take too much that night. However, the rum set my
tongue loose, and I let out something about having more gold than he
knowed of. I was mighty vexed, however, next day, when I remembered
what I'd said. But he never said a word about it, but looked werry
innocent. A few nights arterwards we gets drinking and smoking again.
Then he took a little too much himself. I knowed it, because next day
he was axing me if I'd see'd anything of an envelope as he'd lost. I
told him `no;' but the real fact was, he'd twisted it up to light his
pipe with, and I'd picked up the bit as he threw away, and put it in my
pocket. I didn't think anything about it then; but next day, when he
made a great fuss about it, and the day after too, I said to myself;
`I'll keep the bit of paper; maybe summat'll turn up from it one of
these days.' So I took it out of my pocket when he were not by, and
stowed it away where I knew he couldn't find it. But I shall weary you,
gentlemen, with my long story. Well, the long and short of it was just
this. He managed to keep the spirit-bottle full, and got me jolly well
drunk one night; and then I've no doubt I told him all he wanted to know
about my gold, for I know no more nor the man in the moon what I said to
him. I asked him next day what I'd been talking about; and he said I
was very close, and wouldn't let out anything. Well, it seems there was
a strong party leaving the diggings a day or so arter; but it was kept
very snug. Jemmy Thomson--that was what my new mate called himself to
me--had managed to hear of it, and got leave to join 'em. So, the night
afore they went, he gets me into a regular talk about the old country,
and tells me all sorts of queer stories, and keeps filling my pannikin
with grog till I was so beastly drunk that I knew nothing of what had
happened till it was late the next morning. Then I found he was off.
He'd taken every nugget I'd got, and some bank-notes too, as I'd stowed
away in a safe place. The party had started afore daybreak; and nobody
knowed which way they'd gone, for they'd got off very secret. I was
like one mad, you may be sure, when I discovered what he'd been and
done. I took the bit of paper with me, and managed somehow to get to
Melbourne. I tried to find him out; some only laughed at me. I went to
the police; they couldn't do nothing for me--some on 'em told me it
served me right for getting drunk. Then I went to a minister; and he
was very kind