profession were not so great, as to allow me tocontract habits of idleness, though, somehow or other, I managed to liveby it for nearly a year.
"I was one day overhauling some rubbish, that had been thrown into agutter, when a man ran against me; and his feet becoming entangled inthe rags that composed my costume, he was tripped up, and fell into themud.
"He immediately got to his feet again; and shook me, until he was soexhausted and agitated, that he could do so no longer.
"While he was doing so, I was not idle. With my nails, teeth, and feet,I scratched, bit, and kicked him--with all the energy passion couldproduce.
"My desperate resistance, instead of further provoking, seemed to make afavourable impression on the mind of the man: for, as soon as he hadceased shaking me, he declared that I was `a noble little wretch,' a`courageous little vagrant,' and many other pet expressions equallyconflicting.
"Then taking me by the hand, he led me along by his side, at the sametime questioning me about my home and parents.
"Having satisfied himself, that he had as good a right to me asanybody--and perhaps a better by my being in his possession--hecontinued to drag me onward, all the while muttering to himself, `Dirtylittle vagabond! give him in charge to the police. Spirited boy! givehim in charge of my steward.'
"Favourably impressed with the general expression of his features, Ioffered no resistance to his taking me where he liked. The fact is, Idid not care what became of me, for I was independent of either fortuneor circumstances.
"I was finally carried on board of a ship; and handed over to the careof her steward, where, for the first time in three years, I had my bodycovered with a complete suit of clothes.
"The man who had thus taken possession of me, was a good-natured,eccentric old bachelor, about fifty years of age; and was master andowner of the ship, that traded between Liverpool and Kingston, Jamaica.
"I remained with this man seven years; and under his tuition, I obtainedsomething of an education. Had I been his own son, he could not haveshown more zeal, or taken greater pains to teach me.
"During all that time, his ship was my only home; and I had nothing totempt me away from it. It was all the world to me; and of that world Iwas not long in acquiring a knowledge.
"I was about twenty-one years of age, when I was made first officer ofthe ship. My father--for as such I had got to esteem the man who raisedme from rags, and out of mud, to something like a human existence--wasgoing to make one more voyage with me, and then lie by for the rest ofhis life--leaving me master of the ship.
"We were on our return from Kingston, very deeply laden, when weencountered a severe gale. For some time, we allowed the ship to runwith the wind--in order that we might keep on our course; but the stormincreased; and this could not be done with safety. We were preparing tolay her head to sea, when a wave rolled over the stern, and swept thedecks fore and aft. The captain--my generous protector--and two of thesailors, were washed overboard; and we could do nothing to save them.All three were lost.
"I took the ship to Liverpool, where a wealthy merchant succeeded to thecaptain's property. To make way for some friend of the new owner, I wasdischarged from the service--after receiving the few pounds due to me aswages.
"The commotion caused by the discovery of the Australian gold-fields,had then reached Liverpool; and seamen were shipping to Melbourne,asking only the nominal wages of one shilling a month! I was able toget a situation as second officer of a brig bound for that port.
"We had one hundred and twelve passengers; and amongst them was abankrupt London merchant, emigrating with a large stock of pride, and asmall stock of merchandise, to the golden land. He was accompanied byhis wife, and a beautiful daughter. To me, this young lady appearedlovely, modest, intelligent; in short, everything that a young man--whofor the first time had felt the tender passion, could wish its object tobe.
"I had frequent opportunities of conversing with her--when she would beseated outside on the poop; and many of my happiest moments were passedin her society, in those delightful evenings one experiences whilecrossing the Line.
"I was at length made perfectly happy, by the knowledge that there wasone being in the world who felt an interest in my welfare.
"I soon saw that my attentions to his daughter, were displeasing to theproud merchant; and I was told by the girl herself: that she had beencommanded to discourage my addresses.
"I sought an interview with the father; and demanded from him hisreasons for thus rejecting me. I was simply told: that the girl was hisdaughter, and that I was only a sailor!
"That same evening, when on duty, I was spoken to by the captain in aharsh and ungentlemanly manner. I was in no pleasant humour at thetime: and to be thus addressed, in hearing of so many people--but moreespecially in the presence of her I loved--was a degradation I could notendure. I could not restrain myself, from making a sharp and angryreply.
"The captain was a man of very quick temper; and, enraged at myinsolence, he struck me in the face with his open hand. For thisinsult, I instantly knocked him down upon the deck.
"The remainder of the voyage I passed in irons. On arriving atWilliamston, I was sentenced to two months' imprisonment--during whichtime I was confined on board a hulk anchored in Hobson's Bay.
"I made an attempt to escape; and, being unsuccessful, I received afurther sentence of two months' hard labour on the hulk.
"When at length I received my liberty, I hastened to Melbourne. There Imade inquiries for the merchant, in hopes of being able to obtain aninterview with his daughter, who was then the only being on earth, forwhom I entertained the slightest feeling of friendship.
"I succeeded in finding the young lady; and was conducted into thepresence of her mother--who, somewhat to my surprise, received me in themost cordial manner!
"The old merchant was dead. He had died within a month after landing;and the goods he had brought with him to the colony--not being suited tothe market--had been sold for little more than the freight out fromEngland had cost. His widow and her daughter were living by their ownindustry--which, I need hardly tell you, was something they had neverdone before."
Here Sailor Bill paused--as if he had got to the end of his story.
But his listeners were not contented with such a termination. Theybelieved there must be something more to come--perhaps more interestingthan anything yet revealed; and they clamoured for him to go on, andgive them the finale.
"There's nothing more," said Bill, in response to the calls of thecompany; "at least nothing that would interest any of you."
"Let us be the judges of that," cried one. "Come, Bill, your story isnot complete--finish it--finish it!"
"I'm sorry myself it's not finished," rejoined he. "It won't be, Isuppose, until I get back to Melbourne."
"What then?" inquired several voices.
"Well then," said Bill, forced into a reluctant confession, "I supposeit will end by my getting spliced."
"And to the young lady, with whom you spent those pleasant evenings onthe poop?"
"Exactly so. I've written to her, to say I'm coming to Melbourne. Iintend to take her and her mother back to England--where they've longwished to go. Of course it would never do to make such a voyage,without first splicing the main brace, and securing the craft againstall the dangers of the sea. For that reason, I've proposed to the younglady, that she and I make the voyage as man and wife; and I'm happy totell you that my proposal has been accepted. Now you've got the wholeof my _yarn_."
And with this characteristic ending, Sailor Bill brought his story to atermination.
Volume Three, Chapter XVIII.
MY BROTHER WILLIAM.
The next morning, I arose early, and went to Olliphant's tent--to takeleave of him, and his companion Bill.
I accompanied them to the public-house, from which the stage coach toGeelong was to start. We stepped inside the house, to have a glasstogether.
"There's a question," said Bill, "that I've oft
en thought of putting toyou. I've heard you called Rowland. Excuse my appearing to beinquisitive; but I have a strong reason for it. You have some othername. Will you tell me what it is?"
There is something extraordinary in the power and quickness of thought.Suddenly a conviction came over my mind: that I had found my brother! Ifelt sure of it. Memory did not assist me much, in making thediscovery. It seemed to come upon me, as if by inspiration!
It is true, I had something to guide me, in coming to this conclusion.Sailor Bill had evidently, at some time or other, known a person by thename of Rowland. It at once entered my mind, that I must be theindividual of whom he had this distant recollection.
"My name," said I, in answer to his question, "is your own. Is notyours Stone?"
"It