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Chapter XXIX. Gold Fever Again—An Unexpected Legacy.

By the time I arrived in Auckland I had come to the determination to invest all my hard-won earnings in mining scrip, my idea being that a paltry hundred pounds or so was of little use by itself—my ideas are altered now, by the way—but if I could only double it by speculation, it would be worth doing, and the chances seemed greatly in favour of my increasing it tenfold; for why should not I be as lucky as those men of whom my fellow-travellers spoke? Why, it seemed to my excited imagination that a fortune was in store for me, perhaps even in the course of the next few weeks? What a pride I should feel in appearing again before my uncle as a man of means, superior at least to Grosvenor's. I forget for the time that the crowd who lose their money are not talked about, and considering my inexperience, I should be far more likely to be amongst them than one of the comparatively few lucky individuals whose names were in everyone's mouths.

My first object on landing, then, after I had deposited my carpet bag at the hotel, was to rush to the Insurance Buildings, in which most of the sharebroker's offcies were. I had considerable difficulty in entering the building, for the pavement in front, nay, half the street itself, was crowded with an eager throng of men. Elbowing my way through them as best I could, I entered the door of one of the offices and after waiting for my turn of speaking to the broker, to invest. He said gentlemen generally judged for themselves, but that he had shares for sale in most of the best paying mines on the Thames. On his mentioning the prices I thought them too high for my limited purse, so desired him to quote some not quite so famous. He did as I wished, and amongst the list I caught the name ‘Bright Smiles.’ These I thought would do; the name is enough to make them a success. Bright Smiles surely could not be wound up, so I agreed to purchase as many as my hundred pounds (the sum I had determined to invest) would procure. I felt satisfied, and walked out of the office much more cooly than I had entered it. I now had time to contemplate the curious group of men who were thronging round this centre of speculation. Their faces were a study. Some wore the well-satisfied looks of men who had just sold at a good smart profit shares bought for a trifle some time previously; or who had just received some handsome dividends; or, again, who had, like myself, just made what they considered a safe purchase. Others wore despondent faces. Their stock had probably dropped in the market. The first trial at the battery had, doubtless, proved the claim unpayable, and not worth a red cent.

‘Fool that I was,’ I heard one of these despondent ones growl to a neighbour, ‘I sold my nice little farm to buy shares in that infernal mine, and now it's wound up, and I have got nothing but this cursed paper, which I may as well use for pipe lights,’ showing the scrip.

‘Confound these calls!’ exclaimed another. ‘I thought when I page 123 paid for the shares I'd done. Now they are walking into me for double the amount in calls, and the thing may be a “wild cat” after all.’

There were also the old and seasoned hands. Never a muscle of their faces would move to show whether they had lost or won hundreds or thousands of pounds. Then there were the loafers, who neither bought nor sold, but who hung about in the hope of now and then being offered a drink by some of their acquaintances, who had been lucky enough to ‘make a rise.’ These despicable individuals are always to be met with in colonial towns. They are often gentlemen by birth—men who have had money, and spent it like princes, as they would say, but like asses would be far nearer the truth. Having no more to spend, and from their dissipated habits being totally unfitted to earn it, they loaf about, and live on those who are what they once were, and will in all probability soon be what they are now. The crowd was by no means stationary. The business-like portion of them were rushing about, first into one office, then another, and when there was a steamer in from the Thames many of them would tear off to the wharf to get the latest news about any claims in which they were interested. After this excitement was over, back they would come to the magic spot.

The hotels were doing a roaring trade. Money was flying about in all directions, and lucky miners, up in town for a spree, found ample means of ridding themselves of their superfluous cash with an ease and expedition which was only equalled by the manner they had obtained it. Shouting champagne for all hands in a crowded bar, and escorting gandily-dressed ladies of their acquaintance, sparkling with newly-purchased jewellery, to the theatre and other places of amusement, were the order of the day amongst these gentry. Of course, there were exceptions. Some carefully invested their gains in property, which would bring them in a steady income for the rest of their lives, but thee were sadly in the minority.

I soon tired of gazing at the spectacle outside the Insurance Buildings, and returned to my hotel to tea. The boarding-house I usually patronised was full, so I had to take a room at the Star Hotel. The lodgers I found had most of them some interest in the Thames, whatever their calling might be, for the conversation turned principally on mining matters. Two gentlemen at my end of the table, evidently sole owners of a claim, were conversing in a loud enough tone to show they did not mind being overheard. One had been away down South for a time, and the other had come up to Auckland from the Thames that day to meet him on his return.

‘So you have sold the claim since I was away, B., I hear? What did you get for the rotten thing?’

‘How much do you think?’

‘Well, if you got a hundred for it you did darned well. It's a regular “wild cat.” If we dug till doomsday we'd never have got the colour.’

‘What do you say to two thousand?’

‘Say! why, I'd say it was a lie. You don't see any green in my eye, do you?’

‘Well, it's the truth, anyhow. Here's your cheque for half. But I expect you to fork me a nice little commission out of it.’

‘Well, you are a brick. How the devil did you manage it? I thought everbody knew what it was. Commission! yes, I'll gladly satisfy even your expectations in that way.’

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‘So they do all know it about the Thames. But an old friend of mine came across from the other side (meaning Australia). He met me, and asked me to dine with him on Sunday at his hotel, and a rattling good dinner he gave me. While discussing the merits of the wine, he suddenly inquired if I could lay him on to a good spec. at the thames. He had a couple of thousands to invest, and would give me a good commission if I acted square with him. Here was my chance and I nabbed it like a shot. “well,” I said, “that's a strange coincidence. I do know a claim that is considered a duffer by everybody, but I happen to know from the opinion of one of the best judges going that it's right over a rich reef, and must strike it if it is only sunk deep enough. Now, they all believe that reef turns to the right, and doesn't enter the ground belonging to the claim, but they are wrong. The old volcanic disturbance has so tossed the country about at some time or other, that it has given it a twist to the left, which will bring it right under the old abandoned shaft. Another ten or twenty feet will touch it. The thing is a real bargain at two thousand, which is the lowest they'll take, for it's a big bit of ground. I would take it like a shot myself if I had the coin.” He thanked me, and the transfers were signed next morning. He noticed one of the names was mine, but I told him it was no relation. You bet I didn't sign before him.’

I looked at this man in amazement, and thought to myself, ‘Well, you are a black-hearted villain to take your friend in to that tune while eating his dinner. The only wonder was you did not “have” your partner also by making him believe the sale was for a much smaller amount, and pocketing the balance. But I suppose there is honour even among thieves. They appear to adopt a code that a friend may be robbed, but that a partner must be dealt fairly with.’

After these gentlemen had left the room I started a conversation with a quiet-looking, venerable old party on the other side of the table. We soon hit on the all-absorbing topic, and after my companion had described some of his own speculations, I remarked that I had purchased a parcel of Bright Smiles that afternoon.

‘Why, you must be green,’ said he. ‘They are complete duffers, and out of the line of the gold altogether. They'll wind up after spending all their capital in salaries and working expenses. What did you give for them?’

I informed him. He appeared to think deeply for awhile.

‘Well, my boy, I've told you the truth. They are the worst stock you could hold. Now, you'll think it strange that after saying so I should offer to take them off your hands, but I will do so, but not at the price you gave, which was above what's going in the market, for they were falling rapidly when the offices closed to-night. I would not have them at any price myself, but a client of mine up country wrote me to secure him a parcel of about the number of yours. I warned him as I have you, but he would have them. I know very well he'll lose his money, but better him than you; so here's a good chance for you to save yours, or most of it, and you can get something good with it instead.’

It was a shock to me to hear that the shares I was so proud of possessing were falling never to rise again, as the old gentleman declared, and he ought to know better than I, a mere stranger. I had just determined to accept his offer, although it would be at a loss of from ten to fifteen pounds, and be more cautions about my next page 125 investment, when a gentleman who had lately entered, and whom I did not recognize till he spoke, moved up to us.

‘Is that Bright Smiles you say are falling, you old villain. Why, they have risen several shillings a share since four o'clock this afternoon,’ exclaimed he. ‘Hold on to them, Frank, for I see it's you, and don't deal with that gent. He's up to his old games again I see. Wanted them cheap to sell again in the morning at a good profit. You are an ass to be had like that.’

It was Harry. I felt ashamed that he should have discovered me so nearly caught by such a simple trick, but was thankful that he had prevented the transaction being completed, and also that my faith in Bright Smiles was renewed. The old fellow walked hastily out of the room, muttering some very bad language, which was hardly consistent with feelings of perfect peace and charity towards my friend. I thanked Harry for his timely information, and we were soon engaged in a pleasant interchange of accounts of our respective doings since we last met. Harry gave me to understand that he had left the Rangers shortly after I did, and had tried his hand at many things, but nothing seemed to suit him. The last billet he had was the worst; he engaged as waiter in an hotel. This he never intended to do, but, owing to his restless habits, he became hard up. He was staying at the hotel, and, when his bill was presented, he found he could not pay it, but offered to work it out as a waiter. One had just left, and the landlord was glad to accept his offer. He performed his new duties faithfully till the debt was wiped off, and he had a few pounds to the good coming to him. Just at the time he was on the point of leaving he received a letter from a lawyer in the old country informing him of the death of his uncle, who, it appears, had in his will left his nephew a legacy of five thousand pounds. My friend was very agreeably surprised, for he never expected a cent.; he was satisfied that his crabby old uncle had hated him to the end, but, doubtless, left him the money to spite some other relatives whom he hated worse. However, the reason of his generosity did not trouble Harry an atom. He obtained possession, and that was enough. He had come to the determination to invest it in land, and I had very little trouble in inducing him to come and inspect the properties for sale in our part of the country, informing him, as an extra inducement, that the Robinsons' would be soon back to settle on their farm there. He had already forwarded to Mr Robinson the amount of his friendly loan.

‘I have only seen them once since I last met you,’ remarked Harry, and am certainly longing to come across them again. It was such a lark. They positively came to stay a night at the hotel while I was doing the waiter business. It astonished their weak nerves above a trifle when I walked into the room with a napkin over my shoulder and ask what they would take for dinner. I was prepared, for I had spotted them, but they hadn't twigged me, so I did the thing cool, and right up to the knocker. The old boy noticed me first. “By Jove! its Harry,” said he. “How are you, old man?” “Very well, thank you, sir. What will you be pleased to take for dinner, sir?” Miss Grave shook hands and said in a low voice, “How do you do, Mr Baker?” “Very well thank you, miss. Do you wish a fire lit, madam?” The old girl and Julia looked daggers at the old gentleman and the little companion, and I heard Julia exclaim as I left the room: “The idea of being so familiar with a page 126 waiter! I wouldn't look at him, would you, mamma?” Some friend came in after dinner and remained with them till they left the next morning, and I had no chance of a yarn with the old boy, but when I was sitting cosily over the fire the next evening, doing a bit of a spoon with Rosa, a pretty little chamber-maid we had, she pulled out a note from that grand girl.’

‘What grand girl? Julia, Harry?’ I interrupted.

‘Julia! not very likely. The other one I mean. Well, Miss Rosa must needs tell me that if I loved her as much as I was making out, I couldn't care for a letter from a plain old maidish-looking lady like the one who had handed it to her (the little thing was a bit jealous you see), and that I must let her throw it into the fire. I gave her a kiss in answer to the first part of her speech, and swore the lady was my sister, but that we hadn't been on the best of terms on account of my taking this billet. This wouldn't go down, though, until I snatched the note out of her hand and read some of it aloud to her.