Tom Hungerford:

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 254, 12 December 1872, Page 9

Tom Hungerford:

A STORY OF THE EARLY DAYS OF THE OTAGO GOLDFIELDS.

By Whliam Baidwht.

Chaptek XIV. — (Continued.}

Now this story, as told by Burgess, it is needless to say was altogether a piece of pure invention on his part, but not the less on that account, nay, all the more perhaps, is be deserving of some little credit for the ingenuity he undoubtedly displayed in the telling of it. As has been already stated, his object was to terrify this fellow, to give him plainly to understand that vengeance vengeance of the most fearful kind would overtake him, assuredly and without fail, if he attempted to deal falsely with this gang in any dealing he might happen to have with them. Now most men of the Burgess stamp would have sought to attain this object in another way. They would have sought to do so in all probability by hurling dire threats of vengeance at him there and then, if his falseness should ever become apparent ; and I am not sure but threats of the kind would have caused the craven wretch quite as much — if not more — terror at the time, than chis plan resorted to by Burgess.' But Burgess argued with himself, and argued I think justly, that the terror would not be so abiding, so permanent in its results. There was a vagueness, an undefinedness about the terror as he put it, that made it all the more terrible. The unseen, unknown, omniscient Charley dogging his prey from one end of the earth to the other, and when at last he came upon the prey, the direness of his vengeance, was fearful and terrible in the extreme, to anybody who believed in it, and there was no doubt that this fellow believed in it 5 believed, in it implicifcy, for there he sat from the beginning to the end drinking in every word of it all, with open mouthed horror.

But now that Burgess had attained his object; now that this pitiable wretch Delany shivered and shook in every joint and limb of his body, another and a different course was necessary. That Dutch courage, the supplying him with which Burgess had a moment before considered so undesirable ; he now considered, for the furtherance of his purpose, not only desirable but absolutely necessary. "Without the supply of this so called Dutch courage he saw the fellow would never in his present condition summon up resolution enough to tell his tale in express words ; that were he indeed to strive to do so, he would find the words fail him.

"Pass us the bottle, Tommy," he said to Kelly. " It's dry work talking. Drink it off mate," he added, addressing himself to- Dolany, wlio hold the halt full pannikin in his irembliug hand. " Here's to your health ,- and. damnation to your .enemies ; this here swell cove as you was a-telling us of last night, in particular," he continued, drinking some whisky himself as he spoke.

" Now, mate, what's this here job as you a-said last night you wanted us to do ? Let us come to it at once, cause why, we've other work on hand tonight, and it's getting late !" This he added after a moment's pause, seeing that Delany hesitated before answering. Delany had hesitated when asked what he wanted done for by this gang, and now though pressed to answer, he remained silent, just for a moment or two, answering never a word. In truth, tne words wherewith to answer would not come for a moment or two, try as he would. At last when by an effort the words did come, they came in a half whisper, and were SDoken in a nervous stammering' waj. " I—lI — I want you to put that ebap Hungerford out of the — the — the — way : and — and — and " Damn him, do for him," he exclaimed in sheer desperation. "Do for him, and — and I'll pay you for the job."

"He kicked you out of the escort, and you want, to have your revenge. Blow me if I don't like you all the better for it," answered Burgess, in encouraging tones. "If he was the Governor or the King of England his self, I'd do for him. if he was to treat me in that way. Blow me if I wouldn't."

" But that isn't the reason though," exclaimed Delany, with a sudden burst of confidence, as the whisky began to do its work; "at least," he added stammering, noticing the peculiar look Burgess bent upon him, and striving to recover himself, "at least, it is — it is because he cheeked me too. But how did you know about that escort business ?"

"How did we know about that escort business," repeated Burgess. " "Why Charley told us of course. Charley knows all about this here business," he added significantly. " What did Charley a-say about this here job Phil ?" he asked of Levy. " He said as how it was a dangerous job," answered the latter glibly, " and wasn't to be taken on hand on no account, 'cepting on them 'ere terms as he told you on."

' " Dangerous job," repeated his confederate. " I know'd as how he'd say it was a dangerous job. It just is "a dangerous job, a damned dangerous job ; the very dangerest a-job as could be a-taken on hand. Blow my eyes if it isn't/' lie added earnestly- " It" ain't

like doing away with a ordinary individual, do you see, cause why, a ordinary indivdual ain't got nobody particular to look after him 'cepting the police ; and what's the good of the police if they ain't got a good cry at their back, a-egging of 'em on. But the doing away with this here Commissioner cove, ah — " and he paused shaking his bead, ac if words failed him to express how dangerous was a job of this nature. " But we likes to help a plucky cove like you mate, he added, after a minute, with grim irony, and we'll do it for you too, for five hundred pounds, and blasted cheap at that. " Five bundred pounds," repeated Delany slowly, " I couldn't afford to give you that sum, I couldn't indeed. Couldn't you do it for three hundred now ? I don't mind three hundred, but five hnndred, I—"I — " " Shut up, blast you, will you," interrupted Burgess savagely. " Shut up I tell you, and don't you try any of them 'ere humbugging games with ua, or by Gr — d I'll put you past bumbugging mate. Say one word more, and I'll make it seven bundred, and if you says a word at that, I won't do it at all. There. Do you suppose as we don't know of this here blind of yours about that escort business. Now are you going to give us that five hundred pounds, or are you not mate ?" he asked in menacing tones.

" But I haven't; gob ik. I—" " You haven't got it ; of course you bayen't got it ; who said as you'd got it. It ain't likely as you'd come here with five hundred pounds in your pocket. We ain't such d — d fools as to think that. But you must give us half down afore we puts a hand to this job, and the other half when the job is done, or we can show you it's in our power to do it. Come, is it a bargain."

Of course it was a bargain ; of course it was, seeing that Delany was reduced to that state of mind, reduced thereto by those savage words flung at him by Burgess, that he would have there and then have given in his adhesion to any bargain, however monstrous the terms of the bargain might be.

But in reality he looked upon the terms as by no means monstrous. Burgess had spoken of asking seven hundred pounds, and had Burgess done so the seven hundred pounds would in all probability have been given him. Tes, of course it was a bargain ; a bargain that had in it the buying and selling of Tom Hungerford's life ; but why Tom Hungerford's life ? ostensibly for this reason, in that Delany when in the escort service had been impertinent, and for the impertinence had been dismissed the service.

Ostensibly this was the reason assigned, for the contemplated deed by that young miscreant Delany ; but as Burgess shrewdly surmised, and as the reader is now given clearly to understand this assigned reason, was a mere blind Thla- la tbo only' explanation that can be offered, and with this explanation we mush resi satisfied for the present. Meanwhile a strict watch was kept upon Tom and his movements, and this task of watching him was entrusted to Levy, to whom, indeed, all tasks of the kind were entrusted. And at this kind of work he was an adept, being low and cunning and stelthy : thoroughly unfitted for deeds of violence, because of the contemptible cowardice of his nature.

I am aware it has been surmised that many of the men who came by their death during the early days of the Dunstan rush, presumedly by falling into the Molyneux, were, in reality, thrown in by the hands of this miscreant, when he kept his lonely store along its banks at Long Valley ; but Levy's life long history is, I think, opposed to the correctness of any such surcaiQp. At all events, I have been nnable to triice to .him onG deed Of actual violence up to the time he com mitted that final one at Nelson, for which he lost his life on tbe scaffold.

Note.— Charley was the Mrs. Harris of the gang. Sullivan in his evidence, says:-—"Bur-gess authorized them to take the four men away one at a time, as it was difficult to take them in a body and hand them over to Charley. Charley was a supposed person. There was no such man in the party to my knowledge. . . . Burgess then told them not to be frightened if they hoard a shot fierd, as it was only to give notice to Charley to let the others go,"