FIDDLE R'S MONEY.

Tauranga Record and Bay of Plenty Examiner, Volume 1, Issue 22, 30 November 1867, Page 3

FIDDLE R'S MONEY.

WRITIKS EXl>RE.iI.T 70R Ti! V. ' ['. liCiili! ClT A PTKIt IT. Afteu pl.ici'in; me vilh my liack againsl a liec, an I cau'imiiiis ino againsl lookitu ailer lliem. liu* liusliransers. for sucli (licv wcrc. Icll ma, aml I he.ir.l llied illcr of Ihcir Imrses' lioufs as I llcy ualloppcil away iu Ihu tliroclion of Dnwiicy lironk, wliore I winled to gn. Tliis was disagreealile, but (licre was 110 help for il, and, afler wailinu lor sninc timo to allow (licm lo gcl wcll a-hcail, Iseloul on my journey. It was llien quiledaik. Objccls in cnnsrqiifnci! (|uito diangeil tlieir appearance Daik as il was a track was just \ isild and along (h.s i Iramped my weary way. AI v prospect did nel seem to fmprove. tlalf an hourago I was cerlaitdy in a slrango place, but tben I bad five pounds in my pockel, and now 1 had nothing.

Still more tliere was no help for il. I musl gct along somehnw, and I proceedeil as besl I eon!«l. I liere is soinettiing very dreary in tlie solitu le of the Auslratian forest, particulariy at night, when aimosl a [irofonn i silence rcigns, hroken only by a crnaking of htiII!'rogs rie;ir water. Ihe ery of Ihe * inore pork'in the tiees, or the shriek of the euilew in Ihe plain l'erhaps, occasionally, an opo.suni WouM seainper rapidly up ti Su n tree a.ol tiller his rry of satisfacJion as he inounfed beyond reach of his suppnsed enemies. Hut to tlie IraveHer Ihe scene was I ->nr|y. Forlunalely on tliis occasion the weather was warm, so that a night in lliehnsh was md ii i ery drcadful prospect. Iinleed, to an oid liand Iike mys.df it had no terrors. Hut it would Inve heen m >re salisfiiclory lo have fou-'iil a roof and a supper. I he grouud doclineil, aml I was descoH.li.i_j il deep gully. The Irark w^'uod in a serpentine nrinncr. for il j 111.' only way hy wliich s > sleep.i e >ul.l he Iravelle I over. As I fiih, ich -d the h dlom. Ihe .1 rkn 'ss eepene.l, and I c oul I lie.ir Ihe ' p.>;>,' e is o th • hull IV' .us, I i-l I i n_. me lh.it I w is in tlie neighliorh » >il of a creek or waler Imle. So deep and o'ark sceuied Ihe ohscurily inlo whicli I was enlerin', that 1 paused for a innineil aml Iried lo pen -lr.de Ihe prospect. Hui iu vain. Tiie lr;ie!, was almo-t invisihle. Slill I hlimdered dow.i

smoehow, slumbling occasionally, titi Ihe ii irl, uf ii dog al ii i greiil dislaneo allraeleil my iillenlion. On | wenl, wilh more ra; i lily lli.in hefore. for i know hy tliis llial a habiliilion was near. As i advnnccd Ihe fcroci'y of Ihe dog inrre.iseil, aud presenlly a lighl gliminered from heliiml ii s-luiiip of lr. es. revealiog a tu ni willioul ii ha I shading a cainlle, iiud peering inlo Ihe i! irkness. '• l.ie down. I'inclier! lie dnwn, you heasl, whai is Ihe iiialler willi you ' ' Ihedocrwas sileul for a mnmenl. ' C 'o-y,- I eriod. "allo .' wlios lli.il?' Ihe man ansvereil. I r j >' i . J | ll| | J ||;|.) |0S( my ,V;,y froiii Oowiiey hrmik In ClMles.lale aml wull lie gr.ileful if he wonld direct me. k (einl ' li.is Wiiy.' lie answercd, mlvaiieine wilh ihe M^hl, |,y whieh I Siiw 1 1 i i I liewason ihe opposile side of a ii irro v rreck, the si.les of w Ii icli were sleep. • Dnwu hy where 1011 sec llial hig slonc, lako hold of ihe waitio Iree.aml Piv iii' \ onrself over/ I did as direcled, and no sooner lourlied l.'i! grouml (hau i was preeipilated on my nose. c insiiig me to see stars ioiiu iicrable for n sernnd. ' Xoa'll never fiml jour way lo nie'it, Idess niu,' said tlie oian. I. »me aml lakeastoike down with m.'. niu! II poi you on your mad I i-morrow.' I Ihiiiikeil him, an I was ahoul lo fdlnw, when a ureat hlack snaku wrieglel aeross my palli, witliin n few ine ies of my fmd. • A snake ! ' I xelaimed. ' I he confounded verinin,' lie ans.vered, ■ lloii's Ihe second oue I see o lo nighi. I c.iou'il one in eolwiikels. hui I killod hioi, and If lie i- Hillside Ihe dnnr.' • i« w was a sperinieii ahnnl six feel i.'uig, hlark on Ihe b.icl,, wliile on Ihe lullv, hau Ied wilh rich or;inge colored slripes. 1 1 is lic.nl was snnll aud fliil, indicaling his veiunnous Chiiracler, while on cximiitalinu Ihe deadly fangs could lie ohserved iu liis upper jaw • Are you oflen Irnuhled with lliese cusloiners ? ' said I. ' Why yes, more Ih m I Iike in Ihe summer sanson, beeause Ihe liouse is so ne.ir Ihe waler. Itil I Inve not heen billcii vel, an I i do uol wisli lo be." We wenl indde Ihe hui. an I afler a eomforlahle supper, with a p innikin of Ica, I resuuied tlie |iiuslion of snakcs. ' Why, I'vo gol useil lo 'em, he answered. ' Al lir.-l I wus len ihly scired, for lliev Ied on lii.it when Ihey hi lo il is snre deilii in Iwenly minules. I c.iuglil o le un ler my piliow a week . go, usl when I awoke, so that il I ti n I rolled iiu I rr.ished liiin" in Ihe nig'il Iu wonld Inve hilton me, and I shouhl h ive found u.yself dead in t.ie iiiorniag.' I related to hiui Ihe case of ILe soldier iu India scntenced to coufino

ment for drnnkerness, who was nwakrned by the p-essure of a heavy liody , and | nllius up I is havd lo feel Ihe rnusc,"fi-|| Ihe cohl slippery fl.in ora rohra (Ihe dradliesl sei| ent in the world) wliirli was coiled in sluoibcr otou his lireast. Of Ihe sndden iliill of lerror wilh whicli Ihe soldier wassiized, of his fear lasl Ihe heavina of liis hreasl as lie broalbed shoidcl aroiise Ihe pylhon, so llial one respiralion Ino deep miglit cosl iiini his life. How in llial exlreiiii.'y lie lay I ill davhrenk. when Ihe replfle awoke, aml erawled slowly over his (are, il's cohl sreles graling , cross his skin lill ii had p.issed over aod reached a eorner of Ihe cell, when he espied half a hriek nilhin reach oi liis liand. and how wilh one lueky hlow he dispalehed Ihe inlrndcr. My hosl gavc anollier narralive of a linie when he slruck a lighl wilh a malch wliile in hed, and saw a wicked looking snake dropping llnougli Ihe roof up n him. A i d so we hrgailed Ihe limc lill I nsked hioi where eould ' lurn in.' ' Xo.v. if you Iike,' lie re| lied, 'only ils' ii- l inocli of a place, hui ils not inncli of a place, hui ils' heller Iban Ihe oulside. Il's my old hui, near Ihe waler.' ' Any snakes? 'said I. ' Well. Ili, il's- why I lefl il. Hui this is Ihe early pa'rl ef Alareli and 1'iey are ool so Irouldesoineas fowiirds Ihe middleof Ihe monlli.' I he hui Wiis eomforlahle enongh. A good slrelclier wilh phmlv of hlaukels. A hi am rau aeross Ihe cieling, or where ihe rieling omihi lo be ; for Ihe roof was of llialcli.

I InDked well unilri Ihe Idaokels, onder Ihe hed, and in a j Ihe (nr:iers.? No .-iiakis. llial was all riglil, so I jompi il inlo hed. Ihe laligne srul loe (T inlo Ihe land " of dreams di.irelly , and I was tioronscinus of all arouiid lill a curious sensalion maile me suddenly slarl inlo inletisu wakefulness. I was ly iiigon my haek, aml lliere wrs a siogolar weiuhl oii my (liesl. A misgiving siezed me. 1 ra ised my liaml slowly, aml Tolt a smoolli hani lliiog cniled in fohls upon my hosom, aml looking npwanls routd see hy Ihe moonlight a hrng hlack olijerl reaeliing Iroio Ihe lieam overltea i and comiecled wilh Ihe coil resling on my liody. Sea ica ly daringlo hrea'lie for fear of ahirming Ihe erealure, I gazed alolt io Ireniiiluus anxiely. Ihe more soas I ci'iild see Ihe lliing slip—slip — slipping uradiMlly over Ihe heani, while Ihe coil sliglill v innved on n.\ i liest. Tlie iiiomeol oi my liial was apfareolly al liaml. I he adveolure oi Ihe soldier in Ihe cells was ahoul lo Ic rcpealed in me hui wilh uokriowii resu I s . I would have lo wail liil day lighl hefore I could look for any half hriiks lo Ihrow al Ihe nionsler, aud llien I mighl nol sueeeed. A cohl perspirali'm lnol.e oul on my foreI'Cad. Fom liours lill iroruing. lo wail. walciiing, | auliiig, will* a serpenl on my hnsoiu. Weary liours lo come I he reader wid uol wonder if some relleclious on my pasl life did scramliie hui riedly llirougli my mimi, nor if I lltouglil pileously of prrishiog so drearily amongsl slrangers in Ihe far olT counlry, Images of llmse 1 had loved an I losl in iife crowded hefore my inenlal vision, and I involiiiilaiilv lieavril a long deep drawu sigli, whicli I had 110 sooner done, ll>, 111 I hecainc aware of my itnpiudenee. II needed hnl lliis to accelelalo tlie descent of my loe, and willi a sliarp souud Iike Ihe elie.k of a gnu Inck Ihe exlremily of Ihe ohject whisKed over Ihe heani. ' Angeis and niinisleis of grace defend us ! From piagnc, pcslilence, aud famine — from halile and niurder, and from sudden death.' 1 mullered hui riedly lo mys lf, when 1 received a sudden hlow 011 Ihe inuulh Irani a har.l sulistance, wliirlieaused me so uiueli pain llial I rouhl nol lepress a groan, jumpeil franlirady up, and slrikiog a light wilh Irernhling I ands. discovered, sprawling over the hed lollio ti' or a greal stock-whip. wliose loaded handle had slruck iny l.ice, aud whieh had slipped Iroui tlie heaoi ovcrluad. (ro le Conlinuecl.) The righl of rej roducliou is reserved .