Chapter XXXIII. Ghosts.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 41

Chapter XXXIII. Ghosts.

The land on the further side of the stream was more broken than any which Robert Grimshaw had y«t seen, and appeared to rise considerably; indeed they were now ascendiog the hill, though in a cirouitous direction, and when the sun rose scm* hours later, they had a splendid view of the great plain behind them and the wild gorges around. Thsy were a long waj from Grow dully, and although Vost did not fail to look in all directions for signs of the precious metal, he saw none.

He asked the natives whether there was " plenty gold " there, but they shook tiwir neads, intimating that it lay further south. He also asked them whether they should go near the wonderful care, but they- again answered In the negative, and comforting himself with the assurance that he should certainly find it later, he dismissed the subject from bis mind end cheerfully plodded on.

As they left the river bank and mounted to a' higher altitude they left the mosquitoes behind, to Grimshaw's great satisfaction, to whom their attentions had been more close than desirable. Their place, however, was taken by vrhpie swarms of sandfliea, which were bat little leas objectionable. The country was also a likely one foi snafcee, of which he had been' repeatedly warned, though dm yet he had not seen any venomous ones, and fie could not yet regard the harmless specimens^ with -the profound indifference which was shown by his companions, both black and white.

While tbVday was still young they came in sight of the mimis of the native camp, and in one of the largest of these they found Stubbs, carefully watobed and tended by a blaok gin, wbo squatted by his side on the bare ground like a figure carved in ebony, and only stirred from time to time to give him a drlnfc or perform some trifling service. It was thiß woman who had set his injured limb, and tended him through the long fever with marvellous devotion and constancy, though he never knew why she had thus devoted herself to him — whether it wag the natural goodness of her heart,' or whether she thought he was some mysterious creature whose anger she hoped to propitiate, or whose favour she sought to win. Perhaps she fancied It was the spirit of her dead chief who thus returned to the earth in the guise of a superior race.

Stubbs recognised Yost, and held out a thin hand in welcome.

"It is good of yon to come," he said. "Is that the doctor } " Though Grimshaw was not a doctor, he fortunately carried some .quinine and iron powders in his swag, and seeing .that Stubbs's ailment was low fever, brought on by exhaustion and bis wound, he administered these with excellent effect, so tbat the natives, seeing the cure, brought all the sick people in the camp and laid them at the feet of the great medicine man, who vainly tried. to make them understand that the drills which would cure low fever were not exactly adapted for the treatment of consumption and scrofula. Bat they, thinking that they had not offered sufficient inducement, brought nuggets and qaaitz, with pieces of gold in it, making signs to him that he should take these In payment for his services.

" What a pity we didn't bring a medicine cbeßt with us," said Vost. "We might have found toe trade of medicine man more profitable than digfflns. ' QantToa give them a&vthineZ*

"I have nothing but a box of Cookie's pills," Bald Robert doubtfully.

" Ths very thing. Give them half a dozen apiece all round, [c can't hurt 'em, *»d may do good. Anyhow, it's sure to pjesue them." As soon as Btubbs beoame a little stronger he gave them an account of his experiences In the treasure cave, of the death of poor , Jakes, and of his own terrible and prolonged sufferings, " I thought it was all up with me," be said - " I never expeoted to get out of that cursed place ; but now and again I struck on tha wall with my pick, and J shouted and called out, more to keep myself from going mad than from any hope of ever eacaping thence. When I heard the blacks working away I Could not believe my good fortune, and when the first ray of daylight came Into the cave I think I must have become unconscious, for the next thing that I remember was finding , myself in this mimi with that old black gin leaning over me. I thought she was a devil, but 6he has been more like' an angel to me."

" And what became of Hardcas^le, or Hall, as you call him ? "

" Curse him 1 " cried Stubbs, raising himself weakly on ona arm, and uttering such a fearful Imprecation, on the absent traitor that even Robert strove to silence him.

They then compared accounts concerning the common enemy, and agreed to join force! , and track him to his hiding place, wherever that might be.

They little knew that at that very moment he waß advancing to his doom, having, determined to. pay another visit to ths treasure cave before he left Australia for, ever, and take his ill-gotten gains to one of the great cities of America, the presence of Eulalia, and her recognition of him, having shown him that Australia was probably a more dangerous place than any other. " She will scarcely pursue mo to 'Frisco/ 1 he thought. "I will jutt make one more, trip to the treasure oave, and then I will leave this caned place for ever."

Accordingly he bought a good horse, and took the journey by very easy stages, avoiding all those places where he was at all likely " to be recognised. He dropped the digger alto* . gether, and gave out that he was an English milord doing the colony. His princely airt and evident command of money supported this claim, and be met with great consideration wherever he went. In this manner he was much less likely to be suspected than H he had allowed people to fancy that he had anything to conceal.

When he reached the neighbourhood of Dead Man's Fiat he made a considerable detour, and struck the plain at right angled to Canyon Gully. He approached it very nearly at the landslip, and rode swiftly down. His nerve did not fail nor his conscience smite him when he contemplated that, spot which had borne Bttah tax important part in his colonial experience. Here the. tiger snake had pursued, and would hava killed him but for Jakes. Where was Jaket now ? Hera he had lared the two miners, Vost and Fritz, to their death. Were those their bones which lay bleaching further up the gully ? No, on a further inspection they proved to be those of a kangaroo, which had probably fallen over ths cliff. When he cam* to think of it the men's bodies had no doubtbeen carried farther down the creek by the flood which bad followed the memorable storm.

He did not camp in the gaily; it might have Dsen too muoh even for bis hardened nerves, but be stopped for some hours at the camping place under the wattles where Jakes had drunk of the muddy water which ha would not couch, and Stufebs had told him stories of the drought in New Soath Wulcs.

The whole place "was fall of rsminiscecces of biß old chums. They surrounded him on all sides and would not be shaken off. Try as he might be could not help remembering what the one had eaid or the other had answered. He strove to turn the current ol his thoughts, to look forward and not backward, bnt be. osnld not do it. The solitary ride, the sight of these wall-remembered spots, shook his nerve as if he had seen a ghost.

He bad intended to camp for the night under the wattles, but sleep was impossible, He took a nip from the flask which he carried in his pocket, but he did not dare to draw too deeply from it, last the time should come when he should want it; more. He would fain have kept a great are for company, bub there was no wood ; and even had there been* ha would not have dared Co make a blaze lest it should attract enemies from some part of Che great lonely piste. The silence was oppressive beyond wordsv and when a morepork broke the stillness with its long melancholy note, he could scarcely restrain a cry, and the perspiration poured down hit face. He had not f«lt like this in the daytime. He longed for the ran to rite, but it was scarcely midnight. He had intended to remain under ths wattles all night, but he found it impossible to do so. Surely the place was haunted I He saddled bis hors< and resolved to push on as far as the rives He would have a good rest there, for then II would be daylight, and with the dawn th( ghosts of the night wonld clear away. Ther< was light enough to see the landmarks^ though there was no moon, and his good horse soon covered the 30 miles in his long swinging trot. At dawn they reached the river. " Wow for a good rest," said Hall, and finding a sheltered spot he lay otowu with his saddle for a pillow, and was soon fast asleep. Bat in his dreams the tiger snake again pursues. Fast, fast he flies, but the snake gains little by little. On, on he goes, straining every nerve; faster and faster till the movement is agony. He approaches the gully ; he looks out for Jakes. 'No Jakes is there. Jakes is dead, he 'can no longer help anyone. ' Faster and faster flies, tne hunted man, nearer and nearer comes the snake. Ha can do no more. He falls, the creature's fangs are on bis throat — he wakes'acd springs to his feet with a cry of horror. What is that on his throat 7 It is the Berpent after all I He puts up bis hand and catches a large hairy-legged spider which has dropped from the tree above.

After this it was useless to try to sleep any more. He would push on to the treasure cave, fill the bag he had brought with him, and quit the spot for ever. He bathed in the river, took another draia fsvm his flask, and felt ready for anything

i

Ho forded the stream without difficulty and threaded the labyrinthine track which led to Grow Gully.

He knows the way well. Thiß is the gully ; this is the spot where the little camp stood. To Mb eurpvhte he finds tbat the tent wMoh he himself had helped to fix is no kl^vi there. He rubs his eyes and looks round. Oan. he have mistaken tbe spot ? No, he recognises one landmark after another, and them are the very tent pegs which held down the flap. But where is the tent 1 Some one must have been here and taken it away. Who 1 Perhaps another party of diggers had been prospecting and had discovered the treasure. Perhaps — a more terrible thought Btill— Jakes and Stubbs bad escaped from the death-trap to which he had consigned them, and bad themselves removed the tent to some other spot.

How he wished he had not oome. If he pould only have found himself back in Melbourne, not all the gold in the world would have tempted him to return to Crow Gaily. But now that he had come so far be oould not for very shame turn back. No, be must brace himself to the tack and go on to the bitter end, and that the end was near he was himself dimly conscious.

' It was impossible to ride farther, so he tethered his horse and pursued bis way on foot. - There was still water In the creek. This Bnoouraged him, for it proved that the stream bad not again been diverted from its bed, but that having entered and probably filled the cave, had forced its way ont into the old Channel.

He scrambled- up the watercourse. It Beemed to him changed ; there was certainly more water, and it rushed past him with greater force. Recent storms in the billy district would account for this. He did not dream of the further mischief which they had done.

It is hard Work climbing over tbe wet, slippery stones, but it will soon be over. The tush of falling water is in bis ears. He turm a corner; this is tke spot from which in former days the cascade was visible, and afterwards the entrance to the cave.

He stands transfixed. Oan this be tbe tame spot? There is a cascade, but not the he remembers. An aroh of rock ia bow 'filled by the foaming torrent, which falls behind it in roaring thunder in the very space which had once been occupied by the treasure cave. For in releasing Stubbs from bis prison the natives bad broken down a great part of the roof, and the torrent, swollen by rain, bad completed tbe work of destruction.

The treasure cave had disappeared, Hardcaetle could scarcely believe the evidence of bis senses. He rubbed his eyes and vreßt still further. Tbe round pool was filled to overflowing ; it was impossible to go round It or behind it, the old footholds had all been worn away.

If any .gold remained in the gully, and no doubt there was plenty, the only way to obtain it would be by again diverting the Utream from its channel, an engineering task quite beyond his skill, and beyond the execution of any single pair of hands.

Baffled and confused he turns to retrace bis Btepc. What is that 7 Does he see a ghost ? Deafened bj the sound of rushing water lie has not he&ri the steps of his pursuers. In his dowu-"\rd path, completely commanding ths narrow gully, stand three men. He knows them well. Two he believes himlelf to have slain. One is an enemy from the forgotten past. Surely they have all risen from the grave to confront him. He knows not where to turn or what to do. Flight is impossible. Behind him is the deep pool and the wall of rook, and rock closes him in on' either side. Escape is impossible. He has no weapoß ; he oan neither fight nor fly. He stands paralysed. " Seize him," cries the stern voice or Hiram Btubbs, " and bring him along 1 The boys phall jndge him." (Tip be continued.)