CHAPTER II.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 431, 25 December 1889, Page 3

CHAPTER 11.

COUNTRY. Gkelnstone Gully was not a very romantic spot, veb fchoie was a certain wild grandeur and rugged beauty about the place that had arrested the roving eye of more than one traveller by the West Coast coach. The Gully was situated within a scone's thiow of the high road, and at its head, on the higher ground, was the remains of a once flourishing township — a half-dozen broken-down shanties. The ruins of a lai go hotel that had in early golden days disper sed liquor and news throughout oho prosperous community, now supplied the solitary tenant of the most water-tight hut vi i h firewood. All around could be &een traces of the eager hunt to unearth the autiferous deposit, the (Jully being honeycomed with deep shafts, wWe mouths wore dangerously hidden with broad fern frotid-s. Hoaps of red boulders were strewn about, while here and theie a windlass with rotten rope and rusty bucket still lemained in evidence of the busy acthity that once reigned around. Looking down fiom the deserted township along the winding road one could see still further traces ot tnc struggle between man and nature, in the torn and ragged hills stripl of all bush, whilo the remaining straggling trees, leaflets and withered through the "sheltering undergrowth being torn from their root-, stretched their gaunt limbs o\er the scene of desolation. Stones e\ cry where, block waterholesand decaying timber. Throe miles away, by the sea shore, was the little town of Shooters, with its plonitudo of hotels, laree wooden stores, and ambitious town hall. The only inhabitat.L of the de«ei'ted Oully wa o a man who had for five years been the theme of conversation in every hotel in Sh oters, and the stock topic of garrulous gos!-ips in every digger family. Ho was the once shrewd business man Snassby, of Snag-»by and Toots, who had left the city life for the freer country air and existence, tiying by hard work to forget his disap pointment, endeavouring, as yet uneuccesstully, to live down the old heart trouble. Five years had he lived solitary, picking up a precarious living fossicking about the old claims five years of brooding over the fancied injury done him by his friend. After Snagsby had lived hermit-like for about three years a change came in his life. About that time there were many conjectures ailoat and speculations ri r e among the inhabitants of Shooters. For several weeks a one-ioomed building had been in cour?e of construction at the head of the township, and the simple townsfolk were puzzled concerning its origin and design. The proprietors of the different hotels suspected a rival establishment-, while Bartholomew Carr, the spruce little owner of the 'Nugget Billiard Salon,' had an uneasy feeling that his monopoly was about to be difpnted. Johnson, of the principal general store, had piinful \isions 01 the coming nect-hsity for lowoiing the prices of his commodities, in view of some enterprising making a bid for t.he custom ot the Flat. All these disturbing theories were wide of the mark, however, for one morning, to the surprise of the community, they «aw a neat little Mission Chapel st.nding in their midt«t, whi h they never suspected till the modest npire surmounted the building. The astonish ment was- so great* for a time that all comment or criticism was smothered, only Carr remarked in a business like tone to a group of his patrons, that ' it was a poor spec, and would ne\er pay.' No one could deny that Shooters' Flat needed some elevating rnoial education, yet such is the perversity of mankind, that many of the rough brotherhood considered the presence of the Mission Chapel an insult to their intelligence. •Seem *asif,'iemarked Johnson, gloomily, 'we ain't able to look arter ourselves. We don'b want no pareon a'worrifcfcing us !' A sentiment approved of by most of his heareis. Sti 1, when the edifice was completed, and the interior comfortably, though roughly, furnished, a section of the community began to feel a senso of respectability and decorum ateal over their minds, while the female portion were delighted at the promised break that appeared in their monotonous existence, and wondered what the parson would be like. On opening Sunday, whether it was the novelty of the occurrence or a generous desire on the part of the townsfolk to gi\e the parson a • show, the little building was packed to the door with a clean-shaven, well-washed congregation. Among the primitive audience, very near the doov,. stood Snag^by, and the words of the earnest missioner pank deeply into his heart. The sermon did him good, and he returned to his hut and drank less schnapps that night than usual. • I begin to think," muttered fche solitary, as ho turned into his bunk, • I've been a fool !' A sure sign of lefovmation when a man talks like that, Snagsby, though he had jealously kept to himself and had systematically repelled the advances made by the generous diggers round about him, began to have a desire for a little congenial companionship, so addressed the ' missioner ' one evening after meeting, and struck up a talking acquaintanceship with him. They had many walks and talks together during the warm summer evenings, q,nd Snagsby benefibted by them, and was beginning to lose a great deal of his gloomy mieanbhrophy. The cool breath of evening slowly came over the sea and spread through Greenstone Gully, as the fierce god of day dipped into i the distant Pacific, and Snagsby came to the door of his hut to breathe the invigorating ozone. He first glanced over the intervening space of broken ground, withering trees and deserted workings, then out over fche busy tcvn, faintly twinkling with gas lamps, freshify lib, as feeble t substitutes for the vaniohing sun. looking down the dusty high road he discerned the black clothed figure of the 'missioned ' slowly approaching his solitary tenement. As the two men greeted each obher Snagaby noticed a change in the parson's usually serenq face. His grey eyes were I glittering excitedly ,and a pink flush suffused his fchincheeksl 'Come" into fche hub, Snagsby. I have eomelmpbrtanb news for you ?' Snagsby looked inquiiingly afc fche parson from his seat oh the table. ' Excuse me taking your only chair, but)

1 am so excited I scarcely know whafc I am doing,' said the missioner, wiping his heated forehead. *,I have just heard such an extraordinary confession, and I want your advice and assistance. You have worked in this gully some years. Did you ever lower yourself down any of the old shafts ?' •No.' • Well, listen ! I have jusfc been attendj ing: the dying bed of an old identity, and i he told me something that may be true, and I may make us both. About ten years ago, he paid, the gully and surrounding flat was coveted with eager diggers, and some rich deposits were struck by lucky parties. Two men were working hore in the gully, partners in the same claim. They had bottomed a good pay- ' ing gravel, and had commenced tunnelling when they struck one of the richest) patches that had ever been discovered on the field. One would have thought this would have bound the partners closer together, but on tho contrary. That very nighc, before they hnd taken out a grain of gold, they wrangled and fought at tho mouth of the shaft about who should work at the bottom, each distrusting the other, till i.i mad fury one of them pushpd hip partner into the yawnsharft, where ho fell crushed and litele s a hundred feefc below. The murderer fled, and as a iresh rush took place about this time to tho Kanori they were not misped, and the abandoned claim still w*ifcs for us. On his death bed the murderer confessod his crime to me, giving mo instructions where to h'nd the claim in order to give his old partner's bones decent interment. He had been too scared to come near the spot or to touch the treasure the dead bones guarded. Oh, Snagsby, you don't kn>w how I've longed for money — yea, prayed for it — not for myself alone, but for my widowed mother and crippled sister. It is nob the love of money that excites me now, but tho though' of what that money wil? secure for tho c I love. What a Christmas we will h<*ve this year ! How the old home in lovely Nelson will shine again. What friends I'll fill the house with — what presents — what picnics — what i" 'Steady, steady !' interrupted Snagbby, tlrity. ' You haven't struck the golden Christmas box yet, par?on !J! J Thus suddenly recalled from his golden dreams, the parson began to argue the other way, saying it was absurd to suppose the find could have remained all the«e years undetected. Surely he was. raving to talk so childishly — ridiculous — ha-ha-ha-ha,' and he laughed hysterically. ' Look here,' said Snagsby, roughly, ' If you don't Jry up you'll forget the directions the old hand gave you for finding the claim. Pull yomsolf together parson !' Thus admonished, the * utissioner ' rose from his chair and delivered an extempore sermon with such force and fire that poor Snagsby sat open-mouthed in petrified as-tonis-hment. 4 Excuse me, 5 s<ud the parson, calmly, after half-an-hour'svig orous declamation, 'I am cool now — I ought to have remember d tho proper vent for my feelings. Don t think me impious but I am so highly strung that I must have gone mad if I bad not let oil steam somehow.' The parson would not return to town that night, preferring to stay with Snag&by in order to explore the gully in the morning. As the exploring lays of the sun were peeping over the ranges, and a wideawake tui was whittling a morning greeting, the enthusiast, in borrowed moleskins, with several coils of rope slung over his shoulder, emerged from the hut. Snagsby soon followed, and the pair tramped through the damp fern in search of the buried treasure. 4 This should be the claim,' said the par- | son, pointing to a square hole before them, across which a rickoty wii.dld.fes was standing. ' I've counted the claims from the head of the gully and ibis is our shaft.' Au iron bucket was soon fixed to tho rope, which was securely fastened to the drum of the windlass. 'Now, then,' said Snagsby, '1 am strongest ; get in while I lower you down '{' After some demur the parson fixed a lighted candle to his hat and, with an inward sinking, stepped into the bucket and gave the word to * lower away. ' Snagsby slowly let the rope glide over the windlass drum, till a sudden stoppage &nd a faint yell from the parson proved that tho bottom was struck. Ten minutes passed, and as no sign canoe from the adventurer, Snagsby became anxious, and, unable to remain inactive, he grasped the rope and pluckily decended, hand over hand, to the bottom of the pit. The candle was struggling to illumine the rank atmosphere, shining faintly on the white face of the parson, who, still sitting in the bucket, was propped against the damp sides of tho shaft in a dead faint, while in the opposite corner leaned, in grotesque imitation, the ghastly remains of a man with a welcoming grin on his floshleas face. Snagsby felt his hair rising on his head, and when the recovering parson gave vent to a sepuli hral groan, he hastily muttered a prayer and sank weakly on bis knees. As the water began to trickle from the side of the shaft down the neck of the mining missioner, he gradually revived, and gathering courage i'rom the presence of his partner, began to look around him and moralise. 4 Poor Bones, 3 said he. ' How fearful you look. Even you ham. less and inanimate, have power to frighten two livino* men. What weak creatures we are, after all ! Scared by visions, frightened by bone* !' 4 Now you're better,' growled Snagsby, •you'll stop preaching, please, and show me the gold.' | At the magic word the parson's nervous- ' ness left him, and taking the candle from his hat he entered a drive lacing the skeleton and eagerly looked about. Snagsby followed inquisitely, and was rewarded by the sight of a perfect nest of small nuggets peeping out of the gravel at their fe>et. They had discovered a rich pocket and the parson hud been told a true story. The lucky find of the parson and Snagsby was the all absorbing topic in hotel bar and billiard-room. Quitea crowd of people visited the gully, and many conflicting conjectures were afloat concerning Snag&by's future movements. Some advised him to take a trip home ; others suggested that an investment in a good hotel was an easy, gentlemanly method of passing one's life away proh" ably. But he still remained in the gully. The parson left Shooters with his share of tho find, returning to his home to carry out his dt earns and realise his hopes. Now Snagsby was left albne, his old gloom settled on him deeper than ever, and the appeals to his familiar ' spirit ' became more settled and regular. *We are a queer lot, we are !' he would say confidently to the bottle ' Look at me ! what was I once ? Keen, shrewd, a thorough business man, J see a girl with blue eyes and golden hair. I want her— none but her. 1 logo her ! what do Ido ? Jsun away like a madman and bury myself here } Parson comes here filled with ardour desires to elevate and purify us all. Hears a story that inflames his imagination. , What does he do ? Comes here like a madman, finds the gold, then leaves us all to perish, for all he cares. Starts off on a fresh groove ! We are a queer lot, we are I Easily switched from one line on to another !'

As Christmas approached Snagsby got worse than ever, and his rare presence jm the town- became a signal for all the wits to ding some rough remark at the inoffensive misanthrope. On Christmas Eve he came into tqvn, intending to purchase some little dainty for the morrow's dinner, and was walking with bent head up the only street, mentally comparing the present Christmas time with the last he had happily spent with Toots in Auckland, when the demon of mischief entered into Bartholomew Carr, who was looking out of his saloon for a possible customer. Wishing to raise a laugh ac Snagsby's expense, and desiring to air his book-learning' at the same time, Can* threw out his chest and cried : ' Look here, boys ; here comes the hermit a-meditating. What a face for Christmas ! Gentlemen all, this is Shooters" Tim n of Athens, who's disgusted with all the blooming world !' Snagsby had been goaded that day almost beyond endurance, and this crowning: jest completely upsot his temper. With a bound he was upon the unfortunate Carr, who pluckily squared up scientifically, and a delighted crowd soon gathered round the combatants. 'This is keepin' up Christmas an' no mistake,' shouted a dirty urchin, gleefully. A horse and buggy driven by a gentleman with his wife and child beside him came bowling along, and at the lady's solicitation the driver pulled up and inquired the cause of the disturbance. One of the miners, recognising the new agent for the Saltwell Water-race Company, officiously commenced a glowing account of the row. When, from his elevated seat, the inquirer saw the flushed and triumphant Snagsby striding acmes the prostrate Carr, a change came over his face, and the hand that held the reins trembled. At the same moment Suagsby caught the startled face of tho agent staring eurprisedly at him. With a start he turned and ran up the street, followed by the jeering remarks of the crowd. Thai Christmas Kye Snagsby fat by hi." tire smoking and indulging in gloomy reflections, looking mournfully back at the past and wearidly into thefuturo, with his square black bottle for consoling companion. The schnapps and the strong tobacco fumes were gradually permeating his stolid brain, inclosing his intellect in a comforting mist, excluding all present petty annoyances, settling his thoughts in a maudlin groove, utterly oblivious of every influence for good or evil, dreamily unconscious, happily contented. So buried was he in himself that the sounds of footsteps crunching the loose gravel outside the hub fell unheeded on his dull ears, and the opening door, though it made the candle flicker unsteadily, iroved him not. Nor was he roused till two little pattering feet tofctercd across the floor and a bcthy hand tugged at his rough moleskins. Then Snagsby suddenly became aware of a foreign element within the radius of his en circling dream fancier, and looked s eepily up, and round about to discover the disquieting cause. Another impatient tug at his 'nether integuments made him drop hi" eyes beneath the level of the table, where they encountered such a beautiful baby face, with shining blue eyes peeping through a tangled mass of curly golden hair, that he stares stupidly at the vision and muttered * Cherubs !' | Merry 'Tismas ! Merry Tismas !, chirped the cherub. 'Eh?' grunted Snagsby, gradually gathering his scattered wits together. ' ilama brought me to kiss you, and bring you "Ti<*nvis. Goodwill and peace, you know. Goodwill among all at Thmas time !' Snaiftby lifted the litole one on to his knee and pressed his hot lips upon her cool forehead, and thegrizzley beard and golden curls ining ed, and the hardened heart drew such sweet rejuvenescence from the baby peacemaker that the barrier years of brooding had elected round him was utterly broken down and swept away ; and when the mother came timidly in, with tearful eyes and anxious face, and saw him weeping over the surprised child, a great wave of thanksgiving swept over he 1 heart ; and falling on her knees at his feet, she leaned against the rickety table and prayed. And the voice of his old friend Toots, the new agent for the Saltwell Water-race Company, sounded cheerfully through the old hut : ' This is the time of the year, old boy, when old feuds should be healed, old differences settled. Come back to the old life. Come back to us. Lst us spend a merry Christina* together— one to be long remembered and looked back to with thanksgiving !' Half an hour afterwards an inquisitive little blask owl peeped in at the partly opened door, and saw such a happy party gathered within the hut that his melancholy cry of ' Poor folk \ poor folk f stuck in his throat, sending him away in disgust to hoot fit the frogs in the swamp.