The Storyteller.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 275, 16 April 1898, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Storyteller.

California jackson" I uad had just finished ray day’s dissection. While in the act of gathering my instruments together previous to leaving the dissecting room, my attention was attracted to an adjoining table by hearing the exclamation, “ Guoss I’ve done it now !” On looking towards the speaker I discovered him to be a fellow-student, who went by the nickname of “ California Jackson.” He was a man past middle life ; of reserved manner, peculiar habits and style of speech, but a wonderfully successful student ; plodding, dogged, and perserving to a degree, lie made no friends or companions at college. His pipe seemed to meet all requirements of his case. Except during class-hours he was continually smoking. No one seemed to know his history particularly; but a rumour was abroad to the effect that ho was “an old miner of California ; a man who had seen life, who had dared the savage and the wilderness and who had made a very nice little pot of money. How or why he had become a student of medicine no one seemed to know. There was an air of mystery about the man which had long rendered him interesting to me. Many a time did I gaze on his wrinkled countenance, shaggy beard, and cold steady gray blue eye, with a desire to know what his life had been. An extensive scar, the mark of what must have been a ghastly wound existed on one of his temples. It did not lessen ray desire to be acquainted with his history. The present occasion seemed a very favourable opportunity. I crossed over to the table where lay the “ subject,” or dead body, which he had ■ been dissecting, and found that my interesting friend had accidentally punctured the palm of his hand with the point of his dis-secting-knife. This was a poisoned wound of the worst description, and Jackson knew that as well as I, yet he did not seem in the least alarmed. After having sucked the puncture thoroughly, he held his hand out for me to cauterise it with a point of nitrate of silver, which 1 held ready for use. The hand thus held forth was as cool and steady as possible, and when I grasped his wrist I felt his slow, regular pulse. Although the caustic must have given him considerable pain, he did not wince in the least ; and when I had finished, and we were leaving the room .together, he gave a low harsh laugh and said, ‘ Guess I’ve had more than this’fore now.’ We walked along the streets together as far as our common road lay , and my hope was that when Jackson turned up the quiet side street where he lodged he would ask me to go up and see his ‘ diggings.’ But, to my great disappointment he only turned off with a • Good-night mister, and thank you.” Thus ray hopes of penetrating the mystery of ‘ California Jackson ” vanished like a dream, or in the mist of the mountain.

And, as I walked slowly along the crowded, gas-lit streets of the city, I occupied my mind with endless conjectures about the history of this man. I associated him with Indians, tomahawks, scalps, and scalping knives ; silver mines in wild-ravines, defended by hired ruffians, who patrolled rifle in hand, night and day, to defend nature's treasure cave. In shore, I made my fellow-student the hero (1) of the wild life which is led on the Pacific slope even at the present day.

Ueaching my dingy lodgings, I j let myself in with a latch; lit my gas, and called for tea. My frugal meal was brought in by the domestic, an ugly, shrivelled, lame old woman, who had that peculiar irresistible fascinating power over me possessed by all extremely hideous or disgusting objects. This old creature was a study in ' the ugly,' I had a friend a young artist, who was for ever raving . about the study of ' the beautiful.' The model which I studied did not present a feature or a movement which was destitute of ugliness. I do not know whether the contemplation of tins specimen of humanity had a beneficial effect on me, or the contrary. Charlie, my young artist friend, used to dread paying me a visit, One glance at ' Old Jenny" was, to his critical artist's eye, what a discord in music would be to a delicate and accurate ear.

' Gad,' he used to say when she left the room, ' can't fancy how you stand that, old fellow. One advantage, though/ he would add, as he lighted his pipe, ' there is certainly no danger of your falling in love, whieh is a great consideration. On this particular evening I could not keep my eyes off the grim and grimy form of ' Old Jenny ' as she moved about my room. An attempt at reading anatomy only seemed to call up the forms of vivisection practised by the Indians on their unhappy prisoners. So, finding that no use, I threw my book aside, and gazed down into the dingy street, where the

shop people were busy putting up the shutters, as the hour was late. I restless and unsettled. My brain was teeming with strange fancies. I drank off my night cap (a pewter tankard of stout), and then crept into my cold humble, little bed. I fell asleep very soon, but such a

feverish dream-laden sleep ! During the whole of that ghastly night I led the life of a Californian rowdy. Now I was ' standing drinks " all round to a miscellaneous mob of miners, Indian fighters, gamblers, &c, at a public bar. In a moment I. found myself to be in the centre of a ' free fight ; " revolvers were cracking right and left like ' zigzags' on Queen's Birthday ; bowie-knives flashed here and thore like streaks of lightning ; screams, howls, oaths arose on every side. I had just succeeded in shooting a man through the head, after missing him five times, when suddenly a sharp pain darted through my neck. I felt (he warm blood trickling down my breast; I grew faint—--1 swooned. And so on during the night.

No wonder then that, when I got up early next morning to dress by gaslight for my visit to the hospital, I did not feel much refreshed by my slumbers. It was a cold, dreary, wet winter morning. I swallowed a cup of coffee, could not eat anything, and with this preparation I dragged my unhappy carcase to the infirmary, stood in the wards taking notes while the professor explained the nature of the cases which came under our observation ; finally repaired to the operating-theatre with the rest of my fellow-students. When seated in the gallery (an amphitheatre of seats, I observed ' California Jackson ' below me, and therefore nearer to the arena where the operations were performed. He always seemed to take operations very coolly ; this morning he looked as imperturbable as usual.

Suddenly the patient who was to bo operated on entered the hanging curtains which guarded the passage to the wards. I was startled by her appearance, never having seen her before. Tall and ladylike, she presented a countenance of great beauty, although it bore unmistakable signs of prolonged physical suffering. Her beauty was of the Spanish type—olive complexion, large dark eyes, long black silky eyelashes, coal-black luxuriant locks.

One of hor hands required to be amputated, owing, as the surgeon explained, to disease, which had developed bad symptoms. Although evidently very nervous, the patient behaved most admirably. She lay down on the table and the operation of administering of chloroform was proceeded with. She struggled a a little while this was progressing, My eye accidentally lighted on • California Jackson,' and, to my intense surprise. I saw his iron features working in a most extraordinary way. At first I thought that I must be dreaming. What, ' California Jackson' moved by the struggles of a patient going under chloroform 1 Impossible. He clasped his muscular hand over his face. At length tho chloroformist pronounced the woman quite under the influence of the anesthetic, and the surgeon, having arranged his assistants, advanced knife in hand. Just as he was on the point of making the first incision, ' California Jackson' rose and hastily left the theatre.

His departure gave rise to quite a sensation; but it was only momentary, and subsided so soon as the surgeon raised his head to learn the meaning of the disturbance. When the operation was over I repaired to the college to attend lectures, as usual. 1 found ' California Jackson ' standing by the gateway, smoking gloomily. I saluted him, and passed in. Next day Jackson appeared with his hand bound in a napkin, and he seemed fond of thrusting it into his bosom. Next clay he seemed restless ; his hand was still wrapped up. I inquired frequently how the wound was getting on—warning him of the danger of tampering with such injuries. He always said that it was getting all right, he thought. Next day I did not see him at hospital or college. Next day, still no Jackson. That evening, as I was returning to my lodgings when my clay's work was over, I resolved to Took him up, whether I was welcome or not. I knew his number in the dreary street where he lived. I climbed the stairs arrived at a door bearing a brass plate with the inscription : Miss Vinegar, Dressmaker. I pulled the bell—no sound. Pulled harder—a terrific clatter resulted. In a short time the door was opened by Miss Vinegar herself in it towering passion. She asked me if I knew that there was a sick person in the house. I apologised humbly. That and my raven moustache and general of distinguished bearing mollified the dear creature, whose appearence was quite in keeping with her name. Learned from her that my fellow-student was half-delirious, that his hand was frightfully bad, and that she had sent for a doctor. Found matters just as she had stated. Jackson lay tossing about on a sofa dressed, with the exception of his coat. The injured hand was dreadfully swollen and inflamed, and at the centre of the palm, where the wound had been inflicted, there was a small black spot. I could also observe red lines and streaks running up his forearm. Ilia face was flushed, and he seemed only half-conscious. The doctor arrived, and, after learning the nature of the case, lanced the hand freely to liberate the pent-up matter. He then gave directions, wroto a prescription, and left mc in charge of

the ease for the night—poor Miss Vinegar being quite knocked-up by previous nursing. ' Well, I knew that I had a dreary night of it before me. The room was shabbily furnished and frightfully stuffy. Everything in it smelt rankly of strong tobacco. I got hold of a rather interesting volume, and sat reading while the slow, dreary, heavy " tick tock "of the large clock in the lobby sounded, and the gas kept flaring up and singing in a most extraordinary way. Every one knows this sort of thing. About 1 a.m. Jackson woke up and asked for a drink ; then fell, back into a feverish sleep. As he threw himself heavily down on his pillow, a Urge locket sprang out from his breast, and in doing so the lid Hew open, and at a moment's glance I saw a miniature portrait of the face and bust of a most beautiful woman. Delighted by the vision, I gazed on it intently for some minutes in simple admiration. The lady was evidently of Spanish, or at least Southern, birth or extraction. Surely I had seen such a face before, recently ! Yes, of course—the woman who was operated on when Jackson acted in so singular a manner. But although there was a considerable resemblance, there was a very great difference—in short, the portrait was not that of the poor patient. And who could this beautiful creature be? Surely a near and dear friend to my stern, fugged fellow-student, who had her likeness thus chained to his neck. Was she a sister 1 No ; there was not one feature in common between them* Evidently no very near blood relation. His wife 1 Surely " California Jackson " never had it in him to win such a glorious creature. Still, women are queer in their choice sometimes. Closing the locket, I tried to dismiss the subject from my mind.

Bub I now fancied that I had a partial clue to Jackson's conduct at the operation on that memorable morning. Time passed heavily. I helped myself to a cigar from the case which stood on the mantelpiece. My thoughts reverted to the portrait, and until the cold gray light of a drizzly winter morning broke into the apartment, I sat smoking, dreaming, and conjecturing. The morning advanced, the tramp of an occasional workman going to his labour, or the rattle of a solitary cart or cab began to disturb the gloomy silence of the street. Then the footsteps and the vehicles became more frequent, until at length the heavy grinding of the social machinery of a gre<3,t city was in full swing. Miss Vinegar made her appearance, and I had a frugal breakfast, then set out for the hospital, feeling rather seedy, it must be confessed. All that day I had a strong tendency to dose during the lectures ; a circumstance which caused the worthy professors to regard me with a peculiar glance, for I am not usually sleepy-headed. In the evening I again found myself at poor Jackson's lodgings. The doctor had called, and gave Miss Vinegar a very gloomy opinion about the case, Feared that amputation of the hand, even of the arm might be necessary. Possibly of early fatal termination of the case. Miss V. was to sit up that night, so I went on to my own lodgings, and received the domestic attentions of " Old Jenny." And in this manner days passed. Poor Jackson's arm was ripped up in different places by thesurgeon's knife. Slowly bub surely he pulled round, and at length the surgeon pronounced him out of danger. But what a feeble scarecrow he was, poor fellow !

Jackson was a man of iron frame, but it had been terribly taxed. For months he was too feeble to attempt going out of doors, and 1 was nis constant companion, so far as my duties would permit. And in gratitude he gave me his story. ' Yes, sir, I loved her—loved her, although she was so young, innocent, and beautiful, and I so old, wicked, and ugly. But I fought hard for her. You see, I was first of all the manager of the silvermines under her father, then I was made a partner. 1 worked hard. Her father, is an Englishman, her mother was of Spanish descent. How beautiful she is ! how good ! One night her father came to me, and said : " Jackson, you say you love my girl—prove it." L grasped his hand.

'Jackson, a rush' will be made for the mine to-night. A. band of armed desperadoes is prepared to take possession of our treasure. Save it ! Think, plan, act ! If you are successful, Anna will be yours—take my word ; there is my hand."

Sir, I laid several loads of gunpowder in certain parts of the mine, and I had connecting electric-wires so arranged that the blasts could be fired by a person outside. If the desperadoes got into the mine, I could by a movement of my hand send them into eternity in an instant. But I had to be quick, and to work hard. About twelve midnight I took up my post in a concealed spot outside the mouth of the mine, ready to send an electric spark which would play hell with all inside the workings. It was a moonlight night, but cloudy. About 1 a.m. I saw shadowy tigues creeping cautiously up to the mouth of tho mine. They were armed. Sud-

denly a rush was made. The attacking party seemed to expect opposition, but none was offered, and soon they vanished into the bowels of the earth. I gave them time to get fairly into the mine, and then I Lord, have mercy upon me—l It was hard work clearing out the mine, and the dead bodies were awfully used up ; but the mine was saved. What horrid dreams I had after that!

Time passed. I claimed Anna. Her father kept his word ; but the daughter had a mind of her own, Long and earnestly I urged my lovesuit, but the lady was hard-heated. How often have I gone on my knees to her, and prayed with tears in my eye 3 that she would have mercy apon me ! Once she laughed in my face. Thank Heaven that I was without my revolver then, or neither of us would have been alive to-day!

Sometimes I thought that I was mad thus to urge my love : I, an old man, hardened and seared ; she, a young girl, ignorant and innocent. Surely my love season ended when I fled" from the Old World to the New—when I fled, after being jilted by a worthless woman. But the madness * returned upon me. I must have Anna, or die I The alarm was raised. The cry arose, " The Apaches '"

Anna's'father rushed to me : ,: Great Heaven, my daughter ! the Indians ! 0, save her !"

Anna had strayed too far into the sage-bush. She was self-willed and brave-hearted ; she laughed at the Indians; but her father and I knew better. The Apaches had won the game this time. Yes, we reached her; but I got an arrow-wound which fevered me for weeks, and a slash from a tomahawk which left this mark on my brow, but I recovered after a long illness. It was a walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, But Anna nursad me, and that made the Valley of the Shadow of Death to appear as Heaven, 0, the ecstacy of gazing on her beauty ! O, the joy of being tended by such an angel i I was sorry to get well so soon, but I did get well. Then the dream, the happy dream, ended. Anna once more became as cold as ice, and my stout heart died within me.

Then the question arose, Why should I live 1 I got to care for nothing, neglected the mine, took to drink, everything went wrong ; then her father came to me and said :

' Jackson, what is the matter ? This won't do—everything is going to blazes !'

'I said, " You know what is the matter."

' Well,' said he, ( girls are selfwilled.'

We were silent for a long time, and then he said, ' Well I'll try again ; by Heaven, I'll make her take you !" And he was gone. And Anna promised that if the mines prospered well for two years more under my care, and if I then went to the Old Country and graduated in medicine at a British university, she would become my wife.

' 0 Anna,' I pleaded, ' you are cruel! Think of the terrible ordeal "you assign to me ! An old rough silver-miner, accustomed to savage men and savage ways, to go to study medicine at a university ! 0 'tis cruel ! It is unfair! I must surely fail ; I am overweighted iu the race. Be merciful! I'll do anything at mining; but at college

learning I have little chance.'

Then she turned on me with her proud imperious beauty and haughty dignity. 'Sir, if you do as I have said, I shall marry you—not till then !' There was a flash and a rustling of silk, and her father and I were alone.

' And here I am working hard to become a doctor. Another year, and I hope to be iu a position to claim Anna for my wife. Lovely Anna ! 0, how good she is! 1 Yes, you have guessed right. That poor woman who was to get her hand amputated was so like Anna that I could not stand it. That was the reason why I ran away."

I thought over his story as I traversed the gas-lit city streets on my way to my lodgings. I thought long and deeply ou the tender tale —for tender it was—and all • the more affecting that Jackson was so stern and rugged himself.

Ugly " Old Jenny" let me in, and gave me my frugal tea. I went to bed, feeling as if a dream had been realised.

Time passed, and at length Jackson anil I found ourselves at the end of our medical curriculum at the close of our last session, and preparing to go up to pass our final examination. In the meantime poor Jackson had not recruited very well after his terrible illness. He still remained pale, shrunken, and emaciated, I could not help frequently thinking that this bad state of health was due more to mental than to physical suffering. Of one thing I was quite sure—while he seemed to be continually writing and posting letters to California very few svere sent to him from that part of the world. At times I also fancied that poor old Jack> son's stout heart was being slowly broken. I could read a terrible agony in his cold gray eyes. 'Twas indeed seldom that he received a note from Anna, and I had reason

tn know that the few which she did send were very short. One day I foun I Jackson sitting pouring over 0113 of them as if in a trance. I imagined that he was trying to extract a kindness from it, which the words of the message did not express.

In spite of all this, however, my friend made most marvellous progress in his studies. He did not work like other students—he seemed to be possessed. He was ill, he was anxious, yet I was conscious that his attainments far exceeded mine, although I also worked very hard and constantly, and possessed many advantages which he lacked. Then came that anxious and terrible day on which he must stand the trial of the final examination, In the evening we would cither be " plucked " or graduates of our university, and qualified to practise our profession. Jackson and I had read a great deal together and ground each other well, and we were both conscious of having worked honestly; still I confess to a considerable degree of norvous apprehension when the day dawned which was to test our attainments. I need not detail that day's doings ; suffice it to say that both Jackson an-1 I were pretty well satisfied with ourselves when we came to compare notes in the evening. A week must elapse before the result would be publicly announced—week of misery. But one day Jackson and I, rushing up to the blackboard in the first quadrangle, found the list of "passed" men affixed thereon. With throbbing heart and swimming eye I devoured, rather than scanned, the roll ; there blessed joy, 0 happy relief, 0 proud satisfaction I— there was my own name among the successful men; and a grunt from Jackson told me that he was all right. Then we pointed out our names to each other, took a last longing look, then arm in-arm walked away with feelings beyond description. That evening Jackson wrote and posted a letter to Anna informing her of his success ; then he scanned the shipping advertisements to see the earliest opportunity which he could have of getting back to California to claim his bride; and, having settled those affairs, he accompanied mo homo to my lodgings. We enjoyed ourselves to the full—drinking toddy, smoking cigars, chatting or indulging in happy, dreamy silence till two o'clock in the morning, Then we parted, with mutual congratulations and good wishes.

To ray utter amazement and indignation, just as T was in the act of going to bed, " old Jenny" thrust her mahogany countenance into my room, and indulged in a prophecy to the effect that something " no canny " would happen to " Maister Jackson," for she had just had an " awful dream " about him, from which she was awakened by the noise of his departure. I was somewhat puzzled at first to decide whether this was a sort of revenge for the annoyance we might have given her, oa whether it was a sly and roundabout way to come at her share of the toddy. At any rate, I ended by laughing and telling her to take a " nip." She thankod me, said she would ; then asking if I was all right in bed, coolly turned off the gas and walked out of the room, leaving a strong impression on my mind that she had walked off with the whisky bottle in the dark.

Next morning I had a fearful headache, and felt utterly prostrate. Bottles of soda water and cups of tea formetl my only sustenance, and 1 kept ray bed all day. It was a long dismal day to me, but through it all I had the happy consciousness that I had " passed." The day had been wet; in the evening it cleared up a little. I had just fallen into a light but refreshing sleep, when " old Jenny" half hopped, half limped, into the room, and screamed out :

' Just as I told ye ! He's deed Committed shuiside wi' a pistol ! Miss Vinegar has sent ower for ye ! The pollis are in V My heart faltered for a moment, then stopped. I gasped—it gave two great thumps, then fluttered. Gradually I recovered so as to bs able to ask, " Who is deid, woman V 1 Yer freen —Mr Jackson !' ' Heaven have mercy upon us ! Jackson! Impossible V 1 Ay,' said Jenny; 'but it's a fact for a' that.'

As if acting in a horrid nightmare, I aroso and dressed, then went to Jackson's lodgings.

I found the dreadful news to be only too true. The police were in possession. Poor Jackson lay on his back on the floor—dead. In one hand he grasped the fatal pistol—in the other was clutched a foreign newspaper. A paragraph in the paper was marked with a heavy cross, as if to call attention to it. The ink was scarcely dry. The paragraph which was in the marriage column, ran thus : •'At ' The Pines,' Roekey Valley, California, on the 26th inst., by the Rev. Silas Prool, Anna, only daughter of Joseph Fageland, Esq., to Harry Vardent, Esq., M.D."