CHAPTER XXXI.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 186, 19 July 1873, Page 2

CHAPTER XXXI.

The Hen Doctor, when he made his way from the bank, pursued by the shouts of the crowd, directed his footsteps to the office of Lawyer Jones. A mighty fear had fallen upon him. Ho had made so sure of the loss of the Mcnevia's Pride, that he had signed the bonds of indemnity without a thought. Now, was he really liable for this sum of three thousand pounds? He had put his name to those bonds, foolish man that he was! Could he escape from the consequences ot" his own act? He would see the lawyer: her couldn't wait to get a gratuitous opinion from him ; he would fee him if he couldn't get it any other way, so desperate was his danger ; ho would fee him. It would cost him a dreadful pang, biit it must be done. Lawyer Jonos was at his office. » ' Jones bach, I want you to give me a little bit of advice ; just as I'd give you a dose of medicine m a friendly way.' ' Yes, and send a bill in for it afterwards. 0 no, my dear doctor ; I know you too well : if you want advice, you must pay the fee. Money down, dim arian, dim' ' Well, but, Jones, I'll feel your pulse for nothing, and send you some pills aft ei wards ; yes, by Jupiter.' ' I'm perfeutly wellydoetor, and don't w ant any pills. Come, I'm very busy ; six-and-eightpence, or be off.' ' Well, sir shillings, then,' said the doctor. ' Name o' goodness, it's ruination ! ' The doctor pulled out a greasy old leather-bag, and told out six shillings ; slowly and painfully counting them one by one, striking them with the end of his thumb, and looking appealingly to the lawyer as l.c put dorm each coin. 1 Un, dau, tri, pedtoar, pum, chwecli.' W ' And eightpence.' • Well, by Jupiter! Come, here's two fourpenny-pieces. By Jupiter, you're a hard man.' ' They're threepences, as it happens,' said the lawyer ; ' but never mind ; the other twopence will be a glass of ale for you doctor. Now, what's the ease ? ' The doctor explained how he had given penal bonds to the amount of three thousand pounds, m the event of the return of the Mencvia's Pride. » c Oh! is that all!' said the lawyer. 'Pay him back the money you had, and interest at five per cent, and his bonds are waste paper.' ' And I can got my notes cashed in spite of the bonds, then?' ' If the banker can't pay gold or Bank of England notes for them, bo Must shut up.' ' And if he shuts up first ? ' ' Why, then, you take|your chance with the other creditors.' The Hen Doctor rushed out of the lawyer's office and down to the bank. In the doorway he met a man carrying a shutter — it was John the clerk. He knew the shutter too ; it was the shutter of ,the narrow window of the bank which faced 4 the «treet. ' You put that down !' gasped the doctor. 1 Get out of the way ! ' said the man. ' Put that down, and pay my notes ! ' cried the doctor. • I'll knock you over, if youdon't move !' roared the man. There was a fierce straggle for a moment ; but the doctor's weight and the embarassmont of the shutter caused the feverthrow of the little man. The doctor held him dow-f, put the shutter on the top of him, and then sat upon it, falling all the while to somebody to come and ! pay his notes He could put a stop to the shutting of the bank, but how could ho get his money ? He felt the situation embarassing, but there was only one thing he could do : stick to the shutter ; till that was put up he was safe. As long as life was left him, that shutter should never be put up. ' Doctor, doctor ! what are you doing?' cried a voice from the doorway. It was Winny Rowlands, who had come downfp to see her father. ' Are you killing somebody ? Let him go directly, doctor.' 'Nagoes!' shouted the doctor; 'let him put up the shutters ! Nagoes weir ! No, by Jupiter ! ' ' Well, then, doctor, let him have a little air. See, you're choking him. Good Heavens ! w by, its John the clerk ! ' ' Oli, let me go, Miss Winny ! let me go, and I'll tel you everything.' ' Where's my father ? Where's the young Englishman ? ' ' Let mo go, and I'll tell you.' ' Tell me now.' • I won't till you promise.' ' Well, I promise. — Let him go, doctor. — Get up directly.' 'Well, I'm singed !' said the doctor, getting up, nciertheles9, but retaining his hold on the shutter, which he placed up on end against the wall, sotting his back against it. , ' Now, where is my father ? ' ' ' I don't know ,' said John sullenly. 'He told me to put the shutters u>, and went out. Come, I mast go to the court-house to appear against you all. I hope he hasn't run away, but it's very possible. 'He's run away without his hat, then,' said the doctor, 4 seizing upon that too, and huirjjinjj it to him as though it afforded some sort of security that he should get his notes cashed. ' Wherever can they be ?' cried Winny, looking round in despair. Winnv's eyes, glancing around, caught sight of the door leading down in the underground chamber. 'Perhaps he is down here.' ' Pupa ' father •' she cried, opening the door, and looking down the dark staiicasc, the air from which struck damp and chilly to her face. ' Father, are you there ?' There was no reply. Wlicro could he be ? 'I must run^F < to the square, and look for him,' she said. ' You sta> here, J doctor, and take care of the bank.' A dreadful suspicion had seized her — that hei fathei^^| overwhelmed by his troubles, had thought of self-de>lru^^^H tion, had wandered out towards the sea, and perhaps tlm^^^^| himself from the pier ! Or he might have only gone to^^^^H court-house; but without his bat? No; there scen^^^^H touch of madness in his wandering out bareheaded. S^H^^| he had gone down to the sea. ' But if I'm to take care of the bank,' said the ( <^^^^H who relished the idea of being left in possession w ltl^^^^H shutters under his absolute disposal — ' if I'm to take card^^^H the bank, where are th« keys ?'

' Here they hang, I know,' cried Winny. ' They arc gone — Stop! I have iti They must be in the lock of the safe. See ! I must lock everything up till we find papa.' She ran down the stairs : the bunch of keys hung in the lock. She snatched them out, and was bringing them upstairs ; but she turnsd back, and shook the door, to make sure that it was fastened. Then she heard a muffled sound inside. She turned the key in wonder, and saw a dark mass within, and a second glance told her that it was her lather and someone else who were lying senseless on tlio floor. Were the> dead 9 No, they moved! As they felt the fresh air, they began to take loud rattling breaths. ' Doctor, doctor she cried, 'come down and help; my father is suffocated in the strong room.' ' Bring him up here,' he shouted ; ' or, stop ; I'll fetch him up on the shutter.' But in a few minutes they revived, both of them, and could ascend into the upper regions, which seemed to them pale and misty as a dream. A dram of brandy, of which there was a bottle in the bank, brought more color into the outside world. 'It was th.it rascal John who did it!' cried Eowlands. IHe turned the key upon us. Where is he gone ° ' ' He's gone to appear against us at the court house, he sajs,' cried Winny 1 Then coinc along, Winny ; come with me. We w ill go nnd fiiec all that can be said against us. — Doctor, I can't — I can't' 'Is Mr Rowlands here?' said a neat, dapper, little man oommg into tlio bank. 'Ah ! here is Mr Eowlands, I see. You lecognise me, no doubt ? Mr Blenkinsop, of Brown, Bo^tock, and Co. Can I have a few minutes' private conversation ? ' ' You see, my dear sir, we have been vcrv much annoyed and distressed at a circumstance which leads us to suppose that we have been deceived by a very daring forgery ; and thai, in consequence of that, we ha^e put an old and valued correspondent to serious inconvenience. You remitted us a sum of five thousand odd pounds, with the amount of which you advised us to meet your son's drafts. Yes ; well, a draft to that amount w"as duly cashed, presented to ua through bankers at Birmingham. They had telegraphed to yfe to know 'f this draft would be honored. We telegraphed a reply that it would It arrived in due course, was duly 1 discharged. But, Mr Rowlands, on the following day but ono after its presentation, a duplicate draft arrived, which, m our perplexity, as we had no funds in hand to meet it, we declined to pay. The former draft, however, from somo suspicion we had, was minutely examined, and in the result we were led to believe it forged, and inquiries at Birmingham rather confirm that view. Tho fraud, must, however, have been effected by someone in the confidence of yourself and son, for the genuine draft appears to have been detained several days, in order that the spurious ono might bo cashed. Under these circumstances, as we feared that possibly somo damage to your credit might occur, owing to this contretemps, our firm despatched me with instructions to offer you their support, in case of any attack upon your credit, and with an immediate supply of gold to meet any emergency that might arise.' 1 And Mr Rowlands, bach, if it isn't convenient to cash those notes, any time will do,' said the Hen Doctor, peering into the doorway of the privato room ; yes, by Jupiter ! ' ' We didn't, by the way,' went on Mr Blenkinsop, ' omit to telegraph to the Birmingham people to put a detcctne to work on the trail of the impostor. Have }ou seen anything of him ?' A tap was heard at the door. ' Oil, v/o've got him, Mr Rowlands !' cried the little man whom wo have met before as the companion of Sergeant Jones, entering the bank. ' We've identified him us the man who cashed the forged note ; and tho notes given in exchango for tho dr.ift are many of them m the canvas bag that was deposited with Sergeant Jones by tho young gent from London. Oh, we've got him, clear as daylight ; and what's more, Mr Rowlands, we've found upon him a set of false ship's books, kept in two different ways ; and, as it seems, as the captain and tlio mate and he were all in lenguo together, we've took 'em all into custody ; and they're all waiting for you, Mr Rowlands, at the court-house.'

AqriculturaTj Lauor — This qucstion'continues to excite n good deal of interest in the Eastern counties. The Essex ftiul SuiTolk Farmers' Defence Association has resohed not to pay agricultural day laborers more than 2s per day of 12 hours, including breakfast and dinner. The mombers of tho association have also refused to employ men belonging to the Nilion.il Libircrs' Union, and all men belonging to the Union are to bo dismissed with a week's notice. In the Ilalstead district the laborers have demanded an advance of 3s per week as from April 11 , a week's work to consist of ten hours per d.iy for the first five days of the week and nine hours on Saturdays. Wages in and about HaLtoad have for some timo past been 12s per week. During the winter a considerable number of men who had been discharged in the village* round Halstead for becoming members of the. Laborers' Union have migrated to the north. A labor agent from 'Yorkshire has recently attended at Saffron Waldcn for the purpose of engaging laborers for farming work in Yorkshire ; some 40 or 50 men were engaged, their railway fares being paid and 18s per week guaranteed. The struggle between employer and employed is very severe in East Glocesterslnre, the Laborers' Union numbering many hundreds of members in tho division, and several strike 1 ? having occurred. On Monday a meeting of the Cironcester Chamber of AcnciHure was held, under the presidency of Sir Michael Hicks Beach, M.P., to consider the aspect of affairs. The general tone of the mooting was to the effect that the position of the agricultural laborers had greatly improved, machinery having relieved them from much severe toil, while their wages had increased in a corresponding ratio, added to which were improved cottages, good schools for their children, and other social advantages. Looked at broadly, there vns nothing in tho matter in dispute that ought not to be capable of an amicable settlement between master and man. Sir Michael Beach, in referring to the topic, said great care ought to bo taken to distinguish tetween those who led the laborers and the laborers themselves. So far as could be seen from tho literature of the Union — for the speakers were generally direct in their utterances — the chief agitators were Communists in politics and infidels in religion. Referring to talk out of doors as to an union of farmers being formed, Sir Michael paid he should deprecate anything like a countercombination, for combinations in such a matter were bad in principle ; though if strikes happened, it would be the duty of landlords and farmers *to help each other. For some time past the National Agricultural Laborers' Union have been communicating with reference to an Irish labor organization to pre\ent that influx of Irish laborers into England daring hay and corn harvest 9. These negotiations have been'comple'ed, and on Monday, at a meeting of the executive of the Laborers' Union, at Leamington, it was decided to form brandies throughout Ireland. Mr Gardner was appointed delegate to proceed at once to that country. Ho will be accompanied by an Irish delegate, to introduce him to bis countrymen. Tho Union deny all complicity with the alleged outrage by rattening in Somerset. A Peize Figiit in London.— From the Echo it appears that " on Monday n"ght the old Baptiat Chapel, now Graf-ton-hall, Grafton -street, Solio, was the scene of a disgraceful fight for tho Marquis of Queensberry's boxing-prize for light-weighted professionals, and a stake of £100. Although the admission was £1 per head, several hundred persons assembled to witness the competition, which was between Napper, the champion of the light weights in pugilistic circles, and a sturdy young fellow named Davis. The men stripped to the waist, and were attended by seconds, as m a prize fight. Napper was the favorite, a good deal of money being laid out at two to one on him. The early part of the performance consisted of light play, but after an hour and upwards had been spent without any apparent advantage being gained by either, the men repeatedly got to close quarters, when they fought with terrible vigilance, Davis, the stronger man, throwing his opponent on the hard boards at the conclusion of the rounds. Napper, much distressed, but witli never-failing pluck, came up again and again until Ills partizans, seeing their money -was in jeopardy, rushed into the ring. The scene that" followed baflles description, the men being continually intercepted by the interlopers, but failing nature at last gave way, and Napper was unable to come up to time, upon which tho referee gave the battle in favour of Davis, amid the greatest possible confusion and uproar. There was great excitement in the neighbourhood of the fight, many of the partisans of the combatants who could not afford the high figure of admission remaining outside the building The affair was one of the most disgraceful exhibitions, perhaps, ever witnessed." Another account says — "At one time some persons thought Napper was dead, but they restoied him pouiing water over his head and down his hack. He was picked up only to he knocked down again. There were four rounds after this Napper bled profusely." Tjik Election- of Pope3.— lt was only in ad. 1275, says the Hour, that Gregory X , at the second Council of Lyons, obliged the Cardinals to sign and seal a statute which was to regulate irrevocably the proceedings of a conclave on the death of a Pope. This statute enacts that on the tenth day after the death of tho Pope, the Cardinals are to bo shut up without waiting for absent members of the College in a single chamber of the deceased Pope's palace, where they aro to live in cemmon. All access to them is strictly prohibited, as well as any writing or message. Each is only to have one domestic, and their meals aro to be received through a window too narrow to admit a man. If they do not agree in three days their repast is to be limited for five days to a single dish ; after that they ate only to have bread and wine. Such was the arrangement settled by Gregory X. to prevent tho scandals which preceded his election. Whether or no tho Cardinals will be at tho next election starved into unanimity, or rather to tho proper majority required of two-thirds the whole number, is of very little importance. Wlint is really important, the question of who may bo tho successor of Pius IX , appears to be a more matter of conjecture. Wo may still trust, however, that better news from" Rome will tend to confirm tho hope that Pius IX. has strength enough to overcome the severity of disease as he has sustained the vicissitude 5 of fortune.

Singulvr Good Fhiday Customs.— Just outside the church of St. Bartholomew -the-Grcat, Smith field, m tho oldest churchyard in the City, on Good Friday might have been seen the aged icctor, the Ke\ John Ab'biss, putting donw twenty-ono sixpences on a grave-tone, >\ hicli the same. number of poor widows picked up Tho custom, remarks the City Press, is nearly as old as the church, anil originated in the will of a lady, who left a sum of money to pay for the sermon and to ju-ld these sixpences to be distributed over her grave 5 but as the w ill is 10-.t und her tomb gone, the traditionary spot of her interment is chosen ior the distribution — a strange part of the tradition being that any one too stiff in the joints to pick up the money was not to receive it. Tho rev rector is now eighty-seveu years of age, and was presented to the living 111 isio. Yesterday ho preached from Mark xv. 14, 15. On Good Friday, at tho church of Allhallows, Lombard-street, another aermon was preached under gifts distributed, consisting of a dew penny and a packet, of raisins, which were given to sixty of the younger scholars of Christ's Hospital, who attended tho service. Under tho same will the children of Langbourn Ward Schools who help in the choir, and tho children of tho Sunday-school, received each a bun and various sums of new money, ranging from a penny to a shilling, besides tho poor of tho parish, on whom was bestowed Is each and a loaf. The sermon was preached by tho Rev C. Mackenzie, tho rector, from John xix, 19, and the gifts were bestowed by tho churchwardens, Messrs Twclls and Howden, at the vestry door. Tho sum given away was close upon £10, and which, until the railway in Liverpool-street effaced tho spot, used to be distributed over the tomb of the donor. Singular Discovery. — A singular discovery has been made nt the old Conciergerio 111 Paris. At tho Court of Cassation fire had destroyed two out of tho threo towers, and a few days since tho workmen"en«»aged in repairing that named sif.er St Louis came suddenly upon a mysteriously deep well. 'Hits was contrived curiously m tho wall facing tho quay, and proves to be nothing less than tho fatal dungeon of the old aPlace of St Louis. Yet none of the historians of the Conciergerie mention it, and chance and mischance only have now made it known. An oponing of two square yards in one of the turrets reveals a horrid tunnel reaching the level of the Seine. There it forniß a gallery sloping downwards to tho bed of the river. The attempt to penetrate into this dreadful dungeon was fruitless, as the interior is lined with sharp iron spears and points., which cross each other in every direction. When this Tower St Louis wag used occasionally as the dwelling of the Kings of France, captives of note were confined in its underground prisons, and when the powers that were became anxious to get rid of any one of them, they led him through a postage formed in tho interior of the wall towards tin's newly-discorered dungeon. A secret door was opened, and he was precipitated into the yawning chasm, and there, transfixed by spikes, he perished in slow torture. Of course, it may bo easily imagined that it was only portions of skeletons that ever reached tho bed of the Seine. Fieelbss Locomotive. — Dr Lamm's ' iireless locomotive,' which we (English Mechanic) noticed some timo ago, has been introduced to the inhabitants of Brooklyn. The machine consists of u thickly-clothed and strong reservoir and a small steam-engine. Into the reservoir, water, at a very high temperature, is forced from a stationary boiler, and sufficient steam is thus obtained to propel an ordinary car at 12 miles an hour. In an experiment made on a roiln ay track, the locomotive drew a six-ton car, containing 35 passengers, six miles in 33 minutes — tho first threo miles occupying only 15 minutes. In this trial, water, at a temperature of 3GO dcgF, was forced into the reservoir, and gave a pressure of ]45lbs per square inch. During the first half of the journey this pressure fell toOOlbs, but decreased less rapidly 111 the second half, when the gauge showed 50lbs at the temination of the sit miles. The journey appears to have buen continuous. What the result would bo if the engine were stopped as frequently as a London tramway car can only be ascertained by experiment. A Substitute tor Coal — Sheffield, it is said, is about to give te the world a greater benefactor than Watts. The price of coal has been one of the great questions of the hour, and the probable exhaustion ot the coalfields has made those interested in posterity very uncomfortable. Now wo are to get a substitute, and one, too, of which there is an unlimited supply. If air, as is proposed, can be used as fuel, neither colliers, nor coalowners, nor railway companies will have us at their mercy, and our tempers will, as a matter of course, bo much improved. Mr Wrights invention for warming and lighting is already patented. In passing through a charged battery atmospheric air is carbonised, and thus combustible air is produced, which burns brighter than coal gas, and when mixed with air has a heating power which can melt copper wire. The price of tho gas would bo Gd for every 1,000 cubic feet, but, as the consumption ia more rapid the nctual co^t would bo 9d. Should this idea be brought into successful operation, the world will be a much happier place to live in, and Mr Wright will no doubt bo made a baronet. An Important Discovery xhar Cape Ilonx.— A very mportant discovery has been made by the captain of the British barque Cedric, of Liverpool, which has arrived nt Valparaiso. He reports to the authorities of that port that he had found a splendid bay, with safe anchorage, m the island of Wollaston, situate in hit. 55 22 S., and long. G7 35 W., in the Hermit group of islands, south of Terra del Fnego, 29 miles from Cape Horn, and protected from all winds and storms. The Cedric inchorcd fourteen days in this fine bay taking in wood and water. The vegetation all round is described as magnificent. The Indians were found docile, and they use canoes of bark, covered with the hido of the sea-lion. The captain of the Cedric says the harbor is superior even to that of the Falkland Islands. Tho Chilian Government, in consequence of the information, was about to send orders to tbe Chilian coast surveying expedition in Patagonia, to proceed to nnd examine into the claims of the island. Griffith's Patent Enamelling Paint. — A now enamelling paint has been introduced by Mr Thomas Griffiths, of Liverpool, for rendering buildings, however damp, thoroughly waterproof. It is prepared ready for vee, and can be applied by any ordinary laborer, and one coat is sufficient for all waterproofing purposes. For ships' bottoms, porous tile roofs, concrete blocks, gable ends, and walls of houses, it will be found especially suitable. In India and similar cliraates, would may be protected from tho ravages of t.be white nnt by its use. The enamel is extremely light in weight, the bulk being more than three times that of ordinary paint, and the body far greater ; its use is consequently much more economical. Cuttings from Fun.— Strange Omission : In cricketing circles where the prospects of the season are eagerly discussed, not a thought is bestowed upon tho great Colt's Match on Epsom Downs. — Harrowing : Harry ; " See yecr Bill, 'ecr's the cove as makes 'is best bow with both legs." Bill : " Eight, tchya'ar, 'Arry ; an' a penny Harrow, an a' aporth o' string to beach on 'em would be a fortin at a harchery meeting." — To make a joke go the rounds : — Send it to a circus clown. — Trado Mark : A fortunate Houndsditch tradesman, who has risen to comparitive alllucuce and a (cheap) wine bin, boasts that he has port in his cellar "gool ash new."