HARRIS AND PARTY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10597, 5 March 1895, Page 6

HARRIS AND PARTY.

[BT JOHN ARTHUR BARRY.] (The Australasian.) On the Pine Hut diggings we were Chowridden almost beyond beating. A fellow couldn’t even taka his pick and shovel and dish and stroll out into tho bush to try a prospect but a yellow-faced, slant-eyed heathen would happen to bo botanising around on his tracks. _ They were everywhere, scraping and fossicking, and shepherding white muscle till it bottomed.

For a time there was much talk of rising en masse, tying their tails together, and hunting them off the field, 0, la Lambing Flat. But it never came to anything; and the impassive children of the sun, moon and stars pursued the even tenor of their way unmolested —at least comparatively so. Certainly, now and again, an irate digger, finding one in suspicious proximity to°his wash-dirt, would administer a good kicking, taken meekly and uncomplainingly. Bat that was all. Our lot—Harm and Party, as we wore known officially—consisted of four. And a more unlucky four never came together. Everybody else seamed able to at least make wages, the majority much more. Bat wo were not getting tucker. And oven the meanest, dirtiest Chinkey of them all would gtia aggravatingly ss ho passed us, toiling away in some shaft, preordained to turn out a duffer. The knpwledge that his luck is gone takes all the stiffening out of a man, and renders him soft and limp, and careless. Wo were fast approaching that state and the bottom of our sixth hole. In no place in the wide world, perhaps, does one feel so wofnlly out of touch with hia follows as on a diggings where everybody else is “on gold.” Our bad fortune was so proverbial that no Chinaman ever dreamt of shepherding a claim belonging to ue. We bottomed our sixth hole at eighty feet, on bard, shiny, hungry-lookiag slate, under a bed of pipeclay, and cleaned up the bottom for three “ floaters” and a microscopic speck. And wa sat on the mullock-heap about the windlass, smoking in the sunshine, but saying very little. Men whoso luck is out as wide and as deep as ours gat broken in to it, and only swe&r inwardly. Presently, along came Swalon Tommy, one of a party working an adjoining rich claim they had acquired by purchase. " Ah.” he grinned, “ allae Game, eh ? No gold this time,; eh ? My woe’! you fellah no saves find urn go’!” “ Whips of it, you bloomin’ pirate,” said Harris suddenly. “ We’ve just cleaned up. Hold on till I show you the last dish.”

So saying, be strode over to the pud-licg-tub, and in a nunuto returned, and, with a dexterous turn of hia wrist displayed about an ounce of combo gold shining amongst the black sand on the lip of the dish.

“ My wot’," grunted Tommy admiriugly, as hia eyes Knapped. “Welly goo’. Make ’nm pile this time, alii,” and off ha wont, whilst wa stared in surprise at the sleight-of-hand we had just witnessed. Harris laughed. Ho was a resourceful sort of man; therefore we were silent, knowing that he would explain matterr. “The idea struck mu last night/’ said ha at last, “ that if this turned out na rank a duffer as the real., we’d allow the heathen to share our luck. I had some Tomora gold, and whoa Tommy came along I worked the oracle on him, as you saw. I wouldn’t take a white man in, but I reckon those yellow beggars fair game. It may not come to anything. But, seeing we’re so clcaa to them, they may bite. Tha price is one thousand two hundred pounds —not a cent leas. And we deal only with the heathen. I’ll go below now, and start driving towards their claim. When Fortune’s got a dead sot on us like this, tho only .way, in place c£ facing her, is to work a traverse and got behind her. You’ll maybe see more Chows about presently- I’ll tell you my scheme after supper. Lower away, now, and keep panning out, one of you, when a bucket cornea up.” All that afternoon Chinamen, belonging to the neighbouring syndicate, hovered around, and furtively watched one or the other of us washing prospects, and ostentatiously picking out bits and putting them carefully away, whilst emptying th finer gold into a jam tin. Harris,bad some pretty specimens from half-a-dozen different fields, and. wa used everything all we knew how, making a very tine show, over and over again, wasting nothing. And it is.really, astonishing

what a practised hand can do in this way when ho exerts all his skill. As wo knocked off quite a number of people rolled up and congratulated us on the “ turn of our luck.” Even the Warden, chancing along, made a special call for the purpose. He was a bit of a geologist, and, said be: “ Yea; I always maintained that the lead ran through here somewhere. You’ll find it’ll dip sharp north-west. _ I’m very glad indeed; I couldn’t have wished a pluckier lot of fellows to strike it. Hope it’ll turn out real good. The dip’s northwest, min'd.”

Only tho knowledge of our purpose being such a righteous one kept us from feeling uncomfortable. However, we broached a case of whiaky, and asked our friends to drink the health of the now find, which they did with much heartiness ond mirth, and the adjoining Chows looked on, and listened and chattered together. You will observe that, although cursed with such a run of had luck, we were not in that starvation state of hardupedsess pertaining by right to the legendary digger before he makes his startling pile. But, for all that, our available cash assets did not amount to moro than £2.0. We had offers during week, bus not from tho right people. And, although we were becoming very tired of the business, and knew at sight each particle of imported gold, we still hung on. And when the time came, as Harris swore is would, everything was ready. One day the boss of the Mongolian syndicate strolled over and made an offer. We laughed at him and showed him a heavy prospect—lying always handy for such an emergency. Ea seemed impressed, but only grunted and wont away. Next evening ho came again, and matters advanced.

Wo were to have our £I2OO cash down, as soon as hia men had done ono full day’s satisfactory work in the shaft. Thera had beau some recant cases of “■ salting” on the field, and the _Chows, who were its capitalists, taken in more than once, difficult as that was. Hence the proviso, which, having foreseen and being right into oar hands, we closed with at once. We stipulated, however, that the proceeds of that day’s work should belong to us. After argument this was conceded. Wo also promised not to come near the claim that day—to, in fact, trust to their honesty as to the quantity of gold they might take out. No wonder they smiled at each other, and were obsequiously polite to us. They took us for new chums. Slim, small and active as a cat, I was chosen as chief actor in the little drama.

“Got, plenty of tucker in the hole?” asked Harris the night before the trial. “Enough for a couple of days if neees> sary,” I replied. “And you thoroughly understand the programme ?” “Through and through. Don’t any of you bo alarmed. It won’t be my fault if those Chinkies forget Harris and Party. Give me the stuff and I’ll cache straight away. They’re bound to be here at jackass-cackle.” “Make it spin out, old man,” said Harris, handing me about four ounces of mixed gold. “Some buckets a weight, some more, and some just a colour or two. Keep the average close to two weights, and we can’t go wrong. The only thing I’m doubtful about is your getting out. It’s a long climb, and they might leave the rope up when they knock off.” “ Hope or no rope,” I answered, “I can doit. Do it in the dark. I’ve been practising, off and on, and can either straddle or shin it right up. I’ve got pegs driven in, just enough for a foothold, all the way.” As will be seen presently, I had neither to have recourse to these nor to shinning up the seventy feet of manilla rope. “ Eight, then! ” said Harris. “ Perhaps, as io’s getting late, it may be as wall to plant at once.” To within ten feet of the bottom we had been obliged to slab. Then came “standing ground.” Just above this we had taken out a couple of slabs, and replaced them with light pine boards, closing the entrance to a sort of cavern, large enough to turn in uncomfortably, sitting or lying. The boards could bo slipped backwards or forwards at will, and, through the aperture, the inmate of the recess behind them could not only see everything going on helow, but, by stretching, reach the opposite wall of the narrow shaft. Into this secret chamber, as they lowered me down, I swung myself easily, by dint of custom, and the ropa and bucket were hauled up again. Some blankets, a packet of candles, a bottle of whisky, a big pot of cold tea, and a gin case full of cooked provisions constituted the plenishing of my rocky room.

Lighting a candle, I closed one of my elides, and, taking up a book I bad brought ■with me, stretched out ag(l began to read.

It was a curious place to bo in; and to the detriment of my author, curious thoughts would come as I raised my eyes now and then from the page, and watched tba shadows flicker on the grey walls furrowed by grooves of pick. I awoke before daylight, by my watch, and after something to eat, washed down by cold tea and whisky—each good in itself, and therefore batter combined—l blew out my caudle, opened both slides and waited impatiently—longing for a emoke, but not daring. Presently the darkness seemed a little thinner, I put my head out and looked up. Par away aloft was a patch of dull light—daybreak undoubtedly. Bslow and facing me was the mouth of the drive, which was supposed to be following the rich gutter we had struck. This we might, of course, have salted. But we were very doubtful about our gold lasting out the agreed-upon period; no matter how carefully the operation had been performed, it was just possible for it to have come' up in the first half-dozen buckets. Then a dismal blank and dead failure.

When space ia restricted to one narrow shaft and a small drive, ‘both in hard country, thorough ,c salting ” is practically impossible with limited means, except with the rawest of new chums in view. To cunning and experienced miners like our friends the fraud would have been at once apparent. Hence the elaborate precautiono taken. Harris knew what he was about al! right.

Suddenly there was a barbarous clatter of tongues at the mouth of tha abaft, and down came the big green hide bucket with a Chow squatting on it. “ 0 hafo” shrilled tha first-comer; and iip went the bucket, descending in a minute with a similar burden.

One of them popped into the drive like a rabbit, and I soon heard the steady strokes of his pick. His companion amused himself by breaking off bits of stone here and tbero and eagerly holding the candle to them. Wa had done tho same thing lota of times.

By leaning over I could have pulled hia tail where he stood.

After a while the man in tha drive sung out; tho bucket was handed to him, filled, dragged out, and swung slowly aloft—ao slowiy that I leisurely put my hand in and stirred the dirt up and over th©' two penny-weights or so inserted for a good beginning, * There was no chance of detection, aa, unlike our fashion, tho fellow crawled into the drive out of possible harm’s way, not reappearing until the bucket was safely landed. Then they both cams out and aat down and lit their pipes, apparently waiting for the verdict. This must have bean very favourable, for they chuckled loudly, and set to again. And I kept on repeating the dosa with duo judgment. After this had gone on for a couple of hours or so, in obedience to some command from above, they knocked off, and down came tha boas Chow himself—a little old man with rat-like face, and a scraggy, white moustache.

First holding a spirited consultation with hia men, ho seized a pick and banged away at tho bottom, whilst I grinned at him and called him all sorts of fools. A child might havo known tho stuff for bedrock. Producing a set of magnifying glasses, be ecnUinised pieces of tha stone, and touched thorn with his tongue, and compared them with other pieces from hia pocket, and then gave what eeomed to be

a ahoit, tut vary animated geological lecture, illustrated by frantic gestures, whilst the others nodded their heads and grunted. Then he ascended, and, to my surprise and disgust, down came a couple of drills and a hammer, and the two Chows started to punch a hole right under my nose. Here was a pretty go! If they used powder, I might, perhaps, get off with a bad choking; but dynamite meant a probable pegging out. And what could induce the idiots to sink through a true bottom, as we all—even Harris—declared it to be! My cramped quarters were getting uncomfortable enough as it was. What'they would become when filled with smoke or dynamite fumes I could only imagine. The hole went down rapidly, for the * Chows were adepts at their work. | It was getting late ; so, whilst seriously considering tho situation, I bad something to eat and drink. When I peered out again they were putting in a heavy charge of powder. I could see the big grains shining black in the candle light. Better, of course, than the deadly dynamite fumes; but for all that I didn’t half fancy the experiment, and had a good mind to cry a go and make a sudden appearance. Then I thought of tho three hundred pounds ; thought, also, of the poor figure that Harris and Party would cut before the rest of the field if I jibbed, and determined to chance it. So I took another drink, and watched the heathen stamp the charge and lay their fuse, all secundum artem. Then one went up, and the other fellow lit the fuse, yelled “0 kafol ” and was hauled up too. And, after glaring for a minute at the small red point below me, I drew my shutters aa cloao aa I could, crouched against the furthest corner of my hole, and, for the first time in ray life, preyed to bo made oven smaller than I was. The minutes that followed seemed like days, but at last came a deafening explosion, the hitting of showers of stones against my planks, and a rushing of stifling smoke through every crevice. The sulphurous fumes got down my throat and choked me, into my eyes and blinded me. Gasping, I threw myself flat and covered my head in a blanket, whilst a horrid thought flashed into my mind that the Chows, having by some mcakts discovered my presence, had determined to smoke me out like a ’possum from a hollow tree. I think I must have been almost unconscious when the smoko thinned and a delicious whiff of fresh air came blowing down. Looking out I discovered tho tail, end of a wind-rail hanging in the shaft. Gradually the atmosphere cleared, and, reassured, I took up my old position, ready for anything bar another spell of suffocation. As it was, for weeks afterwards my throat felt sore, and I carried the smell of sulphur about with me. Presently the Boss and the other two came down, coughing and spitting terribly. They were evidently in a hurry, or they would have delayed a while longer. The shot had done its work well. Fully half a ton of the bottom lay piled up all over the place. Tho three began to grope about in it, and in a minute or bo a chatter arose like that made by the birds called by bushmsn tho “Happy Family.” And first one, then another, held stones to the light, eo that even I, from my parch, could easily sac the dull, rich gleam of gold—plenty of it. The heathen were better geologists than wo were; and, after all, it had only been & false bottom. Another of their excited discussions now took place, in which each bore his share. Then the three fell to work like furies, to restore the bottom as much as possible to its normal appearance. Two more men with rammers came down, and the crowd rammed and stamped the disturbed surface, till it was as flat as a pancake. What was over they sent up, and, just for curiosity, I took toll of a couple of lumps out of the bucket as it passed, each containing as much gold aa I had left from the original lot. The depraved heathen had struck it rich, and were trying to conceal tho fact from the rightful . owners until the bargain was concluded. But for my presence they would undoubtedly have succeeded ia. perpetrating a wholesale robbery ; and I wao filled with indignation as I thought of our narrow escape. It also occurred to me that if I did not get away at once and warn Harris there would bo no escape about it, but a catastrophe. Decidedly they would not lose a minute now in concluding the deal. The Boss and the two extra men had already gone up. There were a few more buckato of stuff left to clear away, and I determined to take a passage on the very next one. 80, as it came opposite to me, I clutched the rope, and, pulling tho boards into their places, sprang as lightly as I could on to the bucket. For a while it travelled, but more and more slowly, as the men. at tho windlass felt tho extra weight. At lust it stopped altogether, and a shout came down the shaft. “ 0 kafo ! ” I screamed in answer, and they hove away again, I could hear them granting at the windlass. Perhaps they thought there was a big nugget coming up. But when my head appeared just "level with the top logging, they gave one look, and let go everything, and fled yelling. Luckily, 1 wao quite prepared for such au event, and, making a spring, grasped the edge of the shaft and drew myself up, whilst the ■ bucket went whirring below again. Delaying only long enough to grab tho tin with the day’s washing, I made for our camp, bursting in on the others, who jumped up, and seamed for a minute inclined to follow tho Chow’s example. Stained with red and whits clay, a wet kerchief bound round my head, face blackened, and eyes bloodshot, perhaps I was the object they afterwards minutely described to me. A few words told how matters stood, and they rushed off to the shaft. I thought I had batter stuy behind and make myself presentable. They were heaving up the second Chinaman when the Bean and throe or four members of the syndicate appeared with the purchase money. But Harris refused it utterly, and reproached them in unmeasured terms for their duplicity, whilst they stood lost in astonishment at the extann of his knowledge. “ Never min’!” said one of those who had been at the windlass when 1 made my unexpected appearance, as the party retreated crestfallen. “You fellah no catches go’! Allea same Devil live down there! Luc!!; no more no goo’!” But, considering that v/o took .£2OOO per man out of the claim, the prophecy may be said to have fallen flat.