BROCKLEBANK'S TENT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 106, 19 February 1870, Page 7

BROCKLEBANK'S TENT.

A TALE OF UNBOUNDED ACCUSATION.

IN FOUR CHAPTERS.

Chapter 111, looked so calm, and s>quiet, and business-like the next morning, that I feared to tell him my dream, lest he should laugh at me ; so after a hasty breakfast I went over to Langford's tent, for he had promised to show me how to make a pamper. I was agreeably surprised to find that my instructor was not to be Langford himself, for he had gone off to work, but his wife. She was a comely, lady-like young woman, with her face and arms just a little bronzed by exposure to the sun, but very neat and clean in her person. "We got on very pleasantly together, and as soon as her practical lecture was concluded, being bent on immediately exercising the avocation of a gold-digger, I started off to the Camp — where all the principal stores were situated, about two miles distant — and there purchased a pick, a shovel, a tin dish, and sundry other useful paraphernalia appertaining to the craft of gold-min-ing. Choosing a sequestered spot — for I felt a little ashamed of working all by myself — I set to work clearing away the surface soil, breaking it up as small as possible, and then carefully washing it, by means of my tin dish, in a pool close at hand. I worked with extreme ardour during the whole of the remainder of the day till the sun was almost setting, insomuch that I forgot all about dinner, and satisfied myself with a piece of biscuit which I had in my pocket. I then returned to Iron Bark Gfully with the glittering treasures which my industry had secured carefully wrapped in a piece of newspaper. There was a good deal of it, but it appeared to weigh very light. "Perhaps, however-," I remarked to my innocent self, " Australian gold is lighter than other gold." I afterwards discovered that my fancied treasure consisted of nothing more precious than minute particles of mica, a glittering substance very abundant on the diggings.

I reached the Royal Liver Store just as the sun, at the moment of setting, shone out from beneath a huge bank of purple clouds, and illuminated all the diiiGiy green tree-tops Avith a glorious ruddy radiance. I neve? see this peculiar sunset now, beautiful as it is, without a s;nse of uneasiness: it recals such a bitter moment in my life.

A group of half-a-dozen persons were assembled round the smouldering log-fire in front of the store, apparently in grave and earnest consultation. lat ouce recognised Brocklebank, Langford, and my sulky road companion, Fry. I was quite pleased to see Fry. He seemed like an old friend. " Hallo, Fry," I exclaimed jovially, " how are you?" In reply to these words Mr. Fry turned upon me one of the sourest faces ever manufactured in the busy town of Liverpool. He did not vouchsafe a word in answer to my salutation, but said in a low tone, which, however, I was perfectly able to hear, "I told you, Brocklebank, I knew nothing of the fellow."

As these words were uttered, I observed that all the company had their eyes fixed on me, and that their gaze was of a peculiarly searching character. I felt uncomfortable, and being of a sensitive temperament, blushed up to the tips of my ears. Immediately after this prolonged stare, Brocklebank laid his hand on Langford's arm, and whispered something in his ear. Langford then stepped forward, and addressed me thus : —

"Mr. Parker, I've something very unpleasant to tell you. For the last two nights you have slept in Brocklebank's tent "

" Yes," I replied in a low tone, fearing that something dreadful was coming. "I'm sorry to tell you that Mr. Brocklebank, on counting his gold today, found one packet deficient. There should have been twenty-seven parcels — there were only twenty-six. A packet containing five ounces fifteen pennyweights, and numbered one hundred and three, was missing." A painful silence of several moments' duration followed this statement.

I fancied, but perhaps it was only fancy, that I trembled violently, and that I became red and pale in sudden alterations. At first my tongue clove to the roof of my mouth, but presently I contrived to. say — " You suspect me ?" No immediate reply was given to my question, but as I looked round upon the stern faces of my accusers, I chanced to catch Fry's eye. He at once said morosely —

" Yes, we do. "Who else could we suspect ? I told Brocklebank I knew nothing of you."

" You are sure the packet is missing, Mr. Langford?" I asked.

"Brocklebank and myself, Mr. Parker," answered the chemist, " are, I hope, the last men in the world to bring a hasty accusation against any one* The tin box containing the gold has been carefully examined in the presence of all the persons now here, has it not?"

"Ay, ay," replied a number of voices.

* And," continued Landford, "there are" only twenty-six packets in it."

" Now, sir," said Landford, after a pause. "If you are innocent, it would be a useless indignity; if you are guilty, the gold would certainly not be on your person." " There are plenty of hollow trees on Bendigo," observed Fry.

These words forcibly showed me how difficult it would be to prove my innocence. I had no friends in the colony except my brother-adventurers from London, and even if I could find them, their certificate of respectability would count for very little. I had a few letters of introduction to persons of some standing in the colony, but I had left them in my box at Melbourne, and they would not have proved my identity, for I might have purloined them from somebody else. I also remembered that, having previously not expended a sixpence, since my arrival on Bendigo in Fry's company, I had that morning bought fifteen shillings' worth of tools.

I was so overwhelmed with shame and horror, that I sat down on the log and shed tears — a woman's exhibition of grief, of which an hour earlier I should have deemed myself incapable. A whispered consultation now took place between my accusers. I heard the word " Police " mentioned, and Fry said, " Yes, and the sooner the better." Then Landford interposed, " No, not to-night, let us wait till the morning." He then once more addressed me —

" Please to understand, Mr. Parker, that we do not charge you with robbei*y, but we cannot help suspecting you."

"I don't go so far as you, Langford," interposed Brocklebank hastily. " I'clon't even say that I suspect Mr. Parker ; I merely assert that a parcel of gold has disappeared. As a practical proof of my freedom from suspicion, I should like him to remain in my tent to-night."

'•Thank you, Mr. Brocklebank," 1 answered, " for all your kindness, but I cannot accept your offer." " He means to bolt," muttered Fry. " I do not mean to bolt, Mr. Fry," I exclaimed, experiencing for the first time a sense of indignation ■wnieti tended to lessen my despondency. " I have no tent, so I shall lie in my blankets under a tree, and if you, Mr. Fry, or any other persons, choose to keep guard over me all night I shall not complain."

" You had better accept my offer, Parker," urged Brocklebank courteously. " There is a storm brewing over yonder."

" I cannot," I answered. "I don't mind getting wet."

The politeness and civility with which all these people treated me — Fry excepted — cut me to the heart. Had they been a set of brutal ruffians, ready to take the law iuto their own hands, the keen sense of justice would have deadened my grief; but these men acted in the most cautious, lawabiding manner ; they even hesitated to charge me with the crime Avhich they suspected I had committed. And how base a crime it was ! I was a friendless stranger, Brocklebank took me in, treated me as if I had been his own brother, and I had apparently repaid him by committing a. heartless robbery.

As may be imagined, I passed, both physically and mentally, a miserable night, though the bodily inconvenience was trivial compared with the shame which consumed me. I lighted a small fire at the foot of a tree, and after eating the remainder of my biscuit, and drinking a pannikin of cold water, rolled myself in my blankets and lay down. I had not the heart to buy any tea or other provisions at the Royal Liver Store, for I felt that the proprietor would naturally believe that the brazen-faced culprit was spending the proceeds of his villany ; and I determined not to go elsewhere, lest my accusers should suspect that I meditated flight. I had just covered my head to shield my face from the keen south wind which was whistling among the trees, when I heard a gentle womanly voice saying, close by me — " Mr. Parker, my husband has bid me bring you a pannikin of nice hot tea. He saw that you had none."

"Thank you, Mrs. Langford, l don't want it."

" And he says you had better go and sleep in his mate's tent."

" No, I am resolved to stay here." "At least drink the tea to please me," she urged. " Pei'haps you will drink it if I tell you, that though the others think you are guilty, I believe you are innocent."

" Why do you think so, Mrs. Langford?" I said, uncovering my face, and raising myself on my elbow.

" I cannot tell ; but you have not the face or the manner of a thief. I am sure you are innocent, and I pray Gf-od you may be proved so. There, I will set the tea by your side ; drink it, it will keep.you warm. Grood night." " Grood night," I murmured, and felt comforted. There was one person who thought me innocent.

For a long time I could not go to sleep, and as I lay awake I wondered whether anybody was keeping watch. The howling of .the' wind among the trees made so much noise that my ears were unable to detect any stealthy movement of human feet ; but I afterwards learnt that morose Mr. Fry — without any feeling of personal animosity, but simply as a matter of duty — haji posted himself in a mimosa bush in my immediate vicinity, and kept Ms finger on the triggsr of his

revolver, lest I should make a sudden spring from my hard couch, and attempt to fly under cover of the darkness.

At length I sank into an uneasy sleep, from which I was awakened about dawn by a sensation of extreme chilliness. 1 looked around ; the wind had lulled, and a steady soaking rain was coming down. I got up, shook myself, and as my fire had been quenched by the wet, walked over to the public fire, in front of the Royal Liver. This fire had so thoroughly penetrated into the heart of the big ]og which formed its basis, that nothing chort of a tremendous thunderstorm could put it out. I piled a heap of chips on the red embers, and presently produced a cheerful blaze, which afforded some warmth to my chilled limbs. By degrees the scattered inhabitants of the gully rose from their beds, and began leisurely to make preparations for breakfast, the day being too wet to admit of any " sinking " operations. Among others Mr. Fry made his appearance, looking more sour than ever, which was, no doubt, in some measure due to his self-imposed sentinel duty Shortly afterwards the whole company, whom I may designate as the Coui't- of Inquiry, assembled in Brocklebank's store. An animated discussion appeared to be taking place, and presently I heard Langford's voice —

"Well, we must not let the poor fellow starve. Pry, just go and ask him to come inside."

" I wouldn't, if I was you," answered Fry.

"Nonsense, man; we're not barbarians."

So Mr. Fry put out his head and said, very gruffly — " You're to come inside." I would have refused, but the steady chilly rain, and my famishing condition, overcame my fortitude, and I obeyed the summons. " Gruilty or not guilty, Mr. Parker," observed Langford, "you must have some breakfast " So I sat down on a packing-case apart from the others, and silently ate iixe food wlxicW was proffered, me. » As soon as I had finished, Langfora said — "Wo have decided, Mr. Parker, to have this affair investigated by the police. Will you be kind enough to accompany us to the Camp ?" " Certaiuly," I answered. " My wife and Adamson," continued Langford, addressing Brocklebank, " will take charge of the store while we are away."

" And ye must leave us the tin box, Mr. Brocklobank," observed Adamson, a shrewd-faced old Scotsman. " Mistress Langford and I propose to give it a searching examination."

" Oughtn't we to take it to the Camp ?" asked Brocklebank, who had the box in his hand.

" I don't think it is necessary," replied Langford ; " the police had better return here, and examine it on the spot."

" Very well," said Brocklebank. " Here's a strange thing," he suddenly exclaimed, as he turned over the several packages. " Another parcel of gold is missing !"

"Then Mr. Parker can't be the thief," exclaimed Mrs. Langford joyfully. She had just entered the tent. " Tou know, John, that he was watched all night, and that he never stirred."

"He wasn't watched all night," growled Fry.

" How is. that, Fry ?" asked Langford. " I thousht you undertook — "

" To watch him ?" interrupted Pry. "So I did ; but I fell asleep in that mimosa bush for an hour and a half by my watch. He had plenty of time," he zidded, with a sour- glance at • me, to help himself if he pleased."

The extreme improbability that a theif would steal Brocklebank's parcels of gold one by one occurred to my mind, and must have occurred to every reflecting person present. But as I determined to say as little as possible, I kept silence.

Shortly afterwards we started for our destination. No attempt was made to keep me in formal custody, and to the eye of a chance passer-by we were simply a party of blue-shirted, cabbage-tree-hatted diggers walking along briskly together ; but I noticed that both Brocklebank and Fry had their revolvers in readiness, and that they never suffered their eyes to stray from my person.