Jack often thought of Harry and wondered what he was doing. He fancied it was rather like desertion to leave him, but Barry quickly dispelled4 this idea and said Harry was far more fitted for the task he was engaged upon than knocking about Sydney.
"It would not suit him here," he said, "and as you know, he has a horror of stocks and shares, which I do not wonder at, after the experiences his father had. I have more good news, Jack," he added, as he tossed him a letter to read.
Jack read it eagerly, and could hardly believe in his good luck. The Great Tom Mine had again struck it rich, and the shares had gone up by leaps and bounds; there was every prospect5 of his being a comparatively rich man in a very short time.
"And that's not all," said Barry, "I cabled to my agent in Perth, to buy every share he could secure at a certain price. That was before the new find, and he secured a nice parcel. You stand in of course."
"I could not think of it," said Jack, "it would not be fair, you have done too much for me already."
"Not at all; it is a pleasure to help a man like you; there are some fellows I would not lend a hand to at any price, but you are different. I am old enough to be your father, and damn me, if I don't feel something like that towards you," he added in an outburst of genuine feeling such as he seldom displayed.
Jack felt strangely drawn6 towards the bluff7 good-hearted Colonial. He had found out his true worth and knew him for what he was. There were men who almost hated Barry, but it was because he fought fair and square, and managed to beat them despite their underhand methods.
"I'm a lonely sort of man," went on Barry, "always have been, and I expect always shall be. I never 'cottoned' to a fellow as I have done to you, and I don't mind telling you, if you stick to me I'll see you all right, no matter what happens."
This was too much for Jack Redland. He grasped his friend's hand, and wrung8 it hard, but he did not speak. He could not. He knew every word Barry spoke9 he meant and there was a strange knocking at his heart as he looked at him.
"I'm an old fool, I know I am to rave10 like this," said Barry, "but I can't help it, and that's a fact. I've roamed about the world a lot, roughed it, and it's taken the gilt11 edges off, if there were ever any on; but you've knocked me all of a heap, Jack. Don't talk about my luck, it's yours that has stuck to me. I have had nothing but good fortune since I met you. My first pearling venture turned out a frost. You come along, and what do we get? We not only rummage12 out old Jacob Rank on his desert island, or whatever it may be, and rescue him, but we find a heap of pearls, a mighty13 lot of good shells, the best black pearl ever hauled out on the northern coast, and to cap all, we have a deal with that old shark, Silas Filey, that licks creation. Don't talk to me about luck, you're a regular living mascot14, that's what you are."
"Keep it up, skipper," he said, merrily. "Now you are under full sail let her go; I like to hear you, it does me good; it's as refreshing16 as a blow on the Sussex Downs. Don't let the wind drop yet, Barry, please don't."
"Stow your chaff17 and listen to me," said Barry, now thoroughly18 wound up. He was on the tide of a big success, and felt the force of it. "You came out here to make a fortune, and by Captain Cook, you shall get it. When you landed at Fremantle there was no hanky panky about you. Then you were a born gentleman, a swell19. Oh, you needn't remonstrate20! I'm not a wall-eyed kangaroo, or a burst-up emu. Oh, dear no! nothing of the sort! I'm Barry Tuxford, knockabout, good for nothing, up to everything, and I know a swell when I see one, although it has not been my fortune to meet many.
"I'm a Colonial, have always been fond of a rough life, but I know what it means for a man of your stamp to tackle a God-forsaken pearl fishing job. I liked you when you buckled21 to and never grumbled22, and I admired your pluck when you planked down the money for those shares. I have seen men who call themselves swells23 do dirty mean tricks no straight man would be guilty of. They are not my sort. I couldn't sit down to eat my meals with a lot of swollen-headed nobodies. That's not my way. Let a man say what he thinks and speak out straight, then you know where you are. Judging from what I've seen, there must be some fine schools for liars24 in the old country; they seem educated up to it somehow."
He paused for a few moments, and Jack said—
"There are good and bad in every country. You must not judge us all by the worst samples."
"I forgive 'em since I met you," went on Barry. "In the old days on the gold fields we had a lively time, and no mistake. I was a lonely man there, although I had one good pal25 at first. He had a failing—he liked the drink and the girls, and any painted gazelle that came along could take all he had. But he was a thundering good pal to me."
Again he stopped, and a far-away look came into his eyes. He was recalling memories of the past, and they stirred him as they will always do men who have seen things and not gained their knowledge from talk.
Jack waited, and presently he went on—
"A real pal was Jake Morley, but as I said before, weak; and a perfect fool when the 'hell fire' they served out in the grog shanties26 was in him. What poison it was, brewed27 in the Devil's own vat28, I should say, and it sent men wild and burned up both body and brains, when they had any. When Jake went I was lonely. He was as tender as a woman to me. I got sick, down with the fever, and there was precious little for us in camp, and what there was did more harm than good. Men fought and robbed, aye, and killed, too, for food in those days, and a man's life was not worth as much as a horse's. Jake stood by me all that time, some weeks, so I heard, and he got food somehow and somewhere. When I came round he made light of the whole thing, and went on a 'burst.' I didn't see him for days, when I found him he was at the bottom of a shaft29 with his neck broken. Drink, of course; that was what they put it down to, but I didn't. I had my own notions. A shove in the dark was easy, and he had enemies. I got even with one of them."
"Did you——" commenced Jack.
"No; I never killed a man, although I might easily have done so in self-defence, and no blame to me. There was gold then, heaps of it. The Great Tom Mine is a trifle to it; but it was harder to get, and there was no machinery30.
"I did fairly well, but I soon sold out after Jake was gone; I couldn't somehow cotton to the others, thinking as I did one of them had done for him.
"But I was going to tell you we are in for a big thing—bigger than the Great Tom. I got off the track, my memory runs away with me at times; I hope you do not mind it?"
"I wish it would run away more frequently," said Jack smiling.
"I don't mind telling you things," said Barry, "but there are some men I would not open my mind to. Read that."
Jack took the paper; it was torn and dirty, and there was a lot of scrawling31 writing on it. With difficulty he made out the words, but failed to grasp the full extent of the meaning.
Barry watched him, smiling all the time, and said quietly—
"Hand it back, I'll translate it for you. It is from a man I employ to go out prospecting32, and he's struck new ground about a hundred miles from the Great Tom Mine. It is rich, precious rich, and we are going to have the pitch, my friend. You can put all the 'ready' you have on to it, and I'll do the rest. Keep enough for your stay here, of course, but this is a big affair, and we must not miss it. I know my man, and can trust him; he never goes wrong, and he doesn't tell lies. He says the country is richer than the Great Tom. Do you know what that means?"
"All things are possible in gold hunting," said Barry. "I shouldn't wonder if there was a nugget as big as a horse's head, only no one has had the luck to find it yet. It means hundreds of thousands of pounds, my young friend, it means that we are going to scoop34 the pool, and that we are not going to lose our heads, or go frantic35, or howl out to the multitude how clever we are, and that other men are mere36 fools to us. Dear me, no, we are going to sit tight. I'm not even going to wire. I don't like wires, they leak," said Barry, with a laugh.
"Then what are you going to do? How are you going to communicate with him?" asked Jack.
"I am going myself," was the quiet reply.
"What!" exclaimed Jack.
"Fact; quite true, I assure you. There's a steamer leaves in the morning, and I'm off. We must not lose a chance, and I am the only man to attend to this affair. You can remain here and see after the horses, win the Sydney Cup; do what you like; but I must go. There's no help for it, and if you'll think for a moment you will see I am right."
Jack knew he was acting37 for the best, but he was sorry almost that the find had been discovered. He also knew what a keen disappointment it would be to Barry to miss seeing the horses run.
"It is a jolly shame," said Jack.
"Never mind that; I consider we are in luck's way. We shall be pulling the string at both ends and may land a big double. I would not miss this chance for anything. You want a fortune. You came out here for one, and by the powers you shall have it."
"Listen to me, Jack; you shall go home and marry the girl of your heart. I don't care whether her father is a Duke or a Marquis, or what he is. You shall have her, if we have to buy him over with thousands. There's more than that if this thing pans out all right, as it must. I'll go with you to beard the lion in his den38; how will that fit in?"
"You mean it?" said Jack. "You will return to England with me?"
"Honour bright."
"Then I am glad this has happened. I would sooner have you as my companion on my return than any man, and Sir Lester will give you a hearty39 English welcome."
"He'll not take to a fellow like me."
"That he will. He's not a man to stand on his dignity where Barry Tuxford is concerned. You shall be my best man at the wedding, is that a bargain?"
"You're hurrying up," laughed Barry. Jack joined in his merriment and said—
"It is your fault, you are always hurrying; and I have got into your way."
"Don't forget while I am away to keep all this dark. You are sure to be asked hundreds of questions when they know I have gone. You'll have to rack your brains to concoct40 some cock and bull story for them, but I have no doubt you will succeed."
Barry was not long in making his preparations, and next morning he had left Sydney without anyone being aware of it.
Jack felt in the same condition as Barry had done when he lost his pal Jake—he was lonely.
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1
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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2
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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3
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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4
dispelled
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| v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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6
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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7
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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8
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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9
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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10
rave
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| vi.胡言乱语；热衷谈论；n.热情赞扬 | |
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11
gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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12
rummage
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| v./n.翻寻，仔细检查 | |
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13
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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14
mascot
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| n.福神，吉祥的东西 | |
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15
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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16
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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17
chaff
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| v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳 | |
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18
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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19
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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20
remonstrate
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| v.抗议，规劝 | |
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21
buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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22
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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23
swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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24
liars
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| 说谎者( liar的名词复数 ) | |
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25
pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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26
shanties
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| n.简陋的小木屋( shanty的名词复数 )；铁皮棚屋；船工号子；船歌 | |
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27
brewed
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| 调制( brew的过去式和过去分词 )； 酝酿； 沏（茶）； 煮（咖啡） | |
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28
vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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29
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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30
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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31
scrawling
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| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的现在分词 ) | |
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32
prospecting
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| n.探矿 | |
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33
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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34
scoop
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| n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出 | |
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35
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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36
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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37
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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38
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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39
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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40
concoct
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| v.调合，制造 | |
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