The Golden Dream: Adventures in the Far West by R. M. Ballantyne (book recommendations for teens .TXT) đ
- Author: R. M. Ballantyne
Book online «The Golden Dream: Adventures in the Far West by R. M. Ballantyne (book recommendations for teens .TXT) đ». Author R. M. Ballantyne
Bill Jones was the first to speak, as they wandered, almost helplessly, through the crowded streets, while little Nelly ever and anon looked wistfully up into Larryâs face, as he led her by the hand.
âItâs a stunninâ smash,â said Bill, fetching a deep sigh. âBut wâen a thingâs done, anâ canât be undone, then itâs unpossible, thatâs wot it is; and wotâs unpossible thereâs no use oâ tryinâ for to do. âCause why? it only wastes yer time anâ frets yer sperritâthatâs my opinion.â
Not one of the party ventured to smileâas was their wont in happier circumstancesâat the philosophy of their comradeâs remark. They wandered on in silence till they reachedâthey scarce knew how or whyâthe centre plaza of the town.
âItâs of no use giving way to it,â said Ned Sinton, at last, making a mighty effort to recover: âwe must face our reverses like men; and, after all, it might have been worse. We might have lost our lives as well as our gold, so we ought to be thankful instead of depressed.â
âWhat shall we do now?â inquired Captain Bunting, in a tone that proved sufficiently that he at least could not benefit by Nedâs advice.
âSure weâll have to go anâ work, capting,â replied Larry, in a tone of facetious desperation; âbut first of all weâll have to go anâ see Mr Thompson, and git dry cloâse for Nelly, poor thingâare ye cowld, darlinâ?â
âNo, not in the least,â answered the child, sadly. âI think my things will dry soon, if we walk in the sun.â
Nellyâs voice seemed to rouse the energies of the party more effectually than Nedâs moralising.
âYes,â cried the latter, âlet us away to old Thompsonâs. His daughter, Lizette, will put you all to rights, dear, in a short time. Come along.â
So saying, Ned led the way, and the whole party speedily stood at the door of Mr Thompsonâs cottage.
The door was merely fastened by a latch, and as no notice was taken of their first knock, Ned lifted it and entered the hall, then advancing to the parlour door, he opened it and looked in.
The sight that met his gaze was well calculated to make him open his eyes, and his mouth too, if that would in any way have relieved his feelings.
Seated in old Mr Thompsonâs easy-chair, with one leg stretched upon an ottoman, and the other reposing on a stool, reclined Tom Collins, looking, perhaps, a little paler than was his wont, as if still suffering from the effects of recent illness, but evidently quite happy and comfortable.
Beside Tom, on another stool, with her arm resting on Tomâs knee, and looking up in his face with a quiet smile, sat Elizabeth Thompson.
âTom! Miss Thompson!â cried Ned Sinton, standing absolutely aghast.
Miss Thompson sprang up with a face of crimson, but Tom sat coolly still, and said, while a broad grin overspread his handsome countenance, âNo, Ned, not Miss ThompsonâMrs Collins, who, I know, is rejoiced to see you.â
âYou are jesting, Tom,â said Ned, as he advanced quickly, and took the ladyâs hand, while Tom rose and heartily welcomed his old companions.
âNot a bit of it, my dear fellow,â he repeated. âThis, I assure you, is my wife. Pray, dear Lizette, corroborate my statement, else our friends wonât believe me. But sit down, sit down, and letâs hear all about you. Go, Lizette, get âem something to eat. I knew you would make your appearance ere long. Old Thompsonâs letterâhalloo! why whatâs this? Youâre wet! and whoâs thisâa wet little girl?â
âFaix, ye may well be surprised, Mister Tom,â said Larry, âfor weâre all wet beggars, ivery wan oâ usâwithout a dollar to bless ourselves with.â
Tom Collins looked perplexed, as he turned from one to the other. âStay,â he shouted; âwife, come here. Thereâs a mystery going on. Take this moist little one to your room; and there,â he added, throwing open a door, âyou fellows will all find dry apparel to put onâthough I donât say to fit. Come along with me, Ned, and while you change, give an account of yourself.â
Ned did as he was desired; and, in the course of a lengthened conversation, detailed to Tom the present condition of himself and his friends.
âItâs unfortunate,â said Tom, after a pause; âill-luck seems to follow us wherever we go.â
âYou ought to be ashamed of yourself;â cried Ned, âfor saying so, considering the wife you have got.â
âTrue, my boy,â replied the other, âI ought indeed to be ashamed, but I spoke in reference to money matters. What say you to the fact, that I am as much a beggar as yourself?â
âOutward appearances would seem to contradict you.â
âNevertheless, it is true, I assure you. When you left me, Ned, in the hotel at Sacramento, I became so lonely that I grew desperate; and, feeling much stronger in body, I set off for this town in the new steamerâthat in which you arrived. I came straight up here, re-introduced myself to Mr Thompson; and, two days afterâfor I count it folly to waste time in such matters when oneâs mind is made upâI proposed to Lizette, and was accepted conditionally. Of course, the condition was that papa should be willing. But papa was not willing. He said that three thousand dollars, all I possessed, was a capital sum, but not sufficient to marry on, and that he could not risk his daughterâs happiness, etcetera, etceteraâyou know the rest. Well, the very next day news came that one of Thompsonâs best ships had been wrecked off Cape Horn. This was a terrible blow, for the old manâs affairs were in a rickety condition at any rate, and this sank him altogether. His creditors were willing enough to wait, but one rascal refused to do so, and swore he would sequestrate him. I found that the sum due him was exactly three thousand dollars, so I paid him the amount in full, and handed Thompson the discharged account. âNow,â said I, âIâm off to the diggings, so good-bye!â for, you see, Ned, I felt that I could not urge my suit at that time, as it would be like putting on the screwâtaking an unfair advantage of him.
ââWhy, what do you mean, my lad?â said he.
ââThat Iâm off to-morrow,â replied I.
ââThat you must not do,â said he.
ââWhy not?â said I.
ââBecause,â said he, ânow that things are going smooth, I must go to England by the first ship that sails, and get my affairs there put on a better footing, so you must stay here to look after my business, and toâtoâtake care of Lizette.â
ââEh! what!â said I, âwhat do you mean? You know that is impossible.â
ââNot at all, boy, if you marry her!â
âOf course I could not refuse, and so, to cut it short, we were married right off and here we are, the representatives of the great firm of Thompson and Company, of California.â
âThen, do you mean to say that Thompson is gone?â Inquired Ned, with a look of horror.
âNear the Horn, I should think, by this time; but why so anxious?â
âBecause,â sighed Ned, sitting down on the edge of the bed, with a look of despair, âI came here by his invitation; andââ
âOh! itâs all right,â interrupted Tom; âI know all about it, and am commissioned by him to settle the affair for you.â
âBut what is the affair?â inquired Ned, eagerly.
âAh! my dear boy, do try to exercise patience. If I tell you everything before we go down to our comrades, I fear we shall have to send a message to say that we are not coming till to-morrow morning.â
Tom rose as he spoke, and led the way to the parlour, where bread and cheese were spread out for them.
âThe only drawback to my felicity,â whispered Tom to Sinton, as they entered, âis that I find Thompsonâs affairs far worse than he himself was aware of; and itâs a fact, that at this moment I can scarcely draw enough out of the business to supply the necessaries of life.â
There was a slight bitterness in Tomâs tone as he said this, but the next moment he was jesting with his old companions as lightheartedly as ever. During the meal he refused, however, to talk business, and, when it was concluded, he proposed that they should go out for a stroll through the town.
âBy the way,â remarked Ned, as they walked along, âwhat of Captain Buntingâs old ship?â
âAy!â echoed the captain, âthatâs the uppermost thing in my mind; but master Tom seems determined to keep us in the dark. I do believe the Roving Bess has been burned, anâ heâs afraid to tell us.â
âYouâre a desperately inquisitive set,â cried Tom Collins, laughing. âCould you not suppose that I wanted to give you a surprise, by shewing you how curiously she has been surrounded by houses since you last saw her. Youâll think nothing of it, now that I have told you.â
âWhy, where are ye goinâ?â cried Larry, as Tom turned up a street that led a little away from the shore, towards which they had been walking!
Tom made no reply, but led on. They were now in that densely-crowded part of the town where shops were less numerous, warehouses more plentiful, and disagreeable odours more abundant, than elsewhere. A dense mass of buildings lay between them and the sea, and in the centre of these was a square or plaza, on one side of which stood a large hotel, out of the roof of which rose a gigantic flag-staff. A broad and magnificent flight of wooden steps led up to the door of this house of entertainment, over which, on a large board, was written its nameââThe Roving Bess Tavern.â
âDear me! thatâs a strange coincidence,â exclaimed the captain, as his eye caught the name.
âTare anâ ages!â yelled Larry, âav it isnât the owld ship! Donât I know the mizzen-mast as well as I know me right leg?â
âThe Roving Bess Tavern!â muttered Captain Bunting, while his eyes stared incredulously at the remarkable edifice before him.
Bill Jones, who, up to this point, had walked beside his comrades in silent meditation, here lost presence of mind and, putting both hands to his mouth, sang out, in true stentorian boatswain tones, âAll hands ahoy! tumble up thereâtumble up!â
âAy, ay, sir!â roared half-a-dozen jack tars, who chanced to be regaling themselves within, and who rushed out, hat in hand, ready for a spree, at the unexpected but well-known summons.
âMajor Whitlaw,â said Tom Collins, springing up the steps, and addressing a tall, cadaverous-looking Yankee, âallow me to introduce to you your landlord, Captain Buntingâyour tenant, captain. I dare say you have almost forgotten each other.â
The captain held out his hand mechanically and gazed at his tenant unbelievingly, while the major saidâ
âGlad to see ye, capân, I guess. Wanted to for a long time. Couldnât come to terms with old Thompson. Wonât you step in and take a cocktail or a gin-sling? Iâd like to have a private talkâthis way.â
The landlord of the Roving Bess Tavern led the captain to what was once his own cabin, and begged him to be seated on his own locker at the head of his own table. He accepted these civilities, staring round him in mute wonder all the time, as if he thought it was a dream, out of which he should wake in due course, while, from all parts of the tavern, came sounds of mirth, and clatter of knives and forks and dishes, and odours of gin-slings and bear-steaks and pork-pies.
âJist sit there a minute,â said the Yankee, âtill I see to your friends beinâ fixed off comfortable; of course, Mr Collins may stay, for he knows all about it.â
When he was gone, the captain rose and
Comments (0)