the eureka stockade-第17章

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fellow；　the　licence　is　a　mere　watchword　of　the　day；　and　they　make　a　cat's…paw　of　you。〃

Mr。　Black　undertook　my　defence：　　he　words　above　stuck　in　my　throat；　though。

Mr。　Hackett；　on　being　consulted；　assented　that　Mr。　Rede　could　promise　us　to　take　into　consideration　the　present　excited　feelings　of　the　diggers；　and　use　his　best　judgment　as　to　a　further　search　for　licences　on　the　morrow。

Mr。　Rede：　　〃Yes；　yes；　but；　understand　me；　gentlemen。　　I　give　no　pledge。〃

The　usual　ceremonies　being　over；　Sub…inspector　Taylor　kindly　escorted　us　to　the　bridge；　gave　the　pass…word；　and　to　gojust　as　any　one　else　will　go　in　this　land；　who　puts　his　confidence　in　red…tapedisappointed。




Chapter　XLIII。



La　Volpe　Cambia　Il　Pelo；　Ma　Non　La　Pelle；　Cambia　La　Pelle　Il　Serpe；　Non　Il　Veleno：　Il　Cane　Non　Abbaia　Col　Ventre　Pieno；　Vestesi　Il　Lupo　In　Pecora　Tra　Liagnelle。　Antica　Storia；　Ma　Senza　Gloria。


By　this　time；　the　main　road　was　crowded。　　The　men　were　anxiously　waiting　to　know　our　success。　　Mr。　Black　calmed　their　excitement　as　kindly　as　circumstances　admitted。　　We　returned　to　our　camp　at　the　Eureka。　　Mr。　Black　rendered　an　account　of　our　mission　with　that　candour　which　characterises　him　as　a　gentleman。　　I　wished　to　correct　him　in　one　point　only；　and　said；　my　impression　was；　that　the　Camp；　choked　with　red…coats；　would　quash　Mr。　Rede's　'good　judgment；'　get　the　better　of　his　sense；　if　he　had　any　of　either；　and　that　he　would　come　out　licence…hunting　on　an　improved　style。

Peter　Lalor　adjourned　the　meeting　to　five　o'clock　in　the　morning。




Chapter　XLIV。



Accingere　Gladio　Tuo　Super　Femur　Tuum。


On　Friday；　December　1st；　the　sun　rose　as　usual。　　The　diggers　came　in　armed；　voluntarily；　and　from　all　directions：　　and　soon　they　were　under　drill；　as　the　day　before。　　So　far　as　I　know；　not　one　digger　had　turned　to　work。　It　may　have　happened；　that　certain　Cornishmen；　well　known　for　their　peculiar　propensity；　of　which　they　make　a　boast　to　themselves；　to　pounce　within　an　inch　of　their　neighbour's　shaft；　were　not　allowed　to　indulge　in　'encroaching。'　This；　however；　I　assert　as　a　matter　of　fact；　that　the　Council　of　the　Eureka　Stockade　never　gave　or　hinted　at　any　order　to　stop　the　usual　work　on　the　gold…field。

Towards　ten　o'clock；　news　reached　our　camp　that　the　red　coats　were　under　arms；　and　there　would　be　another　licence…hunting。

The　flames　did　not　devour　the　Eureka　Hotel　with　the　same　impetuosity　as　we　got　up　our　stockade。　　Peter　Lalor　gave　the　order：　　Vern　had　the　charge；　and　was　all　there　with　his　tremendous　sword。　　〃Wo　ist　der　Raffaello！　Du；　Baricaden　bauen；〃　and　all　heaps　of　slabs；　all　available　timber　was　soon　higgledy…piggledy　thrown　all　round　our　camp。　　Lalor　then　gave　directions　as　to　the　position　each　division　should　take　round　the　holes；　and　soon　all　was　on　the　'qui　vive。'

Had　Commissioner　Rede　dared　to　rehearse　the　farce　of　the　riot…act　cracking　as　on　Gravel…pits；　he　would　have　met　with　a　warm　reception　from　the　Eureka　boys。　　It　was　all　the　go　that　morning。

No　blue　or　red　coat　appeared。It　was　past　one　o'clock：　　John　Bull　must　have　his　dinner。　　Lalor　spoke　of　the　want　of　arms　and　ammunition；　requested　that　every　one　should　endeavour　to　procure　of　both　as　much　as　possible；　but　did　certainly　not　counsel　or　even　hint　that　stores　should　be　pressed　for　it。

A　German　blacksmith；　within　the　stockade　was　blazing；　hammering　and　pointing　pikes　as　fast　as　his　thick　strong　arms　allowed　him：　　praising　the　while　his　past　valour　in　the　wars　of　Mexico；　and　swearing　that　his　pikes　would　fix　red…toads　and　blue　pissants　especially。　　He　was　making　money　as　fast　any　Yankee　is　apt　on　such　occasions；　and　it　was　a　wonder　to　look　at　his　coarse　workmanship；　that　would　hardly　stick　an　opossum；　though　his　pikes　were　meant　for　kangaroos　and　wild　dogs。




Chapter　XLV。



Populus　Ex　Terra　Crescit：　　Multitudo　Hominum　Est　Populus；　Ergo；　Multitudo　Hominum　Ex　Terra　Crescit。


Between　four　and　five　o'clock　of　same　afternoon；　we　became　aware　of　the　silly　blunder；　which　proved　fatal　to　our　cause。　　Some　three　or　four　hundred　diggers　arrived　from　Creswick…creek；　a　gold…field　famous　for　its　pennyweight　fortunesgrubbed　up　through　hard　work；　and　squandered　in　dissipation　among　the　swarm　of　sly…grog　sellers　in　the　district。

We　learned　from　this　Creswick　legion　that　two　demagogues　had　been　stumping　at　Creswick；　and　called　the　diggers　there　to　arms　to　help　their　brothers　on　Ballaarat；　who　were　worried　by　scores；　by　the　perfidious　hounds　of　the　Camp。　They　were　assured　that　on　Ballaarat　there　was　plenty　of　arms；　ammunitions；　forage；　and　provisions；　and　that　preparations　on　a　grand　scale　were　making　to　redress　once　for　all　the　whole　string　of　grievances。　　They　had　only　to　march　to　Ballaarat；　and　would　find　there　plenty　of　work；　honour；　and　glory。

I　wonder　how　honest　Mr。　Black　could　sanction　with　his　presence；　such　suicidal　rant；　such　absurd　bosh　of　that　pair　of　demagogues；　who　hurried　down　these　four　hundred　diggers　from　Creswick；　helpless；　grog…worn；　that　is；　more　or　less　dirty　and　ragged；　and　proved　the　greatest　nuisance。　One　of　them；　MICHAEL　TUEHY；　behaved　valiantly　and　so　I　shall　say　no　more。

Of　course　something　must　be　done。　　Thonen　was　the　purveyor。　　The　Eureka　butcher　on　the　hill　gave　plenty　of　meat；　and　plenty　of　bread　was　got　from　all　the　neighbouring　stores；　and　paid　for。　　A　large　fire　was　lit　in　the　middle　of　the　stockade；　and　thus　some　were　made　as　comfortable　as　circumstances　admitted；　others　were　quartered　at　the　tents　of　friends；　the　greater　part；　soon　guessing　how　they　had　been　humbugged；　returned　to　their　old　quarters。

Arms　and　ammunition　were　our　want。　　Men　were　there　enough；　each　and　all　ready　to　fight：　　such　was　the　present　excitement；　but　blue　and　red　coats　cannot　be　driven　off　with　fists　alone。　　Lalor　gave　all　his　attention　to　the　subject；　but　would　not　consent　yet　to　press　stores　for　it。

Vern　was　perpetually　expecting　every　moment　his　German　Rifle　Brigade。　Have　patience　till　to…morrow。

In　the　evening　a　report　was　made　to　the　Council；　that　a　reinforcement　of　soldiers　from　Melbourne　was　on　the　road。　　Captains　Ross　and　Nealson　hastened　with　their　divisions　across　the　bush　to　intercept　the　expected　troops；　so　as　to　get　at　their　arms　and　ammunition。　　All　proved　in　vain。

When　a　revolution　explodes　as　conspired　and　planned　by　able　leaders；　it　is　usually　seen　that　it　was　their　care　from　the　very　beginning；　that　arms　and　ammunition　should　be　at　hand　when　and　wherever　required；　while　usury；　ambition；　or　vengeance　lavishly　provide　the　money　to　render　the　revolution　popular：　　but　we　had　never　dreamed　of　making　any　preparation；　because　we　diggers　had　taken　up　arms　solely　in　self…defence；　and　as　up　to　Saturday　the　Council　of　the　Eureka　Stockade　counted　in　the　majority　honest　men；　themselves　hard…working　diggers；　they　would　not　turn　burglars　or　permit　anybody　to　do　so　in　their　name。

Truly；　I　heard　from　Manning；　that　a　certain　committee　kept　on　their　hallucinated　yabber…yabber　at　the　Star　Hotel。　　I　never　was　there；　and　know　nothing　about　Star　blabs。　　They；　with　the　exception　of　Vern；　were　not　with　us；　thank　God；　up　to　Saturday　four　o'clock　any　how。




Chapter　XLVI。



Non　Irascimini。


Saturday　morning。　　The　night　had　been　very　cold；　we　had　kept　watch　for　fear　of　being　surprised；　every　hour　the　cry；　was　〃The　military　are　coming。〃

Vern　had　enlarged　the　stockade　across　the　Melbourne　road；　and　down　the　Warrenheip　Gully。

Suppose；　even　that　all　diggers　who　had　fire　arms　had　been　present　and　plucky；　yet　no　man　in　his　right　senses　will　ever　give　Vern　the　credit　for　military　tactics；　if　that　gallant　officer　had　thought　that　an　acre　of　ground　on　the　surface　of　a　hill　accessible　with　the　greatest　ease　on　every　side；　simply　fenced　in　by　a　few　slabs　placed　at　random；　could　be　defended　by　a　handful　of　men；　for　the　most　part　totally　destitute　of　military　knowledge；　against　a　disciplined　soldiery；　backed　by　swarms　of　traps　and　troopers。

Such；　however；　was　our　infatuation；　that　now　we　considered　the　stockade　stronger；　because　it　looked　more　higgledy…piggledy。




Chapter　XLVII。



Non　Nobis；　Non　Nobis；　Sed　Pax　Vobiscum。


It　was　eight　o'clock。　　Drilling　was　going　on　as　on　the　previous　day。　Father　Smyth　c