CHAPTER LXVIII.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1595, 23 September 1882, Page 5

CHAPTER LXVIII.

At last the glimmering dawn Upon the eastern verge appeal s. And after night the mom Beams on us with its smiles and tears. The shadows of tho night ITade in the radiance of the day ; And life again is bright With joy that shall not fade away. Night on Grit 1 Night still and solemn, veiling in her mystic pall the landscape — casting over all a weird and awful shadow. The crushing mills still stamped and thundered ; the streets were busy with people ; but in tho outskirts the profound peace of evening had fallen. The birds had sought the trees ; nature was in repose ; every creature but man, restless man, had gone to rest. But man, intelligent man, was still busy in pursuit of the phantoms for which he sacrifices soul, and honor, and peace. Soon a gentle radiance appeared in the east, strengthening until the cold chaste moon arose over the hills and dissipating the gloom of night, cast over nature her own fairy lights and shadows. The moon looked down that night upon no stranger scene than that being enacted at the Hesperus Extended mine. News had spread far and wide that Oladiah Sweetcomf ort's body had been recovered '; so a large crowd was gathered together. It was quite an event in Grit. For years life had gone on in a quiet, listless way. Ever since the great collapse, the stream of existence had flowed evenly enough. But now there was a genuine excitement. Men moved about, and talked of the clay on which Jack was buried alive, and the extraordinary events that followed ; and there were a few old greyheaded men who did not forget to put in a word about the memorable night of the flood when Janet was murdered, and the Gritty Gully Trumpet inaugurated. Some wondered if the great occurrences that had taken place during the past few days were precursors of a change. Why not ? Any great event in the past had always been followed by a change for the better. And it was generally agreed that if such would occur, the terrible deaths of Hector Macinnis and Obadiah Sweetcomforfc would not be regretted. Little was heard on behalf of either. A few half-wondering, half -pitying words were dropped about Hector, dead in the prime of his life, the height of his glory ; but whatever was said about Obadiah, was the reverse of complimentary, the axiorfl de mortuis, &c, notwithstanding. Everyone seemed glad that the rich man had died and gone — well, there was a singular unanimity as to where he had gone. It was the time for those to whom lie had refused a loan, or upon whom .he had trodden, to revenge themselves, and they did it unsparingly. Jack and stood by, near the poppetlegs, unnoticed. Jack had faded completely out of memory in the hurry-scurry of life ; and the very men who talked about his wonderful escape, never noticed that the hero of their story was standing by. But Jack was rather pleased than otherwise at this. He knew now the hollowness of fame. Standing there in the moonlight, watching the groups of earnest talkers, now and then glancing over the moonlit scene, what a flood of memories passed through -Jack's mind, thrilling his heart with emotion after emotion — joyous, sad, gay, and grave. The pastoral scenes' of his youth, the day when he met William Bfown, now standing beside him, and first saw the metal which had since played so important apart in* his life ; the dream of the Shining Beef ; the night ,pf horror when his mother died; the hours' of ' courtship ; ,the burying alive in this very mine ; the day of his grandeur and wealth ; the hour of ,his fall ;' the loss, of Bertha'; 'jthe joyful reconciliation : the death of his father 1" Strange, eventful^

" Too fond oE enjoying thcm&elycs," said the second speaker. " The drop of' grog, you know." " Ay, ay," was the reply, accompanied with a shake of the head. Jack looked at the men. In the spectral light they seemed to him as if they were the old Mends dead and go;ne, of whqm Buhakum had spokon in some of his last speeches. A sudden movement in the crowd told Jack and William that something had taken place. The strange silence informed them the body of Obadiah had come to the surface. With an effort they' got into the front rank. There, in the truck, lay the corpse of the wretched man. The c ( old, white face and stony eyes looked up at the quiet moon with a horrible stare. It was a sight that hushed the assemblage into stillness. Not long since "this man was in the full possession of health and strength and riches ; looked up to with the awe that wealth creates. He hold the destinies of many there in his hands. A word from him, and their daily bread was gone — another word and they were wealthy for life. Now,' the meanest of the crowd could jeer at him; the weakest take that nerveless hand. In sight of that poor, helpless piece of clay, Jack forgot the hate and anger of the past, and almost regretted the fate that had snatched away this man before he had repented his deeds. Jack stood next to Sniggle Snickers. Everyone had noticed during the day the awful excitement under which this man labored ; but all had set it down to natural feeling. Obadiah and Sniggle had been great friends, and it was owing to accident that, as in life they had been inseparable, in death they were not divided. Sniggle had hitherto been a sober man ; bitt on this day he had drank, and drank brandy, and it seemed to have no effect upon him. Only Jack noticed the ghastly hue of his face as he gazed on the corpse. As the moonlight shone upon his distorted face, it rivalled that of the dead man in rigidity and ghastliness. But who was to dream of the terrible secret that face concealed ? The light being brought forward, they searched Obadiah's body, the magistrates and the police standing by. Sniggle Snickers was amongst the group, and Jack was close to him. After a while they came across the tablets. The officer of police observed them and glanced at the writing. A cold sweat burst forth, from every pore of Sniggte Snickers' frame. Was it possible that Obadiah had lived long enough to write down what had occured ? He made a movement as if to fly ; but his terror and prostration were so great, and his limbs seemed to fail him. The police officer read on ; and those near . to him could see that an expression of the utmost astonishment appeared upon his face. He had hardly began to read wtien he glanced at Sniggle Snickers, and the wretched man fell; as if the officer read with one eye and kept the other fixed upon him. His knees knocked together, his face lit, half by the moonlight half by the lanterns, Avas ghastly white. When the officer closed the tablet — he had never taken his eye off Snickers — he turned to a trooper. " Wilson," he said, " arrest Mr. Sniggle Snickers for the murder of Obadiah Sweetcomfort." Those who stood close to the shaft of the Hesperus Extended were conscious of something flashing past them, and the vast crowd heard a shriek of horror and dispair which they never forgot to their dying day. Sniggle Snickers, casting a glance at the glorious moon that was sailing in the heavens, the blue sky, thoj thousand faces lit by lamp and moon, threw up his arms and sprang into the shaft. Those close at hand could hear his corpse as it rebounded from side to side until at last with* an awful thud it fell upon the bottom — a thousand feet below ! The crowd gathered round the shaft with confused an awe stricken murmurs, and men at once got into the cage and descended. Presently it came up bearing a mass of flesh from which all humanity had been crushed out. People turned from the awful sight. The police placed the two corpses on the one trestle and bore them away. The people still crowded round talking of these terrible events, and regaling each other with ominous versions of the awful story. But soon it was evident something of even greater and more personal interest was exciting the mass. Whispers began to circulate amongst the crowd, and intelligence was on foot, that overpowered even this wonderful instance of hatred beyond death. In some manner it was communicated that a new reef of surprising richness had been discovered in the Hesperus Extended mine. Avarice, long latent, was now developed, and soon the crowd was hurrying to and fro seeking to pick up shares — leaving Obadiah's corpse locked up in the office to await the inquest. Our friends heard the news ; but it was of little interest to them. They had no, money to purchase shares. With a weary sigh of regret they left the scene and walked away towards their home, talking as they went of the affairs of the day. Neither guessed the true solution of events — they only wondered and speculated.