Chapter XLIII.

La Volpe Cambia Il Pelo, Ma Non La Pelle; Cambia La Pelle Il Serpe, Non Il Veleno: Il Cane Non Abbaia Col Ventre Pieno; Vestesi Il Lupo In Pecora Tra Liagnelle.

Antica Storia; Ma Senza Gloria.

By this time, the main road was crowded. The men were anxiously waiting to know our success. Mr. Black calmed their excitement as kindly as circ.u.mstances admitted. We returned to our camp at the Eureka. Mr. Black rendered an account of our mission with that candour which characterises him as a gentleman. I wished to correct him in one point only, and said, my impression was, that the Camp, choked with red-coats, would quash Mr. Rede's 'good judgment,' get the better of his sense, if he had any of either, and that he would come out licence-hunting on an improved style.

Peter Lalor adjourned the meeting to five o'clock in the morning.

Chapter XLIV.

Accingere Gladio Tuo Super Femur Tuum.

On Friday, December 1st, the sun rose as usual. The diggers came in armed, voluntarily, and from all directions: and soon they were under drill, as the day before. So far as I know, not one digger had turned to work.

It may have happened, that certain Cornishmen, well known for their peculiar propensity, of which they make a boast to themselves, to pounce within an inch of their neighbour's shaft, were not allowed to indulge in 'encroaching.' This, however, I a.s.sert as a matter of fact, that the Council of the Eureka Stockade never gave or hinted at any order to stop the usual work on the gold-field.

Towards ten o'clock, news reached our camp that the red coats were under arms, and there would be another licence-hunting.

The flames did not devour the Eureka Hotel with the same impetuosity as we got up our stockade. Peter Lalor gave the order: Vern had the charge, and was all there with his tremendous sword. "Wo ist der Raffaello!

Du, Baricaden bauen," and all heaps of slabs, all available timber was soon higgledy-piggledy thrown all round our camp. Lalor then gave directions as to the position each division should take round the holes, and soon all was on the 'qui vive.'

Had Commissioner Rede dared to rehea.r.s.e the farce of the riot-act cracking as on Gravel-pits, he would have met with a warm reception from the Eureka boys. It was all the go that morning.

No blue or red coat appeared.--It was past one o'clock: John Bull must have his dinner. Lalor spoke of the want of arms and ammunition, requested that every one should endeavour to procure of both as much as possible, but did certainly not counsel or even hint that stores should be pressed for it.

A German blacksmith, within the stockade was blazing, hammering and pointing pikes as fast as his thick strong arms allowed him: praising the while his past valour in the wars of Mexico, and swearing that his pikes would fix red-toads and blue p.i.s.sants especially. He was making money as fast any Yankee is apt on such occasions, and it was a wonder to look at his coa.r.s.e workmanship, that would hardly stick an opossum, though his pikes were meant for kangaroos and wild dogs.

Chapter XLV.

Populus Ex Terra Crescit: Mult.i.tudo Hominum Est Populus; Ergo, Mult.i.tudo Hominum Ex Terra Crescit.

Between four and five o'clock of same afternoon, we became aware of the silly blunder, which proved fatal to our cause. Some three or four hundred diggers arrived from Creswick-creek, a gold-field famous for its pennyweight fortunes--grubbed up through hard work, and squandered in dissipation among the swarm of sly-grog sellers in the district.

We learned from this Creswick legion that two demagogues had been stumping at Creswick, and called the diggers there to arms to help their brothers on Ballaarat, who were worried by scores, by the perfidious hounds of the Camp.

They were a.s.sured that on Ballaarat there was plenty of arms, ammunitions, forage, and provisions, and that preparations on a grand scale were making to redress once for all the whole string of grievances. They had only to march to Ballaarat, and would find there plenty of work, honour, and glory.

I wonder how honest Mr. Black could sanction with his presence, such suicidal rant, such absurd bosh of that pair of demagogues, who hurried down these four hundred diggers from Creswick, helpless, grog-worn, that is, more or less dirty and ragged, and proved the greatest nuisance.

One of them, MICHAEL TUEHY, behaved valiantly and so I shall say no more.

Of course something must be done. Thonen was the purveyor. The Eureka butcher on the hill gave plenty of meat, and plenty of bread was got from all the neighbouring stores, and paid for. A large fire was lit in the middle of the stockade, and thus some were made as comfortable as circ.u.mstances admitted; others were quartered at the tents of friends; the greater part, soon guessing how they had been humbugged, returned to their old quarters.

Arms and ammunition were our want. Men were there enough; each and all ready to fight: such was the present excitement; but blue and red coats cannot be driven off with fists alone. Lalor gave all his attention to the subject, but would not consent yet to press stores for it.

Vern was perpetually expecting every moment his German Rifle Brigade.

Have patience till to-morrow.

In the evening a report was made to the Council, that a reinforcement of soldiers from Melbourne was on the road. Captains Ross and Nealson hastened with their divisions across the bush to intercept the expected troops, so as to get at their arms and ammunition. All proved in vain.

When a revolution explodes as conspired and planned by able leaders, it is usually seen that it was their care from the very beginning, that arms and ammunition should be at hand when and wherever required; while usury, ambition, or vengeance lavishly provide the money to render the revolution popular: but we had never dreamed of making any preparation, because we diggers had taken up arms solely in self-defence; and as up to Sat.u.r.day the Council of the Eureka Stockade counted in the majority honest men, themselves hard-working diggers, they would not turn burglars or permit anybody to do so in their name.

Truly, I heard from Manning, that a certain committee kept on their hallucinated yabber-yabber at the Star Hotel. I never was there, and know nothing about Star blabs. They, with the exception of Vern, were not with us, thank G.o.d; up to Sat.u.r.day four o'clock any how.

Chapter XLVI.

Non Irascimini.

Sat.u.r.day morning. The night had been very cold, we had kept watch for fear of being surprised; every hour the cry, was "The military are coming."

Vern had enlarged the stockade across the Melbourne road, and down the Warrenheip Gully.

Suppose, even that all diggers who had fire arms had been present and plucky, yet no man in his right senses will ever give Vern the credit for military tactics, if that gallant officer had thought that an acre of ground on the surface of a hill accessible with the greatest ease on every side, simply fenced in by a few slabs placed at random, could be defended by a handful of men, for the most part totally dest.i.tute of military knowledge, against a disciplined soldiery, backed by swarms of traps and troopers.

Such, however, was our infatuation, that now we considered the stockade stronger, because it looked more higgledy-piggledy.

Chapter XLVII.

Non n.o.bis, Non n.o.bis, Sed Pax Vobisc.u.m.

It was eight o'clock. Drilling was going on as on the previous day.

Father Smyth came inside the stockade: it was my watch. He looked very earnest, a deep anxiety about the hopelessness of our struggle, must have grieved his Irish heart. He obtained permission from Lalor to speak to those under arms, who belonged to his Congregation.

Vern consented, and Manning announced it to the men. Father Smyth told them, that the government Camp was under arms, some seven or eight hundred strong; that he had received positive information, that government had sent other reinforcements from Melbourne, which would soon reach Ballaarat; warned them against useless bloodshed; reminded them that they were Christians; and expressed his earnest desire to see all of them at Ma.s.s on the following (Sunday) morning.

Father Smyth, your advice was kindly received; if it did not thrive, was it because you sowed it on barren ground?