The Tale of Timber Town

roat E

his cards," said the thin Americ

big and bloated Englishman, who sat opp

looked up from his "hand" and drummed th

ke it? Why, I

n," said t

said the

the eyes; his tangled thatch of black hair hiding his forehead,

' eh?" It was the E

his dough-coloured face wore a perpetual smile, and he was the happy possessor of a gold eye-tooth with which he constantly bit his moustache. The player who

three players contributed five pounds to the pool, which lay, gold,

id the digger, placing the

exclaimed t

said the man with the gol

, and he put down the Knave

aimed the big man, who wa

played the Ace of Spade

's that for high?" and he placed on the table his thr

ed their hands, which

," exclaimed the digg

unequal piles, lay on the table, and be

ging their marking cards, when the door opened slowly, and the Fath

by Jupiter! A ruinous game, Mr. Lichfield,"-to the man with the gold tooth-"but your opponent"-pointing with his stick to the di

ett n

d Mr. Crewe; "in luck aga

dealt, and the game continued. The

said L

you up," sai

s "hand," placed it under the pack, a

ed the King of Hearts, the digger a sm

said Lichfield, p

gger, as he put down

xclaimed Garsett,

an from the "bush." "Bu

the big gambler. "Two to

d he took a dirty one-pound ba

e spirited. The trumps must all be out, Cat

r," said th

ican cried. "I guess that p

onds on the table, and handed th

carlett." It was Mr. Crewe that spoke.

d up at the Fath

," he said, somewhat heatedly. "But if you're not game t

nlooked-for attack as if a battery of

t on the game, and that after being euchred and losing his pound to Mr. Garsett. Why, certainly, sir. I'll

nted out five sovereigns and placed

out with the boys." He found some silver in h

rd. I take your bet, sir"-to the digger-"most certa

igger, fingering his pile of money, "I won't press the matt

andlord of the Lucky D

wnson, a little bet between this gentleman from away back and myself, and I f

voice, totally surprising as issuing from such a por

expect to double it immediately, a

dirty, some clean and crisp. The Father of Timber Town counted the money. "Twenty pounds, Townson. V

rise at the man who could c

Mr. Crewe placed his ￡5 beside the

he town," inte

s upon his fe

ve this bet with you. I like to bet with a gen'l'm

You said five, and five it shall be. That'

digger pointed to his heap of money. "Where that come from

glad to hear it. Bring your mon

cards, and cards we're going to play. If you three gentlemen cann't watch the ga

any lady in a drawing-room; her hair, black at the roots and auburn at the ends, was wreathed, coil on coil, upon the top of her head; her face, which gave away all her secrets, was saucy, expressive of self-

led waters," said the flabby, florid man, look

speaker boldly, smiled,

oats," she said, laughing-"th

re pleasing effec

" said the American.

said the

goes," said t

n," said t

and cross the blanky

ned to the Fathe

wants to see you, M

bring him in-he has a

ait for you in

game: I have a five-pound note

e bankrupt before morning. But never mind, old gentleman,"-she deftly corrected the set of Mr

e!-where did you get all those rings from?-I don't often quote Scripture, but I find it knows all about women. C

owly to the door, and Gentle Annie, humming a tune, walked b

e last issue of The Pioneer Bushman. Between the goldsmith's lips was the amber mouthpiece of a straight-stemmed briar pipe, a smile of

good evening, Mr. Crewe. Auspicious occasion. Happy to meet you, sir." Benjamin had risen, and was motioning the Father of Timber Town to a seat upo

smith's familiar manner, as that, with the instinct of his genus, he suspected the unfolding of some

th great dignity. "You sent for m

cate that he hardly relished the old gentleman's manner; scrutinised the columns of the newspaper for a desired paragraph, on which, when found, he placed a substantial forefinger;

ed it on the couch beside him; looked at the ceiling; glanc

at an hour ago. It's very fin

yielding thousands. Look at the Golden Bar. You remember that?-eight thousand ounces in two days, and the field's been worked ever since. Then there was Greenstone Gully-a man came into town with fifty ounces, and the party that tracked him made two thousand ounces within a month. Those finds were at a distance, but this one is a local affair. How do I know?-my special knowledge, mister; my i

s forefinger and thumb, as was his

the field entirely by my own exertions? What do you

l find it. I say that you will spend money and valuable time

rom his seat, "we shall see. Don't try t

good thing-my special knowledge qualifies me to make the most of it; I offer you the refusal of 'chipping in' with me, and you, I understand, refuse.

on his semi-bald head, and departed with as muc

goldsmith disappeared, "we will go and see the result of our little b

e door of the room where the gamblers played, and, as he turned the handle, he w

s, scattered in every direction amid broken

can, in a tangled, writhing mass. His friend Cathro was looking on with open mouth and trembling hands, ineffectual, inactive. But Scarlett, making a sudden rush into

"Landlord! landlord! Scarlett, be

rmless; Garsett sat on the floor fingering his throat, and gasping;

ck. Cheat a gen'leman at cards, will you? Le'me get at him. Le'go, I tell yer-who's quarrelli

he expostulated. "Th

n' up a quid from the floor-he fudged a c

ou, or you'll be hande

y visage round, and glance

ck-kick, the Prospector lodged the heel of his heavy boot fairly on

he cried. "I fight

loor with a thud like that of a felled tree. It was the lucky d

ewe ten pounds. "Take your money-ou

emely unfortunate. I have just refused the offer of a man who avers-who avers, mind you-that he can put us on this new gold-field in a week, but I trusted

o, "as if our little p

-I know these diggers; I have been one of them myself, and I understand them, Cathro-when a quarrel arose we should have interposed on beh

with them, came forward, and bent over the inanimate form of the Prospector. "I think this is likely to be a case for the police," said he, as he rose, and stood erect.

amine the prostrate man. First, he unbuttoned the insensible digger's waistcoat, and placed his hand over his heart; next, he felt his pulse. "This man," he said deliberately, like an oracle, "has been grossly manhandled; he is seriously injured,

nconsciousness had been more feigned than actual, were about to slip from the room, when Mr. Crewe's voice was heard loudly above the chatter, "Stop! stop th

t and Lichfield, led them back to the cent

patient, administrated the restorative dexterously to the unconscious digger, and then awaited results. He stood

opens his eyes. Ah! they are closed again. There!-they open again. He is coming round. In a few minutes he will be his old, breathing, pulsating self. The least that can be expected in the circumst

eraphic smile ligh

voice from behind the

doctor ordered,

," remarked a third, "for the whol

o the landlord. Mine's this liqueur brandy, neat. Let the lady pick up those notes there: a lady has a soul above suspi

im; and Gentle Annie, having collected all the money of the gamblers

"take your fee; it's you restored the gent. Take yo

ll the pain cures itself. If not, the patient grows worse, dies, is buried, and the doctor's fees accrue proportionately. But we will suppose that the patient has some incurable tumour. The doctor comes, examines, looks wise, shakes his head, says the only chance is to operate; but it will be touch and go, just a toss up. He gets his knives, opens up the patient, and by good

on his contused countenance and the enormous bump on his temple. "Ah! there's the gent that shook me of five quid. I'll remember you, old party. An' as for you two spielers-you thought to fleece me. I'll give you what for! An' there's the other toff, 'im that biffed me. F

ooking guilty as thieves, stood uneasy and apart; but Scarlett stepped forward, and

was looking on with me, when for some cause a quarrel arose. Next thing, the gentleman here on the sofa was attacking his opponents in the game with an empty bottle-you can see the pieces of broken glass amongst the cards upon the floor. Now, a bottle is a very dangerous weapon, a very dangerous weapon indeed; I might say a deadly weapon. The

posture, "'e shook me for five quid. The wily ol'e serpi

nds; but it was the result of a bet, of a bet he himself insisted on. He would have made it even heavier, had I allowed him. But here is the mone

, ain't you? Well, keep that five quid, an' 'elp to paint it crimsoner. I don't want the money. I can get plenty more where it c

ded as sonorous as a parson's. "Now he's talkin'. And what will y

too mean to live. I'll sell it to a set

attention to such expressions. We frequently hear things of this sort i

divided?" as

e hundred and twenty-five pou

the tone of command in his voice, "come and t

ers came forward, took their shares, and p

s, Tresco," said the

t matter what name you call 'em by, but tuck it safely away agin your brisket. And

blanky money for, eh? Didn't I tell you I could get money for the pickin' of it up? Well, you're all a pretty measly crowd, all as poor as

bling on the floor, in the door

erceived, while Tresco and Mr. Crewe, the landlord, Gen

with the eccentric digger; but presently the tall figure

I knocked over in the passage. Take the lot, and give it back to this semi-lunatic when he suffers his recovery in the morning. Good-night, gentlemen; I wis