You are a noble fellow, Will. I wish there were
more men like you in the world, then there would
be fewer women go astray.'
It was with a joyous heart that Will Barker rode
into Coolgardie to meet his daughter. Alec had
118
The Miners' Cup
remained behind to superintend at the mines. He
had given Will the name she went under—Irene
Valliant.
He would go to the theatre and see her play.
She should not know he was there, and he could
feast his eyes on her and scan, lovingly, each well-
known feature.
He would sit in an obscure corner and listen to
the music of her voice—the voice of his only child,
that he had not heard for years.
So Will went to the theatre, and sat with a
beating heart, waiting for the curtain to rise. It was
not the 4 King of Crime' on the bill, but he heeded
not the play, he hungered for the sight of his child.
When the curtain fell on the first act, it seemed
to drop upon Will Barker's heart, and shut out all
the happiness.
His Lily had not appeared. What could have
happened ?
Perhaps she was not to appear in this play. He
hastily looked at the programme.
He had neglected to do so before, and he saw
the name Miss Irene Valliant on the bill. This
gave him some comfort. Perhaps she would not
appear until the next act.
The curtain went up, the second act commenced.
Will Barker could not look at the stage, his ex-
citement and anxiety were so intense. He strained
every nerve to catch the first sound of the well-
known voice.
When he heard her it would be time enough to
Missing
119
look. He would glance slowly at her, so that the
shock of his joy would not be too great. He felt
he must shout aloud like a madman when she
came upon the stage.
How long he sat he did not know. He did not
look at the stage, and the people near him thought
he must be mad or drunk, probably the latter.
He was drunk, but'not with drink. Pie was drunk
with the anticipation of happiness which was slow
to be realized.
He was roused by the thud as of something
falling, and on looking up he saw the curtain was
down again. Then a great fear came upon him.
What had happened to his girl ? Why had she
not appeared ? Was she ill, or had she met with
an accident?
It was not a long interval, and the curtain went
up on the third act before Will Barker had done
thinking what might have happened.
There was a chance yet, a forlorn hope, that
she might appear in the third and last act.
Again the curtain was lowered upon the closing
scene of the drama, and the people commenced to
file out.
Will Barker sat like a man in a dream, and did
not move until a kindly hand was laid on his
shoulder, and a rough but friendly voice said :
' Say, mate, the show's over. Come and have
a glass.'
Will Barker roused himself, declined the proffered
glass, and went out.
120
The Miners' Cup
' Summat's wronged him,' thought the man.
' It's Will Barker, of the Lone Hand. Bedad, if
I'd got a Lone Hand like that I'd play it for all it
was worth, and not look glum about it.'
Will Barker hardly knew what he was doing.
He was afraid to ask or inquire about the actress's
non-appearance from fear he should hear bad
news. Then he heard two men talking as they
drew near to him, and one of them said :
'We managed to pull through without her after
all.'
'Yes, we did, but I could see the house missed
her. She was a good draw. Fine face and figure.
What the deuce has become of her, I wonder V
Will Barker walked up to them and said :
' Excuse me, were you speaking of Miss Irene
Valliant ?'
' We were,' said the manager, for such he was.
' Is she ill ?' asked Will, in a trembling voice,
as though his whole life hung upon the answer.
'Very' ' commenced the manager, but before
he could proceed further, Will had gripped his
arm like a vice, and said hoarsely:
' Come along, quick ! Take me to her at once !'
' Drop it!' said the manager roughly. ' What
the devil do you mean by grabbing a fellow in
that fashion ? Are you drunk ? What I was
about to say, if you had allowed me to finish, was
that she was very ill-mannered.'
' Oh,' said Will, with a sigh of relief, ' is that all ?'
'Yes, that is all, and quite enough, too. Come
Missing
121
along-, Saunders, we'll leave this fellow to get
sober. The fair Irene must have enchanted him.'
' In that case the distance will lend enchantment
to the view,' said Saunders.
'Quite so,' said the manager. 'Not bad for
you, Saunders.'
' Tell me where she is,' said Will Barker, stop-
ping them again.
' My man, you are becoming a nuisance/ said
the manager. ' If you are looking for Miss Irene
Valliant, I hope you will be able to find her. It's
more than I can. I only wish I could.'
'You mean to say you do not know where she
is?' said Will, aghast.
'That's the impression I intended to convey,'
said the manager. ' She has cleared, and d
mean of her to do so.'
' Gone!' said Will Barker, in such an agonized
voice that his hearers were startled, and looked at
him in surprise.
The manager was not a bad-hearted man, but
he had more troubles than pleasures to contend
with, and this soured his temper.
He saw Will Barker's grief was not assumed,
and wondered what Irene Valliant could be to him.
' What's the matter ?' said the manager, in a
much kinder voice than he had previously used.
' What is Irene Valliant to you ?'
' She is my only child,' moaned Will Barker.
' I had not seen her for years. I lost her some
years ago. I heard from my mate she was here.
122
The Miners' Cup
He saw her at the theatre, and I came down to
take her to my heart again, and she is gone. It is
cruel, cruel!' said Will.
' Did she know you would come to see her ?'
asked the manager.
'Yes,'said Will; 'my mate said he would tell
me he had seen her. He told her so himself.'
' Then she has gone away to avoid you,' said
the manager.
Will Barker staggered as though he had been
struck.
' I'll not believe it,' he said hoarsely. ' She
would never do it. It is too heartless, after all
these years. She was thoughtless, but never heart-
less. No, she would not go to avoid her old
father. Something must have happened.'
'Whatever the cause,' said the manager, 'she
has left Coolgardie, and well-nigh ruined the show.
I hope you will find her, and if you do, be sure
and hurry her back to me. She's broken her
engagement, sir. Good-night.'
Will Barker was again alone. He felt stunned,
overwhelmed. Why had his daughter gone away ?
He would not believe it was to avoid him ; there
must be some other reason.
Next day Will Barker found out that Irene
Valliant had gone by the coach to Southern Cross.
No doubt from there to Perth and on by some other
port. She might not have left Perth. He would
telegraph and have her stopped, and then follow her.
He sent a wire to Reginald Douglas asking him
Missing
123
to make inquiries, and that night he received a
reply stating that a lady such as he described had
booked her passage to Melbourne in the Turn-
berumba.
Irene had evidently gone on direct to Perth,
and finding a boat on the point of departure, had
at once booked her passage and gone on to Mel-
bourne.
There was some comfort to Will Barker in this.
He knew she Was alive and well.
Why had she gone away so suddenly ? He
would not believe it was to avoid him. She must
have gone because she was compelled to do so,
and he put it down to some scheme of Bob Morris's.
When Will related what had occurred to Alec
Wilton, he guessed at once that Irene had gone
to avoid meeting her father. He would not, how-
ever, let Will Barker know what he thought. He
encouraged him in the belief that Morris was the
cause of her sudden departure.
' Another black mark to his score,' said Will.
' He has a lot to answer to me for when his time
comes/
' I have had an invitation to go down to Perth,
to the Douglases,' said Alec to Will Barker soon
after the events narrated, ' and if you can leave
the claims with safety, Mr. Douglas wants you to
join me. Lord Cartwright and Percy Norton are
staying with him. I am anxious to go and see
if his wife's companion is the daughter of that
dead miner, and if his name was Dixon. The
124
The Miners' Cup
West Australian Jockey Club Derby meeting is
on, and that will be a bit of a change. By-the-
bye, Will, I hear we are to have a race-meetjng
at Coolgardie soon. The Miners' Gold Cup of a
thousand sovs. should be worth having a shot at.
To be ridden by amateurs resident on the gold-
fields district. I might pick up a horse down there
that could win it. I have not forgotten how to
ride, Will.'
' Go, by all means,' said Will Barker, ' but I
cannot leave. You might hear something about
my girl down there.' Then he added in a more
cheerful voice: ' Buy a horse, by all means, Alec,
and buy a good one. We must win that Miners'
Gold Cup if there is to be one.'
' Sure to come off,' said Alec. ' There's a meet-
ing to fix it all up next week. I'll be at it and
then go on to Perth.'
CHAPTER XIII.
the dead man's ring.
Alec Wilton attended the meeting at the Miners'
Arms before he left Coolgardie for Perth, and it
was arranged to hold a race-meeting a month after
that of the West Australia Turf Club had taken
place.
The meeting was to be purely a local affair, for
horses the property of residents on the goldfield,
but no restrictions were made as to the length of
The Dead Man's Ring
125
time the horses should have been in possession of
their owners.
There were to be five events, the Miners' Gold
Cup to be the principal prize.
This race was to be run over a mile and a half,
and the prize was to be a cup made from Cool-
gardie gold, and to be filled with a thousand
sovereigns struck from gold taken from the Lone
Hand claim, Alec having promised to subscribe
two hundred pounds towards it.
There were many good sporting men on the
field, as there generally are in every mining district,
and not a few of the diggers were men who had
lost considerable sums of money on metropolitan
courses, several of them also having owned horses
at one time or another.
Consequently, there was the greatest interest
manifested in the meeting, and several of the more
fortunate men determined to purchase horses. that
would be likely to run well.
41 guess you'll bring something pretty smart
back with you from Perth,' said Jabez Milling,
landlord of the Miners' Arms, to Alec Wilton.
' I shall keep my eyes open, and if I see a good
one, money will not stop me buying him,'said Alec.
* I should like to win the first Miners' Gold Cup at
Coolgardie. It will become an important race in the
future, and I should like to be first on the winning list.'
41 dare say you would,' said Jabez ; ' Pm going
to get a neddy from my brother. He'll pick me a
good one, you bet.'
126
The Miners' Cup
'Jack Milling, the trainer, is your brother, is he
not ?' asked Alec.
'Yes,' said Jabez ; ' and there are very few men
know more about a horse than Jack.'
' I've heard he is clever,' said Alec ; ' a bit too
clever at times. Mind you do not get something
too good. We must all have a chance.'
Jack Milling did not bear a very enviable reputa-
tion in Melbourne, and Alec knew it, and he was
not at all partial to the landlord of the Miners'
Arms, who had been no better than he should
have been before he made a lucky hit at the
diggings, and bought the hotel he now owned.
'And what if Jack is clever?' said Milling;
'you swells know such a deuce of a lot, that it
takes a trainer all his time to keep on the right
side.'
' Your respected relative has generally managed
to get the better of the swells, I fancy,' said Alec,
with a laugh ; ' he plucked one gentleman pretty
clean, I hear—hardly left him with a week's board
and lodgings, not including washing.'
'Never you mind,' growled Jabez, who did not
care to have the rooking of the swell in question
discussed, as he had a hand in it himself; ' I'm
open to bet you I buy a horse from Jack that can
beat anything you may pick up in Perth. Bah!'
sneered Jabez, 'what sort of a racer do you expect
to pick up there ?'
'A better one than your precious brother will
ever send you,' said Alec, nettled.
The Dead Man's Ring 127
' I'll bet you a "monkey" my horse, whatever it
is, beats the one you buy in Perth,' said Milling.
' Done,' said Alec ; ' five hundred level,' and he
called a couple of miners to bear witness to the
wager.
' One horse each, you know,' said Alec to Milling.
' Of course,' was the reply ; ' do you think I want
four or five to beat your Perth champion with ?'
Alec thought he had made a foolish wager, but
he reflected that Jack Milling would probably think
any second-rater would be good enough to win at
Coolgardie, and from what he knew of the trainer
he fancied that worthy would not be averse to
getting rid of an inferior horse at a good price,
even to his brother.
Alec Wilton reached Perth without much trouble,
and found Mr. Douglas had a handsome house in
St. George's Terrace, not far from Government
House, and within easy distance of the Swan River.
He was a member of the Weld Club, the most
exclusive club possible, and a man of some im-
portance in Perth.
When it became known that Reginald Douglas
had one of the fortunate prospectors of the Lone
Hand claim stopping with him, Alec found invita-
tions showered in upon him. He became, as it
were, the hero of the hour, and he was looked at
with curiosity by the idlers in the street, who soon
knew who and what he was.
'There goes that Lone Hand chap, Bill. They
say he's worth millions.'
128
The Miners' Cup
' Wonder if he'd be good for a fiver,' said the
man addressed ; and Alec soon found it was in-
convenient to be popular with these gentry, and
that a temporary loan, never to be returned, at-
tracted shoals of idlers, all bent on a similar errand.
After the quiet life at the mine, Alec Wilton
found it a pleasant change to get into some sort
of society again.
There were very few women at Coolgardie, and
the ladies were indeed scarce.
Alec was disappointed to find that Mrs. Douglas's
companion, Lizzie Dixon, had gone away for a
week; but he consoled himself with the thought
that he should see her before he returned.
Mr. Douglas had forgotten to mention to his wife
the incident of the photograph Alec had found on
the black who murdered the miner.
Reginald Douglas had gone out early one morn-
ing on business, and Alec Wilton found Mrs.
Douglas alone when he entered the room.
She was a fine-looking woman, but not a woman
Alec admired. There was, he thought, something
strange about her. A woman with a past, he
fancied.
This was none of his concern, however. She
seemed devoted to her husband, and there could
be no doubt Reginald Douglas was fond of his
wife. They had no children, and Lizzie Dixon,
so Mr. Douglas said, occupied the place they
would have taken.
Alec Wilton was not a good hand at conversa-
The Dead Man's Ring 129
tion with a woman he did not particularly like, but
Mrs. Douglas interested him in spite of himself.
There was something attractive about her he could
not resist.
She was an excellent talker, and soon had Alec
sitting at his ease, and telling her of his adventures
in search of gold.
This naturally led up to the incident already
narrated of the murder of the miner, and the
death scene at which Alec and Will Barker were
present.
Mrs. Douglas was greatly interested in it, and
wondered who the unfortunate man could possibly
be. She asked had they no clue to his identity.
' We have,' said Alec ; ' and strange to say, the
clue, I hope, will be found in this house.'
Mrs. Douglas looked startled.
' What possible clue can you find here ?' said
she.
' Your companion, I believe, is remarkably like
the portrait of a young lady we found on the black
who murdered him. I showed it to Mr. Douglas,
and he was astonished at the resemblance. The
name on the back of the card, too, is Lizzie, which
I understand is Miss Dixon's Christian name.'
' How strange !' said Mrs. Douglas. 'Reginald
never told me anything about this.'
' Perhaps it slipped his memory,' said Alec ; ' he
had so many things to think about. This ring,
too, I have on my finger, I took from the dead
man's hand. I thought it might lead to some
9
130
The Miners' Cup
discovery as to who he was and who the girl
Lizzie he talked about was. It has a motto en-
graved upon it, and a good one, too.'
He took the ring from his finger and handed it
to Mrs. Douglas. She had no sooner looked at it
than her gaze seemed to be riveted upon it. She
seemed fascinated by it, and could not remove her
eyes.
A sharp cry from her made Alec Wilton start,
and he saw she was evidently suffering from a
terrible shock.
What could have caused it ? What had
happened ?
Women were so superstitious, he thought,
perhaps it being a dead man's ring, taken from
his lifeless hand, was sufficient to make her
hysterical.
' It was thoughtless of me to give it to her,' he
said to himself.
Mrs. Douglas recovered herself by a violent
effort, but she still held the ring in her hand,
clasped firmly, almost convulsively.
'You must think me very stupid, Mr. Wilton,'
said Mrs. Douglas, 'but the mere touch of that
ring from a dead man's hand sent a nervous
shudder through me. It frightened me. I fancied
I could see the dead man's face where that clenched
hand is.'
Then in a strange voice, utterly unlike her own,
she gave Alec Wilton a description of the face she
saw in the ring.
The Dead Man's Ring 131
He was dumfounded, astonished. It was a
wonderfully accurate picture of the dead miner.
Alec was not a believer in spiritualism. He pooh-
poohed the mysterious appearances said to take
place at stances, but he felt his disbelief shaken
when he heard Mrs. Douglas describe what she said
she had seen in the ring.
' Why, that is the very image of him,' was all
Alec could say in his surprise.
' Where ?' said Mrs. Douglas, looking round with
a terrified glance.
Alec Wilton smiled, as he replied :
' There is nothing visible to me, Mrs. Douglas,
but you have described the dead man's face more
accurately than I could have done, and I saw him
die.'
' Did I describe him ? Ah, yes, I saw it in the
ring,' she added, in an abstracted way.
' You must be a firm believer in manifestations,'
said Alec.
'Yes,'said Mrs. Douglas, with a sigh of relief,
' I am. But Mr. Douglas knows nothing of this,
and I hope you will not tell him. He would call
it foolishness on my part.'
It was an easy way out of the difficulty to explain
to Alec Wilton in this manner.
' I shall certainly not tell him,' said Alec.
' But I advise you not to let your belief in
spiritualism carry you too far. I have heard of
people who believe in it doing very foolish
things,'
132
The Miners' Cup
' You will always wear this ring ?' asked Mrs.
Douglas.
'Until I can find the rightful owner of it,' said
Alec.
' Have you the portrait, Mr. Wilton ?'
' Yes,' said Alec, as he took out his pocket-book;
' this is it.'
Mrs. Douglas took the portrait, and looked at it
tenderly, Alec thought.
He was surprised to see tears in her eyes, and
then he heard a stifled sob.
When Mrs. Douglas had calmed her feelings,
she said :
' There can be no doubt about it. You will say
so yourself when you see her. This is a portrait of
my ' she hesitated a moment as though con-
fused, and then added, ' my companion.'
' Then it was Miss Dixon's father we found/
said Alec. ' Poor girl! She must have been
very fond of him, from what Mr. Douglas told
me.'
' She loved her father dearly,' said Mrs.
Douglas. ' It will be a sad blow to her. She has
always looked forward to his return. It has been
the hope that brightened her life.'
' Her mother, I believe, was separated from her
father when she was very young,' said Alec.
' I believe so,' said Mrs. Douglas, in a constrained
voice. ' Miss Dixon came here when her father
went to the diggings. He was not a rich man, and
he wished to get money if possible for his daughter.
The Dead Man's Ring 133
I knew her before she came here, and her father
was wishful for her to come.'
4 Then he knew Mr. Douglas ?' said Alec,
surprised.
4 No, I think not; but I met Miss Dixon at a
church meeting. We ladies often form acquaint-
ances in this way,' she added with a faint smile.
4 Miss Dixon is a rich woman,' said Alec.
Mrs. Douglas looked first surprised ; then Alec
fancied he saw fear in her eyes.
4 How is that possible ?' she asked.
4 Her father died and left a lot of gold he had
got together,' said Alec. 4 It was buried in a
mound at the foot of which he died. There are
several thousand pounds' worth of gold to her
credit whenever she wishes to use it.'
41 am very sorry,' said Mrs. Douglas, and then
added by way of explanation: 4 It may be the
cause of me losing her.'
41 think not,' said Alec. 4 If I understood Mr.
Douglas aright, she is more of a daughter to you
than a companion.'
Again Mrs. Douglas started at the word
4 daughter,' and looked hard at Alec.
4 Yes, yes,' she said hastily, 4 but the possession
of money makes such a difference. It makes
people so independent. She will have no necessity
for relying upon me—upon us. Oh ! I could not
bear to part with her now I have grown to love her
so,' she added, in a tone of sorrow.
41 must tell her all when I see her,' said Alec.
134
The Miners' Cup
' Certainly ; that would be only right,' said Mrs.
Douglas. 'Tell her all. You will have a difficult
task, Mr. Wilton, but I am sure you will break it
gently to her.'
' I will,' said Alec. ' Her father is dead, and we
promised to find his daughter. Poor fellow! He
suffered fearful agony.'
' It must be fearful to die in such a lonely place/
said Mrs. Douglas, with a shudder.
' Terrible !' said Alec ; ' and that black devil gave
him such an awful wound. I shall never forget the
feeling that came over me when we buried him and
left him in that lonely place, with the gold he had
found as a monument beside him.'
Alec Wilton would have been surprised could he
have seen Dora Douglas in her own private room
after this interview.
For more than an hour she lay on her bed
sobbing as though her heart would break. She was
shedding bitter tears that burnt her cheeks like hot
scalding drops.
CHAPTER XIV.
the dead man's daughter.
Alec Wilton first saw Lizzie Dixon in the
garden at Mr. Douglas's residence. He came
across her unexpectedly as she was gathering
flowers for the table. He knew her at once, and he
had the advantage of seeing and not being seen.
The Dead Man's Daughter 135
How very like she was to the photograph he had
in his pocket-book! She had on a large straw hat,
which shaded her face from the sun. Her dress
was white, relieved with a broad sash of violet-
coloured silk round her slender waist. Her hair
was luxurious, and had a golden hue, and her com-
plexion was as delicate as the colour of the pink
roses she held in her small white hands.
She was fond of flowers, Alec could see, by the
eager way in which she buried her face in the mass
of blooms she had plucked and inhaled their lovely
perfume. The dew fell from the flowers in sprays
as she shook the trees, the sun not yet having dried
up Nature's refreshing bath.
Mr. Douglas was proud of his roses, and well he
might be, for they flourished exceedingly under his
fostering care. His rose-garden was one of the
show sights of Perth, and he was never better
pleased than when pointing out the beauties of the
many different varieties to his visitors.
The cultivation of flowers tends towards the
cultivation of the mind, and Mr. Douglas felt their
refining effects enter into his daily life.
Lizzie Dixon, too, felt their influence, and she
regardecf the roses as her particular friends.
Alec Wilton, as he watched her taking evident
delight in her pleasurable task, thought with a sigh
how soon her gladness would be dispelled—and by
him.
He did not care to break in upon her solitude in
this spot—he would wait until he met her within
136 The Miners' Cup
the more prosaic rooms of the house. He was
turning to go back, when Lizzie Dixon suddenly
caught sight of him and gave a slight start.
Alec at once came forward, and, raising his hat,
said :
' Miss Dixon, I believe?'
'Yes/ she replied; 'and are you Mr. Wilton?'
she asked.
' I am,' he replied. ' When did you return ?'
'Yesterday,' she said, 'but I had retired when
you came in with Mr. Douglas from the Weld
Club.'
' I am afraid clubs in Perth, as in other parts of
the world, are responsible for late hours,' said Alec
apologetically.
' Oh, Mr. Douglas does not often stay late,' said
Lizzie.
' Except when a visitor detains him,' said Alec,
smiling, ' and I must plead guilty to that last
night.'
' Mrs. Douglas told me you were here,' she said,
' and also that you had something to tell me.'
' I have,' said Alec ; ' something of grave im-
portance, Miss Dixon ;' and, after a pause, ' Shall
we go inside ?'
' If you prefer it,' she said ; and they walked
slowly towards the house.
It seemed dark and dull to Alec as they entered
the room where he had conversed with Mrs.
Douglas a day or two before.
' How charming she is !' thought Alec. ' Such a
The Dead Man's Daughter 137
good face. She can be firm, too, or I am mis-
taken.'
'You come from Coolgardie, I hear,' said Lizzie.
' Perhaps you bring news of my father. He went
out prospecting two years ago, rather more, and I
have not heard of him since. I should feel anxious
about him, but he said he would have no means of
communicating with me where he was going, so I
have not expected to hear from him.'
' I met your father,' said Alec.
Her eyes brightened as she said, with a smile:
'And you found him well, full of hope, as usual?
Dear old dad ! he went out seeking gold to make
our fortunes, he said. I wish he had never left me.
Did he say when he would return ?'
How was he to tell her ? She had not the faintest
suspicion anything had happened to him that
would prevent his returning to her.
' I am sorry to say he was very ill when we met
him,' said Alec gently.
He saw the bright smile vanish from her face.
She clasped her hands and said :
' Poor dad! Why was I not there to nurse
him ?'
' We found him in a desolate part of the country,'
said Alec. ' He had suffered much from want of
water, and could not move very well.'
She was commencing to realize there was some-
thing behind all this—something AlecWilton had
not yet told her.
'Mr. Wilton,' she said, 'tell me all that has hap-
138 The Miners' Cup
pened. Tell me everything you know about my
father.'
As gently as he could Alec unfolded the sad
story to her. He spared her the description of the
unfortunate man's agonized death.
Lizzie Dixon seemed turned to stone. She sat
as still as death, and with a fixed look that made
Alec Wilton fear for her reason.
' He is dead,' she said at last, in a slow, measured
tone of voice; 'dead in a lonely land, and no one
to comfort him.'
' We did all we could for him, I assure you,' said
Alec. ' He was thankful to know we should find
you out when he was gone.'
Alec gave her the ring he had taken from her
father's hand, and she kissed it fondly, and then
put it on her finger.
'You took it off his hand when he was dead ?'
she said.
'Yes,' said Alec. 'I thought you might like it,
if we found you.'
' It was very kind of you,' she said. ' I could not
have wished for a better remembrance of him. He
was a strong, brave man, Mr. Wilton, and the
motto on the ring speaks the truth of him.'
' I believe that,' said Alec. ' He died after
having worked with all his might to gain a fortune
for you. He did gain a fortune, too, and his last
wish was that you should reap the benefit of it.'
Alec had interpreted the dead man's love for his
daughter in this way.
The Dead Man's Daughter
139
' Then I am rich ?' said Lizzie.
'You have about .£10,000 to your credit in the
bank/ said Alec. It did not amount to so much,
but he meant to make it up to that sum.
' Ten thousand pounds,' she said slowly; ' and he
lost his life in making a fortune for me. Mr. Wilton,
you do not know how I loved my father. He was
all I had in the world; I never knew what it was to
have a mother,' she said bitterly. 'My father was
more than a mother to me. He watched me grow
from babyhood to girlhood, and attended to my
every want. Perhaps you wonder why I am so
calm now I hear of his death. I do not know
myself. I feel like another being. All the life
seems to have gone out of me.'
Alec Wilton felt her calmness was unnatural.
He would much rather have seen her weeping,
although it would have given him pain.
' There are some sorrows too deep for words,'
said Alec.
' I shall always mourn for my father,' she said
quietly. ' Some day, Mr. Wilton, you must take
me to the place where he died.'
' It will be a rough journey for you,' said
Alec ; ' but I will take you there whenever you
wish, and make the travelling as pleasant as
possible.'
' I do not want the journey to be pleasant,' she
said ; ' I want it to be hard and tedious. I want
to feel something of what he felt; to know how he
suffered ; to picture how he died.'
140
The Miners' Cup
' God forbid!' said Alec, and suddenly checked
himself; but it was too late.
' Mr. Wilton,' she said, ' tell me the truth—the
whole truth. How did my father die ?'
' He was speared by a black fiend,' said Alec,
' who left him wounded, without water, to die in
the burning sun.'
Lizzie Dixon put her hands before her face to
shut out the sight Alec's words had conjured up.
* We avenged him,' said Alec. ' We shot his
murderer.' And he described how Will Barker had
killed the black fellow.
' I thank you for that,' she said. ' I wish I had
been there to put a bullet in his black heart. I
should have liked to see him tortured, to have heard
him moan for mercy and find none.'
Alec thought of the girl he had seen plucking
roses in the garden an hour before. She was indeed
changed.
'You seem surprised at me, Mr. Wilton,' she
said. ' You do not know what my father was to
me, or you would not be so. Listen, and I will
tell you his story as he told it to me before he left
me, two years ago:
4 My father , married a beautiful woman, and, as
he thought, a good woman.- He had some money
at the time, although he was not wealthy. This
woman, my mother, squandered his money on her
own pleasure. My father begrudged her nothing.
He was unfortunate with her. He thought all she
did was right. He loved her and he trusted her.
The Dead Man's Daughter 141
' Soon after I was born he noticed a change in
her, but he suspected nothing. He thought, per-
haps, she was not well, and that she needed
change. He would not leave his business in
Melbourne, so he sent his wife with myself, her
baby, to Ballarat for a month.
' How can I tell you what happened when there,
with me, her own child, in her arms, as it were ?
' This woman—I must also call her mother—was
so degraded, that she betrayed my father's honour
when guarding his only child.
' My father discovered this some months later
from a friend who knew him before he was married.
This friend recognised my mother as the woman
he had seen with another man at Ballarat, who
passed as her husband.
' At that time he did not know my father was
married. He met my mother quite by accident
with my father, and recognised her.
' When he heard she was his wife, he explained
what he had seen at Ballarat.
' My father refused to believe her capable of such
infamy, but he could not rest until he had made
inquiries, and, sad to say, they confirmed all his
friend had related. Then he discovered more. He,
found out this man had been an old lover of my
mother's, and that she was then in constant com-
munication with him. Letters were intercepted
which proved her guilt. Still my father said
nothing. He was too stricken down with grief to
speak. She must have noticed the change in him,
142
The Miners' Cup
discovered the loss of the letters from her lover,
and, fearing his anger, she left him ; but, thank
God! she left me with him,' added Lizzie
vehemently.
Continuing, she said :
' This is the tale my father told me. He could
not bear the disgrace, the dishonour that had come
upon him and his child. He could not bear to be'
pitied by his friends, or be scoffed at by his
enemies; for what man in business does not make
enemies ?
' He left Melbourne. He sold his business at a
great sacrifice. He took me with him in his
wanderings up and down for nearly fifteen years.
He could settle nowhere. His life was wrecked,
and my mother had ruined his peace of mind for
ever. He lost all the money he possessed in
speculation, with the one object in view—that of
leaving me beyond the reach of poverty when he
died. All this troubled him.
'Then we came to Perth when I was sixteen.
He heard of the wonderful goldfields from some
explorers, and determined to go there in search of
riches.
' Mrs. Douglas was very kind to me, and my
father, when he left Perth, requested her to take
me as her companion, which she readily acceded
to. He seemed to think Mrs. Douglas would be a
kind friend to me, and such she has proved.
' My mother ruined my father's life. He forgave
her, I know, but I never shall. No, Mr. Wilton, if
The Dead Man's Daughter 143
I live to be an old woman I shall never forgive my
mother for the misery she brought upon my father.
Poor old dad ! I have seen him sit and think for
hours about her. I knew he was thinking about
her, and it made me hate her. She had no right to
his love. She had flung it away, and yet he loved
her still. But I hate her, and I always shall hate
her, not because she deserted me—for which I am
thankful—but because she broke my father's heart,
and caused his death. She is as much his mur-
derer, to my mind, as that black man who speared
him to death.'
Alec Wilton was surprised at her vehemence.
It was a pitiful tale, if true; but he could not
understand this young girl of eighteen having such
vindictive feelings towards her mother.
'Your father, you say, forgave your mother,' said
Alec. ' Should you not follow his example ?'
' No,' said Lizzie ; ' I will never forgive her.
Had she not deserted my father, he would never
have been found dying alone and deserted in that
parched desert. He would have been a comfortable,
well-to-do merchant, loved, honoured, and respected.
She wrecked his life, and, if I had my will, her life
should be the forfeit.'
' Suppose you ever discovered your mother ?' said
Alec.
An angry light came into the girl's eyes.
' I would give all the money he has left me to
stand face to face with her at this moment,' she
said.
144
The Miners' Cup
' And what then ?' said Alec.
' I would degrade her, if she could be more
degraded in the eyes of her fellows. I would
tell the story of her shame. I would have her
the scorn and detestation of all people,' she
said.
f Perhaps she is dead,' said Alec quietly.
' Such a woman does not die,' said Lizzie ; ' she
lives to deceive others—perhaps marries some good
man who believes her past is as blameless as his
own. No, Mr. Wilton, my mother lives. I feel it
—I know it, and some day I shall meet her face to
face ; and then '
' What then ?' said Alec.
* She shall know how I loved my father and
hated her memory,' said Lizzie.
Alec Wilton felt it would be useless to try and
convince her in her present state of mind that such
feelings were unworthy of her. He pitied her, and
yet he could not help admiring the girl's loyalty to
her father, her great love for him, and he reraem-
bered the father's love had been equal to that of his
child.
' I am very sorry for you, Miss Dixon,' he said,
as he took her hand—' very sorry indeed. Yours
has been a painful life, and your love for your father
is the bright spot in it. I promised your father I
would find you, and I have done so. Believe me,
I will do all in my power to help and assist you in
any way you desire.'
The girl's face softened again as he spoke kindly
The Dead Man's Daughter 145
to her. She looked up with a faint tinge of colour
in her cheeks as she said:
' You are very good to me, Mr. Wilton. I am
afraid I must be rather difficult for you to under-
stand ; but you do not know how I loved my
father.''
51 think I do/ said Alec, looking at her kindly.
' It is very noble of you to love him so. He was a
happy man to possess all your love.'
' Do you think my love for him made him
happier ?' said Lizzie quickly.
' I am sure of it/ said Alec. ' He thought of
you, and you alone, before he died.'
She was silent and hung her head.
Alec felt the tears fall on his hand as he still
clasped hers in his own.
' Softened at last,' he thought. ' How she loved
that man ! Was he worthy of it ? Did he tell
her the whole truth ?'
His painful task was over, and when Lizzie
Dixon left him he felt a load had been lifted from
his shoulders.
It was a pitiful tale she had told him. Perhaps
he was wrong to doubt the dead man when his
daughter had so much faith in. him.
There was, however, little likelihood of Lizzie
Dixon finding her mother, he thought, and he
hoped such a meeting would never take place.
She was happy with the Douglases, and it was
evident they regarded her as a daughter.
She would be more of an equal now she was
10
146
The Miners' Cup
independent of their aid to enable her to live, and
that would better her position.
' She must have that unhealthy hatred of her
mother rooted out of her mind,' said Alec; ' she is
much too nice a girl to have a shadow like that cast
over her life. She's uncommonly pretty. Hang it
all! what am I thinking about ? She's a little
vixen. What a savage look she had in her eyes
when she spoke of her father's wrongs. But what
a sweet face she has when she looks pleased. She
is a mixture of good and evil. Well, I suppose we
all have that mixture in us, and most of us, no
doubt, have a good deal more of the evil than the
good. • Hang it all! I'm interested in the girl
there's no denying that. She's an uncommon
character to study. I always was fond of studying
human nature,' said Alec to himself, ignoring the
fact that in this instance the particular study in
human nature was an uncommonly charming girl.
CHAPTER XV.
alec makes a deal.
The news of her father's death weighed heavily
upon Lizzie Dixon's mind, and she became more
staid and grave than was usual with her. Mrs.
Douglas watched the change with evident anxiety,
and tried to comfort the girl as best she could.
Reginald Douglas sympathized with her in his
Alec makes a Deal 147
own quiet, manly way, and Alec condoled with her
as best he knew how.
Lizzie Dixon's love for her father had, however,
been of no ordinary kind, and she mourned for his
loss intensely.
Mingled with her grief at the loss of the only
parent she had known was the hatred she felt
towards her mother, which was at times un-
naturally fierce. Strange to say, she never
alluded to her mother in Mrs. Douglas's presence,
and that lady was, therefore, unconscious of the
animosity her companion cherished.
Alec Wilton and his host attended the meeting
of the West Australian Jockey Club, and saw the
Derby won by Pretender after a close finish with a
comparative outsider.
This meeting has not much to do with our story,
so may be passed with a brief allusion.
It was very much like other colonial race meet-
ings, on a scale far more elaborate than anyone
unacquainted with colonial life would surmise.
It was at these races Alec met a young man
about his own age, named Fred Dormer.
Young Dormer was an excellent amateur rider,
and also a good judge of a horse, and had a share
in Pretender, the winner of the Derby. His father
was a well-to-do magnate in Perth, forming one
of the exclusive set which exists in that city.
It was to Fred Dormer Alec imparted the infor-
mation that he desired to purchase a horse fit to
win the Miners' Gold Cup at Coolgardie.
148
The Miners' Cup
' It ought not to be a very difficult matter to buy
a horse equal to that task,' said Dormer with a
smile.
' More difficult than you may imagine,' said
Alec; 'there are one or two men on the fields
determined to win it if possible. I have already
laid a level five hundred that the horse I purchase
here will beat a horse purchased by another party.'
' And who may the other party be ?' asked
Dormer; ' I shall probably know him, as I am
acquainted with all the racing men in these parts—
at least, all who could afford to bet you a level five
hundred,' he added, smiling.
' The man is Jabez Milling, owner of the Miners'
Arms, and he has a brother in Melbourne, a trainer,
and a man with not a very good reputation,' said
Alec.
' Ah,' said Dormer,' it is a more important matter
than I thought. Milling I know well, and he will
not stick at a trifle to win your " monkey." His
brother has some good horses in his stable, and will
no doubt send him one up able to render a good
account of itself.'
'That's just it,' said Alec; 'and I want to get
hold of a horse that will beat him. Do you think
it possible to get one here ?'
Fred Dormer thought for a few moments before
he answered :
'To be frank with you, Wilton, I do not think
you will get anything here at a reasonable figure to
suit you.'
Alec makes a Deal
149
' Sorry for that,' said Alec, ' for I do not feel
inclined to go all the way to Adelaide for one.'
' I have a horse might suit you,' said Fred;
'he's well bred, but a bit of a rogue. I don't mind
telling you he's a better horse than Pretender, but
he is not reliable. The brute generally shirks it at
the critical pinch. We tried Pretender with him
before the Derby, and he beat the colt badly.'
' How old is he ?' asked Alec.
'Five,' said Dormer; 'and as sound as a bell.
All that goes against him is his temper.'
' I should like to have a look at him,' said Alec.
' Very well. We can go now,' said Dormer;
'he is at my stables just beyond the course.'
They went in the direction Dormer pointed out,
and soon arrived at a small but compact stable in
which Fred Dormer's half-dozen horses were
located.
' Well, Harris, how's Dante ?' said Fred.
' He's well enough,' said the man addressed, a
short, active fellow, able to ride eight stone with
ease.
'Generally is,' said Fred, with a laugh; 'the
bad horses are generally the best eaters.'
' Sorry he's the worst you have,' said Alec;
' he'll hardly answer my purpose.'
'I mean the worst to trust. He never pays fcyr
his oats, although he could if he would run up to
his form,' said Fred.
' What a queer name to give him !' said Alec.
'Yes, it is a funny name. He's by Richmond
The Miners' Cup
out of Demon Queen, and as we have frequently
consigned him to the infernal regions, I changed
his name to Dante.'
'Had he another name at one time?' asked
Alec.
'Yes. When I bought him he was called Bos-
worth,' said Fred ; ' I got him from a dealer who
came up here to sell some horses he had picked up
in Melbourne and Adelaide. I do not suppose I
should have got so well-bred a horse at the price I
gave for him if he had been better tempered.'
'We'll have a look at him, at any rate,' said
Alec, and Dormer gave Harris orders to open the
door of the box.
Harris had no sooner flung the door back than
Dante, casting a look behind him, lashed out vigor-
ously at the man.
' I fancy Harris has something to do with his
temper,' thought Alec, as he saw Dante kept a
wary eye on that individual.
' What do you think of him ?' asked Fred
Dormer.
' Handsome enough,' said Alec, 'he looks a good
horse, and up to weight, but, as you say, he is
vicious.'
Dante was a beautiful bright bay, and his coat
shone like satin. He was evidently well groomed
and cared for. He was a grandly built horse, with
powerful quarters, well let down, and a short,
strong back and loins. His head was his bad
point, for he had a decidedly vicious look about
Alec makes a Deal 151
him, and turned up the whites of his eyes in an
ominous manner. Apart from this fault, his head
was good, and he had a fine intelligent face, and a
good broad forehead.
' Who looks after him ?' asked Alec; ' he does
credit to his groom.'
' Snags looks after him,' said Fred Dormer.
' And who is Snags ?' asked Alec, laughing.
' One of my stable lads,' said Dormer; ' Dante
won't let Harris go near him.'
* I thought so,' said Alec to himself; ' the horse
evidently knows Harris is no friend of his.'
' Where is Snags ?' he asked.
' Here I am,' said a voice at Alec's elbow, and
looking down, he saw a strange little creature
glancing up into his face with a pair of clear, bright
eyes.
' He's a curiosity—are you not, Snags ?' said
Dormer, with a laugh.
' I have been called names all my life,' said
Snags, ' so curiosity may as well be added to the
list.'
' Are you a man or a boy ?' said Alec.
Snags seemed amused at the question.
' I'm a pretty old boy, sir,' he said; ' forty years
is about the length of my spell.'
' Forty years !' said Alec in amazement; ' why,
you look like a mere child.'
' There, do I, now ?' said Snags, with evident
pleasure. ' What am I always telling you, Mr.
Dormer?—that I grow younger every day !'
152
The Miners' Cup
' You certainly claim to be more juvenile every
year,' said Dormer; ' but the fact remains that you
are becoming quite ancient.'
' So you attend to Dante,' said Alec; 'how do
you like him ?'
' He's a brute,' said Snags.
Alec felt discouraged. He liked the looks of
Dante immensely, and was disappointed Snags
had not given the horse a more favourable char-
acter.
As though the dwarf, for such he was, had
divined Alec's thoughts, he said :
' All horses are brutes.'
' So they are,' said Alec. ' But what is this par-
ticular brute's fault ?'
' Got none,' was the laconic reply.
Harris looked daggers at the dwarf, and Alec
noticed him.
' Hang it all, Snags, you need not deceive Mr.
Wilton about Dante if I am trying to make a deal.
You know well enough what a temper he has/
said Dormer.
'You mean to say you are going to sell Dante?'
said Snags in amazement, which was so genuine
both Alec and Fred burst out laughing.
' If Mr. Wilton cares to buy him at my figure,
well knowing his character, I am about to sell him.
What do you think of that, Snags ?' said Dormer.
'You really want to know what I think?' said
Snags. ' No offence if I speak my mind ?'
'None in the least/ said Fred Dormer.
Alec makes a Deal
153
1 Then I shall be certain you are a fool if you sell
that horse/ said Snags solemnly.
Fred Dormer frowned ; but he gave Snags a lot
of liberty, so he passed over the reply, and said :
' Then you are not quite certain whether I am a
fool or not, now ?'
' I don't mean that/ said Snags penitently. ' I'm
very fond of that horse, Mr. Dormer. I meant you
would be a fool, in my opinion, to part with him.'
' Then you have a good opinion of Dante ?' said
Alec. ' But what about his temper ? He looks
vicious.'
For answer, Snags went into the horse's box, and,
going up to him, patted Dante on the neck. A
complete change came over the horse. The look
in his eyes softened, and he rubbed his nose on
Snags' head, playfully biting at the curly, untidy
mop.
f He's as quiet as a lamb with me,' said Snags.
'And what is the good of that when the brute
does all he can to kill other people?' said Harris.
Snags looked at the head ' lad ' scornfully. He
was about to make an angry retort, when a glance
at Fred Dormer's face checked him.
' I wonder if he would let me go near him ?' said
Alec.
' I should not advise you to try,' said Harris.
Alec took no notice of the man, but, stepping
into the box, walked up to Dante's head, Snags
being also there.
Dante laid back his ears when he saw Alec, and
154
The Miners' Cup
looked vicious again ; but when Alec spoke to him
and patted him without showing the least alarm at
these signs of war, Dante thought better of it, and
allowed Alec to examine him thoroughly.
' Not so vicious, after all,' said Alec.
' I never saw him let a stranger go up to him
like that before,' said Fred Dormer.
' I like Dante,' said Alec to his companion as
they walked back from the stables. ' What's his
figure ?'
' I gave a hundred and fifty for him,' said Fred
Dormer. ' You can have him at the same price-
I honestly assure you I shall be glad to get rid of
him, and think I have made a good deal.'
' And so shall I,' said Alec. ' I will give you a
hundred and fifty for him. The deal, I can assure
you, is in my favour.'
' I hope it may prove so,' said Fred Dormer.
11 fancy that man of yours, Harris, must have
ill-treated the horse,' said Alec.
' I do not think so. Harris is a good man with
horses, and a reliable jockey. He rode Dante in
his last race, and the horse ran a perfect brute.
Harris told me after the race it was no use train-
ing such a horse.'
' Encouraging, certainly,' said Alec, with a smile.
' Snags appears to hold a different opinion. Where-
ever did you pick up such a curiosity ?'
' Snags came here with a circus. He was a
humorous dwarf, and did an act on horseback.
He is one of the most humorous fellows imaginable
Alec makes a Deal 155
when he has any scope for his talents. He met
with an accident, fell from his horse when doing
a bareback act, and broke his leg. The circus
people left him here in the hospital, and when he
came out he limped up to my stables and asked
to be taken on. I took him on and there he is,
and a warmer-hearted fellow never lived. Snags
is the only fellow about the place can manage
Dante. It is a pity he cannot ride in races.'
' He seems fond of horses,' said Alec.
' He loves them,' said Fred Dormer. ' I think
he has received a fair education. Snags is a bit of
a mystery to me, but he is thoroughly reliable.'
' I want to ask a favour of you,' said Alec.
' I hope you will not think I am presuming on our
short acquaintance.'
' Certainly not,' said Fred Dormer. ' I shall be
only too happy to grant it you if it is in my
power.'
' Will you lend me Snags until after the Miners'
Cup to look after Dante ?' said Alec.
' Is that all ?' said Dormer. ' You can have
him with pleasure, and I have no doubt Snags
will be very pleased to go, for he and Harris do
not hit it well.'
' I should imagine not,' said Alec.
'You do not like Harris ?' said Fred Dormer.
' I think Harris does not understand Dante,'
said Alec. ' He may be a very good man with
horses. He must be, or you would not employ
him ; but I think he has had a difference of opinion
i56
The Miners' Cup
with this horse at some time or other, and has not
settled it to their mutual satisfaction.'
4 Probably you are right/ said Dormer ; 4 but I
would sooner part with Dante than Harris.'
Alec Wilton was well pleased with the deal he
had made, and considered he had got Dante cheap.
He was also glad Fred Dormer granted his re-
quest that Snags should go with the horse to
Coolgardie.
Snags, he felt sure, would readily accompany
him, and he would take care to make it worth his
while to do so.
4 What the devil do you mean by showing me
up before the boss like you did just now ?' said
Plarris to Snags.
4 Show .you up !' sneered Snags. 'A mighty lot
of showing up you wanted. You showed yourself
up, or rather Dante did. That horse knows a fool
when he sees one.'
4 Who are you calling a fool ?' said Harris.
41 said Dante knew a fool when he saw one/
said Snags with a grin.
41 hope the boss will sell him,' said Harris.
4 Then you'll lose the best horse in the stable,'
said Snags.
4 What the devil do you know about horses ?'
said Harris.
4 Quite as much as you do,' was the reply.
4 You dirty little circus imp!' said Harris
savagely. 41 don't know what Mr. Dormer wants
vermin like you hanging about here for.'
Alec makes a Deal
i57
' Say that again and I'll smash you!' said
Snags angrily.
The dwarf looked so fierce that Harris burst out
laughing.
4 You'll smash me?' said Harris. 'I'd like to
see you do it. You know a lot about horses.
Why, you broke your leg because you couldn't
keep your seat on an old crock of a circus horse.'
This was too much for Snags. He hated to be
chaffed about his accident. The dwarf was very
powerful for his size, as such men often are, and
his arms were muscular and strong. He caught
Harris round the waist, and before the man knew
what had happened, he felt himself lifted off his
feet, and then thrown down on the ground with a
force that shook all the breath out of him, and
nearly stunned him. He recovered himself, and
when he looked round Snags had vanished.
' Well, I'm dashed !' said Harris, too surprised to
be angry. 11 didn't think the beggar had it in
him. He's as strong as a lion.'
Then, when he thought of the ignominious way
he had come to grief, his anger mastered him, and
he vowed vengeance on Snags.
Snags, unaware of these vows registered by
Harris against him, was seated in Dante's box,
chuckling over the successful overthrow of his
enemy. ,
' I guess he didn't expect that shock,' said Snags
to the horse. ' Well, it paid him out for that crack
he gave you over the head, my beauty.'
153
Tiie Miners' Cup
CHAPTER XVI.
dante and snags.
Harris went in search of Snags to pay him out
for his attack upon him, and found him seated on
an upturned stable bucket close to Dante's head.
The sight roused Harris even more than his
overthrow by the dwarf, for he knew it was more
than his life was worth to go near Dante. It
angered the man to see his inferior in the stable
on such excellent terms with a horse of Dante's
temperament.
Snags knew so long as he remained where he
was there was no fear of his being molested by
Harris. Dante protected him as safely as a body-
guard of soldiers could have done.
'You grinning ape,' said Harris, 'wait until I
catch hold of you, I'll break every bone in your
body!'
'I very nearly did that for you,' said Snags, 'and
I can do it again if you give me the chance.'
'Then come away from that cursed brute's head
and try,' said Harris.
' Not I,' said Snags, with a wink. ' Dante's my
second. He'll see fair play, and that is what I am
not likely to get from you.'
' I'll have you out of there, or I'll know the reason
why,' shouted Harris. ' Come over, you brute!' he
said to Dante.
Dante and Snags
159
The horse did not move, but glanced round with
a vicious look at the speaker.
'You let the horse alone,' said Snags, as he saw
Harris reach a fork.
' I'll teach both you and the horse to know who
is master here/ said Harris. ' I'll give the brute
another chance. Come over, will you, and let me
get at that imp !'
Snags sprang to his feet and commenced to
loosen Dante's headstall. The horse had to be
kept fastened because of his propensity to turn
round and ' savage' visitors to his box.
1 What the are you doing ?' said Harris,
pausing in the act of striking at the horse.
' I'm going to loosen him just to give him a
chance of defending himself,' said Snags.
' If you do he will kill someone,' said Harris.
' Very likely,' said Snags, ' and I don't fancy it
will be me he will turn his attention to/
' Leave that rope alone,' said Harris savagely,
' or I'll have you sacked.'
* Will you ?' said Snags. ' You'd have done that
long ago, but the boss has more sense than to take
much notice of what you say/
Harris was in a fair way to lose all control over
his temper, which was none of the best, for he had
frequently advised Fred Dormer to get rid of Snags,
but that gentleman declined to do so. As he
generally took the advice of Harris upon other
matters, the man felt doubly aggrieved at Snags
160 The'Miners' Cup
that he could not oust him from the position he
occupied.
Harris could restrain his feelings no longer. He
raised the fork again, and struck Dante a heavy
blow with it.
The horse trembled all over with rage, and then
commenced to show what an ungovernable temper
he had when roused. He kicked and plunged and
foamed at the mouth. Snags had loosened the rope
when he saw Harris strike the horse, and in a few
moments Dante had his head free.
The horse, feeling himself loose, turned quickly
round and made a dart at Harris just as he turned
to run out of the box. Dante caught him by the
sleeve of his coat and tore it, but Harris managed
to get a start of him and ran across the stable-yard,
making for a gate at the opposite side. Dante
sprang out of the box and made after him, and
Snags looked out of the door, somewhat alarmed
at the rumpus he had caused, but more frightened
lest anything should happen to Dante than to
Harris.
Harris was in a terrible fright, and ran faster
than ever he had done in his life. He knew if the
horse caught him before he reached the gate he
would be severely mauled.
It so happened that Dante hesitated a moment
when he was out of the box, and this gave Harris
a chance. No sooner, however, did the horse
notice in which direction Harris was running, than
he seemed to divine his intention of putting the
Dante and Snags 161
gate between himself and the danger threatening
him. Dante galloped after the man at top speed.
Harris reached the gate, which he had not time to
open, and scrambled up it as best he could.
He reached the top and had one leg over when
Dante caught him by the thigh, and Harris
gave a shriek as the horse's teeth met in the fleshy
part.
He struggled furiously, but Dante held him fast,
although he did not tear and savage the man as
much as might have been expected.
Snags had run as fast as he was able after the
•horse, and when he reached him caught hold of the
halter, which still was on the horse's head, and pulled
him back.
Dante, seeing the dwarf beside him, and having
satisfied his vengeance on Harris, let that worthy's
leg drop, and the man fell in a heap on the other
side of the gate, where he lay cursing with rage
and pain.
Snags took no notice of him, but quietly led
Dante back to his box. He shouted to another
man in the yard, and told him to go and look after
Harris.
When Fred Dormer and Alec Wilton came
down to the stables they learned what had
happened, and Harris gave his version first, and a
very one-sided version it was.
He was lying on his bed in his room groaning
with pain, and he certainly had a very nasty wound
in the thigh.
n
162
The Miners' Cup
' I've often told you that fellow Snags was not a
safe un to have about the place,' he said to Fred
Dormer. ' He let that brute loose when I was in
the box on purpose, because he knew I should give
him a hiding for taking me unawares, and knock-
ing me down/ Without a word of warning the
scoundrel set Dante on to me just as a man would
a dog, and although I ran faster than ever I did
before, I only just reached the gate in time. Had
I been a moment later, the horse would have killed
me. I hope you will make an example of the
little devil this time, sir/ growled Harris.
' I shall certainly make it hot for him,' said Fred
Dormer angrily. 4 I'll take good care he has not
the chance to play any pranks on you again, Harris.
I will go and see him now. I have half a mind to
horsewhip him.'
4 He deserves it,' said Harris. ' It will be weeks
before I get over this. My leg may never be the
same again.'
Fred Dormer strode across the stable-yard with
Alec, and he was evidently in a humour that boded
no good to Snags.
' I hope you will hear the other side of the ques-
tion before you belabour Snags,' said Alec.
' What can he have to say ?' said Fred. ' He let
the horse loose, and you can see for yourself that
Harris is badly hurt. The horse might have killed
him. I think it is lucky he did not. I don't envy
you your bargain with the brute.'
'You have promised that Snags shall go with
Dante and Snags
163
me,' said Alec. ' Let me ask him how all this
happened, for he is my servant now.'
'As you please,' said Fred Dormer; 'but if there
are no extenuating circumstances I shall horsewhip
him before I finally hand him over.'
' Agreed,' said Alec; ' but I feel certain Snags
will have a good explanation to offer.'
'There he is,' said Fred, 'outside Dante's box,
as usual. Strange what a liking the horse has for
the imp.'
' Now, Snags/ said Alec severely, ' Mr. Dormer
wishes to know how it is you let Dante loose upon
Harris. It might have been the cause of the
man's death, and then you would have been in a
tight fix/
' I suppose you have heard his version,' said
Snags, jerking his head in the direction of Harris's
quarters.
Alec nodded in reply, and then said :
' And now we want to hear yours.'
Snags explained how the disagreement between
himself and Harris commenced.
' He didn't like me catching him round the
waist and banging the senses out of him on the
ground,' said Snags. ' It seemed to rile him a bit.'
Alec and Fred could not help smiling at the idea
of Snags throwing Harris in the manner indicated.
' So he came round to the box when he had got
his wind,' went on Snags. ' I was sitting at the
horse's head, and he knew he had no chance to get
at me with Dante on guard. He commenced to
164
The Miners' Cup
abuse the horse, as he has done before, and when
> 7 '
Dante would not move over he reached for a fork to
hit him with. I thought if he saw me loosen Dante
a bit he might think better of hitting him, so I com-
menccd to undo the knot. I had not quite untied
it when Harris hit Dante an awful crack on his
quarters. The horse reared and plunged, and got
loose from me. I only meant to frighten him, and
not let Dante loose, but when he hit him it was his
own fault, for he would have broken loose anyway.
You know what happened after that. My eyes ! if
you had only seen Harris run !' said Snags, with a
grin. ' When Dante caught him by the leg on the
top of the gate I ran and pulled the horse off.
That's all, sir.'
'And quite enough, too,' said Fred Dormer;
'but it is not as bad as Harris made out on your
part. You will have to leave here, all the same,' he
went on. ' The place is too hot to hold both Harris
and you.'
Snags looked downhearted. He did not speak, but
walking into Dante's box, he put his head against
the horse's shoulder (he did not reach higher) and
said :
' Dante, old boy, I've got the kick-out. I
wonder what you will do without me.'
Alec Wilton and Fred Dormer stood in the door-
yray watching the scene. Dante, in reply to his
dwarfish friend, playfully pulled his shaggy hair.
Snags had tears in his eyes as he turned to Fred
Dormer and said :
Dante and Snags
165
' I'm sorry to leave you, sir. You have been very
kind to me, and it is not my fault. I'll never be
the same man without Dante to look after. You
don't know how I love that horse. It ain't the
horse's fault he's vicious,' went on Snags. ' If you
knew how that cove Harris ill-treated him you'd
not wonder at his having a down on him.'
' How has he ill-treated him ?' said Alec.
'I don't want to injure Harris,' said Snags, 'but
he hit Dante a crack over the head with his hunting-
crop that very nigh stunned the horse. Dante
never forgot that, nor did I,' added Snags savagely.
■ It took me all one night to get Dante's head
better. The horse was in great pain.'
' I never heard of this before,' said Fred Dormer.
' I fancied there was some cause for the horse
having a spite against Harris,' said Alec.
'You need not tell Harris I said anything about
it,' said Snags. ' I don't care to peach on a man if
I can help it.'
' So you would not care to leave Dante ?' said Alec.
'No, sir, indeed I should not. We are real good
mates, sir,' said Snags.
' But I have bought Dante,' said Alec.
Snags opened his eyes. Then a thought struck
him, and he said :
' If Mr. Dormer gives me the sack, sir, will you
take me along with the horse ? I understand him,
and Dante will do anything for me.'
' So you would sooner go with Dante than
remain here ?' said Fred, laughing.
The Miners' Cup
' Yes, sir,' said Snags, and he evidently meant it.
' Then you shall go with Mr. Wilton and Dante,'
said Fred. ' But I will not give you the sack, as
you call it. We had arranged that you should go
with Dante before you asked to do so. Mr. Wilton
wished it to be part of the bargain, if you were
agreeable.'
' Thank you very much, sir,' said Snags to Alec.
'You've got a real good horse. Dante's a gem, I
can tell you.'
' I think I have got the best of the deal,' said
Fred.
'And I think,' said Snags, ' that you have parted
with the best horse in your stable.'
'We will agree to differ on that point,' said
Fred good-humouredly. 'Then it is arranged
you return with Mr. Wilton and Dante.'
' Where to ?' asked Snags.
' Coolgardie,' said Fred Dormer.
' Lor bless us !' said Snags, ' what on earth can
a man want with a horse like Dante at that out-
landish place ? I thought he was going to Adelaide
to win the cup.'
'I am afraid Dante is not up to Adelaide Cup
form,' said Alec, laughing. ' I want him to win
the Miners' Gold Cup at Coolgardie, if possible.
That will satisfy me.'
'And to think that you should comedown to
that. A miners' gold cup,' said Snags, looking at
Dante with such a solemn face that they could not
help laughing.
Dante and Snags
167
' Come, it is not such a bad race after all,' said
Alec. ' The prize is a thousand, and I have a bet
of a level five hundred that I win it.'
'Yes^that is a bit better,'said Snags. 'It will
do to commence with.'
' Then you make certain of winning it ?' said
Alec.
' What's to beat him in that place ?' said Snags.
'We shall see,'said Alec. 'I hope your good
opinion of Dante will be found correct. We start
the day after to-morrow/
' I shall be ready,' said Snags; ' and so will
Dante.'
Alec Wilton was well pleased with his purchase,
and he had every confidence in the good opinion
Snags had formed of the horse. He was now
anxious to get back to Coolgardie and the Lone
Hand claim.
He had made inquiries as to Will Barker's
daughter, but could glean no further information
about her.
So far, Alec thought himself unlucky with the
fair sex in those parts. He had been the cause of
Miss Irene Valliant's severing her connection in an
unexpected manner with the theatrical company of
which she was leading lady, and he had plunged
Miss Lizzie Dixon into profound grief by telling
her of the death of her father.
Alec felt interested in Mrs. Douglas's com-
panion. The more he saw of her the more he
liked her. He thought her a lovable girl, but for
The Miners' Cup
that one peculiarity in her, the intense animosity
she bore to her mother. He could not understand
a woman of Lizzie Dixon's quiet disposition con-
vincing herself that it was her mother's fault that
her father had come to such an untimely end.
He meant, if possible, and if he had the necessary
opportunities, to try to eradicate this bitterness
from Lizzie Dixon's nature. He little knew how
deeply that bitterness was implanted in her, nor
did he know what a terrible scene was to be caused
through it.
CHAPTER XVII.
the miners' arms.
It is unnecessary to weary the reader with an
account of the journey of Alec Wilton, Snags, and
Dante to Coolgardie. Suffice it to say they arrived
at their destination safely.
Alec secured quarters for himself, the horse, and
Snags at the Diggers' Rest, a quieter house than
the Miners' Arms, and apart from this, Alec did
not care to leave Dante to the mercy of Jabez
Milling and his servants.
Milling did not bear a very good name in Cool-
gardie, and he was by no means popular, although
his hotel was the principal resort of the miners
when in town.
Will Barker rode in from the Lone Hand claim
to have a look at the new purchase, and expressed
The Miners' Arms
169
himself satisfied with Dante, although he confessed
he would not care to ride such a horse on account
of his temper.
Waxy took a decided fancy to both Snags and
Dante, and the little terrier went nearly wild with
delight when he found his master had returned.
During Alec's absence, Waxy had evidently
arrived at the conclusion after much dogged con-
sideration that Alec had played him false, and
deserted him, and had resented this by declining
to eat for several days after his departure.
Will Barker said he had endeavoured to explain
to Waxy that Alec's absence was merely tempor-
ary, and he believed he made an impression, as the
dog commenced to eat.
All dumb animals so far had taken to Snags.
On one occasion the venturesome dwarf had
entered a den of performing lions during the
absence of the trainer, who had' been roughly
mauled by the savage brutes, and, much to the
surprise of the manager, had coolly bestrode the
king of the ring, and that monarch had not con-
sidered it beneath his dignity to walk round the
cage with Snags.
This performance so pleased the manager that
he included it regularly in the show, much to
Snags' disgust, who vowed he would never volun-
teer to do an obliging action of this kind again.
Alec Wilton, Will Barker, and their set were
just as popular on the field as Jabez Milling and
his set were unpopular.
170
The Miners' Cup
When it became known that Alec had brought
with him a horse to take part in the Miners' Gold
Cup, the Diggers' Rest became quite the popular
resort, and in consequence Milling lost numerous
customers, which did not tend to improve his
temper.
The landlord of the Miners' Arms ran down
Alec's purchase when he saw Dante; but, not
being a bad judge of a horse, he saw that the
animal was a good one, or looked it.
' Hang it all!' muttered Jabez to himself, ' it will
take a good un to beat that fellow; but I fancy
my brother will send me something smart from
Melbourne that will take his number down.'
A temporary track had been made near the
town, and, considering how quickly it had been
laid out, the going was good.
When Dante made his first appearance on it,
Snags was in the saddle, and he gave him a couple
of turns round, the horse's free and easy style
of going pleasing the lookers-on; and miners,
as a rule, know a decent horse when they see
one.
' Wilton's certain to win the Cup with a horse
like that,' said one miner. f I reckon it hardly
fair to bring cattle like him here to take us all
down.'
'You shut up!' replied another miner. 'You
know as well as I do that Jabez Milling has sent to
his brother in Melbourne for a 'oss, and that Alec
Wilton has bought this fellow to beat him with.
The Miners' Arms 171
It's a case of the Diggers' Rest lot against your
lot at the Miners' Arms, and we mean to beat you
bad.'
'Do you?' said the man who had'first spoken.
' Then let me tell you that you'll fall in the soup.
If Jabez Milling's brother sends a horse up, he's
sure to beat that crock.'
' I'll bet you a tenner he don't.'
' Done!' was the reply, and the wager was
made.
In due course Jabez Milling's horse arrived, in
charge of a competent man.
When Jabez eyed the horse over he smiled con-
fidently, for it was evident his brother had not
taken him down, no matter what he did with other
people.
The horse that arrived at the Miners' Arms was
a dark chestnut called Bolter, by Sheet Anchor out
of Runaway, a five-year-old, and a good performer
at the suburban meetings.
Alec Wilton, when he saw Bolter, fancied it
would take Dante all his time to beat him ; but
Snags would not give Milling's horse a chance
with his pet.
' You are prejudiced in Dante's favour,' said
Alec to the dwarf.
' I may be a bit,' said Snags; ' but I know what
a good horse he is. Dante is sure to beat a horse
like Bolter.'
Every night, when the day's work was over,
there was a lot of betting over the Miners' Cup,
172
The Miners' Cup
and several of the richer men had also purchased
horses to make up a decent field.
It was, however, generally conceded that the
struggle would eventually lie between Dante and
Bolter.
As both horses were trained on the same track,
a fair idea of their respective merits could be
obtained, although they never were seen out
together.
Snags kept keen eyes on Dante; for, as he said,
' It is no good letting the Milling crowd take an
advantage, and I would not put it past them to try
to injure the horse.'
Alec scouted such ideas, but he let Snags have
his own way.
Dante had taken a strange fancy to Waxy, and
the terrier was nearly always in his box. They
were stable companions and very good friends.
Waxy would sit for hours contemplating Dante
as he lay in his box, and the dog evidently
fancied he was the proper guardian of his big
friend.
As for Dante, he loved to play with Waxy, and
rolled him over in the straw in the most playful
manner, but took care not to hurt him.
It was wonderful how the big horse avoided
crushing Waxy. Dante would look carefully before
he moved, to see where the dog was, and if he
wished to lie down in the exact place Waxy had
selected, he would quietly poke the terrier away
with his nose.
The Miners' Arms
173
Waxy was particularly savage if strangers came
near the box, and his short, sharp bark was an
excellent note of warning to Snags, who slept
close by.
Coolgaraie was now a populous place, and as
usual in all big towns, there were numerous idlers
and ne'er-do-wells who would not work, and always
grumbled about not being able to find employ-
ment.
Most Colonial cities are cursed with these
loafers, whose sole object in life is to prey upon
the credulity and liberality of their fellows.
Discontented men there were by the score in
Coolgardie, men who could not understand how
others succeeded where they failed. They were
the same class of men that Black Bob Morris had
stirred up against the owners of the Lone Hand
claim.
Smouldering fires burn long, and the feelings
roused on that occasion had not been quite
smothered.
The more prosperous Alec Wilton became, the
more he was hated by these men, who thought
they had a right to share his good luck.
And the Lone Hand claim was a wonderful
mine. Thousands upon thousands of ounces of
gold had been obtained, and the reef seemed
richer and richer the deeper the shafts got. Such
a claim had never been known in all the history
of the Australian goldfields.
It was currently reported that Alec Wilton was
174
The Miners' Cup
a millionaire three or four times over, and men
began to call him the Coolgardie Croesus.
Will Barker, in his quiet way, heard a good
deal of all that went on.
Men did not know what share Will had in the
claim, so spoke openly before him.
He was in the Miners' Arms with Alec Wilton
one night when a body of men came in who had
evidently been out prospecting.
Alec saw his mate start, and the same look
came into his face that appeared when he faced
the betrayer of his daughter at the Lone Hand
Mine.
Alec looked at the group of men, and there,
sure enough, was Black Bob.
Bob Morris was not a man easily daunted.
After the affair at the Lone Hand Mine it was
generally supposed he had gone direct to Mel-
bourne as fast as he could get. He had set off
towards Perth, but had doubled back again, and,
joining a party of new arrivals, had gone out
prospecting and ' specing ' again.
After a time Bob Morris became the recognised
leader of these men, and under his guidance they
had done well. Morris had very little money, and
it was agreed that he should share with them in
whatever finds were made, on condition he under-
took to guide them. This suited Morris admirably,
and the party, having been successful, ventured to
the town the week before the races, with plenty of
gold, which had been speedily turned into cash.
The Miners' Arms
175
Bob Morris knew that, in a community like
this, if he had plenty of money he was safe. It
is only the poor rogue who cannot stand his
ground ; the rich blackguard can generally hold
his own.
' Look, Alec !' said Will Barker, ' there's that
cursed fellow again ;' and he half drew the revolver
he carried with him.
' Put that up,' said Alec. ' We must have no
shooting here, Will. Give the wretch plenty of
rope, and he will hang himself.'
M wish we had him where that black fellow
was,' said Will. ' I'd string him up with pleasure,
and put a bullet through his head.'
Black Bob and his mates had evidently been
drinking, and were noisy and inclined to swagger.
Their newly-acquired wealth had made them
offensive, and they were determined to let the
company know they were men of importance.
' How big was that nugget you picked up in our
claim, Bob ? the first one, I mean ?' said one of the
party.
' Three hundred ounces, if it weighed an ounce,'
said Morris. ' It was a beauty, and there's heaps
more for the taking.'
' Where's your claim, Morris ?' said Milling, who
knew him well.
'Not a hundred miles from the Lone Hand,'
said Bob Morris. ' I'm much mistaken if it does
not turn out as well.'
'You've been lucky, then!' said Jabez. 'We
176
The Miners' Cup
all thought you had cleared out after that little
bother up there.'
4 Not I,' said Morris. 4 I know a trick worth
two of that. I put the double on you all properly.
I don't leave much of a trail behind when I
skedaddle.'
Alec Wilton and Will Barker were within hear-
ing of the party at the bar, although a screen hid
them from view.
4 It's a mighty good job for you that your trail,
as you call it, was not very plain on that occasion,'
said Bob Rack, who, it will be remembered, was
one of the miners near the Lone Hand claim when
the disturbance took place.
Bob Rack was now an ardent supporter of the
Lone Hand proprietors, and he had no cause to
feel friendly towards Morris.
4 Oh, it's you, Rack,' said Black Bob, with a
sneer. 41 suppose you are just about making
tucker yet. Well, you see we are much more
enterprising than you are.'
4 And if I am making tucker,' said Rack, 'I'm
doing it honestly. I wouldn't give much for any
gold you came by honestly.'
4 Drop that,' said Morris, f or it will be the worse
for you.'
4 You needn't try and bully me,' said Rack. ' I
won't stand your nonsense. I've heard your
history told by a man who knows it as well as you
do yourself. All I can say is, jf you've struck a
The Miners' Arms
i 77
patch, then it's a sure case of the devil helping his
own.'
'There'll be a row,' whispered Will Barker to
Alec. ' Rack knows a good deal about Morris. I
told him a lot myself.'
' We must get him out of the mess if he gets
into one,' said Alec. ' Bob Rack's not half a bad
sort. I always liked the fellow after he showed he
was ashamed of his job when that row took place
at the mine.'
'Now, Rack, just you shut up,' said Jabez
Milling. ' We don't want a row here. Morris and
his pals have had luck, and they're going to spend
a few quids, so don't you spoil trade.'
'Not I,' said Rack; 'but before I'd take Black
Bob's dirty money, Jabez Milling, I'd starve.'
Morris caught Rack by the collar, and said
savagely :
'You d fool! If you don't keep quiet I'll
knife you.'
Black Bob looked so fierce that Rack did not at
once reply. He had heard yarns told about Morris
handling a knife well, and he did not want to feel
cold steel between his ribs.
Rack wrenched himself free, and when he felt
Morris had no longer his hands upon him, he said :
'Jabez Milling, that man will be the death of
someone before long. Mind it ain't you.'
Milling turned pale. He could not appreciate
such pleasantries in connection with a man of Bob
Morris's dangerous character.
12
178 The Miners' Cup
' Clear out of this !' he shouted to Rack. ' Here,
lads, give me a hand, and I'll soon rid you of his
presence.'
Jabez Milling's words acted like magic, and
before Bob Rack could defend himself he was
hustled out of the door, and found himself in the
street.
Will Barker could contain his feelings no longer,
and, despite Alec's remonstrances, he stepped out
and said :
' You've put the wrong man out, Jabez. That's
the scoundrel you ought to have sent head first
into the street.' And he pointed at Morris.
Black Bob had been drinking heavily, and when
he saw Will Barker, he laughed mockingly as he
said :
' You thought I had gone, didn't you, eh,
Barker? Well, you see, I'm here all right. I'm
going to stay here, too. I've made a pile, if
you have. Perhaps it will please you to hear
that.'
'If you have struck gold,' said Will calmly, 'and
your mates here are in with you, I should advise
them to keep a very strict watch on your move-
ments. You have a nasty habit of stealing things,'
said Will meaningly.
'You'll follow that fool out at the door if you
don't dry up,' said Morris savagely.
'Be quiet, Bob,' said Jabez, who had his own
reasons for not quarrelling with Barker or Alec.
' Bosh!' shouted Morris. ' I'll not be quiet.
The Miners' Arms 179
Let the old fool be chucked out.' And he made a
step towards Will, his mates following him.
Alec Wilton stood beside Will Barker, and the
pair faced the men bravely.
' Out with 'em both, lads !' said Morris. 'We're
three to one. Out with 'em ! We'll have the place
to ourselves.'
On came Black Bob, followed by his pals. Alec
Wilton stepped forward. His right arm shot out
like a flash of lightning, and his clenched fist
caught Morris between the eyes with a thud, and
the bully fell sprawling on his back. Will Barker
had floored one of the other men, and the re-
mainder hung back, dismayed.
'Now, you great hulking. cowards, come on!'
cried Alec, who felt eager for the fray.
The men shrank back, and Black Bob, half
dazed, staggered to his feet. He rushed at Alec
Wilton, and something gleamed above him in
Black Bob's uplifted hand.
Alec, however, was fully prepared for him. He
seized Morris by the wrist, wrenched the knife out
of his grasp, and then hit him a tremendous blow
on the temple, that stretched the would-be assassin
senseless on the floor. Coolly turning to Will, he
said :
'We'll go now, mate. Good-night, Milling. I
don't much admire the company you keep here.'
x8o The Miners' Cup
CHAPTER XVIII.
black bob.
The morning after the affray at the Miners'Arms,
Bob Morris and his mates were concocting a
scheme of revenge against Alec Wilton and Will
Barker.
Black Bob was determined they should suffer for
the previous night's work, and he would not have
hesitated at any foul crime, provided it could have
been carried out without fear of detection.
His mates, although rough men, were not inclined
to put their liberty in jeopardy for the sake of
gratifying a private grievance of Bob Morris's, and
they told him so plainly.
' It's all very well for you to talk about revenge,'
said one of the men, ' but we are not going to be
drawn into any difficulty on your account. For
my own part, I don't think the fault was so much
on their side as on ours. We were all pretty well
full, and I think the best plan is to say no more
about it. It was not much to your credit, Bob, to
draw a knife on a man. If you are so handy with
those tools, take my word for it, you will get your-
self into serious trouble before long.'
' You're a chicken-hearted lot!' growled Bob, as
the others agreed with what the previous speaker
had said. ' If you don't mean to take it out of'em,
1 do, and I'll make them wish they had never seen
me before long!'
Black Bob
iSI
It was the week before the races, and Jabez
Milling was becoming anxious as to the result of
the Miners' Cup.
He had made a book for his horse Bolter, and
had laid heavily against Dante.
It was generally known that Alec would ride his
own horse, and that a man named Royd, who had
lately arrived, would steer Bolter.
Alec had his own opinion about the right of Ben
Royd to be termed an amateur rider, but he deter-
mined to say nothing about it. He knew he had
a good horse in Dante, that he was a fair jockey
himself, and that Snags had given the horse a care-
ful winding-up preparation.
Jabez Milling had secured the services of Ben
Royd through his brother in Melbourne, and, as
a matter of fact, Royd was connected with the
stable, and was in no sense of the term entitled to
rank as an amateur.
Black Bob had purchased an interest in Jabez
Milling's book on the Miners' Gold Cup, and the
landlord was not sorry to sell half a share in
it when he found out how good Dante really
was.
Milling was a jealous man, and, moreover, he
did not like Alec Wilton, and he would willingly
have given a tidy sum to make sure Bolter would
beat Dante in the race.
Black Bob meant there should be no doubt
about the race, if possible. By fair means or foul
—and he inclined to the latter—he was determined
i82
The Miners' Cup
Dante should not win, no matter whether Bolter
was beaten or not.
'Don't you be alarmed, Jabez,'he said. 'If I
have to get at the horse myself, I'll take care he
does not win !'
4 What do you intend to do?' said Jabez. 'I
don't want to be mixed up in any shady business.
It would ruin my trade here. These miners are
such a ticklish lot, and that chap Wilton is a deuce
of a favourite with 'em.'
Snags was in the habit of strolling into the
enemy's camp at the Miners' Arms, in order, so he
said, to pick up some information as to what
Milling thought of his chance.
The dwarf was an amusing fellow, and he had
not forgotten his old tricks, learnt at the circus ;
consequently he was almost as great a favourite
at the Miners' Arms as he was at the Diggers'
Rest.
He scraped up an acquaintance with Black Bob,
which was not difficult, as that individual fancied
Snags might be useful in the designs he had upon
Dante.
Morris soon found out that if he meant to bribe
Snags he would have no chance of success, so he
changed his tactics.
A couple of nights before the race, Snags
walked round to the Miners' Arms, and, as usual,
sang songs and danced for the company.
After this he had a drink with Morris, as he said
Black Bob
183
he never objected to fleecing the enemy, even if
only out of a drink.
But Black Bob had his wits about him, and he
knew that the last chance of getting at Dante had
arrived.
When Snags was not looking in his direction he
drugged the beer in his glass, and the dwarf,
soon after taking it, felt a peculiar drowsiness
stealing over him.
4 I'm getting sleepy,' he said to Morris,4 I think
I'll go home.'
4 Have a nap here,'said Black Bob, 4 you will
soon wake up again.'
Snags gradually sunk into a deep slumber, and
Morris carried him into the parlour, and put him
down on the sofa.
Dante's box at the Diggers' Arms was close to
the hotel, and Snags generally slept on a camp
bed in the next box, while Waxy, as usual, was
with the horse.
It so happened that on this particular night
Alec had returned from the Lone Hand Mine,
and when Snags did not come home he thought it
strange.
He made inquiries, and found out the dwarf
had been at the Miners' Arms, and, so it was
stated, had taken a drop too much, and was
sleeping it off.
As this was Snags' one great failing, Alec
thought it probable it was correct.
He was not, however, fully convinced, and as he
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The Miners' Cup
did not care to go to the Miners' Arms himself, he
sent Rack round to make further inquiries.
Rack managed to get a peep at Snags as he lay
on the sofa, and neither Black Bob nor Jabez
Milling knew he had seen him.
On his return, Rack gave it as his opinion that
there had been something fishy on, and when Alec
heard Snags had been seen drinking with Morris,
he formed his own conclusions as to the cause of
Snags sleeping so soundly and neglecting his
charge.
' It's my opinion, Rack, that Snags has been
drugged in order to have him absent to-night. If
my surmise be correct, then you may depend upon
it Morris wants to get at the horse.'
4 That's just about it,' said Rack; 'wouldn't I
like to catch him at it.'
'Never mind catching him at it,' said Alec;
' we will give him a bigger surprise even than
that.'
' How ?'
'You know that big horse belonging to Terence
Moss,' said Alec.
Terence was the host of the Diggers' Rest, and
was commonly known as Ter Moss.
' The one in that box,' said Rack, pointing across
the yard.
' Yes,' said Alec ; ' he is not at all unlike Dante ;
in fact, at night in the box with the same clothing
oiv it would be impossible to tell one from the
other.'
Black Bob
iB5
Rack was rubbing his hands and chuckling to
himself as he saw the drift of Alec's remarks.
' I'll get Ter's permission to change boxes,' said
Alec,' and make it worth his while in case anything
happens to his horse. I fancy Morris will only
want to prevent Dante from running, not to per-
manently injure him.'
'Capital idea,' said Rack, 'if old Ter will agree
to it, but the old fossil's mighty fond of that
animal.'
Alec sounded Ter Moss on the subject, and after
a considerable amount of persuasion he agreed to
the exchange of horses in their boxes.
' Why can't you catch the man at it,' he said,
' and then no horse would be in danger ?'
' Because I want evidence against him for horse-
poisoning,' said Alec. ' We will watch to-night
and see who comes. If it is Morris we can easily
recognise him.'
' How ?' said Ter; ' it's as dark as pitch to-
night. There is no moon at all.'
'We can conceal ourselves in the next box,' said
Alec; 'he will never think of looking in there, if
it is as I suppose, he will know Snags is safe, and
all he will think about is getting at the horse.
Ter Moss's bay was moved into Dante's box,
and Alec's horse and Waxy were ensconced in
their new quarters.
Dante's clothing was put on the bay, and at a
casual glance Alec could not have told whether it
was Dante or another horse in the box.
The Miners' Cup
'Splendid,' said Ter; 'by Jove! we shall be
able to get a bit of money on Dante after to-night.
I should like to take Jabez Milling down at a long
price; he is sure to be in the know, and what sort
of prices will he lay if he fancies Dante has been
got at ?'
' It will be a case of the biter bitten,' said Alec,
' and serve him right.'
Black Bob looked at Snags about midnight,
and found he was sleeping as soundly as ever.
Before he went out, however, he took the precau-
tion to lock the door to make doubly sure. He
hastened to the Diggers' Arms, and took a short
cut round to the back of the house. He had made
certain which was the box Dante was in, and he
had a dark lantern with him, which he meant to
use in the box to make sure he was getting at the
right horse.
He had not told Jabez Milling what he was
going to do, but that worthy man knew Snags was
sound asleep in his parlour, so he surmised some-
thing was about to happen that would interfere
with Dante's prospects of success.
This was all Milling cared about. He did not
want to appear in the matter; he merely wanted
to make certain Dante could not win. If Black
Bob had a grievance against Alec Wilton, by all
means let him wreak his spite upon him by injuring
the horse, and he would reap the benefit of it.
Black Bob thanked his luck it was a dark night.
He waited until he fancied all were in bed at
Black Bob
187
the Diggers' Arms, and then he cautiously stole
around to the front of the box.
The door was locked, but it was only with an
ordinary padlock and staple, and he soon managed
to pull the staple out. Cautiously he opened the
door, glided into the box, and pulled it to after
him. Then he took the dark lantern from under
his coat and gently, gradually turned it on the
horse.
He saw it was a bay, and examined the clothing,
which he recognised as that worn by Dante when
going to exercise.
' It's him, sure enough,' he muttered. * Now,
my beauty, I'll give you a dose that will keep you
in your stable for a week, and they will wonder
what the deuce is the matter with you.'
He approached the horse's head, and taking a
small bottle from his pocket emptied the contents
into the feed-box, and then mixed it up with his
hand.
' If you had cleared up your feed for the night
I should have had to dose you in another way,'
said Morris. 'They always "kidded" you were
a perfect brute ; you're quiet enough to-night, any-
how. Just my luck; I generally manage to pull
through all right when I have jobs like this on.
I'd like to see you peck a bit before I go, just to
make sure you'd got the medicine all right.'
He pulled the horse towards the feed-box, and
held out a couple of handfuls temptingly, putting
the lantern down on a box,
188
The Miners' Cup
The horse smelt at the feed, and then com-
menced to eat.
Not satisfied with what he had taken from Black
Bob's hands, the horse put his head in the feed-
box and commenced to eat his supper, which he
evidently had not done before, probably on account
of being in a strange box.
Bob Morris watched the horse eating with
evident satisfaction.
4 If that does not stop you from winning the
Miners' Cup, my boy, I'm very much mistaken.
You have no chance now, Alec Wilton, as it is a
hundred to one on Bolter beating you.'
The scoundrel, having, as he thought, effectually
nobbled Dante, crept away, and was soon on his
way back to the Miners' Arms. He little thought
his movements in the box had been witnessed by
Alec Wilton, Bob Rack, and Ter Moss.
When Black Bob had departed, the three men
came out of the next box, and Alec Wilton at once
went into Dante's box and took the horse away
from his feed.
4 He has not eaten much, Ter,' he said ; 'it can't
do him any harm. The scoundrel! He little
thinks we have such an array of evidence against
him. What a surprise it will be for him when he
sees Dante on the course fit and well.'
4 He's an out and outer, Mr. Wilton,' said Ter,
4 and I am glad we caught him at it; what do you
mean to do ?'
4 Say nothing about it until after the races,' said
Black Bob
189
Alec. 'You can get someone to back Dante for
you with Milling, Ter, and he will be very much
surprised when he has to pay you, as I feel certain
he will.'
'Capital,' said Ter; 'I'll get you, Bob Rack, to
put a score or more on for me,'
' I'll manage it,' said Rack ; ' I shall be only too
pleased to take the thieves down.'
When Snags came to himself he was in a con-
fused state of mind.
He did not know where he was, nor what had
happened.
It was quite dark, and he commenced to gather
his scattered wits together.
He felt the couch he was lying on, and said to
himself:
'Where the deuce am I ? this ain't my bed.'
Then he put out his hand and felt the partition,
and knew he was not in the box next to Dante's.
Suddenly it dawned upon him that he had been
at the Miners' Arms and had fallen asleep.
He sprang from the couch and commenced to
shout at the top of his voice and to kick against
the wooden partition.
' Stop that beastly row !' growled Black Bob, who
had returned from his nocturnal visit, and pre-
tended with a loud yawn that he had just roused
himself.
' Let me out of this 1' yelled Snags.
Morris opened the door, and with a light in his
hand came into the room.
190
The Miners' Cup
' You cursed fool, what did you let me sleep all
this time for ?' said Snags.
' Could not wake you up,' said Morris, ' and I
fell asleep myself waiting for you.'
' What time is it ?' said Snags.
' About half-past one,' said Morris.
Snags fell back on the couch and gazed at
Morris in amazement.
' You're joking,' said Snags. ' Why, it could not
have been much after seven when I dozed off.'
Morris pulled out his watch and showed it to
Snags.
There could be no mistake about it: it was
twenty minutes to two.
' Oh lor!' said Snags,' whatever will have become
of the horse. Let me out, you beast. This is all
your fault; you made me drunk, that's what you
did. Curse you, if anything has happened to Dante
I'll make you pay for it.'
'You're a nice sort of fellow,' said Morris. 'I
merely shouted a friendly drink or two for you, and
when you went to sleep, sat up waiting for you,
and when you wake up you start and blackguard
me ; I'll not treat you again in a hurry.'
' No, I'll take jolly good care you don't,' said
Snags. ' I'm off, and mind you, Black Bob, if
you've been up to any of your little games I'll be
even with you, small as I am.'
' What do you mean, you imp ?' said Morris.
' Oh, nothing,' said Snags; ' only I would not
put nobbling a horse past you,' he said, as he darted
Black Bob
191
out at the door, ran nimbly across the bar, and
gained the street in double quick time.
Snags ran all the way to the Diggers' Arms as
fast as his feet could carry him.
He arrived in front of Dante's box, panting and
gasping for breath.
He flung open the door, struck a match, and saw
the box was empty.
For a moment Snags could not realize that Dante
was gone.
Then, as it dawned upon him what his folly had
caused, and that Dante was missing, he flung him-
self on the straw in the box and sobbed like a
child.
CHAPTER XIX.
snags in disgrace.
How long Snags lay sobbing on the straw in
Dante's empty box he did not know. He dared not
think of what had happened during his absence.
When he ought to have been mounting guard
over the horse, someone, probably Black Bob, had
stolen him, and there was no chance of finding
Dante before the race. Poor Snags was well-nigh
beside himself with grief.
4 What shall I tell the boss ?' he groaned ; 4 how
shall I ever let him know Dante is gone!
Then Snags buried his head in the straw again,
and lay in a kind of stupor.
192
The Miners' Cup
He was roused by something rubbing against
his face.
It felt cold and icy and wet. Then he felt a hot
breath on his cheek, and a smooth surface like
velvet being drawn up and down his face.
Waxy heard Snags groan, and managed to
get out of his- box and run across the yard to
Dante's old stable. Here the little terrier saw
Snags lying on the straw. The dog hesitated for
a few moments before venturing into the box, but
a careful survey decided him, and he went up to
the prostrate form.
Waxy smelt Snags' clothes, and, being reassured
by the knowledge he obtained that he really knew
the man, the dog wagged his tail and proceeded to
attract Snags' attention.
He rubbed his cold nose against Snags' cheek,
and then commenced to lick his face.
At last Snags roused himself. The mere
presence of the dog lent a ray of hope to him.
Waxy, at all events, was not missing. Perhaps
the horse was not far off.
Snags hugged his little four-footed friend in his
arms, and Waxy showed his appreciation by
placing his forepaws on the dwarf's shoulders, and
then proceeded to wash his face.
Snags let the dog lick away contentedly, and
appeared to receive some consolation from the
process.
He gently put Waxy down, and, looking into
the intelligent little creature's face, said:
Snags in Disgrace
193
'Where is he, Waxy ? Where's Dante ? Good
dog. Search! Search!'
Waxy wagged his tail, but did not move. He
evidently regarded the whole affair as a joke.
' Seek, lad, seek ! Find 'em !' said Snags, and
Waxy commenced a vigorous search round the
box for any rats that might have taken up their
quarters there.
Snags made signs as well as he was able to indi-
cate to the dog that he was in search of the horse.
He took a brush and commenced to groom a
horse in imagination, and Waxy looked on.
The faint light of approaching day was now
making everything plain to see.
Snags dropped the brush in despair after waving
it about in the air until his arm ached.
He took down a bridle, and then looked round
in search of the horse to put it on.
Waxy seemed puzzled. Suddenly he got up
and barked.
'He's making me out,' said Snags. 'Where is
he, Waxy ? Where's Dante ? Good dog!'
Waxy trotted out of the box and looked behind
to see if Snags was following.
Then he led the way across the yard, Snags
following with his heart in his mouth.
' Wonder where he is going to ?' thought Snags.
Waxy went on, and stopped opposite the door
of the box the horse was now in.
' Go on,' said Snags ; ' search for him.'
Waxy commenced to scratch at the door.
13
194
The Miners' Cup
'The horse can't be in here,' thought Snags.
'At all events, I'll look what the dog wants.
There may be some clue to it.'
He opened the door without much difficulty, and
gave a loud cry of joy as he saw Dante coolly
standing there as though nothing had happened.
' Oh, you beauty!' said Snags, as he patted the
horse excitedly.
' How the deuce did he get in here ?' thought
Snags. ' Perhaps the scoundrels were disturbed
at their work, or the horse turned restive, and they
put him in here to get rid of him.'
Waxy capered about full of fun, and barked
joyously.
It was now light, and Snags knew the household
at the Diggers' Arms would soon be about.
He did not think how Dante had got into this
box; he had not much time for that. His main
object was to get the horse back into his own box
before Alec Wilton was about.
Had Snags not been so overjoyed at finding the
horse, and consequently too excited to ponder over
the matter, he might have arrived at a correct
solution as to how Dante had changed boxes.
But, as I said before, he did not think—he was
not in a thinking mood.
He led Dante out of the box and across the
yard.
When he reached the horse's proper box and
had put him safely inside, Snags looked at him
with an air of satisfaction.
Snags in Disgrace
195
'There you are again, my beauty!' he said.
' None the worse for your adventure, either—not a
blemish on you ! How the deuce you changed
boxes I can't make out!'
Alec Wilton's bedroom window overlooked the
yard, and was nearly opposite Dante's box.
When Alec got up he commenced to dress
leisurely, and when about half through the ordeal
he went to the window to look what sort of a
morning it was. He was always an early riser,
and thought the fresh air of the opening day the
most invigorating tonic his system could take
in.
He gave an exclamation of surprise as he saw
Snags and Waxy coolly contemplating a horse in
the box.
' We left no horse there last night/ said Alec to
himself. ' We put Dante's substitute in the next
box, out of harm's way. By Jove ! suppose Snags
has found Dante, and put him back into the box !
The feed-box was not cleaned out. If it's Dante,
he may be poisoned, after all!'
Alec did not wait to finish dressing. He rushed
out of the room and ran down the stairs at a
break-neck pace. He tore across the yard, dashed
Snags on one side, and seized Dante's head just as
the horse had commenced to eat. Alec opened
the horse's mouth, and, at the risk of getting a
severe bite, pulled the corn Dante had in his mouth
out.
'Water, quick!' he shouted to the stupefied
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The Miners' Cup
Snags, who looked at him helplessly. ' Do you
hear, you confounded fool ?' said Alec. ' Bring me
some water, quick, and the sponge I'
Snags mechanically did as he was bid.
Alec took the sponge and commenced to wash
out Dante's mouth.
'Clean that feed-box out,' said Alec. 'Take
the tin right out and wash it well. Scour every
particle of dirt and feed out of it.'
'Yes, sir,' said Snags. 'What the deuce is up
with the boss ?' he thought to himself.
' \Vhew !' said Alec. ' A narrow escape that!
In another minute Dante would have eaten enough
to hocus him thoroughly. To think, after all our
trouble, we should have such a shave as this!
Snags, you blackguard, where are you ?'
' Here, sir,' said Snags, looking crestfallen.
' Do you know what you have done ?' said
Alec.
' No, sir,' said Snags.
' Then I'll tell you. By your confounded folly
you have nearly caused Dante to be poisoned.'
Then Alec commenced to relate what had hap-
pened during the night; and when Snags heard
what Black Bob had been up to, he shook with
rage at being so easily duped.
' What have you to say for yourself ?' said Alec.
' Had I not seen you when I got up this morning,
Dante would have cleaned out all that feed, and
then good-bye to his Cup chance. You see what
your confounded carelessness has done.'
Snags in Disgrace
197
' That fellow must have drugged me/ said
Snags, as he related how he had taken a glass
with Black Bob, and had soon afterwards fallen
asleep.
' No doubt he did,' said Alec. 'You know you
had no business drinking with that man. I have a
good mind to pack you off.'
' Don't do that, boss,' said Snags. ' It's all my
fault, I know; but don't send me away.'
' I'll think the matter over/ said Alec. ' Mind,
not a word about this to anyone. Leave me to
settle with Morris for this work. He shall pay
for it dearly before I have done with him.'
Snags shivered when he thought how nearly he
had caused the horse to be poisoned, and how
close he had been to innocently playing into the
hands of the enemy.
Alec Wilton explained what a narrow escape
Dante had just had, and Terence Moss declared
they were a pack of fools for leaving any of the
poisoned feed in the box.
Black Bob gave Jabez Milling to understand
that Dante's chance for the Miners' Cup was effec-
tually settled.
' Even if they get the horse to the post, he has
no chance of winning,' said Bob ; c and I think it is
long odds Dante does not start.'
' What have you been up to?' asked Jabez.
* Never you mind,' said Bob Morris. ' It is quite
sufficient for you to know that you can safely lay
the horse for as much as you like.'
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The Miners' Cup
'That's all very well,' said Jabez,'but I ain't
going to take your word for it. I know you too
well for that, Bob.'
' Curse you!' said Morris, ' you wouldn't trust
your own father.'
' I should not if he at all resembled you,' said
Jabez. 'Now, out with it. Tell me how the
horse has been got at, and I'll lay as much as you
like against him, and you stand in halves.'
Black Bob, seeing there was no way out of it,
explained how he had got at Dante, and when he
had finished Jabez Milling no longer doubted all
was right, and that Dante had no chance of
winning.
'You worked it well, Bob,' said Jabez. ' I didn't
think you had it in you. I would not have any-
thing to do with poisoning a horse for all I am
worth. It is a serious matter if you are found
out.'
'And you are in it now just as much as I am,'
said Bob, with an evil smile.
'What do you mean ?' said Jabez, with a startled
look.
' I mean,' said Bob, ' that if this little job gets
known I shall peach, and that you will have to
take the risk as well as myself.'
'You cur!' said Milling; 'I knew nothing about
your beastly work.'
'Don't let us quarrel, Jabez,' said Bob, 'we
cannot afford to do that. You keep your mouth
shut and it will be all right. I merely said that to
Snags in Disgrace
199
frighten you, in order to show you it is the proper
thing for you to hold your tongue.'
'Never fear,'said Jabez ; 'you act square, and
I'll act square. We ought to make a pot of money
out of this. All the Lone Hand's men and all the
men on the claims round that quarter are dead on
Dante. They have all got money, and will put it
on heavily. They'll bet with me because they
know I'm pretty well up, and have a balance at
the bank that will pay all my debts if I lose.'
'No chance of losing,'said Morris; 'all you've
got to do is to keep on laying against Dante, and,
as they will take a short price, you can soon get
some good money in your book.'
'And if the short price does not tempt them,'
said Jabez, 'I'll lay them a longer price. What's
the odds when the horse is a dead 'un ?'
'Please yourself,' said Bob; 'only I would advise
you not to raise any suspicion of foul play by laying
too long a price.'
There was a big crowd of miners at Jabez
Milling's house that night, and as the Cup was to be
run the following day, the betting was brisk.
The more money forthcoming to back Dante,
the more Jabez Milling seemed to lay against
him.
' You must have a mighty good opinion of your
horse, Jabez,' said Rack, 'to keep on laying
against Dante. You'll lose a pile, I reckon, before
to-morrow night.'
'Bolter is sure to beat Dante,' said Jabez, 'and
200
The Miners' Cup
there are other horses in the race just as good as
Wilton's horse.'
4 Don't you be so cocksure,' said Rack ; 1 Dante
is sure to beat your old crock.'
' If you think so, why do you not back him ?' said
Jabez.
' So I will, if you'll lay a fair price, one horse
against the other.'
' Even money on my horse against Dante is a
fair price,' said Jabez.
' No it is not,' said Rack; ' I'll take you two
hundred to a hundred that Dante beats Bolter.'
' You bet in hundreds, eh ?' said Milling, sur-
prised. ' Where do you get your money from ?'
' My money's as good as yours, Jabez Milling,
and I dare say a bit better,' said Rack. ' I don't
make my money by selling poison to addle men's
brains; I work for all I earn, so just keep a civil
tongue in your head.'
' Right you are, Rack ; let him have it hot,'
shouted several of Bob's mates.
Jabez Milling did not relish the allusion to selling
poison for more reasons than one, so he said
angrily :
' If you will post your money, I will lay you
two hundred to a hundred that Bolter beats
Dante.'
' There's my money,' said Rack, producing five
twenty-pound notes ; ' but who is to be the stake-
holder ?'
' Oh, as you have the money it is all right,' said
Snags in Disgrace 201
Jabez ; ' I know you will pay me if you lose, but I
wanted to make sure you had it.'
' That's better,' said Rack, mollified. ' Look
here, Jabez, there's five more; that's two hundred.
Will you double the wager ?'
'Yes,' said Jabez, inwardly chuckling at the
thought of clearing Rack out.
' That is four hundred to two hundred on Bolter
beating Dante,' said Rack.
'Yes,' said Jabez. 'You see, I booked it.' And
he showed the entry in his book to Rack.
Before midnight Jabez Milling had laid at least
a couple of thousand pounds against Dante for the
Miners' Cup.
' You are quite sure you made no mistake about
the horse?' said Jabez to Black Bob, when the
noisy company had dispersed.
' How the devil could I make a mistake ?' said
Bob. ' I saw the horse and the clothing on him,
and I gave him some of the feed myself. What
more do you want ? Keep on laying him to-
morrow, even if you see the horse on the ground.
I tell you a dose like Dante got would stop an
elephant from going out of a walk.'
'I'm glad of it,' said Jabez; 'I've laid a power
of money against Dante. I hope no one will
suspect the horse has been got at. If they do, it
will be lively for both of us.'
'So it will, Jabez,' said Morris. 'These miners
have a nasty habit of taking the law into their own
hands. But you need not alarm yourself; all is
202
The Miners' Cup
safe, and not even a vet. could tell Dante had been
hocussed.'
' You're a clever fellow, Bob,' said Jabez. 'What
a pity you could not keep straight! I believe you
would have been a success, even as an honest
man.'
CHAPTER XX.
the miners' cup.
It was a rough-and-ready gathering at the first
race-meeting held on Coolgardie.
In the rush for the spoil in the Golden Land all
sorts and conditions of men had been attracted to
the scene.
The majority were disappointed, having failed to
realize their anticipations; others were gaining
immense wealth, owing to their lucky finds. A
race-meeting came as a relief to the miners, and a
general cessation from work took place on this
particular day.
From Perth a numerous company had arrived,
anxious to have a look at the new goldfields, and
at the same time to see a genuine miners' race-
meeting.
Amongst those present in the town were Reginald
Douglas and Fred Dormer, the latter not being
able to resist the temptation of seeing Dante win
with his owner in the saddle.
The Miners' Gold Cup was of solid Coolgardie
The Miners' Cup
203
gold, massive and chaste in design, and with a
space left for the winning owner's name and the
name of his horse.
This cup was filled with a thousand bright new
sovereigns, coined in the newly-established mint at
Perth from gold from the celebrated field.
Crowds of miners in their diggers' outfits had
looked at the Cup with its precious contents, and
wondered which lucky owner would manage to
secure it.
The general impression was that Alec Wilton
would win it with Dante, and such a victory, it was
felt, would be universally popular.
Alec had publicly stated if he won the Cup he
would give the thousand pounds it contained to be
added to the race next year. He merely wished
to win the Cup, and keep it as a trophy of the first
big race at Coolgardie.
The racecourse, as might be expected, was not
a particularly good one, and the track was not
green and refreshing.to look upon.
The track was of a dull red colour and somewhat
dusty, and, although it had been well prepared, the
course was by no means an easy one to negotiate.
The mines were all deserted on the day of the
race, and the Gold Cup was the event that excited
most interest.
Betting on the event was spirited, and Jabez
Milling had no difficulty in laying a lot more
wagers against Dante.
Bob Morris, too, was actively engaged in enticing
204
The Miners' Cup
confiding miners to bet with him, and he felt very
satisfied with himself as he booked wagers rapidly
against Alec Wilton's horse.
As the time for the race drew near, Fred
Dormer, who had been informed of the unsuccess-
ful attempt to nobble Dante, went to Jabez Milling
and asked him what were the odds against Alec's
horse.
It had been decided to keep Dante off the course
until the last moment, in order to still further
deceive the confederates who had tried to get at
him.
Emboldened by Black Bob's report that Dante
was not yet at the course, Jabez Milling offered to
lay Fred Dormer three to one against the horse.
'A short price,' said Fred ; 'but I will take three
fifties, Milling.'
'Done, sir. Make it a hundred ?'
' Very well. Three hundred to a hundred,' said
Fred. 'You seem pretty confident about your
horse, Bolter.'
' He's sure to win, Mr. Dormer,' said Jabez. ' If
you can find anyone fool enough to lay you a shade
of odds against him, you had better get back that
hundred you will lose over Dante.'
I think Dante will beat your horse,' said Fred.
' I know the beggar can gallop when he likes.'
' I don't fancy he will like to gallop to-day,'
thought Jabez Milling. 'That is a hundred easily
earned, thanks to you, Mr. Dormer.'
The miners who had backed Dante were be-
The Miners' Cup
205
coming uneasy at the non-appearance of Alec and
his horse.
It wanted now only a quarter of an hour to
the time set down for the race, and still neither
Alec Wilton nor Dante had put in an appear-
ance.
' I guess he's funking it,' said Bob Morris.
' It'll be you that will funk it after the race,' said
Rack. 1 Look yonder/
The crowd around the two men looked in the
direction Rack indicated, and saw Alec with his
orange jacket showing under his coat, mounted on
Dante, cantering leisurely to the course.
When Bob Morris saw the horse he could hardly
believe his eyesight. He had made sure the horse
would never be able to reach the course, and he
examined the animal closely to see if it was indeed
Dante. He could not mistake the horse. It was
Dante, sure enough, and, to Black Bob's dismay,
looking remarkably well.
Jabez Milling hurried across the ground to
Morris, and, with a blanched face and a voice
trembling with excitement, said :
'You blundering fool, you must have given the
stuff to the wrong horse ! Dante looks fit to run
for a man's life.'
'You're an idiot,' said Bob. 'I gave Dante the
dose. The horse is on the track certainly, but he
has no earthly chance of winning with what I gave
him inside him. He's much more likely to drop
down dead when he's gone half a mile.'
206
The Miners' Cup
' I don't like the look of things,' said Jabez. ' If
Dante happened to win, I should lose nearly all
the ready cash I have got.'
' Glad to see you, Mr. Wilton,' said Rack. ' Me
and my mates commenced to think there was
something up—that your horse had fallen ill, or
been got at, or something of that sort.'
' Dante's all right. He was never better in his
life,' said Alec. ' I did not bring him on the
course earlier, because he is a bit fractious, and I
did not want to throw a chance away. Looks well,
Milling, does he not?'
' Not very fit,' said Jabez. ' I think my horse is
sure to beat you.'
' I hear you stand to lose heavily against Dante,'
said Alec. ' Take my advice, and get a bit back if
you can. I am sure to win the Cup.'
Milling turned away, feeling very uncomfortable,
and even Black Bob commenced to think that after
all there might be a chance for the horse.
' Perhaps the horse didn't eat all his feed,' thought
Bob. ' If he got through half of it he will never
win. No, it's impossible! the horse can't have a
chance.'
There were half a dozen runners only for the
Gold Cup, and the race was practically a match
between Dante and Bolter.
Ben Royd wore the all-black Jabez Milling had
selected for his colours, and the spurious amateur
was evidently a good horseman.
The horses carried level weights, eleven stone
The Miners' Cup
207
each, and the distance of the Cup course was a
mile.
There was some good-humoured chaff at the
expense of the four horses and riders opposed to
the favourites, but their owners took it all in good
part. They had merely started their horses to
make up a field.
'You'll have a good view of the race from the
rear,' shouted Rack to one of the riders.
' We'll have a race for third place, at any rate,'
was the reply.
Ben Royd had been told to keep strict eyes on
Alec's horse, and he had also been informed that
Dante had very little chance of winning.
It was therefore with the utmost confidence Royd
had backed Bolter, and he knew his mount was a
fairly good animal.
Soon after the flag fell it was plainly seen that
Bolter and Dante would have matters all their own
way, the other four horses racing in the rear.
When Jabez Milling saw how well Dante was
galloping, he commenced to pour out the vials of
his wrath upon Black Bob, who stood near.
' You wait a bit,' said Bob. ' Dante will fall
back in a moment. He can never last at the pace
after such a dose.'
Alec Wilton let Bolter keep the lead, and kept
his horse right in the leader's track, so that Royd
could not tell how he was going.
When Royd found Dante did not draw up to
goiter at the end of the half-mile, he looked roun^
208
The Miners' Cup
to see where he was and how he was going, but
Alec took care to keep Dante out of sight.
Ben Royd was savage he could not catch a
glimpse of the horse, but his own mount was going
so well he had very little fear of the result.
'They've gone half a mile,' said Jabez Milling;
'and I'm hanged if Dante is not looking better
than ever. You cursed fool, Bob, you've ruined
us!'
Morris did not like the look of things himself,
and yet he could not understand how a horse
poisoned as Dante had been, or as he fancied he
had been, could keep going.
'He must stop,' said Black Bob; 'I tell you,
Jabez, no horse could win after the dose he
got.'
'And you're sure he got it,' said Jabez; 'it
doesn't much look like it.'
' Saw him eat the food with my own eyes,' said
Black Bob.
' Dante's going well,' said Fred Dormer to
Reginald Douglas ; ' the brute runs much better
than ever I saw him do before in public. Alec is
sure to win the race now. No Bolter can beat a
horse like Dante over half a mile, going as they are
now.'
' I hope he'll win,' said Mr. Douglas; ' it will be
a popular victory.'
Snags was watching the race, his face beam-
ing with delight and confidence.
He was perched on a cart close behind Jabez
The Miners' Cup
209
Milling and Bob Morris, and he could not resist
taking a rise out of them at all cost.
'You've no chance, Jabez,' he said; 4 your old
crock's beaten now. It's a hundred to one on
Dante.'
' I'll knock you off your perch if you don't hold
your tongue,' growled the irate Jabez.
' I say, Black Bob,' shouted the irrepressible
Snags, 'you've made a mess of it this time.'
' What do you mean ?' said the man savagely.
Snags' words bore a double meaning to him.
' What I say,' retorted Snags; ' you've made a
mess of it.'
' Bah !' snorted Black Bob, ' Bolter's sure to win.
Look at him now.'
Snags saw Bolter had a good two lengths' lead,
and he wished Alec would make a move on Dante
and go up to the leader.
' It's time he made his run now,' thought
Snags.
Ben Royd, as he neared the winning-post, looked
round again, and, satisfied that Dante would not get
up, he took things easily on Bolter.
A furlong from home Alec commenced to send
Dante along at his top. Up to then the horse, he
felt, had been racing well within himself.
' By Jove ! he's a clinker,' thought Alec, as he
felt Dante's big, powerful stride under him, the
horse fairly revelling in the gallop.
Knowing Dante's peculiar temper, Alec did not
care to let him take the lead too soon. He knew
14
210
The Miners' Cup
the horse would run a better race with Bolter to
make the pace.
Now, however, within a furlong of the judge, it
was quite time to let Dante know what was expected
of him.
No sooner did Alec shake Dante up than the
horse answered splendidly, and was quickly on
Bolter's quarters.
Ben Royd was surprised at the horse's sudden
rush, and commenced to ride Bolter.
Dante, however, was going at a great pace, and
ringing cheers from thousands of miners' strong
lungs resounded over the ground.
Jabez Milling was white with rage and dis-
appointment. He saw the horse he had supposed
securely ' stiffened 'level with Bolter and holding
him safe. He thought of the large amount he had
laid against Dante, and cursed his luck and folly
in believing Black Bob.
'You've sold me, you hound!' he said to that
worthy, who stood near him.
' Give it him, Jabez !' yelled the excited Snags.
' Don't you call me names,' said Morris to Jabez,
' or it will be the worse for you.'
The orange jacket was now in the lead, and the
excitement of the miners was a treat to see.
Hats were sent up in the air, and huge red
handkerchiefs were waved. The rough, good-
hearted fellows shouted themselves hoarse, as they
saw the popular young owner of the Lone Hand
claim was winning easily.
The Miners' Cup
211
' Go it, Alec ! Bravo, young un ! Dante walks
in! Bolter's licked!' and sundry other exclamations
were heard on all sides.
Ben Royd was wild at the thought of Bolter
being beaten, and still more savage when he
thought such a man as Alec was riding the winner.
He rode Bolter all he knew how, and although
the horse answered to the call made upon him, it
was no use.
Dante forged ahead, full of running. Alec,
sitting still as a rock upon him, passed the
winning-post a good three lengths in front of
Bolter. The third horse was a furlong behind, but
his rider was heartily cheered for beating the other
three.
Alec Wilton's win was the signal for another
tumultuous outburst of cheering, and he was fairly
mobbed as he rode up to the crowd of enthusiastic
miners, all eager to shake hands with him.
' Look out,' said Alec, as they pressed round
him ; ' Dante's a bit reckless with his heels.'
Snags, dodging between people's legs and kick-
ing at shins opposing his passage, forced his way
through the crowd, and as Alec got out of the
saddle the dwarf caught hold of the horse's bridle.
'Take Dante out of the crowd,' said Alec to
Snags ; ' he's none the worse for the race. It was
only an exercise gallop for him.'
The delighted Snags led Dante through the
crowd, and felt as proud as though he were holding
a winner of the Derby.
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The Miners' Cup
Meanwhile, Alec had donned his coat, and was
enjoying the pleasures of victory.
' I did not think Dante would improve so much,'
said Fred Dormer; ' I am jolly glad you won the
Cup, Alec.'
'Dante's just as good as I fancied he was,' said
Alec. ' It was one of the pleasantest rides I ever
had, and he won easily enough.'
Jabez Milling was terribly downcast, and took
his defeat badly.
Alec saw him and said :
' Well, Milling, I beat you badly; I told you I
should.'
'Your beastly luck,' said Jabez, looking as black
as thunder. ' You have all the luck of the place
ever since you came to the field.'
' I have had my share/ said Alec, smiling. ' I
had more than ordinary luck, however, in winning
this race,' went on Alec, as he happened to catch
sight of Black Bob.
' Would you believe it, lads ?' he said, turning to
the miners ; ' an attempt was made to poison Dante
the night before last.'
An angry murmur from the crowd followed this
statement.
' Who was it ? Who tried to nobble him ?'
shouted several voices.
' I think you ought to know, and I will tell you/
said Alec; 'such men ought to be hunted off the
field. If a man will try to poison a horse he will
rob a man of his hard-earned gold/
The Miners' Cup
213
' So he will, Alec. . So he will.'
' I know who tried to poison Dante, because I
saw him in the box,' went on Alec, 'and so did
Ter Moss. But the scoundrel made a mistake.
We scented something wrong when Snags did not
turn up, so we prepared a surprise for the fellow.
' What was it?' shouted the miners.
'We changed horses, and put Ter's bay in
Dante's box,' said Alec.
' Bravo!' shouted a score voices. ' But who was the
man ? Tell us that! His name ! Give us his name!'
' I will,' said Alec. ' As I said before, you ought
to know it. There he goes—he's trying to sneak
away,' said Alec; and he pointed to Black Bob,
who, at this direct charge being made against him,
turned round, determined to brave it out.
' Black Bob ! Black Bob !' shouted a hundred
angry men.
' It's a lie !' said Morris. ' That young fool's got
a down on me. He's telling lies out of spite, but
I'll get even with him !'
' It's the truth,' said Alec, ' and you know it.
Morris is the man who tried to nobble Dante. We
were in the next box, and saw him.'
A score of strong hands were laid on Black Bob,
and he commenced to look scared.
' What shall we do with the scoundrel ?' said Rack
at the top of his voice.
' Lynch him ! Lynch him !' was the angry reply,
and the miners commenced.to hustle Black Bob in
a threatening manner.
214
The Miners' Cup
CHAPTER XXI.
rough-and-ready justice.
When Black Bob heard the cry 'Lynch him !' he
fought and struggled with the men holding him
like a wild beast.
He knew the sort of rough-and-ready j'ustice
miners deal out to men guilty of actions such as
his.
What mercy had he to expect at their hands ?
He had tried at various times to cheat and defraud
the majority of those present, and this last base act
of his had roused all their dormant anger against
him.
It was a strange scene in this rough place to see
a man struggling for life, with a crowd of miners
surrounding him, and clamouring for justice to be
dealt out to him.
Alec Wilton did not like the turn affairs had
taken. He had no wish that harm should come to
Morris, or that the man should lose his life in this
lawless fashion.
Will Barker, however, was filled with a savage
joy as he saw his old enemy in the clutches of
these men.
Alec was about to interfere on Morris's behalf,
when Will Barker caught him by the arm and held
him back.
'Leave him to them,' said Will; 'he deserves
no better fate.'
Rough-and-Ready Justice 215
' But they will kill the man,' said Alec, ' and I
do not want them to do that. He deserves lynch-
ing, no doubt; but what is the use of these men
getting into trouble over it, as they are almost
certain to do ?'
Meanwhile the miners were dragging Black Bob
towards a tree whose gaunt arms spread out with
witch-like weirdness.
Under this tree, whose almost leafless branches
afforded very little shade from the sun, Black Bob
was placed, with a couple of stalwart miners on
either side of him.
'You hear the charge that has been made
against you ?' said Rack, who constituted himself
judge and jury for the occasion. 'What have you
got to say ?'
' I deny it!' roared Morris. ' It's all a lie—a
trumped-up charge !'
' Not so fast,' said Rack. ' It's you who are the
liar, Morris ; I saw you enter the box myself.'
' So you are in it, too !' said Morris. ' I always
thought you were a sneak!'
' Never mind what I am,' said Rack. ' You have
quite enough to do to defend yourself, without
calling other people names.'
'I refuse to defend myself before such a mob!'
said Morris. ' Do your worst! If I am lynched,
it will be the worse for a lot of you ! Some of you
are sure to swing for it!'
' We'll take the chance of that,' shouted several
of the men. ' Up with him ! Let him swing!'
216
The Miners' Cup
' Black Bob,' said Rack, ' you hear what these
men say. I am powerless to protect you.'
'Fetch the rope !' cried a man in the crowd.
'Yes, fetch the rope !' echoed a dozen voices.
When Bob Morris heard this a peculiar dizziness
came over him, his head swam, and he almost fell.
The men on either side, however, held him up.
A rope was soon brought, and preparations were
made to lynch the man.
When Black Bob felt the rope around his neck,
he struggled violently.
' Keep quiet there,' said one of the men; ' or I
will pull the noose tight and choke you before your
time.'
They tied Morris's hands and feet, and rendered
him helpless.
Alec Wilton and the others were looking on at
this dreadful scene.
' It's murder,' said Fred Dormer to Mr. Douglas,
who in turn hinted to Alec that it was quite time he
said a few words in the culprit's favour.
' Do you know what you are doing, men ?' shouted
Alec at the top of his voice, despite Will Barker's
remonstrances. ' You are about to commit murder,
and you will be punished for the crime. You can-
not take the law into your own hands. We are not
in a lawless American State, where life and liberty
are not worth a moment's purchase. This 'man
has wronged me, not you, and he ought to be
handed over to me.'
' No, no !' shouted the men.
Rough-and-Ready Justice 217
' He's robbed us before now. We've got a
chance to pay him out, and we mean to do it,'
added Rack.
' Consider for one moment,' said Alec, becoming
desperate as he saw the rope flung over the branch
of the tree, ready to hoist Morris into the air. ' Is
this man worth a thought from such men as you
are ?'
' No!' was the reply from the crowd.
' Is he worth the trouble you are going to, in
order to break the law and get yourselves into
trouble over him ? I say he is not, men. This
sneaking coward is not the sort of man you would
care to suffer for. Drum him out of Coolgardie if
you like, but do not take his life. That life,
wretched though it may be, belongs to him, and
you have no right to rob him of it.'
' He'll have to swing, Mr. Wilton, so you need
say no more,' was Rack's reply.
Will Barker smiled encouragingly as he heard
the miner's words.
' There's a man would like to hang the villain,'
said a miner, pointing to Will Barker.
' I should not mind the job one bit,' said Will,
' only I should be sorry to soil my hands with such
carrion. I say he deserves all the justice you will
give him. If he'd been in America he'd have been
hanged or shot long ago.'
' We cannot rescue him,' said Alec to Fred
Dormer. ' What shall we do ?'
' Look on,' said Fred. ' I don't see how we
218
The Miners' Cup
can interfere; but it's a dreadful piece of busi-
ness.'
' Terrible,' said Alec. ' Look ! they are actually
going to hoist the wretched man up.'
'They mean to strangle him. It's horrible !' said
Mr. Douglas, with a shudder.
Black Bob, when he saw Alec's appeal had been
useless, and looked at the murderous gleam in the
men's eyes around him, commenced to struggle,
bound as he was.
'Let me go,' he shouted, 'you cowardly brutes !
Do you want to murder me?'
His efforts to get his bonds loose were painful to
witness.
As the wretched man looked up and saw the
rope cast over the branch of the tree, a look of
horror came into his face. Drops of perspiration
stood upon his brow. He was experiencing all the
bitterness of an approaching and awful death.
To be hanged like a dog—strangled in the
presence of a mocking crowd. The thought nearly
drove him mad. In that brief space of time he
fancied he saw the face of Lily Barker in the
crowd.
He started and trembled. It must have been
imagination. She had gone away from the West.
She was in Melbourne. Surely she would never
have come back to search for him again.
He gave a piercing shriek as he felt the noose
tighten round his throat, but the cry was choked in
the utterance.
Rough-and-Ready Justice 219
He felt his feet gradually drawn from the ground.
His eyes seemed to force themselves out of his
head ; his tongue hung out, and his head swelled
almost to bursting.
The wretched man drew his knees up in his
agony. It was a fearful sight. A low, gurgling
sound escaped him.
Then, as he felt consciousness deserting him, he
heard a pistol shot, and he fell with a crash to the
ground, the noose slackening round his throat,
allowing him to regain his breath with difficulty.
So suddenly was the shot fired that the miners
were all taken by surprise.
It was a remarkably good aim, the bullet having
cut the rope in two.
The moment after the shot had been fired a
piercing shriek rent the air, and a woman rushed
madly through the crowd with a revolver in her
hand, and forcing her way to where Black Bob lay,
threw herself upon his prostrate form.
'My God!' said Will Barker, in an awe-struck
voice, ' it's Lil.'
Alec looked and saw the woman he had first
known as Irene Valliant, and had discovered to be
Will Barker's lost daughter.
Here was the man who had ruined her, saved
from a fearful death by the girl he had so bitterly
wronged.
How had she got there ? Where had she come
from ? were the questions Alec asked himself in
amazement.
220
The Miners' Cup
Some of the men would have pulled her roughly
off Black Bob, but she turned upon them like a
lioness guarding her young, and pointed her
revolver full in their faces.
It was a six-shooter, and only one shot had been
fired, and the men held back before this desperate
woman.
' Stand back !' said Lily Barker, for she it was,
and we may now call her by that name, ' or I will
kill the first man who touches him.'
' Who are you ?' said Rack.
'Never mind who I am,' she said; 'this man
belongs to me. I have bought him at a price, and
I mean to keep him.'
' Then you've made a bad bargain,' said Rack.
' Come, it's no use, my lass. Swing he must.
You are a deuced good shot, but you have only
delayed our plan for a short time.'
Lily Barker sprang to her feet and faced the
men.
She saw her father's sorrowful face in the crowd,
and for a moment her voice failed her.
She recovered herself, however, and said :
' I have come all the way from Melbourne to find
this man ; surely you would not take him from me
now.'
' Is he your husband ?' said Rack. ' Did he
desert you ?'
' I will not tell you a lie,' she said calmly; ' he
is not my husband. Listen, men,' she added, as
several of the miners made a forward movement,
Rough-and-Ready Justice 221
' and I will tell you why you should leave this man
to me.'
' Lily, my Lily !' shouted Barker, in an agonized
voice, ' what would you do ?'
She looked at her father with a despairing
glance.
' She is my daughter,' said Barker, turning to the
men; ' give the man to her. He belongs to her.
I swear it/
' What is he to her ?' said the men.
' I told you my story once,' said Barker. ' That
villain stole my daughter from her home. There
she stands before you now, trying to save the
man who lured her away. Let her have him.
If she can beg for his life, surely you can spare
him.'
' He shall leave the town at once,' said Lily,
' I'll promise you that. Spare his life. It is the
only chance I have of gaining some reparation from
him for the injury he has done me.'
' He has failed you before, and he will fail you
again,' said Rack. c Don't trust him, my lass.
He's an out and out bad lot. You had much
better leave him to us. We'll soon settle his
account for you.'
Bob Morris heard the woman he had so cruelly
used pleading for his life, and in his sudden release
from death a fit of repentance came over him.
He vowed if ever he got the chance he would
endeavour to make her some amends.
Idly Barker pleaded hard for the man lying
222
The Miners' Cup
prostrate at her feet, and at last Rack, who acted
as spokesman, said to the men :
' What do you say, lads ? Shall we hand him
over to the lass ? She's a right to him^if ever
anyone had.'
' As you like,' said two or three.
' He'll break her heart, if he doesn't break her
head first,' said one rough fellow.
' She's welcome to him for my part,' said
another.
A low rumbling sound was heard, and then a
moaning noise, and the leaves on the tree under
which Black Bob lay commenced to waft to and
fro.
'There's a storm coming,' said Alec; 'we had
better make tracks before it reaches us. We're in
for a hurricane. Look yonder.'
Several men looked in the direction Alec indi-
cated, and saw a black mass of clouds approaching,
driving before them, aS it were, every particle of
loose dust and dirt. !
Instantly all was bustle and preparation for
retreat to the town.
Will Barker went to his daughter's aid, and
found her endeavouring to untie Bob Morris's
bonds.
Without a word, he drew his sheath-knife and
cut them. Then he turned to his daughter and
said :
' Come with me, Lily.'
She bent down, and Bob Morris said to her:
Rough-and-Ready Justice 223
* Do you hear what I say ?'
'Yes,' she answered.
' Then meet me at the Miners' Arms to-night,'
he said.
'I will, if I can reach there,' she said.
Will Barker took his daughter by the hand, and
drew her away.
' You have done more than enough for him,' he
said. ' He will find his way to town. Come with
me.'
With bowed head she went with her father, and
Bob Morris was left on the ground alone.
He sat up, and looked round in a dazed kind
of way. He could hardly realize what had hap-
pened.
He shuddered as he thought what a narrow
escape he had had, and put his hands to his throat
to make sure the fearful rope was not round it.
The marks were there, and he could feel them.
So brutal was the man's nature that, now he
knew he was safe, he commenced to laugh.
' My luck's in again,' he said to himself as he
got up and commenced to walk towards the town
as rapidly as his cramped limbs would permit.
' Fancy Lil turning up like that! Just in the nick
of time, too. What a good shot she is ! She must
be fond of me to hunt me down like this. I'll see
her to-night. Wonder what her game is ? Wants
me to marry her, I suppose. Well, what odds ? I
might as well. It will satisfy her, and it won't
hurt me. What fools women are 1 Now, if I had
224
The Miners' Cup
been in her place, and suffered as she has, I'd have
watched the performance with pleasure, instead of
interfering. What a devil of a storm we're in for!'
he went on, as he was nearly taken off his feet
by a sudden gust of wind, and a cloud of dust
nearly blinded him.
He staggered on, and reached the Miners' Arms
tired out.
Jabez Milling cursed him as he went past the
bar into the room at the back.
' You'll have to see me through this mess,' he
said, as he followed him into the room.
* What mess ?' asked Morris.
' That game won't do with me,' said Jabez ;
' you need not pretend you do not know what I
mean. You will have to find a good lump of the
money to pay over to the backers of Dante, the
horse you stiffened so beautifully.'
' If you'd been half hanged, Jabez, you would be
liable to forget such trifles as that,' said Morris.
' Lynching is not pleasant when you happen to be
the individual lynched. They d d near hanged
me, Jabez. See, there's the mark of the rope on
my throat.'
Jabez Milling shuddered as he looked at the
ghastly circle. He had not heard the full par-
ticulars of the scene after he left the course.
Black Bob related to him what had occurred,
and the story lost nothing in the telling. When he
concluded, Milling said :
•And the girl's coming to see you to-night?
The Storm
225
Well, she is a brick ! You don't deserve such a
woman as that, Bob.'
' You'll let us have the room upstairs ?' said Bob.
' I must have a long talk with her.'
' All right,' said Jabez. ' What an awful storm !
She'll never come to-night,' he added, as a terrific
gust shook the house.
CHAPTER XXII.
the storm.
It was indeed a wild, fierce night. The wind
coursed madly over the plain, and whirled huge
dust-clouds in the air. It roared and howled and
shrieked around the town of Coolgardie, making
the hastily-erected structures creak and rattle and
groan, and the galvanized iron roofings screech and
bang as they strained at their fastenings.
A terrible night indeed, and in this Golden Land
the fury of the hurricanes is tremendous. Far
out on the diggings miners' camps were wrecked.
The wind caught the canvas tents, and with
one fierce gust swept them away and dropped
them in the darkness far off.
The lights in the streets were out, and the
crash of falling timber or roofs could be heard on
all sides.
The Diggers' Arms seemed to rock and sway
like a ship in a gale, and the frightened horses in
*5
226
The Miners' Cup
the boxes in the yard added to the confusion by
plunging about and trying to get free.
This wind, fierce as a tornado, was like a gust
from a burning fiery furnace. It came in through
cracks and crevices, bringing with it thousands
of particles of dust, gritty, and hard to the
touch.
The heat was intense. A cool breath of wind
would have refreshed the parched miners, but this
hot wind scorched them, and made their skin burn
and shrivel as though it would crack.
Everything was warm to the touch. There was
no escape from the fearful stifling heat. The
banging and clanging could be heard all over the
town, sounding like a hundred tom-toms beating
at express speed.
Lily Barker had gone home with her father.
Their interview had been painful. Will Barker
for the first time heard the truth, the sad story of
a daughter's shame.
It was the old, old tale which will continue to
be told until the world's end.
For the first time Will Barker heard from his
daughter's lips what he had not dared to suspect.
Tempted, betrayed, forsaken! Driven to the
verge of self-destruction! Maddened with grief!
Alone in cruel Melbourne ! The daughter he had
loved and tended from babyhood with all the
passion of a strong man's feelings. Now he heard
what she had been, how she had fallen deeper and
deeper, until she was only saved in the nick of
The Storm
227
time from becoming a prey to the opium fiends
who inhabit the Chinese dens of Melbourne.
She had turned from the main street to the
narrow street of all that is vile and depraved and
base.
She had been led by that damnable sophistry
by which the false-hearted, lustful heathen knows
so well how to throw a glamour over his victims.
As she was about to enter one of these dens
she was saved on the threshold, saved by a
child!
In the doorway stood a fearsome thing. At
first Lily Barker could not tell what it was. She
looked and saw a human being, a mere child of
sixteen, with the face of a hideous old woman,
youth faintly struggling behind the mask of opium-
eating age.
The body of this being was stunted, and the
skin shrivelled. The hands were bony, and ex-
tended towards her. The eyes dilated, and the
face was made still more awful to look upon by
the hideous grin that spread over it.
Lily's Chinese guide uttered an oath, and ordered
the child back.
The weird, unearthly figure did not move. It
pointed at Lily and chuckled.
4 Ha! ha! ha!' it laughed ; 4 another one come.
I shall have a companion. That is good, Lung,
that is very good. She will last you for a few
months. She is fresh and sweet. Was I ever
fresh and sweet, Lung? You devil! was I ever
228
The Miners' Cup
like that ?' said the old child, as it clutched the
yellow fiend's arm.
The only answer was a dull thud, and the
wretched being fell backwards from the violent
blow in the face she had received.
Lily Barker turned and fled. She ran on, on,
on, pursued by the figure of that awful child.
She wandered about all night half distracted.
For the first time for some months she knelt down
on the cold stone in a recess on the bridge, and
thanked God for her deliverance from an awful
fate. And as she prayed she shuddered at the
thought of her past life.
All this Lily Barker related to her father as the
hurricane swept around them, and threatened to
hurl the whole town to destruction.
Will Barker covered his face with his hands and
groaned aloud.
Lily knelt at his feet. She took his hand and
placed it on her head.
' Father, I am a wicked girl,' she said, ' but hear
me out. From that fearful night I have been a
different woman. I worked hard and long. At
last I got an engagement as dresser to a woman at
one of the theatres. I studied her when she was
acting, and I learned her part. I felt I could act
if the opportunity came. It did come sooner than
I expected. The actress was taken ill; there was
no one to fill her place. I told the manager I
knew her part, which was a minor one, and he said
I could try to go through with it. I succeeded,
The Storm
229
and he engaged me at a small salary. I worked
my way up, and when I came to Coolgardie as
Miss Irene Valliant I was the leading lady. Then
I met your friend, Alec Wilton. Heaven bless
him for his kindness ! When I heard he would
tell you he had seen me, I was determined not to
meet you, and I left the town. Then I discovered
that man was still here. I returned to seek him,
and you know what happened. I arrived in time
to save him from a miserable death. Surely,
now I have snatched him from the mouth of the
grave, he will repent. Father, I must see him to-
night. I promised I would see him.'
Will Barker clasped his child in his arms.
He wept over her, and fondled her as in days
gone by.
His kindness touched her deeply. Not a word
of reproach from him, not a murmur against her.
She knew he suffered because she had suffered.
She felt he had forgiven her before she had asked
forgiveness, and she was humbled and amazed at
his utter unselfishness.
Will Barker did not think for one moment of
the years of grief and pain his child had caused
him. As she lay in his arms his only thought was,
' How she has suffered !'
His heart was bursting with joy at the sight of
her. He heard the voice again that had been to
him as the sound of sweet music in his lonely
miner's hut.
He smoothed the silken hair as he had done
230
The Miners' Cup
when she was a little child. He forgot her sin in
the joy of her recovery.
' Spurn her from you ; she is unclean,' the hypo-
critical woman of the world would have cried.
None so bitter against a fallen woman as the
undiscovered sinners of her own sex. The fallen,
heartbroken creatures are despised and shunned
by women clothed in fine raiment, which covers a
multitude of sins. Shunned because in the wretched
outcast they find a reflection of their own guilt in
all its naked, unadorned deformity.
But Will Barker was a tender-hearted, loving
father. He put forth his hand to the erring
daughter, and in his heart of hearts said : * It is
not for me to judge her. She has come back to
me; she is my child. I will love her all mv
life.'
' Father, you are too good -to me,' said Lily ; 'I
am not worthy of your kindness. I have deceived
you, and yet you have no word of reproach for
me.'
' It is not for your own father to reproach you,
Lily,' he said. ' You have come back to me ; that
is all I want. I am rich, my child, and we can go
far away from here. We can return to the land of
my birth, and end our days in peace together.'
He kissed her fondly, and Lily's sobs were so
violent, they shook her whole frame.
'Father,' she said, looking at him with tearful
eyes, ' I will do as you wish, but I must see him
once more.'
The Storm
231
Will Barker's brow clouded, and he looked
sternly at her.
* You still love that man,' he said.
She looked down at his feet as she replied :
' I saved his life. I must see him again.'
' For the last time,' said Will.
4 Yes, father, for the last time.'
'Then I will go with you,' he said. 'It's a
terrible night; you will never reach the place
alone.'
' As you wish, father,' she replied.
They went out, and as they faced the storm the
force of the wind nearly hurled them off their
feet.
Lily clung tightly to her father's arm, and they
battled with the hurricane and reached the Miners'
Arms.
' I will go to K 's,' said Will Barker, men-
tioning a friend's house lower down the street, ' and
return for you in an hour.'
She kissed him as she said :
' I will be ready in an hour, father.'
She entered the Miners' Arms. Jabez Milling
saw her, and conducted her to a room upstairs.
'He will be here in a moment,' said Jabez.
' Mind the lamp : that table is a bit rickety.'
She sat down, and presently heard the tramp of
feet on the stairs. The door opened, and Bob
Morris stood before her. The first thing she saw
was the livid mark round his neck, and she turned
pale.
232
The Miners' Cup
He noticed her change of countenance, and it
angered him.
' Not a very nice necktie, is it, Lil ?' he said.
She did not answer him.
' I am here,' she said. ' You asked me to come.
What do you want with me ?'
' You saved my life. I want to thank you for it,'
he said gruffly.
' I am glad I saved you from being hanged like
a dog,' she said. ' It would have been a disgrace
I could not have survived.'
' Indeed !' he sneered. * I should have thought
you would have been glad to get rid of me at any
price.'
' I once thought I loved you,' she said.
'You did love me,' he interrupted. 'You love
me now. I can see it in your face. What strange
creatures you women are !'
' And what brutes you men are to us,' said Lily.
He laughed as he replied :
' Come, Lily, I'm not such a bad lot as you
think. I will be a better man if you will give me
another trial.'
' Never!' she said. ' My first duty now is to my
father.'
' Is it ?' he sneered. ' Your first duty is towards
your husband.'
She started, and said :
'You are not my husband. The marriage was
illegal—you said so yourself.'
' It suited my purpose to say so/ he said
The Storm
233
brutally. 'I wanted to get rid of you then. You
had such a devil of a temper. Besides, you know,
you were not a model wife.'
' I was what you drove me to,' she said.
Then all his baseness towards her dawned upon
her. If the marriage he had led her to believe was
a sham was really legal, then he made her, unknow-
ingly, doubly a sinner.
She could hardly believe it possible that a man
could drive his wife on to the streets. She looked
at him with horror in her eyes.
' Is it true the marriage was legal ?' she asked.
' Quite true,'he said. 'We are man and wife,
Lil.'
She shuddered. The man's vile nature shocked
her beyond measure.
' You drove me from you, knowing I was your
lawful wife ?' she said. ' Oh! it is horrible,
horrible!'
'We can make it up again now, Lil,' he said,
coming towards her with a light in his eyes that
made her shrink from his touch. She saw he had
been drinking, and that his passions were roused.
' Stand back !' she said. ' You shall never touch
me again. I did not think a thing so vile as you
could live. Stand back ! I may be your wife; but
you caused me to forfeit the right to that name, and
I will never be the same to you again.'
'Nonsense, Lil!' he said. ' I asked Jabez to put
us here. We'll be as happy as turtle-doves. I'll
call for a bottle of fiz.'
234
The Miners' Cup
'Stop!' she said, as he went towards the door.
' I see now what you mean. I would rather die
than remain with you a single moment longer.
Let me pass. I am going to my father.'
He laughed at her; and then, turning to the
door, locked it, and put the key in his pocket.
'You will remain here,' he said—'you will re-
main here all night. You saved my life, and I
mean to enjoy it with you. You are my wife, and
I say you shall remain.'
' I will go,' said Lily. ' If I have to call for help
I say I will go. Unlock the door and let me pass.'
His only answer was to rush at her and clasp
her in his arms.
She felt his hot breath upon her face; she felt
his feverish clasp around her waist, and she fought
for her freedom from his hateful embrace. Neither
spoke a word. It was a deadly struggle.
The hurricane shrieked and howled with rage.
It sounded like the yelling of the storm fiends
drowning her cries for help, which at last burst
from her in despair as she felt her strength giving
way.
Mad with his brutal passions, which had been
fanned into a burning flame by the drink he had
taken, Black Bob pressed the woman he called
his wife down on to her knees.
He said not a word, but she could see the fear-
ful brutal lust in his distorted face.
She clutched madly at the nearest support for
help to her failing strength.
The Storm
235
It was the rickety table Jabez Milling had
warned her about.
There was a erash, and all was darkness for a
moment.
Black Bob fell with his head against the corner
of the sofa, and it stunned him.
The table struck Lily on the forehead, and she
fainted.
The lamp shot over them, and smashed against
the curtains. The oil spread over the sofa.
In a moment the curtains and the saturated
sofa were in flames.
The wind howled outside.
Black Bob and the woman he had so wronged
lay in a stupor on the floor. The key of the door
was in the madman's pocket.
F'iercer and fiercer burned the flames, until they
reached the window-sashes. With a crash the
window fell outward. The wind rushed in and
fanned the flames into a fiercer blaze.
Will Barker, on the way to meet his daughter,
saw a lurid glare in the sky. He hurried on, and
when he reached the Miners' Arms, he saw the
upper part of the building was in flames.
CHAPTER XXIII.
a blazing town.
It was a terrible night for a fire. The fierce
wind fanned the flames, and made the progress
236
The Miners' Cup
of the devouring element more 'awful and devasta-
ting in its consequences. On such a night as this
there was but little chance of getting a fire under,
even with the most perfect appliances to hand,
and at Coolgardie at this time there were no fire-
engines and very little water.
Most of the buildings were temporary structures,
for the most part of weatherboard, and consequently
the town was highly inflammable, and liable to be
burnt to the ground.
Luckily the wind was blowing fiercely in one
direction, and that south of the Miners' Arms,
where the township was more scattered.
When Will Barker reached the scene of the
conflagration a large crowd had already gathered
round, Alec Wilton being of the number.
Will Barker was terribly anxious about his
daughter. Had she left the building before it
caught fire, or was she still inside, and if so,
where ?
As the flames shot higher and. higher into the
air they were blown hither and thither by the
wind, the forked tongues licking everything with
their fiery glare, and burning more furiously with
each succeeding gust.
Suddenly Will Barker saw Jabez Milling rushing
about in the crowd like a man bereft of reason.
The landlord of the Miners' Arms saw his house
in flames, and knew nothing could save it.
He was a ruined man, and the thought of his
losses almost drove him mad.
A Blazing Town
237
Will Barker caught him by the arm, and shouted
above the din :
' My daughter, Jabez! Has she left the house?
Are you sure she is safe ?'
Jabez Milling looked hard at Will Barker, and
then, suddenly realizing the import of what he
had said, turned pale.
He grasped Will Barker by the arm, and pointed
to the room in the burning building where he knew
Lily Barker and Black Bob had been.
' Not in there !' said the horrified father.
'Yes,' said Jabez. 'That room. There must
have been a row between 'em. That's the room
the fire broke out in. Curse 'em! I wish they
had been far enough away before they caused all
this trouble.'
Will Barker had not stayed to hear more. He
was struggling and pushing his way through the
crowd to the burning building.
' Where are you going, Barker ?' said a miner,
who knew him well. ' Keep back, or you will be
scorched to death. The heat is terrible.'
Will Barker heard the words, and groaned in
his agony.
If people were in danger of being scorched to
death outside, what of his daughter, who, for all he
knew, might at that moment be helpless in that
burning room ?
' My child is there !' shouted the frantic father.
' Help me to save her! Get a ladder, men—the
longest one you can find! Up there! there 1
238
The Miners' Cup
there !' And he pointed to the room Jabez Milling
had indicated.
' It's no use, man,' said a rough but kindly voice.
' You've no chance of saving anyone in there, and
you'll only kill yourself in the attempt.'
' What of that ?' said Will. ' Who will help me ?
Ah ! Alec, is that you ? Quick, lad—quick, I tell
you ! My Lil is in that fearful place !'
Alec Wilton said not a word, but darted to the
rear of the house, calling out :
' Follow me, some of you. We can force a way
at the back ; the flames have not caught there yet.'
Will Barker and half a dozen men ran after
Alec.
Alas! when they reached the rear of the house
the flames were bursting from the upper windows,
and the whole of the building was a mass of
flame.
Suddenly Will Barker pointed to a figure at one
of the windows. It was a woman, waving her
arms wildly, and calling for help.
< It's Lil! My God ! it's Lil!' cried Will Barker.
'And she will be burnt to death ! See! the flames
are breaking out above her head !'
It was too true. Great sheets of fire were burst-
ing out all round her, yet where she stood the
flames had not yet spread.
'If we could only get a rope up to her!' said
Alec.
' Where is there a rope ?' said a voice at his
elbow ; and, looking down, he saw Snags.
A Blazing Town
239
' I know where there is a rope,' said a man close
by, and he hurried off in the direction of the
stables to get it.
In a few moments he returned with a long coil
of strong rope.
' Uncoil it,' said Snags, ' and give me one end.'
4 What are you going to do ?' said Alec.
'Take that rope to her,' said Snags. 'There's
not a moment to lose !'
'You cannot climb a house-side,' said Alec.
You will never reach the window.'
Snags made no reply, but made the rope fast
round his waist.
He then ran to the foot of the building, and,
with the agility of a cat, commenced to scramble
up the veranda-post.
A ringing cheer went up from the vast crowd
now gathered in the yard below, watching this
exciting episode.
Snags' circus training stood him in good stead.
He was as nimble as a monkey. He reached the
veranda, and then glided quickly along until he
got to the water-pipe, which came down from the
roof close by the window where Lily Barker stood.
She saw Snags, and the sight of him gave her
courage.. She was still very weak from her fainting-
fit, and with difficulty kept herself from going off
again.
Snags swarmed up the pipe, encouraged by the
hearty cheers from below.
The flames were dancing all round him, and the
240
The Miners' Cup
piping felt hot to his hands ; but he still held on,
and, setting his teeth hard, made desperate efforts
to reach the window before it was too late. He
felt the hot flames singing his hair and scorching
his cheeks, and he began to be afraid lest his
clothes should catch fire or the rope be burned.
He was within a few feet of the window now, and
Lily leaned forward to grasp him. He struggled
on and caught hold of the ledge, and drew himself
up.
How wildly the crowd cheered now! Snags
waved his hand to them and disappeared in the
flames and smoke that now issued from this very
window.
Hastily undoing the rope round his waist, he
slipped it under Lily's arms and made it taut.
' Now hold on with both hands,' he said, ' while
I let you down on to the veranda. You must
jump from there; they will catch you below.'.
'And what shall you do?' said Lily.
'Never mind me,' said Snags. 'Make haste!
No time to lose !'
He fairly hoisted Lily out of the window, and,
placing his feet firmly against the woodwork, com-
menced to lower her down.
What cheering there was below! And when
Lily reached the veranda she slipped the rope
from under her arms, and, crawling to the edge,
dropped amongst the crowd.
She was caught in the sturdy arms of the miners,
and then, feeling she was safe, fainted again.
A Blazing Town
241
Meanwhile, Snags had hauled up the rope, and
was making it fast to the window sash.
It was his only chance. He knew the rope
might catch fire at any moment.
He clutched firmly hold of it, and commenced to
lower himself down.
Suddenly there was a crash. The window,
framework and all, had fallen out bodily, and there
was a terrible thud on the veranda roof.
Then a dark mass could be seen rolling down,
and it fell into the crowd below. It all happened
so suddenly the men had hardly time to realize
what had taken place.
Then, when they saw poor Snags stretched out
without a movement in his body, they began to
understand that the brave little dwarf had prob-
ably lost his own life in the attempt to save Lily
Barker.
But Snags was not dead. He had been stunned
by his fall, but luckily he was not a great distance
from the roof of the veranda when the window
crashed down.
He opened his eyes and looked round.
' He's alive !' said Alec ; ' thank God for that!
You're a brave fellow, Snags.'
' Is she all right ?' said Snags.
'Yes. Thanks to you, Snags,' said Alec. ' How
do you feel ? Are you much hurt ? We must get
you home at once.'
' I'm all right,' said Snags ; ' a bit bruised and
burnt. That's about the extent of my injuries, I
16
242 The Miners' Cup
reckon. It was a narrow shave, though. I felt
my time had come when that blessed window fell
out.'
Snags had one of his ankles badly bruised, and
was unable to walk, so they took him to the
Diggers' Rest, where Lily Barker had already been
conveyed.
The fire was still burning furiously, and many of
the adjoining buildings had been ignited.
Millions and millions of sparks were now whirled
about in the air like myriads of fiery stars.
The wind had abated somewhat, and rain com-
menced to fall heavily.
Before morning the Miners' Arms was burnt to
the ground, and half the town to the south of it was
a blackened mass of ruins.
When Lily Barker recovered she was able to tell
Alec Wilton and her father what had happened.
£ When I came to myself in that room,' she said,
' I could not realize where I was.
' Then I saw the whole room in a blaze, and in a
moment I saw the extent of my danger.
' I knew he had locked the door, and I tried to
rouse him.
' This I could not do, so I searched his pockets
and found the key.
' When I had unlocked the door, I tried to wake
him, but could not do so. Bad as he was, I did
not wish to leave him to die in such an awful
manner.
'I seized him by the arms, and commenced to
A Blazing Town
243
drag him towards the door, but I felt my strength
giving way, and knew I could not get him much
further.
' Then I felt it was only risking my own life
when I could not possibly save his.
' It was for me to decide whether I should perish
or leave him to his fate.
11 rushed away from him, not daring to look back,
and reached the window where you first saw me.
' When I saw Snags climbing up to me with the
rope, I felt I should be saved, and it gave me
strength.
' I saw the flames bursting out behind me, and as
I looked I saw the fire gradually stealing up to the
place where I had left him. I felt an almost
uncontrollable impulse to go back and see if I
could not save him.
' I believe I should have gone had Snags not
caught me round the waist and sapped the rope
under my arms.
'Before I could realize what had happened he
had lifted me out of the window, and I felt myself
being lowered down.
' Whatever would have become of me had that
brave fellow not come to my rescue ? I should
have perished miserably, as he has'—she said with
a shudder—' and he was not fit to die, nor was I.'
' You have had a; narrow escape from a terrible
death,' said Alec; ' you ought to show your
gratitude by being to your father again as you
were in years gone by/
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The Miners' Cup
' I will try to make him forget the past,' she said,
' I will commence a new life for you, father, from
to-day.'
Will Barker kissed her. His heart was too full
to speak.
As he looked at her he thought how she had
been snatched from the jaws of death.
He had not an atom of pity for the man who
had met his death in the flames.
Will Barker, in his rough sense of justice, thought
Black Bob had only met with his deserts.
He would not have had it otherwise. He had
been sorry when Lily rescued him from the
lynchers. He was almost glad that retribution
in another form had come upon him so suddenly.
Snags was the idol of the hour. His praises
were sung on all sides, and the dwarf felt it was
worth all the risk to be smiled upon and petted by
such a lovely lady as he considered Lily Barker.
No sooner was the full extent of the damage
ascertained at Coolgardie, than men at once set to
work to clear all the charred remains away, and a
week after the fire hundreds of men were hard at
it, rebuilding the burnt-out portion of the town.
No one felt much pity for Jabez Milling, the
general verdict being 'Served him right,' and 'No
more than he deserved.'
Black Bob's fate was also considered a just
retribution for his many sins.
He had lived a bad life, and met with a terrible
end.
A Blazing Town
245
Not a trace of his remains could be found. He
had been utterly consumed in the flames, com-
pletely obliterated from the face of the earth he
had polluted for so long.
It was decided that Will Barker should remain
at Coolgardie as manager of the Lone Hand Mine,
and that his daughter should, at all events for a
time, remain with him.
Alec Wilton was anxious to get away to Perth
again.
There was an attraction there he hardly yet
knew the full strength of, but his thoughts were
constantly wandering towards Lizzie Dixon, and
the strange antipathy she bore her mother.
Snags and Dante were also to return to Perth,
where the dwarf would have the training of the
horse for the next important fixture of the West
Australia Jockey Club.
It had been agreed between Will Barker and
Alec that as soon as possible the Lone Hand
should be placed on the market, and that when it
had been successfully floated, each of them should
retain an interest in it, but that Will Barker should
retire from the management, and settle down in a
more civilized part with his daughter.
We will leave Will Barker and his daughter for
a time at Coolgardie, and follow Alec Wilton to
Perth, where new and exciting adventures awaited
him.
246
The Miners' Cup
CHAPTER XXIV.
DORA DOUGLAS.
When Alec Wilton arrived at Perth he went at
once to the Douglases, where he received a hearty
welcome, and gave them the latest news from the
goldfields. He also gave a graphic account of the
fire at Coolgardie, and the heroic rescue of Lily
Barker by Snags. Alec thought he could see a
change in Mrs. Douglas. She did not appear to
be the same bright, cheerful woman he had been
introduced to on his first visit there. The more he
saw of Dora Douglas the more he wondered at the
change that had come over her. She had a peculiar
look in her face Alec was at a loss to account for.
Had he not known how happy her married life
was he would have come to the conclusion that
she was a woman with a secret. Pier face con-
stantly portrayed a mind ill at ease, and her
evident anxiety to avoid certain topics of conver-
sation puzzled him. That she had something on
her mind he felt certain, but it was no business of
his to unravel the mystery. Lizzie Dixon, he
noted, with a sudden sense of joy new to him, was
more than pleased to see him again. There could
be no mistaking her greeting, and it was evident
to everyone in the house she was happy in Alec's
presence.
She was a girl with a painful remembrance of
the past—a past in which we have already seen
Dora Douglas
247
she took great interest on account of her father's
wrongs. When she thought of his untimely end
in the lonely wilds of West Australia, she felt all
the bitterness she had cherished against her mother
renewed with redoubled force. This was the one
feeling predominant to the exclusion of her better
nature. It cast a gloom over her life, the more so
that the feeling was cherished in silence, for she
could not confide in others what she really felt.
Mr. Douglas had noticed the change in his wife,
and fancied her health must be failing. He was
anxious she should have a change, but to all his
suggestions she merely replied there was nothing
the matter with her, and she was much better at
home.
One day Alec Wilton had been writing letters to
England, connected with the Lone Hand Mine,
which detained him in the house. He was occupy-
ing Mr. Douglas's private study, and as he lolled
back in his chair smoking a cigar, he thought what
a lucky fellow he was to have made a fortune so
quickly in this golden land. As he watched the
smoke curling in the air, his mind went back over
all the scenes that had happened since he and Will
Barker left Sydney, and the death of Lizzie
Dixon's father was again vividly before him.
Waxy, his faithful little companion, lay curled up
at his feet, glad to be back again on a comfortable
hearthrug after the roughing he had gone through.
The door of the study was quietly opened, and
Alec looked round.
The Miners' Cup
To his surprise he saw Dora Douglas, and she
seemed agitated.
' My dear Mrs. Douglas,' said Alec, hastily rising
from his chair, ' is anything serious the matter ?
You do not look well. Shall I send for the doctor
or Miss Dixon. Mr. Douglas is out, I believe.'
' There is nothing the matter with me, Mr.
Wilton,' said Dora Douglas, ' at least,' she added,
with a sad smile, ' nothing a physician can heal.'
Alec looked surprised. Was he to be the reci-
pient of her confidence ? He would much rather
she did not appeal to him if there was any domestic
trouble.
'You are surprised, Mr. Wilton,' she said,' and
naturally so. I have been a great sufferer, mentally,
ever since—since ' she hesitated.
' Since when ?' asked Alec, feeling he must say
something.
'Since you told me how Lizzie's father died,'
was the unexpected reply.
' Surely that could not have affected you ?' said
Alec,' excepting so far as to sympathize with Miss
Dixon in her loss/
' You are a young man, Mr. Wilton,' said Dora
Douglas, ' but I feel you can be trusted. You are
a friend of my husband's, and you are a dear friend
of Lizzie's.'
' I have a great respect for Mr. Douglas,' said
Alec, ' and my feelings towards Miss Dixon I am
hardly able to define at present'
* I think I can define them/ said Dora Douglas.
Dora Douglas
249
Your feelings towards Lizzie will gradually lead
you to regard her as necessary to your happiness.
She's a dear, good girl.'
' She is,' said Alec honestly, ' but there is one
thing I cannot understand about her, and that is, the
bitterness she entertains against her mother. It
: seems to me unnatural, more especially as she can-
mot have known her mother. You know her story,
of course, Mrs. Douglas ?'
'I do,' said Mrs. Douglas, visibly agitated; 'it
is about that story I wished to consult you.'
Again Alec was surprised, and thought :
' How can the story of Lizzie Dixon affect Mrs.
Douglas ?'
' Lizzie Dixon's feeling towards her mother, you
,say, is one of bitterness, Mr. Wilton. Has she
spoken to you of her past life ?'
'Yes,' said Alec. 'She told me her history so
far as she knew it.'
' Her love was all for her father,' said Dora
Douglas.
'Yes,' again said Alec. 'You can hardly
wonder at that when her mother deserted her, and
left her to her father's sole care.'
'And do you believe, Mr. Wilton, that mothers
. desert their children without some weighty reason
over which they have, perhaps, no control ?' said
Dora Douglas.
' I can think of no reason strong enough to
excuse the desertion of a child by its mother,' said
Alec. ' It is unnatural.'
250
The Miners' Cup
'To you it may appear so,' said Dora Douglas.
'To the world it would appear so, but there are
causes which tend to separate a mother from her
child. Do you suppose for one moment a woman
would willingly desert her child ?'
'I have heard of such cases,' said Alec; 'Miss
Dixon's mother, probably, was no more unnatural
than the majority of parents who leave their chil-
dren.'
' Then you think there can be no excuse for a
mother who leaves her child ?' said Dora Douglas.
' I have heard no excuse powerful enough to
make me believe sp at present,' said Alec.
'Not if it were for the child's good ?' said Dora.
' She must be a very bad mother indeed who had
to desert her child for its own good,' said Alec.
' And yet you think this feeling of bitterness
Lizzie Dixon entertains to her mother unnatural ?'
said Dora.
' I do,' said Alec. ' In so young and otherwise
amiable a girl I cannot quite understand it. May
she not be wrong in her estimate of the difference
between her father and her mother ? Naturally,
the father, possessing the child, would make his side
of the case the brighter. The mother would suffer
by her absence.'
Dora Douglas's face brightened for a brief
\ment as Alec spoke. Then she said :
\Vould it be a breach of confidence to ask ypu
\r Lizzie's bitterness towards her mother goes?'
I do not think it would to you,' said Alec,
Dora Douglas
•You have been her best friend ; she acknowledges
that I believe she loves you far more than she
would ever have loved her mother. Your kindness
has won her heart. Miss Dixon told me she
regarded her mother as the cause of her father's
death, and that she would like to use her wealth
to find her mother and make her suffer for what
she had done. But you are ill—indeed you are,
Mrs. Douglas,' said Alec, going towards her.
Dora Douglas had fallen back in her chair, with
her hand pressed to her heart, as Alec had spoken.
With a great effort she recovered herself, and
said :
' Open the window a little more, please, Mr.
Wilton. I feel faint. This roofti is very close.'
Alec opened the window, which was in the
French fashion, and level with the veranda. Out-
side the window was a large stand covered with
creepers and laden with flowers. It was an
effectual screen for anyone who might happen to
be at the other side of it.
' Thank you so much,' said Mrs. Douglas.
' What a strange idea of Lizzie's to think her
mother was the cause of her father's death ! How
could that possibly be, when it is so many years
since her parents parted ?'
' I think she goes too far there,' said Alec ; ' but
she is firm on that point. She says -her father
would never have been in West Australia if it had
not been for her mother.'
•Mr. Wilton,' said Dora Douglas, 'you have no
252
The Miners' Cup
idea what I have suffered for the past few weeks.
I have not been myself at all. It is not bodily ills
I suffer from, but pain of mind.'
41 am exceedingly sorry,' said Alec. 4 I thought
you were very happy. Mr. Douglas is a devoted
husband, and Miss Dixon, I am sure, loves you as
a mother.'
4 It is because I am so happy,' she said, 4 that I
am so troubled. I am fearful lest that happiness
should not last. I could not bear to lose the love
of my husband, or of Lizzie; they are dearer to
me than all the world.'
4 As you are to them. You have nothing to fear
on that score,' said Alec kindly ; 4they are both
devoted to you. Anyone who has been in this
household as I have cannot fail to see it is so.'
4 But something might arise to make their love,
their faith in me, waver. That would kill me, Mr.
Wilton,' she said earnestly; 4it would be more
than I could bear.'
'You must not get these morbid fancies into
your mind, Mrs. Douglas,' said Alec. ' I am sure
your husband is right—you require a change of
scene; that will drive all these fancies away.'
' These are no morbid fancies, Mr. Wilton/ said
Dora Douglas. 41 want your help ; I have come
to you for advice.'
4 But, surely, Mr. Douglas is the proper person to
advise you,' said Alec ; 4 he is your husband. As
his guest and yours, I am willing to be of any
service I can, Mrs. Douglas; but it would not be
Dora Douglas
253
right for me to receive confidences that are un-
known to your husband.'
4 I want your advice as to whether I shall tell
my husband the story I should like to tell you,'
said Dora.
'You can have that advice now, Mrs. Douglas,'
said Alec. 4 A wife should have no secrets from
her husband, therefore take my advice and tell
him the story you would tell me.'
41 cannot. I cannot,' said Dora Douglas, in
such evident distress that Alec thought she must
have committed some grave indiscretion.
4 Will you listen to me for a few moments ?'
said Mrs. Douglas. ' I will not detain you long.'
4 I am at your service,' said Alec ; * it is not a
question of detaining me. My time is yours, but
I still think it would be far better for you to say
what you have to say to Mr. Douglas.'
4It concerns Lizzie,' said Mrs. Douglas; 41
think you can help me with her.'
'You overrate my abilities, I assure you,' said
Alec; ' if you wish me to hear your story in order
to tell it to Miss Dixon, that is a different matter.'
41 do not want you to tell her the story,' said
•Mrs. Douglas ; 41 want you to listen to me, and
when you have heard what I have to say, endeavour
to soften her feelings towards her mother.'
Alec was becoming interested. He felt he was
on the verge of some extraordinary revelation,
and Mrs. Douglas's last words intensified that
feeling.
254
The Miners' Cup
' I knew Lizzie Dixon's mother,' said Dora
Douglas.
'You knew her?' said Alec, surprised. 'Have
you never told Miss Dixon that such was the case ?'
' No,' said Dora Douglas.
' There I think you were wrong,' said Alec.
' It is because I knew her mother well I wish
to consult you/ said Dora Douglas. ' You are
unbiased against that unfortunate woman, and
will therefore believe me when I say that every
word I shall tell you is the truth.'
Alec bowed in token of assent. He was wonder-
ing how Mrs. Douglas could have kept the secret
from Lizzie Dixon so long.
' When I first knew Mrs. Dixon,' said Dora
Douglas, ' she was a bright, confiding girl. Her
father was a well-to-do man in Melbourne, and
Harold Dixon was in his employ.
' Harold Dixon was a fine, handsome man,
and he fascinated the young girl. They became
engaged, but the father would not hear of the
match, as he did not consider Harold suitable for
his daughter.
'You can guess what happened. The lover
persuaded her to marry him. I know they were
married, and I know that after their child Lizzie
was born, Harold Dixon behaved cruelly to the
mother.
'Misfortune dogged them wherever they went.
They were unable to support a home, and lived
from hand to mouth in small lodgings.
Dora Douglas
255
'Harold Dixon had one good trait in his
character. He was passionately fond of his little
daughter. He lavished all his care and attention
upon her, and neglected his wife. He was jealous
of his wife's attentions to the child, and would
snatch it away from her whenever she wished to
caress it.
' Naturally the mother's feelings revolted at this
treatment, and she openly upbraided the father
with trying to wean the child's young affections
away from her.
' Matters got worse and worse. Harold Dixon
could find no employment, and the more straitened
his means the more morose and hard he became
towards his wife.
'A little over two years after the marriage,
Harold Dixon's wife found herself deserted. Her
husband had gone, taking with him his child.
' It was a cruel blow to the young wife. She
would have been more resigned had he left her
the child, but he had denied her even that con-
solation.
'The man's love for his baby girl you will no
doubt think the strangest part of him.
' It was some consolation to the deserted wife
to know that the child would come to no harm if
the father could possibly help it.
' Harold Dixon and the child disappeared as
effectually as though they had vanished from the
face of the earth.
'There was nothing left for the deserted wife
256
The Miners' Cup
but to return to her father, tell her sad story, and
claim his protection and forgiveness.
' Her father was a hard man, but he loved his
child, and when he heard her tale, pitied and for-
gave her.
' Nothing was heard of Harold Dixon and his
child, although her father made every inquiry.
' At last authentic news, or what was supposed
to be such, was obtained. A medical certificate
was brought to Mrs. Dixon's father by a man who
said he had been requested to obtain it from the
doctor in the hospital at A , and take it to his
wife after his death.
1 There was no news of the child, and the man
who delivered the certificate said Harold Dixon had
no child with him when he died.
' Here was a new cause of trouble for the poor
woman. Her husband was dead. Where was the
child ? That thought haunted her for years. What
had become of her daughter ?
' You can imagine, Mr. Wilton, what the mother's
feelings under such circumstances would be.
' Search was made for the young girl. Adver-
tisements offering rewards were inserted in the
papers in various parts of the colony, but all to no
purpose. There was no trace of the missing child.
' In due time Mrs. Dixon, who was considered
a handsome woman, received another offer of
marriage, this time from a very worthy man who
was deeply in love with her, and whom she felt she
could love and respect in return.
Dora Douglas
257
' She told him her past life, of her troubles, the
death of her husband, and the loss of the child.
' He sympathized deeply with her, and promised
to do all in his power to assist her to recover the
child.
4 He examined the certificate of death, and had
no doubt as to its genuineness.
c They were married, and lived a happy, peaceful
life for many years, but during that time nothing
was heard of the child.'
Mrs. Douglas paused. She was evidently per-
plexed as to how to proceed with her story.
'I am deeply interested,' said Alec, 'in your
story. I am sure if Miss Dixon hears it from you
her feelings towards her mother will greatly
change/
'I am glad you think so,' said Mrs. Douglas.
'I have more to tell you. The most important
part of my narrative you have yet to hear,' she
continued, in a strangely agitated manner.
There was a slight sound on the veranda. Waxy
barked, and Alec, going to the window, looked out.
' There is no one there,' he said. ' It must
have been the veranda blind flapping against the
supports.'
Mrs. Douglas proceeded with her story.
V
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The Miners' Cup
CHAPTER XXV.
dora douglas's story.
' from what you have already heard of my story,'
said Mrs. Douglas, ' you will have learned that the
blame of the separation was not all on the side of
Lizzie's mother. If she were convinced of the
truth of the story I am telling you she might
regard her mother's memory with less bitterness.
' I have also told you, Mr. Wilton, that for about
twelve years Mrs. Dixon lived a happy life with
her second husband.
' For obvious reasons I will not mention the
name of her second husband, and will continue to
allude to Lizzie's mother as Mrs. Dixon.
' When all thoughts of her first husband had
died out of her mind, Mrs. Dixon received a shock
calculated to startle the bravest of women.
'The first husband, whom she had believed to be
dead, suddenly returned to life.
'He discovered the whereabouts of his wife,
heard she had married again, and sought her out.
' Imagine the poor woman's distress when she
realized the position in which she was placed.
' Her second marriage was no marriage, the first
husband being alive, and thus innocently she had
brought disgrace upon the man she loved.
' Happily there had been no children by the
second union.
' Harold Dixon was a changed man when he
Dora Douglas's Story 259
found his wife again. Nay, more, he was a
repentant man, and saw how deeply he had sinned
against his wife.
'Their first interview was painful. It was
difficult to know the best plan to adopt under all
circumstances.
4 Harold Dixon had a strong card to play, and
he knew it.
' He had the child, now grown into a beautiful
girl, and his wish was to place her where she would
be well cared for, as he determined to go and seek
his fortunes in the goldfields.
' Mr. Wilton, I can see by your face you know
now what I mean. I see you have divined that I
am the unhappy woman—Mrs. Dixon—and you
see the position in which I am placed.'
Alec Wilton bowed his head, and said :
' Yours is indeed a painful position.'
'So painful, Mr. Wilton, that I can bear it no
longer. But one thought holds me back, the
thought of losing the affection of my child. You
know what her feelings are towards me, her un-
known mother.
'You cannot imagine, Mr. Wilton, what agony I
have suffered in the presence of my child, whom I
dare not recognise.
' Think of the pangs her words have caused me
when she has spoken so harshly of her mother, and
accused her of deserting her father. My heart
has yearned to strain her to my bosom, to confess
all, and cry aloud, " Lizzie, my darling child, I am
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The Miners' Cup
your mother; not the woman you imagine her to
be, but a long-suffering, much-wronged woman,
who claims her daughter at last."
'Then, my husband—alas! not my husband—
what of him ? I have to think of what he will
suffer. He's an honest, upright man, hating de-
ception, and I have deceived him ever since my
daughter came into this house.
' When Harold Dixon left for the west he en-
joined upon me to guard Lizzie from all evil, and
I have fulfilled my promise. He went away to
make a fortune for her, if possible, and, as you
know, the finding of that fortune cost him his
life.
'It is a strange fatality that you should have
been the man to find him dying in that lonely
spot.
' I recognised his ring on your finger the moment
I saw it, and knew he was at last dead.
' I freely forgive him all the wrong he has done
me, but he has robbed me of the love of my child.
She will never regard me as her mother. Now
she loves me, but let her learn the truth, and I feel
sure she will not remain with me.'
' There I believe you are wrong,' said Alec.
' She is a just woman, if I mistake her not, and
you have nothing to fear from her.'
'What am I to do? You see the false position
in which I am placed. Can you advise me what
steps to take ?'
' You must tell your husband all,' said Alec.
Dora Douglas's Story 261
' I cannot,' she said despairingly. ' He would
never forgive me.'
' You have not been to blame,' said Alec. ' You
acted as you thought best. There can be no doubt
now that Harold Dixon is dead.'
' No, there is no doubt about that,' she replied.
'I would far sooner tell my husband than my
daughter. I am so afraid of losing her love. Oh,
Lizzie! if you did but know all, I think you
would love your unhappy mother still more
dearly.'
A shadow fell across the window, and Lizzie
Dixon stood in the doorway. She had evidently
heard enough of her mother's confession to grasp
the situation. That she had not heard the whole
of it her face clearly showed.
Both Alec Wilton and Dora Douglas were
startled at the expression on the girl's face.
She seemed transformed. All the quiet, calm
look had gone out of her face, and in its place a
menacing, firm, set countenance was seen.
The girl's eyes glistened, and her hands were
clenched.
There she stood in the open window, looking at
her mother with anger depicted in every line of
her face.
Alec wished he could explain all that had passed
in one brief moment.
He knew without a word being spoken that
Lizzie Dixon had discovered her mother, but had
not heard her explanation—her painful story.
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The Miners' Cup
He knew the girl well enough to be afraid as tc
the consequences of this sudden discovery without
the truth being known.
As for Dora Douglas, she was helpless. She
looked beseechingly at her daughter, but she could
not speak a word.
' So you are my mother,' said Lizzie Dixon, in a
hard voice. 'You are the mother I have to look
for in order to avenge my poor father. It seems I
have not had a very difficult task. My wish to
meet my mother has soon been gratified.'
'Lizzie—Miss Dixon,' said Alec, 'you do not
know '
She interrupted him.
' Pardon me, Mr. Wilton, I do know. I think
you had better leave us alone. I have a painful
duty to perform.'
' I will go, Miss Dixon,' said Alec. ' Remember,
however, that Mrs. Douglas is your mother. Also
remember that I have heard her story, and I say
she is not to blame.'
' Not to blame ?' said Lizzie Dixon, with flashing
eyes. ' That is for me to judge. My father is
dead. He told me the story of his life, and hers,'
pointing at her mother, who sat like a marble
statue. 'As God is my judge, I believe every
word my dead father spoke was true !'
Alec Wilton merely pointed to Mrs. Douglas's
shrinking form and said :
' Remember what I have said. ' I have heard her
story; you have not. She is your mother, and has
Dora Douglas's Story 263
been cruelly wronged. It is not for you, her
daughter, to judge her.'
He left the room, and for one moment Lizzie
Dixon hesitated.
It was only for a moment. It had been the chief
object in Harold Dixon's life to poison this child's
mind against her mother. He had instilled the
deadly calumnies into her mind year after year.
With almost devilish ingenuity he had taught
the baby girl to cry shame upon its mother, and as
the child grew he explained to her what her mother
had been.
Lizzie Dixon was not to blame if she had grown
up with an intense hatred of the mother who she
had been taught to believe had deserted her.
A lesson constantly instilled into her mind year
after year could not fail to have effect.
Hers was a highly sensitive nature, and her
father knew well how to work upon it. It was
part of the man's scheme to make the detestation
of the mother increase his child's love for himself,
and he succeeded only too well.
Harold Dixon knew what had been implanted in
his child's mind, and when he committed her to his
wife's care he imposed silence upon the mother.
He knew that if the daughter was aware Mrs.
Douglas was her mother, no power on earth could
induce her to remain with her. And now the dis-
covery had been made in a manner most inoppor-
tune.
Lizzie Dixon had only heard sufficient of Dora
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Douglas's confession to know that it was her mother
now before her, cowering, as she thought, with a
sense of shame and guilt.
A less prejudiced mind than Lizzie Dixon's
would have judged Dora Douglas guilty of some
misdeed from her present appearance.
Dora Douglas was overwhelmed, stunned, in her
daughter's presence. She was an injured woman,
and yet she could not say a word in her own
defence. Her powers of speech seemed to have
deserted her.
Lizzie Dixon stepped forward, and grasped her
mother by the wrist.
It was a hard grasp, and there was no mercy, no
forgiveness, nothing but an intense feeling of hate
in that clasp, and Dora Douglas felt it and shud-
dered.
She could have cried aloud. She was afraid of
her daughter, and she showed it in her face, and
her daughter recognised it as a certain indication
of her guilt.
'You are my mother,' said Lizzie Dixon ; 'oh,
how I have waited for this hour! I must forget
all your kindness to me since I have been here, a
kindness steeped in deceit, in order to win my love
under false colours.
' It was worthy of you. It was worthy of the
woman who deserted my father. It is worthy of
the mother who deserted her child.
' Stop! Do not speak. Do not deny what I
know to be the truth. Do you think my dear, dead
Dora Douglas's Story 265
father would have told me year after year the
wretched story of your life, had it not been true ?
' Would he have poisoned his child's mind
against her mother with base untruths, when he
loved that child more than his life ? No. It is
impossible, and you know it is impossible.
' I shall have no mercy on you now. I shall
forget all the kindness you have shown to me—
forget everything except that you sent my father
to his death—a cruel, lingering death—a death too
horrible to even think of.
'Listen to me, woman,' the girl said vehemently,
as she shook her mother's arm, 'if there is any
remorse in you, show it now. Your husband, my
father, died from thirst, died in a wilderness, died
without one kind friend to close his eyes. He died
as a dog might die that had been lost in that awful
desert.
' Do you think with such a picture before my
eyes night and day that I can forgive you ? I see
it all now as I never saw it before. You compelled
my father to leave me with you. You knew you
could obtain money and influence to drive him
from this place. To save me and escape you he
went into the wild west and died. Oh, it was a
noble victory !
'Why did he not proclaim who and what you
were ? He must have had weighty reasons for not
doing so.
' He should have disgraced you, pulled you down
from your pedestal of respectability, and dragged
your honour in the .dirt as you dragged his.'
2 66
The Miners' Cup
Again Dora Douglas tried to protest, but her
daughter would not hear her.
' Do not make your sin and shame worse by false-
hoods. Do not try to blacken my father's name to
me.
' I have sworn to avenge him, and I mean to
keep my word. I shall tell Mr. Douglas your
wretched story. I shall tell him you are not his
wife, and I shall tell him I am, to my eternal
shame, your daughter. He must, he shall hear me.
Whatever you may have told Mr. Wilton will have
no weight with me.
' It may be unnatural in me to so accuse my
mother, but I cannot help it. It is a sacred duty I
owe to my father, whom you so deeply wronged.
It is the only atonement you can make, to confess
your guilt and to leave this house.
'You are not the wife of Mr. Douglas. You are
the widow of Harold Dixon, my father, and all the
world shall know it.'
' Hear me, Lizzie,' gasped the unfortunate
mother; ' hear me and judge between us. I swear
before God I did not desert you and your father.
Harold Dixon deserted me. I can prove it—prove
it—pro '
The words died away on her tongue. The strain
had been too much for Dora Douglas.
The violent accusation brought against her by
the daughter she loved so well, the dread of
exposure, and the loss of her husband's love, all
tended to break down a mind and body worn out
with suspense.
Dora Dquglas's Story 267
Dora Douglas fell forward on to the floor, and
lay quite still.
For a moment Lizzie Dixon pitied her. But as
she gazed at her mother's prostrate form, another
form, that of her father, dying in the desert, alone,
untended, flashed before her eyes. This banished
every feeling of pity from her heart.
' You have taken the name of God in vain, and
He has stricken you down,' were the awful words
the daughter said, half aloud, over the prostrate
form of her mother.
Then she rang the bell hurriedly and left the
room by the window, walking quickly along the
veranda.
CHAPTER XXVI.
reconciliation.
It was a time of terrible suspense in the Douglas
household. Since the day Dora Douglas had been
found lying insensible in her husband's study, more
than a fortnight had elapsed, and she still hovered
between life and death. Reginald Douglas was a
devoted husband; he was constantly by his wife's
bedside, and heard some strange incoherent words
in her delirium, as she lay tossing with an unceas-
ing restlessness on her bed. Dora Douglas had
fearful visions passing through her disordered brain.
It puzzled her husband not a little to know what
she meant by the constant allusion to her daughter.
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The Miners' Cup
In tones of agony the unhappy woman would call
out:
4 Lizzie, Lizzie, have mercy upon me! If you
knew all you would not be so cruel.'
When Lizzie Dixon left her mother on the study
floor she went hastily along the veranda with the
intention of leaving the house. She felt she could
not bear to remain there longer. It was torture to
her to think she had loved Dora Douglas, who was
the mother she had been taught to hate. What an
awful thing it is for one parent to instil into the
mind of a child hatred towards the other! Lizzie
Dixon, when she had calmed down, and had time
to think, was torn by conflicting emotions, between
what she believed to be a sacred duty to her
father's memory, and the love she knew she bore
Dora Douglas, despite her cruel words. Alec
Wilton met her as she was leaving the garden.
She was agitated, and he at once divined that
the nature of the interview between mother and
daughter had been painful.
4 You have just left your mother ?' he asked, in a
tone of inquiry.
41 have,' was the reply. 4 As you may imagine,
our conversation was not particularly edifying.'
4 I trust you dealt fairly and kindly with her,'
said Alec. 4 Believe me, you have cause to pity
rather than scorn her.'
4 My mother fainted, and I rang the bell for
assistance, and then left,' said Lizzie Dixon.
How unnaturally calm the girl was! Alec thought.
Reconciliation
269.
He could not understand her nature. She possessed
many lovable qualities, and others he detested.
' Where are you going V he asked.
4 Away from here. I cannot remain here after
what I have learned/ she said.
She endeavoured to pass him, but Alec held her
firmly by the arm.
' Miss Dixon, I implore of you to pause before
you take this step,' he said earnestly. ' The shock
to your mother's overwrought system has been
very severe. You say you left her insensible—
supposing she should not recover ? Her mind may
be unhinged by these sad scenes. You are her
daughter. It is your duty to stay here/
His words had weight with her. In her inmost
heart Lizzie Dixon admired him for his boldness—
the masterful way in which he spoke to her.
'You have no right to speak to me in this tone/
she said. 41 am determined to go, sir !'
'And I say you shall not go until you have
heard all Mrs. Douglas, your mother, told me. At
the risk of offending you—and I would not offend
you for the world,' he added in a softer tone, that
made her heart beat—' I must ask you to hear
what I have to say.' He looked her straight in the
face as he added : ' You will regret it to your
dying day if you leave your mother.'
She felt there must be something she ought to
know. Perhaps it would have been right to hear
what her mother had to say. Already she was
repenting of her harshness.
2/0
The Miners' Cup
Alec saw signs of yielding in her, and seized the
opportunity. He quietly led her back to a shaded
seat in the garden, and then, without giving her
time to change her mind, he commenced to tell
her mother's story as he had heard it.
That story lost nothing in the telling. Alec
Wilton felt very bitter against Harold Dixon, and
he did'not spare him.
His words burnt deep into Lizzie Dixon's heart.
As he went on with her mother's story, she saw
the idol she had raised up shattered. She saw her
father as Alec Wilton depicted him—a selfish man,
a man utterly unworthy to be almost worshipped
as she had worshipped him.
Alec Wilton told her in eloquent words how her
mother had suffered, and what anguish it had
caused her to find her daughter had been so
bitterly turned against her.
' It was the crowning sin of your father's life,'
said Alec, 'when he taught you to despise your
mother. It was a purely selfish whim on his part.
He wanted all your love ; he did not even wish a
passing thought of yours to be given to the wife
he had deserted.
' You are not to blame so far as you have gone,'
went on Alec ; ' but you will be to blame if you let
your anger against your mother continue. As Mrs.
Douglas you loved her—love her still. As your
mother, who has suffered for you, you ought to
love her a thousand, times more.
' Think what she has suffered in having you
Reconciliation
271
near her, and yet not able to call you daughter!
How her mother's heart must have yearned to
clasp you to her breast and call you her child !
' Have you ever thought how your bitter words
against your mother have wrung that mother's
heart ?
' I am sorry to shatter your faith in your father.
He loved you, but he proved untrue to you. He
deceived you, and led you to commit a great
wrong ; for, in acting as you have done towards
your mother, you have been unjust and cruel. I
speak plainly to you, Miss Dixon, because I regard
you as a friend, a very dear friend, and I want to
make you happy by winning you to your mother's
cause.'
Lizzie Dixon was much affected at the story
Alec Wilton told her. For some time she remained
silent, and Alec could see she was crying. At any
other time her tears would have distressed him,
but he was glad to see them now, they would
soften her heart towards her mother. When Lizzie
Dixon spoke it was in an altered voice.
'I thank you for your story, Mr. Wilton,' she
said. ' It is hard for me to think my father, who
I know loved me dearly, was such a bad man. I
feel I ought to have heard my mother's story before
I accused her. I have been cruel and unjust, and
I will make amends for it.'
' Then you will stay here ?' said Alec.
'Yes. I will return to the house at once,' she
said.
2J2
The Miners' Cup
'You will never regret it,' said Alec. 'I am
glad you are going to your mother.'
When Lizzie Dixon reached the house she found
all the servants in a state of perplexity. Mr.
Douglas was absent in town, and had been sent
for, and also the doctor who attended the house-
hold.
' Where is Mrs. Douglas ?' asked Lizzie Dixon.
' In her room, miss. On her bed,' said the maid.
Lizzie ran lightly upstairs. She entered the
room, and when she saw the pale, still face of her
mother, she thought she was dead.
The shock to her feelings was great. Slowly she
went to the bedside and kissed the cold, pale brow.
It was the first kiss she had ever known she had
given her mother.
Mr. Douglas and the doctor arrived almost
together.
Dr. F made a rapid examination of the
prostrate woman, and gravely shook his head.
' Suffering from a sudden shock,' he said ; 'she
may remain in this stupor for some time. When
she recovers consciousness I shall be better able to
know how to act.'
Mr. Douglas could not understand it at all.
Why had his wife fainted in his study ? What had
caused her such a terrible shock ? He knew of
nothing in their quiet life to have acted upon her
in this sudden manner.
Dora Douglas recovered consciousness, but soon
became delirious.
Reconciliation
273
As stated at the opening of this chapter, her
husband watched over her with untiring care.
Lizzie Dixon, with a troubled countenance, and
a mind ill at ease, did all in her power to aid her
mother.
She blamed herself for being the cause of her
mother's illness, and earnestly she prayed that good
might come out of evil, and that this illness might
pave the way to a reconciliation and a solution
of the difficulties in which they were placed.
Dora Douglas recognised no one throughout her
long illness.
Sometimes when Lizzie was in the room she
would look wildly at her. Then she would put
her hands before her face and cry aloud :
'Take her away ! She will hurt me! She is so
cruel!'
Her words wrung Lizzie's heart. The daughter
now felt all the wrong her father had done in
placing an almost insurmountable barrier between
herself and her mother.
' If it had not been for him,' she said to herself,
thinking of Alec Wilton, ' I might have gone away
and left her to die without stretching out a hand to
save her. How can I thank him enough for that ?'
It was two months since Dora Douglas was
taken ill.
Mr. Douglas had gone to lie down and snatch a
few moments' rest. He left Lizzie Dixon in his
place, and she sat in a chair at her mother's bed-
side, watching the shaded light on her pale, wan face.
18
274
The Miners' Cup
Dora Douglas was sleeping more calmly than
she had done for weeks, and Lizzie looked upon it
as a good sign.
How long she watched her she did not know, but
suddenly she saw a change steal over her mother's
face.
Lizzie watched intently, and fancied she saw the
dawn of returning reason.
Presently Dora Douglas sighed—a long deep
sigh—a sigh of intense relief.
That sigh seemed to lift a great load from her
heart, for a faint smile spread over her face.
Then her eyes opened, and Lizzie saw with a
grateful heart that the light of reason beamed in
them once again.
What would happen ? What would her mother
do now, as she could no longer doubt she had
recovered her faculties ?
' Have I been ill long ?' she said in a weak voice;
' I feel so faint and weary.'
'You must not talk,' said Lizzie; 'you have
been ill a very long time.'
' Ah, that is you, Lizzie ? What has happened ?
What has been the matter with me ?' said Mrs.
Douglas.
It was evident she did not remember the scene
in which her daughter had played the part of
accuser, and Lizzie was glad of the respite, but
feared the shock when it should come back to her,
as it inevitably must.
' You must be quite still/ said Lizzie, smoothing
Reconciliation
275
back her mother's hair ; ' we have all been very
anxious about you.'
Dora Douglas lay back exhausted on her pillow.
Even this slight effort had been too much for
her.
Lizzie watched her intently. She saw her
mother was striving to recollect something. What
would be the result when all that had passed came
back to her ?
Suddenly she started and sat up, fixing her eyes
on Lizzie with that same dumb, hopeless look of
despair her daughter had seen there just before
she had fainted away in the study.
With an uncontrollable impulse Lizzie rose to
her feet, flung her arms round her mother's neck,
clasped her tight to her heart, and said in a voice
full of love and supplicating entreaty :
1 Mother, my own mother—can you forgive me
for those cruel words ?'
The floodtide of maternal love rushed over Dora
Douglas's heart.
She kissed her daughter fondly, drew her head
down on to her bosom, and in a voice hardly above
a whisper, said:
' My child—my child ! Thank God I have you
at last!'
The exertion was too much, and she sank back
again exhausted. Sleep came to her weary eyes
and her poor disturbed brain.
When Reginald Douglas entered the room again
he at once noticed the change in his wife. That
2 j6
The Miners' Cup
deathly pallor had gone from her cheeks, and a
faint flush of returning health was stealing over
her face.
Lizzie Dixon, overcome with emotion, and tired
out with constant vigils, had also fallen asleep,
with her mother's hand clasped in her own, and
her face on the pillow close to her mother's cheek.
Reginald Douglas started as he looked at the
two sleepers.
He saw how very like Lizzie Dixon was to his
wife, and he marvelled he had never detected the
resemblance before.
He did not rouse Lizzie, but let her sleep on.
When she awoke she saw Mr. Douglas was in
the room.
' She is much better,' said Lizzie. ' I am sorry
I fell asleep. She has quite recovered her senses.
She spoke to me and recognised me/
' Thank God for that!' was Reginald Douglas's
fervent reply.
Next morning Lizzie Dixon went into the garden
to cut some flowers and met Alec Wilton, who
had come as usual to ask after the invalid.
' She is so much better, Mr. Wilton,' said
Lizzie.
' I am glad of that,' said Alec. 'Are you not
pleased you remained here ?'
She held out her hand to him with a graceful,
impulsive movement, and he clasped it in his own.
' Mr. Wilton, you proved yourself a friend
indeed. I shall never forget your kindness.'
Reconciliation
277
' I do not want you to forget it,' he said ; 41
want your remembrance of it to bind us closer
together.'
She left him with a bright smile as she replied :
' I am sure we shall always be very good friends,
Mr. Wilton.'
' And more than friends some day, I hope,' said
Alec to himself, as he watched her disappear.
' What a change there is in her ! I wonder if she
has become reconciled to her mother. Yes, that
must be it. I am glad. But I wonder how Douglas
will take it when he learns the truth.'
CHAPTER XXVII.
the wife's confession.
Dora Douglas's recovery was slow, but she
regained her strength sooner than the doctors
expected. Her reconciliation with her daughter
did more to restore her health than the most
eminent physicians.
Reginald Douglas watched the bloom return to
his wife's cheeks, and felt a new man again now
he knew she was out of danger. There was,
however, something about her he could not under-
stand, something that had not been there before
her illness. She seemed reserved towards him,
and he often noticed her in deep thought, and with
a troubled countenance. He had no idea of the
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The Miners' Cup
truth, although he fancied at times there must be
something on her mind.
He knew what her life had been before he
married her, knew that her first husband had
deserted her, and was dead when he became
acquainted with her. Had she concealed anything
from him in her past life? No, he felt that was
impossible. She had always been so open and
truthful. Dora, he felt, was the last woman in the
world to deceive the man she loved, and he knew
how dearly she loved him. .
' Reginald, I have something to tell you,' she
said to him before she was strong enough to leave
her bed; ' I would rather tell it to you now,
because you will have more compassion on me.'
' If it is anything that will excite you,' he said,
' you had better wait until you are stronger. Your
confession, Dora, I am sure, is nothing very serious,'
he added, with a smile.
' But it is serious, Reginald, very serious,' she
said; 'it affects both our lives. I am almost
bowed down with shame at the thought of it/'
'Dora, what do you mean?' said Reginald
Douglas gravely.
'When you married me, Reginald,' she said, 'you
knew the story of my first marriage. I told you
faithfully all that happened in that wretched union.'
' You did,' he said ; * no woman could have been
more frank and open than yourself.'
'When I married you I believed Harold Dixon
to be dead.'
The Wife's Confession 279
' He was dead,' said Reginald Douglas*
' We both thought him dead,' said Dora.
' Thought!' said her husband ; ' what can you
mean, Dora ?'
' He was not dead, Reginald. The man Mr.
Wilton found dying in the desert was my first
husband, and Lizzie Dixon is my daughter,' said
Dora.
' Great heavens '/ said Reginald Douglas, ' and I
never thought of it, never saw through it all! The
same name, too, Lizzie Dixon. I did think it
strange when she first came to the house, but
thought it merely a coincidence. Dixon is a
common enough name. Dora, when did you learn
this man was alive ?' he asked sternly.
' When Lizzie came to us I knew he was alive,'
she said.
' And you never told me,' he replied. ' That
was very wrong of you, Dora, to conceal it from
me. Did Lizzie Dixon know she was your
daughter ?'
' Not until that dreadful day in your library when
I was found fainting on the floor. She learned the
truth then. I was asking Mr. Wilton's advice as
to how I should act, and she overheard me. She
had been taught to hate her mother by her father,
and the bare thought of her feelings towards me
when she discovered I was her mother nearly drove
me mad.
'There was an awful scene between us,'she went
on ; ' my daughter used cruel, harsh words, and
280
The Miners' Cup
would not give me time to defend myself. The
strain was too much for me. I fainted, and you
know what followed.
' Since I have recovered my senses Lizzie has
become reconciled to me. She knows my true
story, and she knows how her father wronged me.
He cast all the blame upon me, and his teaching
brought forth all Lizzie's anger against her unfor-
tunate mother. Oh, Reginald, you do not know
how I have yearned to clasp her in my arms and
tell her all. It would have been far better had I
told you from the first.'
' It would have been far better, Dora. Then we
have not been legally married all these years. We
are not man and wife now,' he said bitterly.
' No, Reginald, we are not. But we have been
man and wife in the sight of God. We thought
there was no impediment to our marriage. I could
not bear to tell you the truth when I first found
out Harold Dixon lived.
' He had repented somewhat of his conduct to
me, and he promised to go away if I would take
care of Lizzie. This I was only too glad to do, but
it has been a terrible' strain upon me, and I have
often felt I must break down under the load of
deception. Oh, husband, believe me, I have suffered
deeply. I have deceived you, but I acted as I
thought best. I have been a true and loving wife
in name to you, Reginald. If you cannot trust me,
I am not your wife now ; you can cast me aside if
you will.'
The Wife's Confession 281
' Dora, my poor wife !' said her husband, as he
took her tenderly in his arms, ' listen to me. What
you must have suffered in concealing your feelings
and stifling your conscience I have but a faint con-
ception of. You have never intentionally wronged
me, either by word or deed.
'The proof of Harold Dixon's death seemed
genuine, but he must have forged it for a purpose
of his own. Dora, my true wife ! when you are
strong enough we must go through the marriage
ceremony again. As you have truly said, in the
sight of God we have been man and wife since we
were united together.
* We have no children,' he added sorrowfully,
'but I will be a father to your daughter. How
strange it seems that Lizzie should be your child !
I have noticed the resemblance between you ; but,
although she bore the same name, I never for one
moment thought she could be your long-lost
child.
' Nor did I think the man Dixon could have
been your husband. It does seem strange that all
this should have passed, as one might say, in the
household, and yet I never for one moment enter-
tained the faintest suspicion of the truth.'
' I knew your trusting, noble nature, husband,'
she said, 'and therefore felt safe. When I dis-
covered it was Lizzie's father and my husband
that was found dead by Mr. Wilton, my first
feeling was one of intense relief. I thought all neces-
sity for telling the whole truth had been removed,
282
The Miners' Cup
but Mr. Wilton opened my eyes. He made me
see it was my duty to tell you.'
' He was right,' said Reginald Douglas, ' quite
right. From what I know of him, it is what I
should have expected.'
' Then came the dread that the name of Dixon
would inevitably lead you to the conclusion that
this man was my first husband, and that Lizzie
was my daughter. So great, however, must have
been your faith in me, that you never for one
moment contemplated such a thing. There are
few husbands like you, Reginald. If there were
more like you, there would be better wives.'
4 Dora, we must keep all this a secret. We must
go through the marriage ceremony again. As to
my recognising Lizzie Dixon as your daughter,
there will be very little difficulty about that. My
position here is such that my word will be con-
sidered sufficient when I assert that I have known
the truth all along, and knew when she came into
our house that she was your daughter.'
' Will there not be danger of discovering Harold
Dixon was alive ?' said Dora.
' No, I do not think so,' said her husband.
' How long did he remain here ?'
' Not very long,' said Dora; ' and he was un-
known to everyone—at least, by his own name.'
' Then there will be very little danger of dis-
covery,' said Reginald Douglas ; ' but, even if it
came to the worst, no one could accuse us of
intentional wrong.'
The Wife's Confession 283
* Then you forgive me for my deception ?' she
asked.
' Forgive you, Dora ! Freely do I forgive, if
there is anything to forgive. I believe you acted
as you thought best. It was a mistake, but I do
not blame you. I trust we have many happy
years before us yet, and the trials of the past will
only tend to make the future brighter.'
' How it cheers me to hear you say those kind
words !' she said, drawing him towards her and
kissing him fondly. ' You are the best and kindest
husband a woman ever had !'
' I am not a paragon of perfection by any means,
Dora,' he said, smiling. ' I am by nature an un-
suspicious man. I never suspect until I discover
great cause for suspicion. I would sooner trust a
man or a woman than doubt either. It is constant
mistrust of our fellow-men that makes business
transactions what they are—a mere matter of one
man getting the better of another.'
Lizzie Dixon came into the room shortly after
husband and wife had come to such a satisfactory
understanding.
' I know all, Lizzie,' said Reginald Douglas,
' and henceforth I will be a father to you.'
He called her to him, and kissed her tenderly.
They were all very happy, and discussed the
future hopefully. Mr. Douglas told Lizzie how
her mother and himself must go through the
marriage ceremony again, but she thoroughly
understood their marriage, although not legal, was
284 The Miners' Cup
binding between them, and the circumstances
which had arisen were entirely beyond their
control.
' And you never suspected I was your step-
daughter ?' said Lizzie.
' Not for one moment,' said Mr. Douglas. ' Such
a thought never entered my head.'
'And yet my name is Dixon,' said Lizzie, with a
smile. ' The coincidence must have struck you.'
'It did,' he said, 'but not in that way. Your
mother's conduct would have disarmed any lurking
suspicion I might have entertained. What strength
and resolution she must have had to keep you in
ignorance of her relationship.'
' Poor mother! it must indeed have been a
struggle for her,' said Lizzie. ' I shall never, never
forgive myself for the cruel words I used to her
when I found out she was my mother. Oh ! it is
terrible to think of what I said. But my father
was to blame. My faith in him has been rudely
shattered. I trusted him and loved him so. I
would never frave believed he could so deceive me.
Whom can I trust again when my own father
should so deceive me ?' and she burst into tears.
' Lizzie, you must not grieve over the words you
said to me,' said her mother ; ' those are forgiven
long ago. I have blotted them out of my memory.
They shall never enter my mind again. We shall
be happy in the future, my child, and I think
someone else will want you to make him happy
before long.'
The Wife's Confession 285
'Indeed, mother,' said Lizzie; 'who may that
be?'
' Mr. Wilton. I am sure he loves you, Lizzie,'
said her mother.
Lizzie blushed, and hung her head, but she
made no reply. She felt in her own heart that
Alec Wilton loved her, and that she returned his
love.
' Nothing would please me more than to see you
marry Alec Wilton/ said Mr. Douglas. ' He is a
man in a thousand. Believe me, Lizzie, he is
worthy of you.'
' He is far too good for me,' she said. ' Oh !
how cruel he must think me, when he knows how
much I sinned against my mother.'
* Put those thoughts away from you,' said Mr.
Douglas. ' Dora forgives you all your hasty
words. It was not your heart spoke, Lizzie ; it
was the teachings of your father you were
repeating.'
Dora Douglas soon rallied now she had opened
her heart to her husband, and was reunited to her
daughter. They were a happy household, and
Alec Wilton, who knew all the trials and difficulties
that had surrounded them, was pleased to see
harmony again restored. He was more than
pleased to see the change for the better that had
come over Lizzie Dixon. All at once she had
grown into a most lovable woman, and the bitter-
ness that had clouded her young life had been
dispelled. Lizzie was a different girl. She^ went
286
The Miners' Cup
about her duties light-hearted, singing in a joyous
tone, and bringing with her wherever she went a
refreshing sense of youthful happiness. The
servants felt a change had come over the Douglas
household, but they could not tell what it was.
' Blest if Miss Lizzie isn't a different sort of girl,'
said Sarah, the housemaid.
' So she is,' said Jim, the coachman. ' She used
to be that proud and stuck-up no one could get
within coo-ee of her. Now she's that amiable I
think she's a-goin' to shake hands with me every
time I sees her.'
'James,' said Sarah severely, 'you're making a
fool of yourself.'
' No I ain't, Sarah,' said James. ' I only makes
a fool of myself when you're about.'
Sarah smacked his ears, and then there was a
smack of another kind, James insisting on paying
back in this coin.
Dora Douglas, with a mind and conscience now
quite clear, was a different woman. She loved her
husband more and more each day.
' Reginald,' she said, ' if we are to be re-martied
I think we shall have to go through another honey-
moon, for we are just like a couple of young lovers
again.'
' Married life ought to be a perpetual honey-
moon,' said her husband, ' although I am afraid
modern husbands and wives think honeymoons a
bore, and are glad to get them over quickly.'
Alec Wilton determined on the first favourable
Homeward Bound 287
opportunity to ask Lizzie Dixon to become his
wife. Without being conceited, he felt he stood a
good chance of success. He knew he had her
mother on his side, and also Mr. Douglas, so he
was prepared to meet her armed for conquest.
As for Lizzie Dixon, she was waiting to capitu-
late when her knight gave battle.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
homeward bound.
WHEN Alec Wilton asked Lizzie Dixon to be his
wife she answered him with perfect frankness.
She was not at all surprised at his proposal, and
therefore it did not take her unawares. She felt
she should be happy with him, and was conceited
enough to fancy she would make him so by accept-
ing him.
Consequently Lizzie Dixon said ' yes,' as girls
from time immemorial have done when the right
man has put this all-important question to them.
It was not a romantic wooing. They had been
brought together in a strange manner. The dead
father had committed the living daughter into the
care of the men who found him dying in such a
sorry plight, and one of those men had carried
out the trust imposed to the uttermost of his
power by making the daughter his wife.
' Then it's all settled, Lizzie/ said Alec Wilton ;
288
The Miners' Cup
' you are to become Mrs. Wilton, and we are to
sail for London as soon as we are married.'
' Yes, Alec/ she replied ; ' I have no fear for the
future with you. I feel we shall be happy. I am
sorry some portions of my life should have shown
me in such an unfavourable light, but I hope the
future will convince you those bitter feelings I at
one time cherished were mere morbid sentiments
fostered in youth and nourished as I advanced in
years. Believe me, the seeds were not of my
planting, although they took firm root.'
' Very nicely put, Lizzie,' said Alec, with a smile;
' you are quite a female philosopher. I shall be
afraid of your developing into a platform orator
before long.'
* No fear of that, Alec. Women were not
made for that. The few, very few women who
adopt the platform of religious doubtings are
not calculated to make a man happy,' she
replied.
Reginald Douglas and Dora were to go to
Melbourne and be reunited by the same minister
who married them years ago. He would under-
stand their strange story, and acquit them of all
blame.
Alec and Lizzie Dixon accompanied them, and
were quietly married in the same church as the
elder couple. They did not remain any length of
time in the Victorian capital, but were soon home-
ward bound on one of those magnificent floating
palaces of the Orient Line.
Homeward Bound
289
How strange it all was to the newly-married
wife!
Lizzie Wilton had spent most of her life with
her father in wandering about the more un-
frequented parts of Australia. She knew more
of the bush and the great desolate plains of that
vast continent than many an explorer. She had
followed her father without a murmur, her faith
in him and love for him had been so great until it
was rudely shattered by her mother's illness and
confession. They had faced dangers together,
endured hardships, and roughed it as Australian
travellers with not too much money know how to
do. She had never repined ather lot. All her pity
was for her father, not for herself, for the father
who had, so she believed, been deserted by her
mother and his wife.
Now all was changed. Her husband was rich.
He was a lucky miner, he came of a good family,
and he had made his fortune in the golden land
they were leaving behind. As the great steamer
left Adelaide, Lizzie Wilton, from the deck,
bade adieu to her native land. Alec Wilton
saw the fast receding shore as he stood by her
side.
It was night, and they watched the lights on
shore gradually twinkle away into the darkness,
and as the last sight of land passed away, they
both sighed.
' Alec, I wonder if we shall ever see that golden
land again. I wonder if we shall ever see my
19
290
The Miners' Cup
dear mother and that good, kind man her husband
once more?'
' I hope so,' said Alec. ' When the Lone Hand
Mine has been successfully floated we must
return for a trip to see the old place again, and to
renew an acquaintance with the land from which
I have drawn so much wealth. Hallo, Waxy,
how did you get here ? I thought you were given
in charge down below.'
The little terrier looked up joyfully in their faces
and wagged his tail, or rather what little he had
left of that appendage.
'I just brought him up to get a breather,' said
Snags ; 'the little chap was down-hearted, cooped
up below.'
'You will get into trouble over Waxy, I am
afraid,' said Alec.
'Not I,' said Snags. 'The man below is a
friend of mine. I have travelled with him before,
when I was in the show line.'
Snags had begged so hard to be allowed to
follow Alec Wilton to England that he could not
find it in his heart to refuse him, and he had not
been many days at sea before he discovered Snags
was a marvellously handy man, and seemed to
have the happy knack of getting everything he
wanted on board the steamer.
How pleasantly the hours passed, and how
swiftly to Alec Wilton and his wife !
It is blissful idleness on board a large steamer,
far from the reach of such obnoxious everyday
Homeward Bound 291
occurrences as the arrival of the postman, the
telegraph boy, or the newspaper delivery man.
On the wide ocean, in one of these large floating
hotels, a man may live luxuriously and be free
from all care and anxiety.
It is the height of the real holiday-maker's
attainment. A lazy, careless life, nothing to think
about or worry about, all business banished, no
cares for the coming day.
In the midst of this life Alec Wilton and his
wife had many a chat over the past. To Alec
this wonderful discovery in the golden land seemed
like a dream. Sometimes he would lie awake at
night and fancy he was on the sandy waste of
West Australia again — fancied he was eagerly
searching for a drop of water, with the fierce pangs
of thirst clawing and gnawing at his parched
throat. He knew that never again would he feel
that wild thrill of delirious excitement which comes
over a man in a whirlwind-like rush when he first
discovers gold.
Alec thought of the shining masses of the
precious metal he had seen in the Lone Hand
Mine, and he knew the specimens he had in his
care would dazzle the London speculators. It
had at one time seemed to him impossible that
the earth could teem with all this golden wealth.
Impossible that such a barren, uninviting country
as West Australia and Coolgardie could ever
be a land of promise, such as he foresaw it
would be.
292 The Miners' Cup
Alec pictured to himself what this land would
be in the years to come. As he sat on deck in
an easy lounge chair, with his wife by his side, he
forgot the present in the excitement of the scene
he pictured of the future.
' Lizzie, that will be a glorious land,' he said.
' Will it ?' said his wife. ' I think it is now,
Alec. It has given you wealth, and, I hope, made
you happy.'
' I am happy, very happy,' he said, ' and it is
you who have crowned my happiness. But I was
thinking of the future, little wife. I was thinking
what West Australia will be when we shall have
passed over our silver wedding, and are hastening
on to our golden one. What a land it will be,
Lizzie!
' Think what it is now, even in these few years.
Coolgardie has sprung into existence like a fairy
dream. Think how the earth, teeming with gold
for centuries, has at last been forced to yield up
her treasures on the advance of man.
' The march of civilization is spreading over
West Australia as it has spread over other parts
of this vast continent.
'We hear old men in Sydney talk about the
small hamlets on the harbour of Port Jackson
when they were boys, and now look at her magni-
ficent city, and her docks teeming with the shipping
of all nations, and her population increasing by
leaps and bounds.
' Look at Melbourne. Where that vast city
Homeward Bound 293
now stands, half a century ago it was a mere
habitation of men who lived in huts and tents.
' A century ago Australia was a mere dumping-
ground for the scum of the earth. Now it is one
of the fairest jewels in the great Southern Ocean.
' It makes my blood boil, Lizzie, to read the
brainless, sneering effusions, written by men sup-
posed to be more intelligent than their fellows,
about this great land and its great people.
* A handful of men pass through this wonderful
world, and having touched its principal cities, pre-
tend to understand what Australia is, and to map
out her destinies.
' Their trashy utterances may be accepted by
some, but men of learning, and men who think,
will see in these frothy vapourings merely the
outpourings of would-be travellers intent upon
paying the expenses of their so-called explora-
tions out of the pockets of a gulled public.'
'You are bitter against these modern travellers
and writers,' said Lizzie.
'I am, and justly so,' said Alec. 'When we
hear such idiotic statements made about Australia,
it is high time someone took up the cudgels. I
am only a humble atom in this vast world of ours,
but every atom helps, and I trust when we reach
London to be able to disabuse the minds of the
people through that mighty engine the Press, and
to cast ridicule upon our detractors.'
' I hope you will succeed,' said Lizzie ; ' I am
sure you will, Alec, you have such a convincing
294
The Miners' Cup
way with you. But do you really think West
Australia will become a great country ?'
' I am sure of it, Lizzie. In years to come we
shall see all that vast interior, now almost unknown,
one great land of agricultural and pastoral wealth.
I fancy I can see all the country Will Barker and
myself travelled over converted into smiling farms
and peaceful homesteads. The vast mineral wealth
must bring in its train agriculture and cultivation
of the land.
* What Nature has not done science will accom-
plish. Modern magicians will strike deep down
into the bowels of the earth, and bring forth water
as Moses did from the rock of old.
' A vast continental railway will traverse through
the heart of Australia, and will extend to its utter-
most limits, with connections in every direction.
' A huge population will then have arrived on its
shores. There will be millions where there are now
thousands of people, and population increases
wealth. It is an absolute necessity to the welfare
of a country, to the making of a great nation.'
' And you think, Alec, that in years to come
Australia will become a great nation ?' she asked.
' Oh yes. Everything points to it. Where she
now asks she will in future demand. No Colonial
Office will be able to dictate terms to her. The
new nation, sprung from the loins of the old, will
be the protector of its Motherland, for it is hard to
believe that English-speaking nations will ever
again war upon each other.
Homeward Bound
295
* Australia will rule the southern seas as England
does the northern. Her banner will float over a
powerful fleet, but it will be the fleet of merchandise,
not the fleet of war. Commerce will overpower
war, and mutual advantage will band all the
English-speaking lands together.'
' You are quite romantic, Alec,' said Lizzie.
'My romance will become reality. Think what
Coolgardie, and the whole of the Murchison district,
will be in those days to come, when vast ruby-
mines have eclipsed those of Burmah, when those
beautiful stones which we know are to be found in
West Australia have dazzled the world by their
magnificence and their lustre. The men who go
out to West Australia now have just as much
chance to succeed as the old pioneers of Victoria or
New South Wales.'
And so Alec and his wife talked on. They were
never happier than when drawing vivid pictures of
what might be in the years to come.
As the vessel ploughed her way through the vast
ocean, leaving the New World behind and hastening
to the Old, Alec thought more of what he had left
than of what remained to come. True, there were
ties in the old land he did not wish to break. There
was inherent in him still that love of the land
which gave him birth every man holds dear.
But the land he was leaving had been very kind
to him. It had received him when the old land
looked frowningly upon him.
The new land had given him wealth, it had given
296
The Miners' Cup
him a wife, it had done for him more than the old
land ever could have done, and small wonder that
he loved it.
The more he thought over it the more he felt
it was ingratitude to leave the new land for ever.
He had obtained her wealth, and he felt that wealth
ought to be used for her advancement. It was
wrong, a thousand times wrong, to take the gold
from the new land to spend it upon luxury in the
old.
The old land was strong and sturdy yet. She
needed not the wealth so newly found. That wealth
should be husbanded to pay back the loans she had
granted to free her child from all obligations, so
that Australia could stand alone, look the world in
the face, and say:
' Out of my own wealth have I paid you all.'
Before they had reached London Alec Wilton
had decided to return to Australia when the Lone
Hand Mine had been successfully put on the
market.
He meant to be true to the land of his adoption,
to spend his wealth where he had gained his
wealth, and to do what he could to build up the
country that had so wonderfully enriched him.
Would there were more men like Alec Wilton!
If there were, Australia would quickly take her
place amongst the great nations of the earth.
Successfully Floated 297
CHAPTER XXIX.
successfully floated.
Alec Wilton was well received upon his arrival
in London.
When it became generally known that one of
the most successful of the Coolgardie miners had
arrived in London there was an eager desire on
the part of speculators to become acquainted with
Alec. His old friends rallied round him, eager to
learn all about his good fortune, and to listen to
his tales of the golden land from which he
obtained his wealth. Alec Wilton had left London
comparatively a poor man; he had returned to it
rich and full of enthusiasm for the land of his
adoption. He did not exaggerate in the pictures
he painted in words of the goldfields of West
Australia.
His advice to men eager to rush out to this far-
off country was sound. He knew that the majority
of his acquaintances were totally unfitted to make
their way on the Coolgardie goldfields.
Alec Wilton knew that had it not been for Will
Barker's practical experience he would have had
very little chance of success. Nay, more, he felt
his bones would now be bleaching in the burning
sun on the Coolgardie plains had it not been for
the man who had saved his life and found the
wealth they were now sharing.
298
The Miners' Cup
There was very little difficulty in floating the
Lone Hand Mine.
When the prospectus was placed before the
public, there was a rush to obtain shares. The
capital of ^250,000 was quickly subscribed, Alec
Wilton and Will Barker retaining a fourth share
each in the mine.
There was no doubt in the minds of the
capitalists as to the genuineness of the mine. The
specimens Alec had brought to London attested
its vast wealth, and the reports of experts were
favourable in the extreme. Bogus companies are
often floated, and on every new goldfield there are
sure to be mines put on the market that have very
little claim to be called genuine. But the Lone
Hand Mine was proved beyond all doubt to be all
it was represented.
The success which attended the floating of this
mine caused the Coolgardie speculators to read
the cablegrams announcing the fact with eagerness.
Other mines were at once put on offer to London
capitalists, and Alec Wilton was consulted as to
their genuineness or otherwise.
This placed him in a somewhat difficult position.
Some of the mines it was proposed to float he had
never even heard of. He doubted whether they
had any existence, except in the fertile brains of
the promoters.
To the inquiries of anxious investors, he in-
variably advised them to send out a competent
man to inspect these mines and wait for his report.
Successfully Floated 299
He had to confess he had not even heard of these
mines, nor did he know the men who had discovered
them.
Alec Wilton shrewdly suspected that some of
these company promoters had never been near
Coolgardie, but were quietly financing the whole
affair while seated in a comfortable office in
Melbourne.
Having attended personally to the floating of the
Lone Hand Mine, Alec Wilton and his wife were
at leisure to visit his friends in various parts of the
old land.
His mother had come up to London on their
arrival, and the meeting between her and Alec had
been most affectionate. He had always been his
mother's pride, and as she looked at his bronzed
face and manly form, her heart beat joyfully, and
she thought it was worth the years of separation to
enjoy the delight of meeting again. And Alec's
wife met with a reception no less hearty than his
own. His mother welcomed her son's wife as her
own child. The woman Alec loved she loved, and
Lizzie at once felt that in her she had found a new
mother in, to her, a new land.
Alec saw a change in the dear face he loved so
well, and had often thought of in that far-off land.
His mother found but little change in her son. He
was the same fond, affectionate boy she had watched
over so tenderly, but more manly and self-reliant.
When she expressed this to Alec, he replied,
smiling:
3oo
The Miners' Cup
' There is nothing like a few years in the colonies,
mother, to bring the pluck out in a man. It gives
you more self-reliance, and if you do not fight
your own battle you will find very few to help
you.'
' And shall you return to Australia ?' asked his
mother, and there was a wistful look in her eyes
Alec felt it hard to resist.
' Yes, mother,' he said. ' I shall not desert the
land that made a man of me. I am wealthy now,
and an occasional trip to the old land will be a
little recreation for me; but I shall make the
colonies my home.'
' Perhaps it is for the best, Alec,' she replied.
' There is certainly not much inducement for a man
to remain in England, with her dreary climate and
her overcrowded cities.'
' I wish we had some of the crowd in the colonies,'
said Alec. ' There is room enough and to spare
for all there.'
* And yet we hear of the large number of unem-
ployed people out there,' she said. ' It was not so
very long ago help was requested for the starving
poor in Melbourne.'
' Bad government,' said Alec. 4 No man ought
to starve in such a country as Australia. It ought
to be impossible.'
Lizzie Wilton was delighted with the old country.
Everything was so new to her. She was particu-
larly pleased with.the old castles, and when Alec
related what these venerable walls had been mute
Successfully Floated 301
witnesses to in bygone ages, she felt a feeling
somewhat akin to awe steal over her.
Alec took her to the spots he loved best.
They paid a visit to the Dukeries, and revelled
in the beautiful scenery with which Nottingham-
shire abounds, and in the glorious sylvan glades of
Sherwood's noble forest.
They explored the wondrous subterranean
tunnels of Welbeck Park, and Alec found his
pleasure enhanced tenfold when he saw how his
wife appreciated all the grandeur of the Abbey.
' What a wonderful place !' exclaimed Lizzie, as
they stood in the vast riding-school. 'And what a
happy man the Duke of Portland must be to own
all this great house.'
' It is an extraordinary place,' said Alec. ' But
you must not forget that wealth has its responsi-
bilities, Lizzie, and that even a Duke of Portland
may not find life so pleasant as one would
expect.'
As they stood on the noble terrace, Alec pointed
to a rise in the park, and said :
' You see that slope, Lizzie ? I once slept there
for a week.'
' You?' said Lizzie in surprise. ' How could you
sleep on that hillside ?'
' When I was in the Honourable Artillery Com-
pany we had an encampment on that slope, and
the Duke of Portland was our colonel. We were
a crack regiment of volunteers, I can assure you,'
he said, laughing, ' and thought no end of our-
302
The Miners' Cup
selves. How would you like to see me in a brilliant
scarlet uniform and a bear-skin ?'
' A bear-skin ?' said his wife. ' Surely you did
not wear bear-skins.'
'I did, Lizzie—on my head,' said Alec. 'You
recollect the Grenadier Guards ? Their headgear,
which you admired so much, we call bear-skins.'
' And you wore a uniform like that ?' said Lizzie.
' Oh, how I should have loved to see you in it!' she
said.
' " Nancy fancied a soldier,' " hummed Alec.
' Don't tease, Alec/ said his wife. ' I am sure
you must have looked very handsome.'
' So the girls thought, no doubt/ said Alec
slyly.
' Dear me!' said his wife ; ' some men are so
conceited,' and she gave a hearty, joyous laugh.
'Oh, Alec, I am so happy!' she said. 'What a
dear, good husband you are ! I am very proud of
you.'
' Not more so than I am of my Australian bride,'
said Alec.
A week passed quickly in this charming neigh-
bourhood.
Alec had taken rooms at a hotel at Worksop,
within easy drive of all the most famous mansions.
Thoresby, the beautiful seat of Earl Manvers,
was visited, and Rufford Abbey, that ancient pile
with its legendary history of monks before the
abolition of the monasteries.
Lizzie was in raptures over Rufford.
Successfully Floated
303
These old-world places were so strange and
wonderful to her, coming from a land where every-
thing is almost new.
Through Derbyshire they went, a country full
of romance, which Walter Scott has immortalized
in ' Peveril of the Peak/
On to royal Chatsworth, that most magnificent
seat of the Dukes of Devonshire.
What a wonderful regal beauty Chatsworth pos-
sesses with its glorious gardens, magnificent water-
falls, and splendid park!
In the grounds Alec pointed out the miniature
Crystal Palace erected by Sir Joseph Paxton,
formerly head gardener in this grand domain.
' What a palace !' said Lizzie ; ' no money could
purchase such a place, with all the vast treasures it
contains.'
Scotland delighted them : Edinburgh with its
splendid streets, its old castles, and the famous
Holyrood Palace; Glasgow with its busy com-
mercial tide always in full flow. Then away from
the bustle and turmoil to the lochs.
Loch Katrine was Lizzie's favourite, and the
week spent in the famous Trossachs, would she
ever forget ?
4 What a wonderful country!' said Lizzie when
they had finished their tour and returned to
London, ' so small and yet so great. Look at
this vast city, Alec. It seems incomprehensible
that so many millions should be able to live in
such a small space.'
304
The Miners' Cup
' I am afraid thousands of these people can
hardly be said to live,' said Alec, ' they merely
exist. It is strange that some men should have
so much and others so little; and yet this will
always be the case until the end of time. The
many must work for the few.'
' But the few should do their best to make life
easier for the many,' said his wife.
' I agree with you,' said Alec; 'but I am afraid
such is not always the case—men are so selfish.'
' I am sure you are not,' said Lizzie.
' I think I am,' said Alec; ' at all events, I am
selfish enough to be glad I am rich.'
' You will not abuse your wealth,' said his
wife.
' No,' said Alec ; ' I know how hard it is to ob-
tain, and I shall always help a deserving man when
I can.'
The months rolled quickly by, and it drew near
to the time when Alec had determined to return to
the golden land.
He had been banqueted until he was surfeited,
and had been pestered with invitations from men
he knew were merely desirous of drawing him
out and obtaining information to benefit them-
selves.
He had seen a good deal of the grasping, sordid
greed of financiers, and it had disgusted and
sickened him.
The more money a man had the more he seemed
to want in this new Babylon. The lust of gain was
Successfully Floated 305
plainly depicted in the faces of these men. Their
whole conversational powers were limited to dis-
cussions in which gold was the one thing needful
in life, and the making of money was the only
object worthy of consideration.
f I shall be glad to get out of this,' he said to
his wife ; ' I am afraid of becoming contami-
nated.'
'You need have no fear of that,' said his wife;
' the experience of these men will do you good,
Alec.'
' It will,' he said ; ' the simple, rough honesty of
Will Barker is worth a thousand times more than
the gilded hypocrisy of these magnates of the
Stock Exchange. Will Barker is a man, and the
more I see of these miscalled gentlemen the more
I admire the rugged, honest nature of the man I
am proud to call my mate.'
It was with feelings of relief that Alec Wilton
saw the lights of Plymouth vanishing in the dis-
tance as he and his wife were on the deck of an
outward-bound liner.
He longed once again for the hearty grip of Will
Barker's honest, rough hand.
He knew that his mate would live a happy life
with his long-lost, erring daughter, the child he
loved so fondly, and whose misfortunes had only
endeared her to him all the more.
As for Alec's wife, the past few months seemed
to her almost like a dream. She had seen so much
that was new to her and so wonderful. She was
20
30 6
The Miners' Cup
very happy. Happy in the knowledge that her
husband loved her and knew he was beloved in
return. As she looked up at the starry sky she
thanked the Maker of all things for His goodness
to her, and a silent prayer went up from her thank-
ful heart, humbly acknowledging with a simple
faith her trust in His watchful providence in the
years to come.
CHAPTER XXX.
a golden land.
' Once again in the golden land,' said Alec, as
he and his wife arrived safely at Albany, and were
soon bound for Perth, which they reached without
either misadventure or discomfort.
If their welcome in England had been hearty, it
was none the less so on their return to Perth.
Leaving his wife with the Douglases at Perth,
Alec made the best of his way to Coolgardie,
where the news of the successful floating of the
Lone Hand claim had preceded him by some
months.
He was quite the hero of the hour, feted and
honoured in the town that had been a mere barren
spot when he and Will Barker had arrived there
in search of fame and fortune. Will Barker's
heart was almost too full to allow him to speak as
he once more grasped his mate's hand.
' You cannot tell, Alec,' he said, 'how glad I ant
A Golden Land
307
to see you. I have missed you sorely, and had
I not had Lily to console me I should have been
lost indeed.'
Alec Wilton saw by Will Barker's face that he
was a happier man than when he left him.
' And how is Lily ?' said Alec.
'Well and happy, thank God,' said the rough
miner; 'that villain nearly did for her, but she
has got over the shock, and will settle down with
her old father in some quiet spot. She is a bit
restless at present, but that is only to be expected,
lad. She has had a rough time of it and a wander-
ing life, and it takes a bit of time to get out of old
ways. We miners know that, but there comes a
time when we are anxious to quit roving and
moving about, and that time has come for me and
my child.'
' You are quite right, Will, it has come,' said
Alec. ' You have no cares for the future. We
have a large fortune each in ready cash, and then
we shall, I am certain, draw big incomes every
year from the mine.'
' I shall not want much,' said Will Barker; ' you
must take the bulk of it, Alec. It won't take many
thousands to satisfy me and my girl. Our wants
will be modest compared with yours ; I have
never been used to luxuries, and they would only
bore me.'
' I thought so once,' said Alec, with a laugh;
'but I can assure you, Will, the luxuries of modern
civilization, when taken moderately, are not at all
3°8
The Miners' Cup
unpleasant. You give luxury a trial—for a time,
at any rate.'
'No,' said Will emphatically. 'My girl has had
enough temptation in her lifetime, and she shall
not have any more if I can help it. You see,
women are a bit uncertain, Alec, and it don't do
to give them too much rope.'
' Perhaps you are right,' said Alec, as he thought
of the life Lily had been compelled to lead. 'At
all events you ought to know best, and you have
no one to consider but yourself.'
They chatted together for some hours, and Alec
gave his mate a graphic account of his trip to the
old land, and of the successful floating of the mine.
' What a heap of rogues there are in London!'
said Alec.
'You'll find them everywhere,' said Will. 'I
can assure you there are plenty of them here.
Since the news of the successful floating of the
claim arrived we have had a shoal of land sharks
in this very neighbourhood. Why, bless your soul,
mate,' went on Will, ' there's men here now from
London hob-nobbing with Melbourne speculators,
and if they don't rig something real choice for the
speculative public in England I'm a Dutchman.'
' I shall do all I can to stop that,' said Alec. ' I
„have some credentials with me that will astonish
these men.'
'You let 'em alone,' said Will Barker seriously,
' or they'll do you a mischief. These mining
swindlers do not stick at a trifle.'
A Golden Land
309
' I'm not afraid of them,' said Alec. ' Some of
their " salted" mines will look a shade different
on paper when I have reported upon them.'
'You'll not get the chance to do that,' said Will.
' They will not let you go near them.'
In the long - run, however, Alec Wilton did
manage to get near some of these bogus mines,
and he reported upon them fearlessly, but not
until a considerable amount of harm had been
done.
Coolgardie had gone rapidly ahead, and land
that a couple of years ago was not worth looking
at was now selling at a heavy price per foot.
Many more rich finds had been made, and the
prospects of the field had become assured.
It was as Will Barker had predicted : the whole
of the country from Coolgardie to the Murchison
had turned out gold-bearing.
A vast future still lies before these wilds of
West Australia, but who can dare to estimate
what the land.of the Southern Cross will become
in the course of another half - century ? Barren
wastes will be cultivated plains, and the hidden
wealth brought to light will seem as fantastic
and fabulous as the wonderful caverns of a Monte
Cristo.
The Lone Hand Mine turned out all that its
promoters had claimed for it. The shareholders
were realizing fortunes, and Alec Wilton was on
his way to become a millionaire.
He purchased shares in the richest mines, and
3io
The Miners' Cup
he bought land freely. He left the hospitable
home of the Douglases, and bought a large station
property near Albury, the border town between
New South Wales and Victoria.
Here a couple of years after his arrival back in
Australia we find him settled with his wife and, at
present, only son.
His natural love of horses could now have full
play, and in the fertile Murray country he estab-
lished a stud farm that in time bade fair to become
famous.
In blood stock he was no mean judge, and he
had spent money freely to obtain the best that
useful commodity could buy.
An old friend to readers of this story is to be
found at the Wilton Stud Farm, and that is
Snags, who never felt so much at home in his
life.
Snags he always has been, and always will be,
and he would be quite indignant if he was called
in any other way.
He had already had several fights with Albury
folk who irreverently alluded to him as the ' Wilton
Farm dwarf.'
But Snags was capable of holding his own, and
when it was found his master, Alec Wilton, in-
variably took his part, people became more respect-
ful, and Snags became a power in the district.
Who will deny that both Alec Wilton and Will
Barker have earned the wealth and happiness they
have succeeded in gaining ?
A Golden Land
We can safely leave Alec Wilton and his wife
at their peaceful country home, knowing full well
that their past life is ample guarantee for the
goodwill of their neighbours in the future. And
Will Barker is happy, too. It is the most peaceful
time the toil-worn, much suffering miner has ever
had in his life.
His daughter has made ample amends and
atonement for the past. She appreciates the love
of a father who did not cast her off in adversity
or upbraid her with her misfortunes.
They live in a pleasant house in one of the
most charming pastoral districts in New South
Wales.
Will Barker and his daughter have made
Bathurst their home, and the famous City of the
Plains has welcomed them heartily.
Drowsy and inclined to be dull Bathurst may
be to some people, but to lovers of the picturesque,
and the quiet of a country life, not too far removed
from a big city, Bathurst is indeed a retreat
any man might care to end his days in. In-
vigorated by the bracing climate, Will Barker has
become another man, and no doubt in time he
will fill the mayoral chair of the city, and fill it
with credit to himself and the representatives of
the people who will elect him to the honour.
Lily Barker's devotion to her father is the
admiration of all classes.
Whispers at times may be heard as to her past
life, for gossips must live ; without the venomous
312
The Miners' Cup
slanders which are as the breath of life to them
they would die.
The general opinion of Lily Barker may be
summed up in the answer of an old inhabitant who,
when he heard the hints as to her past, said in the
bar of his favourite hotel :
'You keep a civil tongue in your head, Tom
Jerrup. We've all had past lives, I reckon, and I
don't suppose there's many of us would care to
have raked up all we've done. Your father was
" a lag," my lad, and I know it, because I came out
in the same ship, and did not pay my passage.
Because we made one false step are we to have
our past lives hanging as a shadow over our present
lives ? No, I say. And if any man says Lily
Barker ain't an angel on earth, hang me if I won't
call him a coward to his face, old as I am. If
every man here had as faithful a daughter as Will
Barker has, ther-e would be a darned sight more
happiness in this place than there is at present.'
The old inhabitant being a wealthy man, and an
authority in the community, had his free speech
much applauded in consequence, but it was never-
theless true.
Because women, such as Lily Barker, have
committed errors in the past, must they be hounded
down for the remainder of their lives ? A woman's
past is seldom buried, but a man's is soon forgotten.
Lily Barker's many deeds of kindness fully
atoned for the past, and what Dora Douglas had
suffered should never be forgotten. <
A Golden Land
3i3
If more self-denial were exercised by human
beings in their dealings with each other, and more
of that Christian spirit we hear so much of practised,
then not only Australia, but many another country
would be in more senses than one entitled to be
called * A Golden Land,'
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Soapey Sponge's Sporting Tour.
Very Long Odds. Campbell Rae-Brown,
Banker and Broker. Nat Gould.
Harry Dale's Jockey. Nat Gould.
Thrown Away. Nat Gould.
ROUTLEDGE'S RAILWAY LIBRARY,
Price TWO SHILLINGS each, Picture Covers.
ARCHIBALD C. GUNTER.
Mr. Potter of Texas.
That Frenchman.
Miss Nobody of Nowhere.
Mr. Barnes of New York.
Miss Dividends.
Baron Montez of Panama & Paris.
A Princess of Paris.
The King's Stockbroker.
COLONEL SAVAGE.
My Official Wife.
The Little Lady of Lagunitas.
Prince Schamyl's Wooing.
The Masked Venus.
Delilah of Harlem.
For Life and Love.
The Anarchist.
The Princess of Alaska^
VARIOUS AUTHORS.
Moondyne : A Story from the Under-World. John Boyle O'Reilly,
Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte.
Can Such Things Be ? Keith Fleming.
Stories from Scotland Yard. C, Rideal, F.R.S.L.
Secrets of a Private Enquiry Office. Mrs. Geo. Corbett.
Vanity Fair. W. M. Thackeray.
At the Eleventh Hour. Keith Fleming.
Guilty Bonds. Wm. Le Queux.
A Fair Free-Lance. Sir Gilbert Campbell.
Mrs. Arthur. Mrs. Oliphant.
The Romance of an Alter Ego. Lloyd Bryea.
The Prodigal Daughter. Mark Hope.
David Copperfield. Charles Dickens.
Pictures from Italy, and American Notes. Charles Dickens,
Through the Mist. Mrs. Adams-Acton.
A Matter of Millions. Anna Katharine Green.
The Forsaken Inn. Anna Katharine Green.
A Diplomat's Diary. Julien Gordon.
Sh i rI ey. Charlotte Bronte.
Gleanings from "On and Off the Stage," Mts. Bancroft.
Funny Stories. P. T. Bamum.
Toole's Reminiscences. Edited by Joseph Hatton. With Portrait and 36
Illustrations.
Foggerty's Fairy. W. S. Gilbert.
The Family Feud. Thomas Cooper.
Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey. Emily and Anne Bronte.
Loyal.
Alton Locke. Charles Kingsley.
Fourteenth] Routledge's Railway Library Advertiser. [Ishis.
Gold Medals, Paris, 1878 :1889.
JOSEPH SILLOTT'S
Of Highest Quality, and Having Q f II 0
Greatest Durability are Therefore gf" «
CHEAPEST. | L II U
Numbers for use by BANKERS—Barrel Pens, 226, 226, 262 : Slip Pens, 352, 909
287, 166, 404. 601, 7000. In Fine, Medium, and Broad Points.
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BIRKBECK BUILDING SOCIETY.
How to Purchase a House for Two Guineas per Month.
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How to Purchase a Plot of Land for Five Shillings per Month.
THE BIRKBECK ALMANACK, with full particulars, post free.
FRANCIS RAVENSCROFT, Manager.
Fourteenth] Routledge's Railway Library Advertiser. [Issue.
CURES CATARRH, SORE THROATS,
and HAY FEVER.
JJli. £> TJNB AM'S
i ALKABAM,
the original Anti-Catarrh
Smelling Bottle, is the only
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tOLDS AND SORE
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Shun inferior substitutes. Of
Chemists, 2s., or post-free,
from NEWBERY'S, King
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17 n /ttefok a tv t lAft i
SULPHOLINE
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A BEAUTIFUL COMPLEXION.
REMOVES ALL DISFIGUREMENTS.
K EATING'S
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tims s-6-&is
snc jlju * HAS NO eQual
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JL MjX f g ^ It Removes mid Prevents all
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At all Seasons of the Year.
"BEETHAM'S" is the only Genuine. Bottles, Is. and 2s. 6d.
M. BEETHAM & SON, CHEMISTS, CHELTENHAM.
Fourteenth'] Routledge's Railway Library Advertiser. [Issue.
SPECIALTIES from the Laboratory
OF
THOMAS JACKSON,
1896. Strangeways, MANCHESTER. 1896.
JACKSON'S BENZINE RECff
For taking out Grease, Oil, Paint, from Carpets, Curtains,
Clothes, Drapery, Dresses, be the material Cotton, Linen, Silk,
or Wool, be the Te-xture Fine or Coarse.
It cleans admirably Gloves, Slippers, Furs, Books, and Cards. It may
be used to thin Artists' Oil Colours as a quick drier as well as to clean the
Brushes and wash Gilding, &c., where water would be mischievous.
In Bottles at 6d„ Is., & 2s 6d.; by Inland Parcel Post, 3d. more.
H.R.H. PRINCE ALBERT'S CACHOUX.
HIGHEST AWARD
WORLD'S EXHIBITION, CHICAGO, 1893.
Dainty morsels in the form of tiny
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mouth, and surrender to the Breath
their hidden Fragrance.
Price 6d. and Is. By Post 7d,
and Is. Id.
JACKSON'S Chinese Diamond CEMENT.
FOR CHINA, GLASS, AND WHAT NOT.
T. J., in making this Cement, has constantly kept in view the
production of an article fit for general household purposes, to repair
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to do duty alongside the sound ones. It surpasses in neatness, in
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stood the test of time, and in all quarters of the world.
Sold in Bottles at 6d. and Is. each ; by Inland Post, Is. 2d.
ABROAD at Current Rates .where a Post Parcel Service is Open and
subject to the Regulations of the Day.
SOLD BY DRUGGISTS AND OTHER BUSINESS HOUSES. 1896.
100,000. 2**®^
3B s* o o m x.t'« sojs.
SMC kt. ■■■ r m aaJ^SMr n-.
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£ ■ r SY GROCERY IRONMONGERS AND CHEMISTS.
JlDMUNO K.ii^GRAVfiR AND .VKiMTISR. RACQUET COURt, fi-EKT STREET, tONDON E
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