the eureka stockade-第6章

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Allow　me；　now；　in　return；　to　put　a　very　important　question；　of　the　old　Roman　stamp；　'Cui　bono？'　that　is；　Where　did　our　licence　money　go　to？　That's　a　nut　which　will　be　positively　cracked　by…and…bye。




Chapter　XIII。



Ubi　Caro；　Ibi　Vultures。


One　morning；　I　woke　all　on　a　sudden。What's　up？　　A　troop　of　horse　galloping　exactly　towards　my　tent；　and　I　could　hear　the　tramping　of　a　band　of　traps。　I　got　out　of　the　stretcher；　and　hastened　out　of　my　tent。　　All　the　neighbours；　in　night…caps　and　unmentionables；　were　groping　round　the　tents；　to　inquire　what　was　the　matter。　　It　was　not　yet　day…light。　　There　was　a　sly…grog　seller　at　the　top　of　the　hill；　close　to　his　store　he　had　a　small　tent；　crammed　with　brandy　cases　and　other　grog；　newly　come　up　from　town。　　There　must　have　been　a　spy；　who　had　scented　such　valuable　game。

The　Commissioner　asked　the　storekeeper；　who　by　this　time　was　at　the　door　of　his　store：　　〃Whose　tent　is　that？〃　indicating　the　small　one　in　question。

〃I　don't　know；〃　was　the　answer。

〃Who　lives　in　it？　who　owns　it？　is　anybody　in？〃　asked　the　Commissioner。

〃An　old　man　owns　it；　but　he　is　gone　to　town　on　business；　and　left　it　to　the　care　of　his　mate　who　is　on　the　nightshift；〃　replied　the　storekeeper。

〃I　won't　peck　up　that　chaff　of　yours；　sir。　　Halloo！　who　is　in？　　Open　the　tent；〃　shouted　the　Commissioner。

No　answer。

〃I　say；　cut　down　this　tent；　and　we'll　see　who　is　in；〃　was　the　order　of　the　Commissioner　to　two　ruffianly　looking　troopers。

No　sooner　said　than　done；　and　the　little　tent　was　ripped　up　by　their　swords。　A　government　cart　was；　of　course；　ready　in　the　gully　below；　and　in　less　than　five　minutes　the　whole　stock　of　grog；　some　two　hundred　pounds　sterling　worth；　or　five　hundred　pounds　worth　in　nobblers；　was　carted　up　to　the　Camp；　before　the　teeth　of　some　hundreds　of　diggers；　who　had　now　collected　round　about。　　We　cried　〃Shame！　shame！〃　sulkily　enough；　but　we　did　not　interfere；　first；　because　the　store　had　already　annoyed　us　often　enough　during　the　long　winter　nights；　second；　because　the　plunderers　were　such　Vandemonian…looking　traps　and　troopers；　that　we　were　not　encouraged　to　say　much；　because　it　would　have　been　of　no　use。

As　soon；　however；　as　the　sun　was　up；　and　all　hands　were　going　to　work；　the　occurrence　not　only　increased　the　discontent　that　had　been　brewing　fast　enough　already；　but　it　rose　to　excitement；　and　such　a　state　of　exasperated　feelings；　however　vented　in　the　shouting　of　'Joe；'　did　certainly　not　prepare　the　Eureka　boys　to　submit　with　patience　to　a　licence…hunt　in　the　course　of　the　day。

First　and　foremost：　　it　is　impossible　to　prevent　the　sale　of　spirits　on　the　diggings；　and　not　any　laws；　fines；　or　punishment　the　government　may　impose　on　the　dealers　or　consumers　can　have　an　effect　towards　putting　a　stop　to　sly…grog　selling。　　A　miner　working；　as　during　the　past　winter；　in　wet　and　cold；　must　and　will　have　his　nobbler　occasionally；　and　very　necessary；　too；　I　think。　　No　matter　what　the　cost；　he　will　have　it；　and　it　cannot　be　dispensed　with；　if　he　wish　to　preserve　his　health：　　he　won't　go　to　the　Charley　Napier　Hotel；　when　he　can　get　his　nobbler　near…handy；　and　thereby　give　a　lift　to　Pat　or　Scotty。

Secondly：　　I　hereby　assert　that　the　breed　of　spies　in　this　colony　prospered　by　this　sly…grog　selling。　　〃We　want　money；〃　says　some　of　the　'paternals'　at　Toorak。

〃Oh！　well；　then；〃　replies　another　at　Ballaarat；　〃come　down　on　a　few　storekeepers　and　unlicensed　miners　and　raise　the　wind。　　We　can　manage　a　thousand　or　two　that　way。　　Let　the　blood…hounds　oh　the　scent；　and　it　is　done。〃

And　so　a　scoundrel；　in　the　disguise　of　an　honest　man；　takes　with　him　another　worse　devil　than　himself；　and　goes　round　like　a　roaring　lion；　seeking　what　he　may　devour。

If　I　had　half　the　fifty　pounds　fine　inflicted　on　sly…grog　sellers；　and　five　pounds　fine　on　unlicensed　diggers；　raised　on　Ballaarat　at　this　time；　I　think　my　fellow…colonists　would　bow　their　heads　before　me。　　Great　works！

Thirdly：　　An　act　of　silver　and　gold　lace　humanity　was　going　the　rounds　of　our　holes；　above　and　below。

A　person　is　found　in　an　insensible　state；　caused　by　loss　of　blood；　having　fallen；　by　accident；　on　a　broken　bottle　and　cut　an　artery　in　his　head。　He　is　conveyed　to　the　Camp　hospital。

After　some　few　hours；　because　he　raves　from　loss　of　blood；　and　at　a　time　when　he　requires　the　closest　attention；　he　is　unceremoniously　carried　into　the　common　lock…up；　and　there　left；　it　is　said；　for　ten　hours；　lying　on　the　floor；　without　any　attention　being　paid　to　his　condition　by　the　hospital　authorities；　and　then　it　was　only　by　repeated　representations　of　his　sinking　state；　to　other　officials；　that　he　was　conveyed　to　the　hospital；　where　he　expired　in　two　hours　afterwards！

〃Below！〃

〃Haloo！〃

〃Jim；　the　miners　of　Ballaarat　demand　an　investigation。〃

〃And　they　must　have　it；　Joe。〃

Such　was　the　scene　in　those　days；　performed　at　every　shaft；　in　Gravel…pits；　as　well　as　on　the　Eureka。




Chapter　XIV。



Flagitur　Vulcano　Si　Fulmina　Parata。


Here　is　a　short　resume　of　events　which　led　to　the　popular　demonstration　on　Tuesday；　October　17th；　1854。

Two　men；　old　friends；　named　Scobie　and　Martin；　after　many　years　separation；　happened　to　meet　each　other　in　Ballaarat。　　Joy　at　the　meeting；　led　them　to　indulge　in　a　wee　drop　for　'Auld　lang　Syne。'　　In　this　state　of　happy　feeling；　they　call　at　the　Eureka　Hotel；　on　their　way　home；　intending　to　have　a　finishing　glass。　　They　knock　at　the　door；　and　are　refused　admittance；　very　properly；　on　account　of　their　drunkenness。　　They　leave；　and　proceed　on　their　way；　not；　perhaps　without　the　usual　colonial　salutations。　At　about　fifty　yards　from　the　hotel；　they　hear　a　noise　behind　them；　and　retrace　their　steps。　　They　are　met　by　persons；　unknown；　who　inflict　blows　on　them；　which　render　one　insensible　and　the　other　lifeless。

A　coroner's　inquest　was　held　on　the　body；　the　verdict　of　which　was；　〃that　deceased　had　died　from　injuries　inflicted　by　persons　unknown；〃　but　public　feeling　seemed　to　point　to　Mr。　Bentley；　the　proprietor　of　the　Eureka　Hotel；　who；　together　with　his　wife　and　another　party；　were　charged　with　the　murder；　tried　at　the　police　court；　and　acquitted。

The　friends　of　deceased；　considering　that　both　the　inquest　and　the　trial　were　unfairly　conducted；　agreed　to　meet　on　Tuesday；　October　17th；　on　the　spot　where　the　man　was　murdered；　and　devise　measures　to　discover　the　guilty　parties；　and　to　bring　them　to　justice。

Accordingly；　at　an　early　hour；　the　hill　on　which　is　situated　the　Eureka　Hotel　was　thronged　by　thousands；　so　great　was　the　excitement。

THOMAS　KENNEDY；　was　naturally　enough　the　lion　of　the　day。　　A　thick　head；　bold；　but　bald；　the　consequence　perhaps　not　of　his　dissipation；　but　of　his　worry　in　by　gone　days。　　His　merit　consists　in　the　possession　of　the　chartist　slang；　hence　his　cleverness　in　spinning；　a　yarn　never　to　the　purpose；　but　blathered　with　long　phrases　and　bubbling　with　cant。　　He　took　up　the　cause　of　the　diggers；　not　so　much　for　the　evaporation　of　his　gaseous　heroism；　as　eternally　to　hammer　on　the　unfortunate　death　of　his　country…man　Scobie；　for　the　sake　of　'auld　lang　syne。'

When　pressed　by　the　example　of　others　to　burn　his　license；　at　the　subsequent　monster　meeting；　he　had　none　to　burn；　because　he　had　a　wife　and　four　children　dependent　on　him　for　support；　and　therefore　I　do　not　know　what　to　say　further。

These　and　other　resolutions　were　carried　unanimously：…

〃That　this　meeting；　not　being　satisfied　with　the　manner　in　which　the　proceedings　connected　with　the　death　of　the　late　James　Scobie；　have　been　conducted；　either　by　the　magistrates　or　by　the　coroner；　pledges　itself　to　use　every　lawful　means　to　have　the　case　brought　before　other；　and　more　competent　authorities。

〃That　this　meeting　deems　it　necessary　to　collect　subscriptions　for　the　purpose　of　offering　a　reward　for　the　conviction　of　the　murderers；　and　defraying　all　other　expenses　connected　with　the　prosecution　of　the　case。〃




Chapter　XV。



Nam　Tua　Res　Agitur；　Paries　Cum　Proximus　Ardet。


The　one　pervading　opinion　among　the　multitude　of　miners　and　others　who　had　been　attracted　thither；　appeared　to　be　that　Bentley　was　the　murderer；　and　loud　were　the　cries；　the　hooting；　and　groans　against　him。　　It　wo