BARBARA VINE

Grey River Argus, 27 April 1929, Page 3 (Supplement)

BARBARA VINE

A TALE OF OLD WESTLAND

BY

R. H. HENDERSON

(Copyright.)

’ CHAPTER X. . Wednesday morning dawned grey and dull beneath a leaden sky. Listlessly the smoke from the two camp •fires drifted down Williams Gully, tG hover in thin blue curtains, raggedly, about the bush. Not a leaf, not even the spreading frond of a punga, was iastir. The birds held in pensive reserve the melody that heralds brighter dawning?, loth to intrude one note upon a stillness so impending. Twomey arrived ati the claim as George pulled his door to and went over to the tunnel. After a curt good morning, Ben took off his coat and entered, leaving his mate to attend to some duties outside. Charlie Petersen appeared, approach ing slowly, and keeping his gaze fixed steadily on Mornington. His careful morning greeting was returned with surprise. Then said her “I see your mate com’ oop; would you pleace call his out? I like speak to yon bot ’ toget’er, pleace.-*’ Wondering.* George with a pick signalled to his mate by striking it on the tunnel planks twice slowly, then three times quickly. A repeating sound some booming down the tunnel: a hollow tramping, and soon Ben emerged, scowling. Charlie stood with arms akimbo. * * Good day, Twomey. ’ ’ Ben grunted, eyeing him over. “ ’Tis rather an early hour to be paying calls, is it not?” “I makes my calls in broad daylights, anyvays. ”

“Oh. do you?” Ben sneered. A close observation would have revealed evidence of an unaccustomed indulgence in strong liquor. “Ye I do; an’ I not vaits till my neighbours is someveres else.” Charlie’s face was deepest red. He turned to Ben’s wondering mate. “Can you show me verc you got lot's of golds las’ veek? I likes to see little now if you got plenty in der claims to show me.” Greatly puzzled but smiling George took up a dish and led the way in to the cros -cut; Charlie and Ben followed in silence. He filled a dish at the face and as they wcr<» returning to 'he open he explained how inconsistent the claim was. “But perhaps you want to buy us out, Charlie,” he suggested jokingly. “I glad to buy you out if you show me golds in t’at dish. Com on: pan dor dish off an’ show me colours,” Petersen scoffed.

“You don’t expect to find colours in every di; h of dirt you take out, do you?” Ben returned. At the tub George handed the dish to Petersen, who ponderously but with exceeding care panned it off. It showed not one colour. 'George chuckled. **- T ust our luck’ I’ll go and get a dish from the paddock. Though if you come over again to-morrow, Charlie, we might be able to show you something Khat wjpuld please you better.” Petersen wheeled on Twomey. “Oh, I sees! Lettie salt, eh Ben? Not for Charlie; an’ yoti pleace mo mostest if you t how me der golds gone from my box.”s viles I bin avays. ” In blank aftonishment. Mornington stared at the Scandinavian. Twomey, quivering with rage, sprang forward- “ What a’ y’r m’anin’? Have ye gone mad?” he barked. Quivering with excitement, Petersen shook his fist in Twomey’s face. “You know vat I means, Ben Twomey! You got no golds in your claim to show me. Your mate sol’ twenty ounce to Hannigan yesterday. An’ my boxes bin robbed in las* free days of two monce sluicings. Dafs vat I means, ycntlemen! Good-day!” Charlie walked hastily away.

“I’ll have a dice of the squareheaded blackguard!” Twomey cried, starting after him. “No you won’t, mate,” Mornington interposed; and springing forward, he placed his hand on his mate’s shoulders, restrainingly. “If the man has been robbed he has my sympathy, and who can blame him for feeling the way be does? To condole his misfortune would fit us better than to rage at him in anger.” lie wheeled the old man roughly round. il Where were you on Saturday night, Mister?” “Where d’you think I’d be but heme in me bed? And for why, may I ask?” was the jeering retort. “I heard movements over at Petersen ’s on Saturday afternoon, when I was supposed to be away, and Petersen was no dougt still at Hannigan’s. After dark! I heard two men who avoided me going down this gully. One of the men waded through the creek, and you, in wringing wet clothes, covered in mud, entered your garden a little later.” The old man’s face was as grey as the stubbly whisker on his chin. Choking with rage he glared at Mornington, who saw at once that he had hit heavily. “O-o-h! And so yo’ve been peepin’ and spyin’ round me house, have you?” Ben made a frantic blow at the young man’s face. “Take that, y’ skulkin’ hound!” But George didn’t take it. With thumbs hooked in either side of his belt ho before his infuriated partner, who continued to aim blow after blow at a smiling face that seemed to be waiting there to receive them. Each blow seemed to just miss, i When George stepped back a pace or . two, Tw'ow’ey, roaring like an eni raged lion, charged him. But .as the • elder man was about to throw himself upon the younger, the sole of his rigV foot happened to come in contact with the toe of George’s left. Deftly hook . ing forward the foot of his mad oppon- , ent, Mornington gave him a gentle , push on the chest, and Twomey went . over backward to the ground. With a

five foot lathe in his hands he instantly regained his feet. Raising the slab of wood above his head and shouting: “I’ll batoer the grinning face off yer, ’y creepin’ skunk!” he rushed—to suddenly find the face of Mornington within a few inches of his own. His up raised left arm was grasped by a powerful hand, thumb downwards, just below the wrist; while with the , strength of a tiger’s jaws another hand gripped his elbow. A warning wrench, and the lathe falling to the ground, Ben stood utterly powerless, glaring into the expressionless face of his mate. I **Now, Mister, one move and your I arm will be in splints for a month or so.” With an occasional twitch, !which had the desired effect of impressing rather than paining the now subdued man, George continued: “As a boy I learned this and a few other tricks from a Japanese cook aboard ship.. Often later, when waiting for wool ciirgoes in Sydney Harbouit I spent my evenings round at Larry’s boxing school. He used to charge a shilling in and offer half a sovereign to anyone who could hit me. on the head while I stood with my hands tied behind my back. I received half entries. I made a bit of pocket money at Larry’s those nights. Still for your age you’re not bad, Ben. but not quite fast enough now; so don’t try any tricks again will you.” George freed the old man and concluded, **We’ll go back to work again now and think over wha* we had better do about Petersen’s business. He’s got no evidence against us, but you must admit it looks bad for you.”

Ben picked up his coat. “Oh!” he rejoined. ** Maybe so. But be th’ powers above I’ve, got evidence enough in me. own house to keep you quiet for awhile, y’ blatherin’ crimp!” The olci man stumbled away down to the track. Mornington stood in abject perplexity gazing after him. Then bounding down, the spur he seized Ben by the shoulder and wheeling him roughly round, demanded angrily. **What’s that you dare to say about evid en ce agai n st me?” “I declare I have evidence enough in me own house to keep you out ’vi th’ way for >a while. I’ll hunt you out of this gully, nje grinnin ’ beauty.” Old Bon hissed the parting shot and hurried away. Having now caught an extraordinarily strong whiff of Twomey’s stale whisky breath, Mornington concluded that he had been drinking heavily in secret, and on that account he allowed the old man to depart without further molestation. The instant. Twomey disappeared in the bush a movement close at hand caused George to glance round, and he saw Petersen cautiously approaching. “I bin planted in dor scrubs all er time an’ listen.” Charlie explained. “You might come with me pleace down to my boxes an’ see for you’self.” George expressed his willingness to do as he was requested and his eagerness to do. all in his power to assist the unfortunate man.

“T’en you tell mo how you get der golds you sole to Hannigan yesterday. You tell me t’at I soon clean der matter up, young feller.” Mornington indignantly protested against the Seandy’s suspicion. Charlie recalled to him his own words in reference to his intended holiday in Greymouth and demanded to know the reason of his sudden return. George described in detail his actions since Friday morning. In consideration of Nora Twomey, however, omitted to mention the incident on the track or Hie doubtful behaviour of her father on Saturday night. Charlie wanted to know what Twomey meant by saying that he had evidence against his mate. Mornington confessed that he was completely mystified by such an in- i sinnation. Unconvinced, Petersen led | the way over to his boxes. Pointing io the. ground around his panning-off tub, he drew his companions to several footprints; some formed by large boots, others by very much smaller ones. “You got no boots make der mark t’at small, have you, young feller?” No, thought George, he had not, but ho knew a man who had. A man w r ho wore high-heeled elastic-s'ide boots — Matson. Charlie turned and waved his hand towards the boxes. The false bottoms had been pulled up and methodically stacked across the race, and the blankets, neatly folded, 'were lying beside he tables. “I can tell Ben Twomey’s work among a t’ousand,” Charlie averred. “He can’t mnke a. slovenly yob. No doubts about it he bin hcres for one: who der ot’er?” George remained silent and his companion continued, “You don’t care tc tel] me vere you got der golds you sol’ to Hannigans. Orright, ve say no mores an’ may as veil go horn’. ” When they had separated and gone in the. direction of their respective camps, Petersen called after George: “I give you coppie days to t.’ink about it. If you don’t open your mout’ den I must give you in eh arch. ” George halted, thinking deeply. But soon he threw back his head and returned to work.