Chatper III.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7340, 21 July 1892, Page 1

Chatper 111.

Ten day3 subsequently to the Chinaman's discovery the rain had set in heavily again. The main street of the embryo metropolis —for all gold-mining towns have in their infancy the usual visions of youth —was converted into the bed of a shallow stream. The streamlet of the gully had swollen to three times the usual size, and the mud was so slimy and liquid that nothing but the exercise of extreme care prevented ono i'rora being swallowed up bodily in its treacherous black depths. Indeed, there was a huge hole on a small flat at the lowor end of the township where, according to tradition, a horseman had disappeared,. nothing having been found of the horse or the rider save a button off the top of the man's cap and .three hairs from the tail of his steed. But the population of Kangatbnga took all these little inconveniences pleasantly enough. They lived in hope —a very pleasant style of life—and saw vividly, in the immediate future, beautifully graded roads, with gutters and asphalt side paths all complete, and lined with magnificent streets whose shops wore only a trifle smaller than the celebrated Whiteley'B. And all this magnificent future was due to the discovery of silver made by an intelligent Chinese. No doubt it had been rather a sore disappointment that so valuable a discovery had not been made by a member of the European races.. It would have been most satisfactory if a Briton had made ir, but a Frenchman or a German or a Swede, or even a Maori, would have been greatly to be preferred over that yellow, almond-eyed Celestial.. However, the result on the future of i^he township would be immense, despite the nationality of the discoverer j and, moreover,, there was a rumour abroad that the mine had been acquired by British miners, and if this was true the stain had been removed, and nothing was wanting to complete the satisfaction of the inhabitants in the nt w find. So there was a goodly company gathered in the bar-room of the Eangatonga Hotel that evening. The roar of conversation was loud and unceasing, the calls on the barman very frequent, and each newcomer, as he pushed open the swinging doors and viiped his face and beard, dripping with the heavy rain, was received by his own particular circle with noisy Bound? of jubilation. Mine host—a tall, bronzed, lean-cheeked man, with a short white beard of Shakspercan cut and a tall white hat perched on the back of his head—stood with his hands in his trousers pockets while he related to a Eelect coterie his experiences of other historical finds—such as Sandhurst, Ballarat, and Gabriel's Gully —where he had been mining before he gave up the pick and dish and settled down into " mercantile " life by building and opening the Eangatonga Hotel. "A grand thing," he was Raying ; " it'll -just make this place—you bet it will I It's a peculiar sort of thing ; there's no saying where a discovery like this here aulphid, or sulphide, or whatever you like to call it, of silver will stop. The chances are the whole of these blessed hills are full of the stuff, only none of them knew anything about it," but I'll guarantee, now that they've spotted what it is, they'll soon drop on it in another direction—you bet they will! " Good evening, Mr M'Dougall; good evening, Sir," continued my host, as he advanced through the crowd of listenera to receive th« principal mining broker. " Splendid news this of this here snlpit of silver—Bet this place a-going like steam ! The room's all ready for the meeting : I've had a roaring fire made; paper, pens, ink, all complete. Anything you want, you know, Mr M'Dougall—juat let me know. Tour're a little before time, but the boys'Jl be here directly." Mr Eoderic M'Dougall had a great idea that he was very dignified, and a sneaking aort of feeling that other people did not think so. His dignity had to be carefully nuraed, so as to assume its largest and most imposing effects. But it was difficult to appear dignified in a worn Bhiny black coat and a pair of limp tweed inexpressible3,which showed signs of frequent washings and had faded into a dull neutral tint. His tall' white hat was perched mo3t correctly on the top of his head, and, along with a pair of eyeglasses suspended by a black cord when not in actual use, expre3bcd the dignified aspirations of the owner in a thoroughly artistic manner. He had a pursy, fat face, without a trace of humour in ir, and one had an idea in looking at him that at some remote period he had been addicted to the pleasures of Bacchus. This bacchanalian period, however, had long since passed away, and its existence could only be traced by a slight puiSnesa and discoloration of the nose and a few extinct pimples. " A great find this eilver racket, Mr M'Dougall," said mine host, returning to the. main theme of conversation, and addressing the mining broker with considerable deference—for the wily host knew and carefully respected everybody's weakness, whether for cards or liquor or dignity —" No sayin' where it'll end. I believe we're in for a right good thing—and pone too soon! Bless me! I've been waiting for something like this to turn up ever since I came here three years back. The only thing is, will it get into right hands ? If the bloomin' Chinaman—" He was interrupted by Mr M'Dougall, who held up his double eyeglass in a dignified style, fes if he wished to be allowed to insert a phrase or two in the torrent of words that raced from the lip 3of mine host. " I think we may arrange matters." he said slowly and gently, but with a broad Scotch accent; "in fact, I believe—that is, I understand—that negotiations — negotiations are in progress which will eventuate in the claim being worked by the inhabitants of Bangatongo." " Glad to hear you say so," rattled off mine host, as if his tongue resented a moment's inactivity. "It 'ud be a howling pity if the first silver claim—for, mind you, I look on this find only as a preliminary canter like—should beheld by a bloomin' Chinaman, when there is —" H'DougalTs eyeglasses rose again, like an arm of a semaphore, to signal silence. " Oh, but we're not going to allow that sort of thing—if we can help it you know —if we can help it. It will all depend on the meeting to-night, but I anticipate— we'll manage to square up matters satisfactorily for all parties—for all parties, yon know." The speaker smiled round the company most benignly, but with a slight air of myßtery. . Further conversation was rendered im. possible by the entrance of Adam with hu partner, Barney Eyan, and a little crowc of the elite of Kangatonga, including tli< storekeeper. On their arrival the meeting ■was at once proceeded with, the pre liminariea were soon disposed or, and Mi M'Dougal, placing hiß white hat mosi ceremoniously on the table before him, pro ceeded to make a statement. "I'm happy to say, gentlemen, he aau alowly, while he emphasized his remarfc with the horn eyeglasses and touched tni table withthefingera of hisdisengogedhan* —" I'm happy to say that, for the credit 0 Kangatonga, this new silver claim is to hi worked by ourselves. After some consider able negotiation, Mr Adam Jellicoe ha

bought the claim back again— for we all of us are aware it -was his onee — for .£l5O. (Hear, hear.) I have undertaken to form a Company in the usual way, and most of the shares have been subscribed for already, but a few remain to be taken up." Here he produced a lißt of signatures, and the remaining shares were allotted in the room, much to the satisfaction of Mr M'Dougall. " It ia evident now to anyone," ' he said, " that the foundations of the prosperity of Eangatonga have been laid. Things have boen a little doll here lately, and I venture to BUgjjest — jußt to BUggest — that the new claim be called ' The Silver Lining.' " " Hear, hear ." from the circle of rough-browti-bearded faces. Mr M'Dougall paused for a breath.. "I say, Bossie/' shouted one of the younger members of the company,. but the dignified broker was under way again. "The Company has been formed in the uaual way — 20,000 shares of a pound each, nil paid up, and . I do not think the calls will be large, if they are necessary. You 3ee— here he became impressive— " the original proprietors have done agreat deal jf work, and the reef has only to be opened up up and treated in a suitable manner.. I'here is only one other matter I've got to mention. That is, that the original proprietors have agreed to ta.ke 3000 shares for their rights, and I consider the company have got the property ab a ?ery low figure." He sat down, and the conversation became general. " I say, Bossie," broke in the younger member again, " did the asaayer get histest from the reef ? " "Well, no," replied M'Dougall 5 "it was considered desirable, in view of the negotiations, to close the- mouth of the Iriv?; but now the bargain with theChinaman has been concluded; I shall see that teats are at once taken from the reef, although you may say the tailings are just as good for the purpose,, and tkey show a return of 2000 ounces of silver to the ton." It had been Adam's notion to close- the drive from the Chinaman, quickly effected in the rainy weather by a few strokes with the pick, which cau.-od a heavy fall of earth at the entrance. So the meeting, after hearing Adam's explanation of the difficulties he had experienced in coming to terms with that Chinaman, dispersed well satisfied. All the next day the town was in a fierce state of excitement. The shares in the new Company were quoted at increasing values every hour, and, as there was no disposition to sell on the part of the fortunate holders, the premium soon rose to ten shillings per share. A few shares were transferred at that price, and the excitement redoubled. Township allotnents were now enquired for, and the prices for a foot frontage on the main street rose enormously in a few houra. Ranga}on<ja wa3 on theeve of an enormous " boom," md the knowing ones were preparing for ts arrival. The only individual who did not participate in the glorious visions of prosperity vas poor John Chinaman, who strange to lay, had taken the steamer and departed. [t may have been that .£l5O constitutes an mormoua fortune, or, at least, a competency n the land of his birth ; or it may have 3een that he was disgusted at making such 1 poor bargain, and felt envious; but whaljver may have been his reasons, he shook the mud of Eangatonga from his feet and Left for pastures new. Some light, however, was cast on his motive when, after a day's work, the drive was re-opened, and the assayer provided with a sample of the reef for a report. This report set forth that the reef contained a trace of gold and no silver, and its publication crashed all tbe visions of prosperity and made most of the speculators feel distinctly ill. Further samples and reports but confirmed the first, and in place of a vigorous "boom" Rangatonga awoke to the fact chat nothing but dismal dejection awaited it ia the immediate future. And such proved to be the case, for further examination showed the heap of tailings to have been heavily "salted" not, as would have been usual, with gold dust, but with— Ob, John, John ! what thievish tricks these abominable yellowskinned Celestials are capable of ! — it was salted with sulphide of silver. Where he got the sulphide of silver wa4 never ascertained, but tbe assayer, who has great scientific knowledge, suggested that he might have produced it from the coin of the realm by the use of acids and other ungodly materials. The same aseayer also calculated that £2 worth of silver coin would have been requisite to produce the amount of silver found on the top of the tailings heap, for that was the only place where ailver was ever fonnd in the Eangatonga district. And after John had disappeared two others disappeared also. Adam and his partner found they were not making wage?, while the sneers of the disappointed population were very pointed and consequently painful. There was also a bill for JEISO coming due in a month's time, given by Adam in consideration of money advanced for the purchase of the "Silver Lining Claim." - Altogether " matters was mixed," as Adam said, bo he and his partner withdrew from the confusion. It is summer time now, and Eangatonga sleeps again in the yellow sunshine, and sleeps more soundly than ever. The battery is still munching down quartz, and there ia still a languid business transacted in the township. Mine host still stands in the barroom with hiß handa in his trousers pockets and hia white bat on th c back of hia head, and if you call there and "shout" for him you may hear from hia own lips the story oE the deceitful Chinaman and how he robbed the peaceful inhabitants in the metropolis of the future Kangatonga. [the end.J