CHAPTER IT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 78

CHAPTER IT.

Theie N a spin ions vaiiety of the digger species who takes it out of his fellow miners occasionally as badly as a London syndicate — the fictitious prospector foi alluvial fields. H& will go for a month or tyto into the bufekt. and Lavky; fouad tke

smallest prospect, will return to some large mining camp, and report the discovery of a new field, with the object of getting up a rush of men, which he hopes will discover the rich gold he has failed to locate ; then he will peg ©nt a claim, perhaps as piospector. About the time we left Erana on tlie DniT«tan, one evening two men safe outside a tent on the southern bank of the Dart River, where that stream empties h-to Like Wiikatipu. They could not go west, (hey hod no food to take them where nonsf vdb to be had ; they could not approach the settlement!?, for the river and lake stopped them. A canoe was in sight on the o] posite side of the swollen Dart, the side of succour ; but neither could swim. Many days before, then mate Broughton had ferned himself over on his way to Queenstown to fetch food ; and he had left with his mates ten pannikins of oatmeal — nothing more, and no game to be had. The three of them had been as many months away, prospecting up the Dart, and in the ccuntiy towards the West Coast. They had found fair prospects — nothing worth reporting. It was agreed to prospect farther,' and Broughton was to fetch food quickly, and with every secrecy. The latter point las mates insisted on. A day or two after his departure Diomore broke a small bone in his foot, and was thus disabled ; and this evening M'Caul was saying that on the morrow he would go far up the stream, find a Voidable spot, cross over and forage for the Maori hens that they could hear opposite. Ibis he did, and lie had saluted his mate ■n itli a. cooee from the other shoie, and thtin Dn more, together with the rest of the world, lost sight of M'Caul for ever. Queenstown at this time was as gay ol digging township as any in New Zealand, • aid no flash digger in it was gayer than Jiioughton. He had exhibited gold, in. l.uggets and quartz ; he talked of reei£ and alluvial in the country between the lake and the coast, till he wa« surrounded by admiring friends day and night. Tn the tallest of Yankee hats, the snowiest of moleskins, with ciimson sash, and knee boots with "nugget" embossed in gold letters in front, he mashed the barmaids and dancing <nrls, and res-ponded to invitations to drink fiom all and sundry. Days grew into weeks, and yc-t he gave no thought to his mates, who* foodless, had their path to sniety blocked by the swollen Dart, rushing red and turbid to the lake. At last he moved, and with him went a great crowd of men, eager to reach the new El Dorado. Drcmore had long ago eaten his last spoonful of mea 1 , and had bidden farewell to hope, as day followed day. and the mate lie knew vj be faithful, in spi f e of the defection o£ the Qther, returned not to his side. At lasti he abandoned the tent, and crawled to the blink of the river, and there consciousness forsook him. As the twenty-ninth evening from the time of Brouglvton's departure was deepening into night, the helpless figure of Dromore was sitting by the river with) knees up and hands upon them, in the palms of which the face "was buried, in an instinclive attempt to shut out the swarms of sandflies, and check the operations of a horrid hoard of cair'on-seekmg flies, the loathsome hum and hxv/y. of which were the only sounds Aihich bioke the stillness of desoiation. Ihe serrated range of lofty Alps over the lrke to the eastward was yielding to the coming night the white yaity of its penks, and the summit only of the giant Frtrnslaw was blushing rosy red, as the last rays of the departing sun struck its eternal' snows, when loud "reports of guns, arid lusty shouts of men broke the insecthaunted stillness, and betokened that at last succour had come to the dead M'Caul and the moribund Dromore. The newcomers searched the tent, but found no occupants, but Dromore was shortly afterwards discovered on the river brink. The life spark still feebly fluttered, and soon many billies were boiled. The warm water helped to restore animation, and duck soup was sparingly poured down his throat. All search failed to find M'Caul, but next day, on the top of a precipitous rocky gulch, the atmosphere was tainted with the odour of decaying flesh, and on looking down, far out of reach from below or above, buzzard hawks were seen as they wheeled in heavy flight, and seagulls, as they circled near a ledge of rock, screamed the dirge of the wandering Irishman. Broughton disappeared on the first sight of Dromore. He knew' that he would receive but short shrift should the diggers discover (and the sight of Dromore was discovery) that he had left his mates to starve whilst he was enjoying himself in. Queenstown. Whilst there, he had aever lunted that they were in want — he had confined himself" to painting in glowing colours the imaginary gold — nor even lightly sketched the miserable setting to the picture. Only when they were all leaving did he hint that it would be well to hurry as the tucker might be run out. He knew his danger, but he knew not where to go. He must avoid queenstown, anyhow ; hut he might make his way to the Arrow or the Cardrona. But when he came to think of it, he recognised that he would be safe in n-> digging centre of the province when tlie news, got abroad of the fearful state of Dromore and the death of M'Caul.. He determined finally to get out of the country. He had hi', blankets on his shoulders, and started east on his way to Dunedm.