It is dangerous to approach them; they know the dodge
how to pick up a quarrel for the sake of gratifying their appetite
for fighting. You cannot avoid them in this colony; they are too numerous.
I saw hundreds of these Vandemonians, during my four months in gaol.
Their heart must be of the same stuff as that of vultures, because they are
of the same trade. In a word, they are the living witnesses among us,
of the terrible saying of Isaiah, 'The heart of man is desperately wicked.'
Through such did Satan plant his standard to rule this southern land,
before Christ could show his Cross; hence, before famous Ballaarat could point
at a barn, and call it a church, on the township, old Satan had three palaces
to boast of, the first of which - a match for any in the world - has made
the landlord as wealthy and proud as a merchant-prince of the City of London.
'Non ex illis Mecoenates,' - that's the secret how this land has produced
so many first-rate bullock-drivers.
The scene at the Prince Albert is now more interesting.
Chapter LIV.
In Vino Veritas.
The Vandemonian was, of course, accompanied by nine more of his pals,
all of them armed to the teeth with revolvers, swords, pikes, and knives.
Carl Wiesenhavern, a man of noble character, and, therefore a man who hates
knavery, and has no fear of a knave, answered with his peculiar
German coolness, "Here I am, what do you want?"
"Nobblers round," was the eager reply.
"If that's what you want," replied Wiesenhavern, "you shall have it
with pleasure."
"We got no money."
"I did not ask for any: understand me well, though;" pointing at each of them
with the forefinger of his clenched right hand, "you will have a nobbler
a-piece, and no more: afterwards you will go your way. Are you satisfied
with my conditions?"
"Yes, yes! we agree to that: go on you b - - ."
Wiesenhavern scorned to notice the fellow, and, according to the old custom
of the house, placed two decanters of brandy, together with the tumblers,
on the bar, saying, "Help yourselves, gentlemen."
They fell at once upon the brandy, and their mean rascality was shown
by some seizing the glass and covering it with the full hand to conceal
their greediness. Nobbler-drinking is an old colonial habit; it gives pluck
to the coward when he is 'up to something;' so happened it with these fellows.
"Well, landlord, your brandy is d - -d good - the real sort of stuff,
and no b - - y mistake. You shouted nobblers round for all hands - that's
all right; it's no more than fair and square now for the boys to shout
for you:" and, with a horrible curse, "Fill up the bottles; let's have
another round."
Wiesenhavern kept himself quiet. One of the ruffians showed his intention
to enter the bar, and play the landlord within. Wiesenhavern coolly
persuaded him back by the promise he would fetch from his room,
"something rowdy, the right old sort of stuff - Champagne Cognac, 'tres vieux'."
The fellows presumed their 'bouncing' was all the go now, and laughed
and cursed in old colonial style.
Wiesenhavern fetched his pistols, and his partner, Johan Brandt,
a double-barrelled gun. Now Mr. Brandt is one of those short,
broad-shouldered, sound, dog-headed Germans, with such a determinate look
when his otherwise slow wrath is stirred up, that it is not advisable
to tackle with his fists, and much less with his rifle. Wiesenhavern,
with that precision of manners, which always gains the point on such occasions,
placed a decanter full of brandy on the bar, and, with cocked pistols
in both hands, said, "Touch it, if you dare; if any one among you got the pluck
to put in his tumbler one drop out of that bottle there, he is a dead man;"
and Mr. Brandt backed him by simply saying:-
"I'll shoot the fellow, like a dog."
What was the result? Of course the same, whenever you deal with knaves -
and you make them understand what you mean. They were cowed;
and as by this time, the high words had called in several old customers
of the house who wished well to it, because they knew it deserved it,
so the ruffians had to cut for fear of their own dear lives.
Then it was related with sorrow, that several similar bands were scouring
the gold-fields in all directions and in the name of the committee
of the Eureka stockade, under cover pressing for fire-arms and ammunition,
plundered the most respectable stores of all they could lay their hands upon.
One instance, as reported there and then by parties who had just witnessed
the transaction.
A similar gang, four strong, had entered the store of D. O'Conner,
on the Golden Point, and asked in the name of the committee, powder and shot,
but the vagabonds did not care so much for ammunition for their guns,
as for the stuff for their guts, what tempted them most was fine good
Yorkshire hams, and coffee to wash it down. In short, they ransacked
the whole store; and each took care of 'something,' the best of course,
and therefore the cash-box, worth some twenty pounds was not forgotten.
The above are facts. I do not assert that such were the orders
of the committee, got up after four o'clock of same Saturday at the Eureka
stockade. I had no part or portion in the committee, and know nothing
of it personally.
Chapter LV.
Non Sit Nobis Vanum, Mane Surgere Ante Lucem.
I ran up to the stockade to remonstrate with Peter Lalor, for whom I had
too much respect to think for one moment, that he had any hand, and much less
that he had sanctioned, such suicidal proceedings.
