"L I B R.AFLY 
 
 OF THE 
 UNIVERSITY 
 or ILLINOIS 
 
 V.I
 
 LOST LENORE; 
 
 OE, 
 
 ifo ^d^ntutif^ of E |i0llin0 ^im. 
 
 BY CHAELES BEACH. 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 CAPTAIN MAYNE REID. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 CHARLES J. SKEET, 10, KING WJLLUM STREET. 
 
 CHARING CROSS* 
 
 1864. 
 
 (Bight of Translation reserved.)
 
 LONDON : 
 
 Printed by A. Schulze, 13, Poland Street.
 
 
 O 
 
 r 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 A " Rolling Stone " came tumbling across 
 
 <^ my track. There was a crystalline sparkle 
 
 about it, proclaiming it no common pebble. 
 
 I took it up ; and submitted it to examina- 
 
 7?^ tion. It proved to be a diamond ! 
 
 ^ A diamond of the " first water/' slightly en- 
 
 "^ crusted with quartz — needing but the chisel of 
 
 ^ the lapidary, to lay bare its brilliant beauties 
 
 to the gaze of an admiring world. 
 
 Charles Beach is the proprietor of this 
 precious gem : I but the artizan, entrusted 
 with its setting.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 If my share of the task has been attended 
 with labour — it has been a " labour of love ;" 
 for which I shall feel amply rewarded, in listen- 
 ing to the congratulations which are due — and 
 will certainly be given— to the lucky owner of 
 the "Rolling Stone"— the finder of '^ Lost 
 Lenore." 
 
 MAYJSE REID. 
 
 the eancho, 
 geerakd's cross, bucks.
 
 THE ADVExNTURES 
 
 OF 
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 FAMTLY AFFAIRS. 
 
 The first important event of my life 
 transpired on the 22nd May, 1831. On that 
 day I was horn. 
 
 Six weeks after, another event occurred 
 which no douht exerted an influence over my 
 destiny : I was christened Rowland Stone. 
 
 From what I have read of ancient history — 
 principally as given by the Jews — I have 
 reason to think, that 1 am descended from 
 an old and illustrious family. No one can 
 
 VOL. 1. B
 
 Z THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 refute the evidence I have for believing : that 
 some of my ancestors were in existence many 
 hundred years ago. 
 
 The simple fact that I am in existence 
 now is sufficient proof that my family 
 is of a descent, ancient and noble, as that 
 of any other on earth. 
 
 Perhaps there is no family, in its wanderings 
 and struggles towards remotest posterity, that 
 has not experienced every vicissitude of for- 
 tune ; sometimes standing in the ranks of the 
 great ; and in the lapse of ages descending to 
 the lower strata of the social scale, and there 
 becoming historically lost. 
 
 I have not yet found it recorded, that any 
 individual of the family to which 1 belong ever 
 held a very high position — not, in fact, since 
 one of them named Noah constructed a peculiar 
 kind of sailing craft, of which he was full owner, 
 and captain. 
 
 It was my misfortune to be brought into 
 existence at a period of the world's his- 
 tory, when my father would be thought by
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 6 
 
 many to be a man in " humble circum- 
 stances of life." He used to earn an honest 
 living by hard work. 
 
 He was a saddle and harness-maker in an 
 obscure street in the city of Dublin ; and his 
 name was William Stone. 
 
 When memory dwells on my father, pride 
 swells up in my soul : for he was an honest, 
 temperate, and industrious man, and was very 
 kind to my mother and his children. I should 
 be an unworthy son, not to feel pride at the 
 remembrance of such a father ! 
 
 There was nothing very remarkable in the 
 character of my mother. I used to think 
 different once; but that w^as before I had 
 arrived at the age of reason. I used to think 
 that she delighted to thwart my childish in- 
 clinations — more than was necessary for her 
 own happiness or mine. But this was probably 
 a fault of my wayward fancy. I am willing to 
 think so now. 
 
 I was a little wilful ; and no doubt caused 
 her much trouble. I am inclined to believe, 
 
 B 2
 
 4 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 now that she treated me kindly enough — 
 perhaps better than I deserved. 
 
 I remember, that, up to the time I was 
 eight years of age, it was the work of two 
 women to put a clean shirt on my back ; 
 and the operation was never performed by 
 them without a long and violent struggle. 
 This remembrance, along with several others 
 of a like nature, produces upon me the impres- 
 sion, that my parents must have humoured 
 my whims — too much, either for my good or 
 their own. 
 
 When I was yet very young, they thought 
 that I was distinguished from other children 
 by a 'penchant, for suddenly and secretly 
 absenting myself from those, whose duty it 
 was to be acquainted with my whereabouts. 
 I often ran away from home to find play- 
 mates ; and ran away from school to avoid 
 the trouble of learning my lessons. At this 
 time of life, so strong was ray propensity 
 for escaping from any scene I did not like, 
 and betaking myself to such as I deemed
 
 A ROLLING STONE. O 
 
 more congenial to my tastes, that I obtained the 
 soubriquet of The Rolling Stone. 
 
 Whenever I would be missing from home, the 
 inquiry would be made, " Where is that Rolling 
 Stone ?'' and this inquiry being often put in the 
 school I attended, the phrase was also applied to 
 me there. In short it became my *' nickname." 
 
 Perhaps I was a little vain of the appellation : 
 for I certainly did not try to win another; 
 but, on the contrary, did much to convince 
 everybody, that the title thus extended to me 
 was perfectly appropriate. 
 
 My father's family consisted of my parents, 
 a brother, one year and a half younger than 
 myself ; and a sister, about two years younger 
 still. 
 
 We were not an unhappy family. The 
 little domestic cares, such as all must share, 
 only strengthened the desire for existence — in 
 order that they might be overcome. 
 
 My father was a man without many friends, 
 and with fewer enemies : for he was a person 
 who attended to his own business, and said but
 
 6 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 little to any one. He had a talent for silence ; 
 and had the good sense not to neglect the 
 exercise of it — as many do the best drifts Nature 
 has bestowed upon them. 
 
 He died when I was about thirteen years old ; 
 and, as soon as he was gone from us, sorrow 
 and misfortune began for the first time to show 
 themselves in our house. 
 
 There are many families to whom the loss of 
 a parent may be no great calamity ; but ours was 
 not one of them ; and, young as I was at the 
 time, I had the sense to know that thenceforward 
 I should have to war with the world alone. I had 
 no confidence in my mother's ability to provide 
 for her children ; and saw that, by the death 
 of my father, I was at once elevated from the 
 condition of a child to that of a man. 
 
 After his decease, the work in the shop was 
 carried on by a young man named Leary — a 
 journeyman saddler, who had worked with my 
 father for more than a year previous to his death. 
 
 I w^as taken from school ; and put to work 
 with Mr. Learv who undertook to instruct me in
 
 A ROLLING STONE. / 
 
 the trade of a harness-maker. I may say that the 
 man displayed considerable patience in trying to 
 teach me. 
 
 He also assisted my mother with his ounsel 
 — which seemed o^uided bv a Gfenuine re2:ard for 
 our interests. He managed the business in the 
 shop, in what appeared to be the best manner 
 possible ; and the profits of his labour were 
 punctually handed over to my mother. 
 
 For several weeks after my father's death, 
 everything was conducted in a manner much 
 more pleasant than we had any reason to 
 expect ; and the loss we had sustained seemed 
 not so serious to our future existence, as I had 
 at first anticipated. 
 
 All of our acquaintances thought we were 
 exceedingly fortunate in having such a person 
 as Mr. Leary, to assist us in carrying on the 
 business. Most of the neighbours used to 
 speak of him in the highest terms of praise; 
 and many times have I heard my mother affirm : 
 that she knew^ not what would become of us, if 
 deprived of his assistance.
 
 6 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Up to this time Mr. Leary had unlformally 
 treated me with kindness. I knew of no cause 
 for disliking him ; and yet I did ! 
 
 My conscience often rebuked me w-ith this un- 
 explained antipathy, for I believed it to be wrong ; 
 but for all that, I could not help it. I did not 
 even like his appearance ; but, on the contrary, 
 thought him the most hideous person I had 
 ever beheld. Other people had a different 
 opinion ; and I tried to believe that I was 
 guided by prejudice in forming my judgment of 
 him, I knew he was not to blame for his 
 personal appearance, nor for any other of my 
 fancies ; but none of these considerations could 
 prevent me from hating Matthew Leary ; and 
 in truth I did hate him. 
 
 I could not conceal my dislike — even from 
 him ; and I will do him the justice to state that 
 he appeared to strive hard to overcome it with 
 kindness. All his efforts to accomplish this 
 were in vain ; and only resulted in increasing my 
 antipathy. 
 
 Time passed. Mr. Leary daily acquired a
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 9 
 
 greater control of the affairs of our family ; and 
 ia proportion as his influence over my mother 
 increased, so did my hostility towards him. 
 
 My mother strove to conquer it, by remind- 
 ing me of his kindness to all the family — the 
 interest he took in our common welfare — the 
 trouble he underwent in teaching me the 
 business my father had followed — and his un- 
 doubted morality and good habits. 
 
 I could not deny that there was reason in her 
 arguments; but my dislike to Mr. Leary was 
 independent of reason : it had sprung from 
 instinct. 
 
 It soon became evident to me, that Mr. 
 Leary would, at no distant period, become one of 
 the family. In the belief of my mother, 
 younger brother, and sister, he seemed 
 necessary to our existence. 
 
 My mother was about thirty-three years of 
 age ; and did not appear old for her years. She 
 was not a bad looking woman — besides, she was 
 mistress of a house and a business. Mr. 
 Leary possessed neither. He was but ajourney- 
 
 c 3
 
 10 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 man saddler; but it was soon very evident, 
 that he intended to avail himself of the oppor- 
 tunity of marrying my mother and her business, 
 and becoming the master of both. 
 
 It was equally evident that no efforts of 
 mine could prevent him from doing so : for, in 
 the opinion of my mother, he was every thing re- 
 quired for supplying the loss of her first husband. 
 
 I tried to reason with her ; but must admit, 
 that the only arguments 1 could adduce were 
 my prejudices ; and I was too young to use 
 even them to the best advantage. But had 
 they been ever so just, they would have been 
 thrown away on my father's widow. 
 
 The many seeming good traits in the 
 character of Mr. Leary, and his ability for 
 carrying on the work in the shop, were 
 stronger arguments than any I could urge in 
 answer to them. 
 
 My opposition to their marriage — now openly 
 talked about — only engendered ill-will in the 
 mind of my mother ; and created a coldness, on 
 her part, towards myself. AVhen finally con-
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 11 
 
 vinced of her intention to become Mrs. Leary, 
 I strove hard to overcome my prejudices against 
 the man : for I was fully aware of the influence 
 he would have over me as a step-father. 
 
 It was all to no purpose. I hated Mr. Leary, 
 and could not help it. 
 
 As soon as my mother had definitively made 
 known to me her intention of marrying him, I 
 felt a strong inclination to strengthen my 
 reputation as a run-away : by running away from 
 home. But such an exploit was then a little 
 too grand for a boy of my age to undertake — 
 with much hope of succeeding in its accom- 
 plishment. I did not like to leave home, and 
 afterwards be compelled to return to it — when 
 I might be worse off than ever. 
 
 I formed the resolution, therefore, to abide 
 in my mother's — soon to be Mr. Leary's— 
 house ; until circumstances should force me to 
 leave it; and that such circumstances would 
 ere long arise, I had a painful presentiment. As 
 will be found in the sequel, my presentiment 
 was too faithfully fultilled.
 
 12 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 A SUDDEN CHANGE OF CHARACTER. 
 
 Never have I witnessed a change so great 
 and sudden as came over Mr. Leary, after his 
 marriage with my mother. 
 
 He was no longer the humble journeyman — 
 with the deportment of a respectable young 
 fellow striving to retain a situation, and gain 
 friends by good conduct. The very day after 
 the wedding, his behaviour was that of a vain 
 selfish overbearing plebeian, suddenly raised 
 from poverty to wealth. He no longer spoke 
 to nie in his former feigned tone of kindness ; 
 but with threats, in a commanding voice, and 
 in accents far more authoritative, than my father 
 had ever used to rae.
 
 A ROLLING STOiNE. 13 
 
 Mr. Leary had been hitherto industrious ; 
 but was so no longer. He commenced, by 
 employing another man to work in the shop 
 with me; and plainly expressed by hi sactions 
 that his share in the business was to be 
 the spending of the money we might earn. 
 
 Up to that time, he had passed among his 
 acquaintances as a temperate man ; but in less 
 than three weeks after his marriage, he came 
 home drunk on as many occasions ; and each 
 time spoke to my motlier in an insulting and 
 cruel manner. 
 
 I took no trouble to conceal from Mr. Leary 
 my opinion of him and his conduct; and it 
 soon became evident to all, that he and I 
 could not remain long as members of the 
 same family. 
 
 Our difficulties and misunderstandings in- 
 creased ; until Mr. Leary declared that I was 
 an ungrateful wretch — unworthy of his care ; 
 that he could do nothing with me ; and that 
 I should remain no longer in his house ! 
 
 He held a long consultation with my mother,
 
 14 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 about what was to be done with me — the 
 result of which was, that 1 was to be sent 
 to sea. T know not what arguments he used ; 
 but they were effectual with my mother : for 
 she gave consent to his plans ; and I was 
 shortly after bound apprentice to Captain John 
 Brannon, of the ship " Hope," trading between 
 Dublin and New Orleans. 
 
 " The sea is the place for you, my lad," said 
 Mr. Leary, after the indenture had been signed, 
 binding me to Captain Brannon. " Aboard of 
 a ship, you will learn to conduct yourself in 
 a proper manner, and treat your superiors with 
 respect. You are going to a school, where 
 you will be taught something — whether you 
 are willing to learn it, or not." 
 
 Mr. Leary thought, by sending me to sea, 
 he was obtaining some revenge for my ill-will 
 towards him ; but he was mistaken. Had he 
 known what pleasure the arrangement gave me, 
 he would, perhaps, have tried to retain me a 
 little longer working in the shop. As I had 
 already resolved to leave home, I was only
 
 A ROLLING SI ONE. 15 
 
 too glad at being thus sent away — instead of 
 having the responsibility of an indiscretion 
 resting on mysdf. I had but one cause for 
 regret; and that was leaving my mother, 
 brother, and sister, to the tender mercies of a 
 man like Mr. Leary. 
 
 But what was 1 to do ? 1 was not yet 
 fourteen years of age, and could not have pro- 
 tected them from him by staying at home. The 
 hatred between us was mutual; and, perhaps, 
 when his spite was no longer provoked by my 
 presence, he might treat the rest of the family 
 better. This was the only thought that con- 
 soled me on parting with my relatives. 
 
 I could do nothing but yield to circumstances, 
 leave them to their destiny, whatever that 
 was to be, and go forth upon the world in 
 search of my own. 
 
 My brother bore our father's name, William 
 Stone. He was a fair-haired, blue-eyed boy, with 
 a mild, gentle disposition, and was liked by 
 everyone who knew him. He never did an 
 action contrary to the expressed wishes of those
 
 16 THE ADVENrURES OF 
 
 who had any authority over him ; and, unlike 
 myself, he was always to be found when wanted. 
 He never tried to shirk his work, or absent 
 himself from school. 
 
 My little sister, Martha, was a beautiful 
 child, with curly flaxen hair ; and I never gazed 
 on anything more beautiful than her large deep 
 blue eyes, which seemed to express all the 
 mental attributes of an angel. 
 
 It pained me much to leave little Martha — 
 more than parting either with my mother or 
 brother. 
 
 My mother wished to furnish me with 
 a good outfit ; but was prevented from doing 
 so by Mr. Leary — who said that he could 
 not afford the expense. He declared, moreover, 
 that I did not deserve it. 
 
 After my box was sent aboard the ship, and 
 I was ready to follow it, little Willie and 
 Martha were loud in their grief; and I had to 
 tear myself away from their presence. 
 
 When it came to parting with my mother, 
 she threw her arms around me; and ex-
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 17 
 
 claimed, " My poor boy, you shall not leave 
 me 1" 
 
 Mr. Leary gave her a glance out of his 
 sinister eyes, which had the effect of suddenly 
 subduing this expression of grief, and " we 
 parted in silence and tears." 
 
 Often, and for hours, have T thought of that 
 parting scene; and wondered why and how 
 Mr. Leary had obtained so great an influence 
 over the mind of my poor mother. 
 
 I once believed that she had a will of her 
 own, with the courage to show it — an opinion 
 that had been formed from observations made 
 during the life of my father ; but since her 
 marriage with Mr. Leary, she seemed afraid of 
 giving utterance to a word, that might express 
 independence, and allowed him, not only to 
 speak but think for her. 
 
 I knew that she had much affection for all 
 of us, her children — and her regret at thus 
 sending me, at so early an age to encounter 
 the hardships of a long voyage must have been 
 deep and sincere.
 
 18 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 I know that her heart was nearly breaking at 
 that nnoment. The expression of her features, 
 and the manner in which she wrung my hand, 
 told me so ; and yet the passion of my grief was 
 not equal in power to that of her fear for the 
 frowns of Mr. Leary. 
 
 My amiable step-father accompanied me to 
 the ship, which was lying in Dublin Bay ; and 
 on our way thither, he became much excited 
 with drink. He was so elated with whiskey, 
 and with the idea that I was going away, that 
 he did not speak to me in his usual unpleasant 
 tone. On the contrary, he seemed all kindness, 
 until we had got aboard the ship. 
 
 "Now my little * Rolling Stone,"' said he, 
 when about to take leave of me, "you are 
 going to have plenty of rolling now ; and may 
 you roll so far away, as never to roll across my 
 path again." 
 
 He appeared to think this was very witty : 
 for he was much amused at what he had said, 
 and laughed long and loudly. 
 
 I made no reply, until he was in the boat.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 1^ 
 
 which was about to shove off from the ship ; 
 when, looking over the bulwarks, I called after 
 him. 
 
 " Mr. Leary ! if you ill-use my mother, 
 brother, or sister, in my absence, I will certainly 
 kill you when I come back." 
 
 Mr. Leary made no reply, further than to 
 answer me with a smile, that a hyena might 
 have envied.
 
 20 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 STORMY JACK. 
 
 There have been so many stories told of the 
 sufferings of boys, when first sent to sea, that 
 I shall not dwell long on those that befell my- 
 self. 
 
 What a world to me was that ship ! I little 
 knew, before it became my home, how many 
 great men there were in the world. By great 
 men, I mean those high in authority over their 
 fellows. 
 
 I went aboard of the ship, with the idea that 
 my position in it would be one which ordinary 
 people might envy. I was guided to this 
 opinion by something said by the captain, at 
 the time the indentures of my apprenticeship
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 21 
 
 were being signed. No sooner were we out to 
 sea, than I learnt that there were at least a 
 dozen individuals on board, who clainned the 
 right of commanding my services ; and that 
 my situation on board was so humble, as to 
 place me far beneath the notice of the captain in 
 command. I had been told that we were to 
 be friends ; but before we were a week out, 
 I saw that should it be my lot to be lost over- 
 board, the captain might only accidentally learn 
 that I was gone. The knowledge of this in- 
 difference to my fate was not pleasant to me. 
 On the contrary, I felt disappointed and un- 
 happy. 
 
 Aboard of the ship^ were four mates, two 
 boatswains, a carpenter and his mate, and a 
 steward, besides some others who took a little 
 trouble to teach me my duty, by giving me 
 orders which were frequently only given, to save 
 themselves the trouble of doing what they 
 commanded me to do. 
 
 Only one of these many masters ever spoke 
 to me in a pleasant manner. This was the
 
 22 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 boatswain of the watch, in which I was placed ; 
 who was called by his companions, " Stormy 
 Jack/' probably for the reason that there was 
 generally a tempest in his mind, too often ex- 
 pressed in a»storm of words. 
 
 For all this, Stormy Jack was every inch a 
 sailor, a true British tar ; and all know what 
 that means. 
 
 Perhaps I should have said, that all know 
 • what it might have meant in times past ; for 
 Stormy Jack was not a fair specimen of English 
 sailors of the present day. The majority of the 
 men aboard of British ships are not now as 
 they were thirty years ago. English sailors, in 
 general, seem to have lost many of the peculiar- 
 ities that once distinguished them from other 
 people ; and a foreign language is too often 
 spoken in the forecastle of English ships. 
 
 To return to Stormy Jack. 
 
 One day the carpenter had ordered me to 
 bring him a pannikin of w^ater. Leaving a 
 job on which I had been set to work by Stormy 
 Jack, I -started to obey. In doing so, I
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 23 
 
 caught the eye of the latter, who was standing 
 a little to one side, and had not been seen by 
 the carpenter as he gave me the order. 
 
 Stormy shook his head at me, and pointed 
 to the work he had himself ordered* me to per- 
 form, in a manner that plainly said, "go at it 
 again." 
 
 I obeyed this interpretation of his signal, and 
 resumed my task. 
 
 " Did you hear what I said ?" angrily shouted 
 the carpenter. 
 
 " Yes, sir," I answered. 
 
 " Then why do you ft)t start, and do what 
 I told you ?" 
 
 I stole a sly glance at Stormy Jack, and 
 seeing upon his face a smile, approving of what 
 I did, I made bold to answer, in a somewhat 
 brusque manner, that I had other work on hand ; 
 and, moreover, it was not my business to wait 
 upon him. 
 
 The carpenter dropped his adze, caught up 
 his measuring rule, and advanced towards me. 
 
 He was suddenly stopped by th(> strong
 
 24 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 hand of Stormy placed firmly on his 
 shoulder. 
 
 " Avast !" said the sailor, *' don't you molest 
 that boy at his work. If you do, I am the one 
 to teach you manners." 
 
 The carpenter was a man who knew " how 
 to choose an enemy ;" and with such wisdom to 
 guide him, he returned to his own work, 
 without resenting in any way the check he had 
 thus met with. 
 
 The fact that I had refused to obey the 
 carpenter, and that Stormy Jack had inter- 
 ceded in my behalf, Became known amongst 
 the others who had been hitherto bullying me ; 
 and I was afterwards permitted to go about the 
 ship, without being the slave of so many 
 masters. 
 
 Some time after the incident above related, 
 Stormy Jack chanced to be standing near me, 
 and commenced a conversation which was as 
 follows : 
 
 "You are a boy of the right sort," said he, 
 " and I'll not see you mistreated. I heard
 
 A ROLLING SI ONE. 25 
 
 what you said to the lubber as brought you 
 aboard ; and 1 always respects a boy as respects 
 his mother. I hope that man in the boat was 
 not your father/' 
 
 " No," I answered ; " he is my step-father." 
 
 " I thought as much," said Stormy, ** by his 
 appearing so pleased to get rid ot you. It's 
 my opinion no one ought to have more than one 
 father ; but you must brace up your spirits, my 
 lad. Two or three voyages will make a man of 
 you; and you will then be able to go back 
 home, and teach the lubber manners, should he 
 forget 'em. Do the best you can aboard here 
 to larn your duty, and I'll keep an eye on you. 
 If any one goes to boxing your compass, when 
 you don't deserve it, Til teach him manners." 
 
 I thanked Stormy for his kind advice ; and 
 promised to do all I could to merit his pro- 
 tection. 
 
 After having made a friend of Stormy, and 
 an enemy of the carpenter, I began to be more 
 at home on the ship, and took a stronger 
 interest in its mysteries and miseries. Familiarity 
 
 VOL. I. C
 
 26 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 does not with all things breed contempt. That 
 it should not is a wise provision of Nature, for 
 the accommodation of the majority of mankind — 
 whose necessity it is to become familiar with many 
 cares, annoyances, and disagreeable circum- 
 stances. 
 
 Second nature, or habit, is only acquired by 
 familiarity ; and seamen become so familiar with 
 all that is disagreeable in a life on the sea, that 
 they are never satisfied long wnth any home, but 
 a floating one. The mind of youth soon 
 becomes reconciled to circumstances, however 
 unpleasant, much sooner than that of an older 
 person; and this was probably the reason why, 
 although greatly dissatisfied at the beginning of 
 the voyage, I soon became so contented with a 
 life on the sea, that I preferred it to one on land — 
 at least in a home with Mr. Leary as my master. 
 
 Upon occasions. Stormy Jack permitted the 
 storm in his soul to rage a little too wildly. 
 One of these occasions occurred about two 
 weeks, before we reached New Orleans. He 
 had got into a dispute with the second mate 
 
 •
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 27 
 
 about the setting of a sail ; and both becoaiing 
 intemperate in the use of the Queen's English, 
 words were used which had to be resented with 
 violence. 
 
 The first assault was made by the mate, 
 who soon found that he was but a child in the 
 hands of Stormy Jack. 
 
 The first mate happened to be on deck 
 smoking his pipe, as also the carpenter ; and, 
 as in duty bound, both ran to the relief of their 
 brother officer. Poor Stormy was knocked down 
 with the carpenter's mallet, his hands were tied 
 behind him, and he was dragged below. 
 
 The next day I was allowed to take him his 
 dinner, and found him well pleased with his 
 situation. I was expecting to see him in great 
 grief over his misfortune — which to me appeared 
 very serious — and was agreeably surprised to 
 find him in better spirits than I had ever seen 
 him before. 
 
 ** It's all right, Rowley, my boy," said he. 
 " If they can afford to keep me in idleness, and 
 pay me wages for doing nothing, I'm not the 
 
 c 2
 
 28 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 one to complain. I'm glad this has happened, 
 for I never liked the first breezer, nor yet Chips ; 
 and now I've got an opportunity for letting 
 them know it. I'm going to leave the ship, 
 and when I've done so, I'll teach them 
 manners." 
 
 I expressed the opinion, that it could not be 
 very pleasant to be kept so long in a dark place 
 and alone. 
 
 " That's no punishment," said Stormy. 
 ''Can't I sleep? I've been served worse than 
 this. On a voyage to India I refused duty on the 
 second week out. T was put in a pen along with 
 some turkeys and geese, and was told whenever 
 I would go to my duty, I should be taken out. 
 I never gave in, and finished the voyage in the 
 turkey coop. That was far worse than this ; for 
 the noise on deck, with the conversation between 
 my companions, the turkeys and geese, often 
 used to keep me from sleep. That was a queer 
 plan for teaching a fellow manners ; but I did 
 not let it succeed. 
 
 *' I was going to say one place was as good
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 29 
 
 as another, but it a*nt. This ship is no place 
 for me. After we reach New Orleans I shall 
 leave it; and if ever I come across eyther 
 the first breezer, or carpenter, ashore, they'll 
 both larn what they never knew afore, and 
 that's manners. When two men are fighting, 
 another has no right to interrupt either of 'em 
 with a blow of a mallet, and the man who does 
 so has no manners, and wants teachin'." 
 
 I was pleased to hear Stormy say that he 
 intended to leave the ship ; for the idea of 
 doing so myself had often entered my thoughts, 
 and had been favourably entertained. 
 
 I had no great hopes of finding a better 
 home than 1 had on board the ship ; but I had 
 been placed there by Leary, and that was 
 sufficient reason for my wishing to leave her. 
 He had driven me from my own home, and 
 I would not live in one of his choosing. 
 
 1 resolved, therefore, to take leave of the 
 ship if Stormy would allow me to become 
 his companion ; and even if he should not, 
 I had more than half determined upon running 
 away.
 
 30 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A CHANGE OF CALLING. 
 
 Two days before we reached New Orleans, 
 Stormy Jack expressed some sham contrition 
 for what he had done, with an inclination to 
 return to his duty. He was liberated, and 
 once more the deck was enlivened by the 
 sound of his rough manly voice giving the 
 necessary orders for working the ship. 
 
 I found a favourable opportunity of telling 
 him, that I should like to go along with him. 
 At first he objected to aid me, and urged me 
 to remain ; as a reason for my doing so, 
 urging the argument : that a boy serving his 
 apprenticeship w^as much better off than one 
 wandering about without a home.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 31 
 
 To me this argument was worth nothing. 
 The idea of remaining for seven years in a 
 situation chosen for me by Mr. Leary, was 
 too absurd to be seriously entertained for a 
 moment. I told Stormy so; and he finally 
 consented that I should go with him. 
 
 "My reason for objecting at first," said 
 he, " was because I did not like to be 
 troubled with you ; but that's not exactly the 
 right sort o' feeling for a Christian to steer 
 by. One should expect to have some trouble 
 with those as need a helping hand, and I 
 don't know why I should try to shirk from 
 my share of it." 
 
 I promised Stormy that I would try not 
 to cause him any trouble, or as little as 
 possible. 
 
 " Of course you will try," said he, " or 
 if you don't, I'll teach you manners." 
 
 Stormy's threat did not alarm me ; and our 
 conversation at the time ended — leaving me 
 well pleased with the prospect of getting clear 
 of the ship, by his assistance.
 
 32 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Stormy 's return to duty was only a pretence. 
 It was done to deceive the officers — so that 
 he might the more easily find an opportunity 
 of escaping from the ship. 
 
 Two days after our arrival in the port 
 of New Orleans, he was allowed liberty to 
 go ashore ; and I was permitted to accompany 
 him. The Captain probably supposed that 
 the wages due to Stormy would bring him 
 back ; and the suspicion, that a boy like 
 myself should wish to leave the ship, had 
 never entered into his mind. 
 
 Several of our shipmates went ashore along 
 with us; and the first thing we all thought 
 of was, what the reader will readily imagine, 
 to find a place where strong drink was sold. 
 This is usually a sailor's first thought on 
 going ashore after a voyage. 
 
 After having taken two or three glasses 
 with our shipmates, Stormy gave me a wink, 
 and sidled towards the door. I followed him ; 
 and slipping unperceived into the street, we 
 turned a corner, and kept on through several
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 33 
 
 streets — until we had arrived at another part of 
 the city. The little that Stormy had drunk 
 had by this time only sharpened his appetite 
 for more. 
 
 " Here I am," said he, " with clear twelve 
 shillings in my pocket. What a spell of fun 
 1 could have, if 'twas not for you! Seven 
 weeks without a spree, and now can't have it 
 because Fve you to take care of. Thought 
 'twould be so. Rowley, my boy ! see what I'm 
 suffering for you. You are teaching me man- 
 ners, whether I'm willing to larn 'em or not." 
 
 I allowed the sailor to go on uninterrupted 
 with his storm of complaints ; although 
 there was a reflection in my mind, that if I was 
 keeping him from getting drunk, the obligation 
 was not all on my side. 
 
 Stormy had but twelve shillings, and I half- 
 a-crown, which the Captain had given to me 
 before coming ashore. 
 
 It was necessary that something should be 
 done, before this money should be all spent. 
 
 Under ordinary circumstances, the sailor 
 
 c 3
 
 84 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 need not have felt any apprehension, about being 
 out of money. He could easily get employ- 
 ment in another vessel ; but as matters stood, 
 Stormy was afraid of being caught, should he 
 attempt to join another ship — before that from 
 which he had deserted had taken her departure 
 from the port. If caught, Stormy knew he 
 would be punished ; and this rendered him a 
 trifle serious. 
 
 The next day we passed in wandering about 
 the city — taking care to avoid all places where 
 we would be likely to meet with any of the 
 officers, or men of the ship " Hope." 
 
 Stormy's thoughts were all day in a fearful 
 storm, commingled with anxiety as to what we 
 should do to make a living. 
 
 " On your account, Rowley," said he, " Fm 
 not misinclined for a spell on shore, if I could 
 find anything to do, but that's the trouble. 
 There's not much work ashore, that be proper 
 for an honest man to bear a hand in. What little 
 of such work there is here, is done by darkies ; 
 while white men do all the cheating and schem-
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 35 
 
 ing. Howsomever, lad, we must try to get at 
 something." 
 
 The next day Stormy did try ; and obtained 
 work at rigging a new ship, that had just been 
 launched. The job would last for a month. 
 The wages were good ; and the storm in Stormy 's 
 mind had now subsided into an agreeable 
 calm. 
 
 We sought a cheap lodging-house, not far 
 from where his work was to be performed ; and 
 that evening the sailor indulged in a pipe and 
 a glass, from which he had prudently refrained 
 during all the day. 
 
 I was unwilling that the burden of supporting 
 me should be borne by my generous protector ; 
 and being anxious to do something for my- 
 self, I asked him what 1 should go about. 
 
 " iVe just been thinking of that," said he, 
 " and I believe I've hit upon an idea. Suppose 
 you sell newspapers? I see many lads about 
 your age in that business here ; and they must 
 make something at it. It's not hard work ; 
 besides it appears to be very respectable.
 
 36 
 
 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 It is a lit'rary business, as no boy should be 
 'shamed of." 
 
 I approved of the plan, and joyfully agreed to 
 give it a trial. 
 
 It was arranged that the next morning I 
 should go to the ofRce of a daily paper — buy a 
 bundle of copies ; and try to dispose of them 
 at a profit. 
 
 Early the next morning, Stormy started off 
 to his work on the ship, and I to a newspaper 
 office. 
 
 I reached the place too early to get out the 
 papers ; but found several boys waiting like my- 
 self. I joined their company, listened to them, 
 and was much interested in their conversation, 
 without very clearly comprehending what they 
 were talking about. 
 
 I could distinctly hear every word they said ; 
 jj^but the meaning of the words I knew not ; for 
 ^the most of them were slang phrases — such as 
 I had never heard before. 
 
 I could see that they were very fast boys — 
 much faster than I was — although the ** Rolling
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 37 
 
 Stone'' had not been for several years rolling 
 through the streets of Dublin, without learning 
 some city sharpness. 
 
 I entered into conversation with two of the 
 boys, in order to find out something of the busi- 
 ness of newsvending ; and could see from their 
 manner that they regarded me, as they would 
 have said, " not all thar." 
 
 They pretended to give me such information 
 as I required ; but I afterwards learnt that they 
 had not told me one word of truth. 
 
 When the papers were published, I went in 
 with the others, put down a half dollar, and 
 received in exchange the correct number of 
 copies. I hurried out, walked some distance 
 from the office, and commenced offering my 
 wares for sale. 
 
 On turning down a wide street, I met three 
 gentlemen, each of whom took a copy out of 
 my hands and gave me a picayune in return. 
 
 1 was doing business for myself — buying and 
 selling ; and in my soul avose a feeling of
 
 38 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 independance and pride that has never been so 
 thoroughly awakened since. 
 
 I passed along the street, till 1 came to a 
 large hotel, where I saw two other gentlemen 
 under the verandah. 
 
 I went up to them, offered my goods as 
 before, and each took a newspaper. As one of 
 them offered me payment for his copy, I had 
 hardly the strength to hand him the paper and 
 take his money. I nearly dropped to the pave- 
 ment. The man was Captain Brannon, of the 
 ship ' Hope,' to whom I had been apprenticed ! 
 
 I moved away from him as fast as my trem- 
 bling limbs would carry me ; and the glance which 
 I could not help throwing over my shoulder, 
 told me that 1 had not Igen recognised. 
 
 This was the man, who had promised to treat 
 me as he would his own son ; and yet during a 
 long voyage had taken so little notice of me, 
 that I could thus transact business with him, 
 without being recognised ! 
 
 By twelve o'clock my work for the day was 
 finished ; and I returned to the lodging-house
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 39 
 
 with a dollar in picayune pieces — having made 
 a hundred per cent on my capital. 
 
 I was at that hour the happiest boy in New 
 Orleans. 
 
 I was happy, yet full of impatience, as I 
 waited through the long afternoon for the return 
 of Stormy Jack. 
 
 There was pride and pleasure in the anticipa- 
 tion of his approval of ray exertions, when I 
 should show him the money I had made. It 
 was the first money I had ever earned — my only 
 transactions with the circulating medium before 
 that time, having been to spend it, as fast as it 
 could be obtained from a fond father. 
 
 I entered into an elaborate calculation by an 
 arithmetical rule I had learned under the name 
 of *' reduction,'* and found that 1 had made 
 in one day, by my own exertions, over two 
 shillings of English money. 
 
 I had pride — pride in my ability to make 
 money at all, and pride in my scholastic acquire- 
 ments, which enabled one so young to tell how 
 much had been gained ; for I was not able to
 
 40 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 comprehend fully the amount, until I had 
 brought it into shillings and pence. 
 
 With burning impatience I waited for the 
 return of Stormy. Being fatigued, however, I fell 
 asleep, and dreamt of having made a fortune, and 
 of having had a fight with Mr. Leary, in which 
 that gentleman — to make use of Stormy's 
 favourite expression — had been " taught some 
 manners." 
 
 When I awoke, I looked eagerly at a clock. 
 It was past seven in the evening, and Stormy 
 Jack had not returned ! 
 
 He had been due more than an hour. The 
 happiness I had been all day indulging in, 
 suddenly forsook me ; and a sickening sensation 
 of loneliness came over my soul. 
 
 I sat up waiting and watching for him 
 until a very late hour — in fact until I was driven 
 to bed by the landlady ; but Stormy did not 
 return.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 4l 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 GOD HELP US ! 
 
 No week of my life ever seemed so long, as 
 that night spent in waiting for the return 
 of Stormy Jack. It was not until the sun 
 beams were gushing through my window in the 
 morning, that I was able to fall asleep. 
 
 By nine o'clock I was up, and out upon the 
 streets in search of my companion and protec- 
 tor. My search was continued all day without 
 success. 
 
 I did not know the name of the ship on 
 which he had gone to work ; and therefore I 
 had no clue to his whereabouts. In fact 
 I had such a slight clue to guide me, that my 
 search was but little less than the pursuit of folly.
 
 42 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 I did not like to believe that Stormy had 
 wilfully deserted me. 
 
 In my lone and friendless condition, with the 
 memory of the way in which I had left my 
 mother, to have thought so, would have made me 
 desirous of dying. I had rather think that some 
 serious accident had happened him, than that 
 he had abandoned me to my fate, to avoid any 
 further trouble I might give him. 
 
 Another idea occurred to me. He might 
 have been found by some of the officers of the 
 *' Hope," and either taken aboard, or imprisoned 
 for deserting. This was so probable, that for 
 awhile I was tempted to go back to the ship 
 and resume my duties. 
 
 Reflection told me, that if he had fallen into 
 the hands of the captain, he would not leave 
 me alone in a city like New Orleans. He 
 would tell the captain where I was staying, and 
 have me sent for and brought aboard. 
 
 The only, or w^hat seemed the best thing 
 I could do, was to return to the lodging-house, 
 and there await the event.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 43 
 
 After a long weary day spent in vain search for 
 my lost companion, I carried this idea into effect, 
 and went back to the lodging-house. As I 
 anticipated. Stormy had not returned to it. 
 
 The landlady was a woman of business ; 
 and fancied, or rather believed, that my 
 responsible protector had deserted me, leaving 
 her with a boy to keep, and a bill unpaid. 
 
 She asked me if I had any money. In reply, 
 I produced all I had. All but one " picayune " 
 of it was required, for the payment of the score 
 we had already run up. 
 
 " Now, my lad," said she, " you had better try 
 to find some employment, where you will earn a 
 living. You are welcome to stay here to-night, 
 and have your breakfast in the morning. You 
 will then have all day to-morrow to find another 
 home." 
 
 The next morning, after I had swallowed my 
 breakfast, she came to me and bid me an 
 affectionate " good bye." Tt was a broad hint 
 that she neither expected, nor wished me to stay 
 in her house any longer.
 
 44 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 I took the hint, walked out into the street, and 
 found myself in a crowd, but alone, with the 
 great new world before me. 
 
 " What shall I do ?" was the question set 
 before a full committee of my mental faculties, 
 assembled, or awakened, to deliberate on the 
 emergency of the moment. 
 
 I could be a newsvendor no longer ; for the 
 want of capital to invest in the business. 
 
 I could return to the ship, and perhaps get 
 flogged for having run away ; but I was so dis- 
 appointed in the treatment I had received at the 
 hands of the captain, that nothing but extreme 
 suffering could have induced me to seek pro- 
 tection from him. 
 
 The restraint to which I had been subjected 
 on board the ship, seemed partly to have 
 emanated from Mr. Leary, and for that reason 
 was to me all the more disagreeable. 
 
 1 wandered about the streets, reflecting on 
 what I should do until both my brain and legs 
 became weary. 
 
 I sat down on some steps leading to the door
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 45 
 
 of a restauraDt. My young heart was still 
 strong, but beating wildly. 
 
 Over the door of a grocer's shop in front 
 of me, and on the opposite side of the street, I 
 read the name " John Sullivan." At sight of 
 this familiar name, a glimmering of hope 
 entered into my despairing mind. 
 
 Four years previous to that time, the grocer 
 with whom my parents used to deal had 
 emigrated to America. His name was John 
 Sullivan. Was it possible that the shop and 
 the name before me belonged to this man ? 
 
 I arose, and crossed the street. I entered the 
 shop, and inquired of a young man behind the 
 counter, if Mr. Sullivan was at home. 
 
 " He's up stairs," said the youth. " Do you 
 wish to see him in particular ?" 
 
 I answered in the affirmative; and Mr. 
 Sullivan was called down. 
 
 The man 1 hoped to meet was, when I saw 
 him last, a little man with red hair ; but the 
 individual who answered the summons of the 
 shop boy, was a man about six feet in his
 
 46 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 stockings, with dark hair and a long black 
 beard. 
 
 I saw at a glance, that the grocer who had 
 emigrated from Dublin and the man before me 
 were not identical, but entirely diflferent 
 individuals. 
 
 " Well, my lad, what do you want ?" asked 
 the tall proprietor of the shop, looking down on 
 me with a glance of curious inquiry. 
 
 " Nothing," I stammered out, perhaps more 
 confused than I had ever been before. 
 
 " Then what have you had me called for ?" 
 he asked, in a tone that did little to aid me in 
 overcoming my embarrassment. 
 
 After much hesitation and stammering, I 
 explained to him that from seeing his name 
 over the door, I had hoped to find a man of the 
 same name, with whom T had been acquainted 
 in Ireland, and who had emigrated to America. 
 
 " Ah !" said he, smiling ironically. " My 
 father's great-grandfather came over to America 
 about two hundred and fifty years ago. His name 
 was John Sullivan. Perhaps you mean him ?"
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 47 
 
 I had nothing to say in answer to this 
 last interrogation, and was turning to leave the 
 shop. 
 
 " Stop my lad ! " cried the grocer. " I 
 don't want to be at the trouble of having 
 come downstairs for nothing. Supposing I 
 was the John Sullivan you knew — what then ?" 
 
 " Then you would tell me what I should do," 
 I answered, " for I have neither home, friends, 
 nor money." 
 
 In reply to this, the tall shopkeeper com- 
 menced submitting me to a sharp examination 
 — putting his queries in a tone that seemed to 
 infer the right to know all I had to communicate. 
 
 After obtaining from me the particulars 
 relative to my arrival in the country, he gave 
 me his advice in exchange. It was : to return 
 instanter to the ship from which I had deserted. 
 
 T told him that this advice could not be 
 favourably received, until I had been about 
 three days without food. 
 
 My rejoinder appeared to cause a change in 
 his disposition towards me.
 
 48 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 " William !" said he, calling out to his shop- 
 assistant, ** can't you find something for this 
 lad to do for a few days ?" 
 
 William " reckoned" that he could. 
 
 Mr. Sullivan then returned upstairs; and I, 
 taking it for granted that the thing was. settled, 
 hung up my hat. 
 
 The grocer had a family, living in rooms 
 adjoining the shop. It consisted of his wife 
 and two children — the eldest a girl about four 
 years of age. 
 
 I was allowed to eat at the same table with 
 themselves ; and soon became well acquainted 
 with, and I believe well liked by, them all. The 
 little girl was an eccentric being, even for a 
 child ; and seldom said a word to anyone. 
 Whenever she did speak, she was sure to make 
 use of the phrase, " God help us !" 
 
 This expression she had learnt from an Irish 
 servant wench, who was in the habit of making 
 frequent use of it ; and it was so often echoed 
 by the little girl, in a parrot-like manner, that 
 Mr. Sullivan and his wife — at the time I joined
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 4^ 
 
 the family were striving to break her from the 
 habit of using it. 
 
 The servant girl, when forbidden by her 
 mistress ever to use the expression in the 
 child's presence, would cry out : " God help us, 
 Mem ! I can't help it." 
 
 Whenever the words were spoken by little 
 Sarah — this was the child's name — Mrs. Sulli- 
 van would say, " Sarah, don't you ever say that 
 again. If you do, you shall be locked up in 
 the cellar." 
 
 ** God help us !" little Sarah would exclaim, 
 in real alarm at the threat. 
 
 " There you go again. Take that, and 
 that," Mrs. Sullivan would cry, giving the 
 child two or three slaps on the side of the head. 
 
 " Oh mother ! mother ! God help us !" 
 little Sarah would cry out, altogether un- 
 conscious of the crime she was commit- 
 ting. 
 
 Every effort made, for inducing the child to 
 refrain from the use of this expression, only 
 caused its more frequent repetition ; and often in 
 
 VOL. L D
 
 50 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 a manner so ludicrous, as to conquer the anger 
 of her parents, and turn it into laughter. 
 
 When I had been about five weeks with Mr. 
 Sullivan, I was engaged one morning in washing 
 the shop windows, and accidentally broke a large 
 and costly pane of plate glass. A sudden shock 
 came over my spirits — one more painful than I 
 had ever experienced. Mr. Sullivan had been 
 so kind to me, that to do him an injury, acci- 
 dentally or otherwise, seemed the greatest mis- 
 fortune that could happen to me. 
 
 He was upstairs at the time ; and I had not 
 the moral courage to face him. Had I waited 
 for him to come down, and see what had been 
 done, he might have said something that would 
 have pained me to hear ; but certainly nothing 
 more serious would have happened, and all 
 would have been well again. 
 
 I must have a disposition constitutionally 
 inclined to absconding. To run away, as my 
 mother had often told me, must be my nature. 
 I would rather believe this than otherwise ; since 
 I do not wish to be charged with the voluntary
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 51 
 
 indiscretion of deserting a good home. It was 
 only an overwhelming sense of the kindness 
 with which I had been treated, and the injury I 
 had inflicted on my benefactor, that caused me 
 to dread an encounter with Mr. Sullivan. 
 
 Perhaps a boy with a smaller sense of gratitude 
 and less sensitiveness of soul, would have acted 
 differently ; and yet would have acted right : for 
 it is always better to meet a difficulty boldly, 
 than to flee in a cowardly manner from the 
 responsibilities attending it. 
 
 Little Sarah Sullivan happened to be in the 
 shop at the time I broke the window. I 
 heard her exclaim, " God help us !" 
 
 I did not stay to hear any more : for in six 
 seconds after, I had turned the nearest corner ; 
 and was once more homeless in the streets of 
 New Orleans. 
 
 D 2 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
 
 52 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ONCE MORE UPON THE OCEAN ! 
 
 I DID not dislike a sea life ; and would not have 
 been dissatisfied with any situation on a ship, 
 providing it had not been procured for me by 
 Mr. Leary. 
 
 On running away from Mr. Sullivan's shop, 
 my inclination was to leave New Orleans in 
 some ship ; but, unfortunately, I knew not the 
 proper manner of going to work to accomplish 
 my desires. 
 
 I walked along the levee, till I reached a ship, 
 that was just being hauled from the wharf — 
 evidently for the purpose of standing down the 
 river and out to sea. 
 
 I stepped aboard intending to apply for
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 53 
 
 work ; and after looking around for a while, 
 I observed a man who, to all appearance, was 
 the captain. 
 
 When asked to give me some situation in 
 the ship, he appeared too busy to pay any 
 attention to my request. 
 
 I was on a vessel proceeding to sea ; and, 
 knowing my ability to make myself useful, I 
 determined not to go ashore without a hearing. 
 
 I walked forward ; and amidst the confusion 
 of getting the ship under way — where there was 
 so much to be done — I found work enough to 
 do ; and took much care, while doing it, to keep 
 out of the way of others — which, to a boy 
 aboard of a ship, is a task of some difficulty. 
 
 No one seemed to take any notice of me that 
 afternoon or evening ; and about nine o'clock at 
 night I laid down under the long boat, fell asleep, 
 and slept till morning. 
 
 I turned out at the earliest hour, and lent a 
 hand at washing the decks ; but still no one 
 seemed to know, that I was not one of the ship's 
 company !
 
 54 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 At eight o'clock the crew were mustered, and 
 divided into watches. My name was not called ; 
 and the captain observing the circumstance, 
 requested me to walk aft. 
 
 " Who are you ?" asked he, as I drew near. 
 
 Something whispered me not to undervalue 
 myself, but to speak up with confidence ; and 
 in answer to his demand, I told him that 
 I was a Rolling Stone. 
 
 " A Roiling Stone, are you ?" said the cap- 
 tain. "Well; what have you rolled here for?" 
 
 "Because I wanted to go somewhere," I 
 answered. 
 
 He then asked me if I had ever been at sea ; 
 and, on learning the name of the ship I had 
 deserted, he said that she had sailed the 
 week before, or he would have sent me back 
 to her. 
 
 He concluded his examination, by giving the 
 steward orders to look after me — telling him 
 that I could assist in the slop work to be done 
 in the cabin. 
 
 To this arrangement 1 decidedly objected :
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 00 
 
 declaring that I was a sailor, and would not be 
 made a cuddy servant! 
 
 I have every reason to believe, that this 
 declaration on my part elevated me several 
 degrees in the captain's good opinion. 
 
 He replied by expressing a hope, that I would 
 not aspire to the command of the ship ; and if 
 not, he would see what could be done for me. 
 
 The vessel was bound for Liverpool with 
 cotton ; and was owned by the captain himself, 
 whose name was Hyland. 
 
 I was never better treated in mv life, than on 
 board that ship. 
 
 I was not assigned to any particular occupa- 
 tion, or watch ; but no advantage was taken of 
 this circumstance, on the captain's part, to make 
 me do too much ; or by me to do too little. 
 
 I was generally on deck all the day ; and 
 whenever I saw anything useful that I could do, 
 it was done. 
 
 In this way, both watches had the aid of my 
 valuable services — which, however, were not 
 always sufficiently appreciated to prevent a few
 
 o6 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 sharp words being applied to me. But a boy 
 aboard of a ship soon learns to take no notice 
 of such trifles. 
 
 I was ordered to mess with the sailmaker, 
 who — as I afterwards learnt — was directed by 
 the captain to look well after me. 
 
 On our arrival in Liverpool, the ship was 
 docked, and the crew went ashore ; with the 
 exception of two men — both strangers to me — 
 who with myself were left on board. 
 
 One of the men had something to do with 
 the Custom House ; and tried hard to induce me 
 to go ashore, along with the rest of the crew. 
 But the ship being my only home, I was not 
 willing to leave her ; and I resisted all the 
 inducements held out by the Custom House 
 officer to that effect. The captain had gone 
 away from the ship, after seeing her safe into 
 port ; but I would not leave the vessel lest I should 
 never meet him again : for something told me he 
 was my truest friend. 
 
 The next day he came on board again ; and 
 seemed rather surprised at finding me there.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 57 
 
 "Ah! little Rolling Stone," said he, '* I've 
 been inquiring for you ; and am pleased to see 
 you have not gone ashore. What do you intend 
 to do with yourself?" 
 
 " Stay here," I answered, *' until the ship 
 sails again." 
 
 " No, you can't stop here," said the captain. 
 " You must come ashore, and live somewhere — 
 until the ship is made ready for sea." 
 
 He continued to talk with me for half-an-hour ; 
 and obtained from me a full account of the cir- 
 cumstances under which I had left my home. 
 
 " If I thought that you would stay with me, 
 and do something for yourself," said Captain 
 Hyland, after hearing my story, " I would 
 endeavour to make a man of you." 
 
 My reply to this was, that I preferred a life 
 on the sea to any other, and that I left Captain 
 Brannon, for the simple reason that I did not 
 like either him, or the man who had placed me 
 under his control. 
 
 ** Very well," said the captain, " I'll keep 
 you awhile on trial ; and if you prove ungrateful 
 
 D 3
 
 58 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 for what 1 shall do for you, you will injure 
 yourself, more than you can me." 
 
 After this conversation, he took me ashore ; 
 bought me a suit of clothes ; and then told 
 me to accompany him to his own home. 
 
 I found that Captain Hyland had a wife and 
 one child — a girl about ten years of age. 
 
 I thought there .could be nothing in the uni- 
 verse more beautiful than that girl. Perhaps 
 there was not. Why should not my opinion on 
 such subjects be as correct as that of others ? But 
 no man living could have looked upon Lenore 
 Hyland, without being convinced that she was 
 very beautiful. 
 
 Six weeks passed before the ship was again 
 ready for sea ; and during that time I resided 
 at the captain's house, and was the constant 
 companion of his little daughter, Lenore. 
 
 In the interval, my kind protector asked me — 
 whether I would not like to go to Dublin for a 
 few days, and see my mother. 
 
 I told him that the *' Hope " would then be in
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 59 
 
 Dublin ; and that I would certainly be handed 
 over to Captain Brannon. 
 
 He reflected for a naoment ; and then allowed 
 the subject to drop. 
 
 I did feel some anxiety concerning my rela- 
 tives; but was too happy in Liverpool, to 
 change my condition by going to visit them. 
 
 In order to satisfy nay conscience, I thought 
 of several reasons why I should not go home. 
 They were easily found : for very idiotic, indeed, 
 is that mind that cannot find arguments, in 
 support of desires emanating from itself — whether 
 they be right or wrong. 
 
 I knew that in whatever state I might find 
 my relatives — or whatever might have been the 
 conduct of Mr. Leary towards them — I would 
 be powerless either to aid them or punish him. 
 
 I strove my best to make as little trouble as 
 possible in my new home, and to gain the good 
 will of Mrs. Hyland. I had every reason to 
 believe that my efforts were successful. 
 
 In justice to her, I should state that my task 
 was not so difficult, as it would have been with
 
 60 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 most women : for she was a kind-hearted lady, 
 who had the discernment to perceive that I 
 was anxious to deserve, as w'ell as obtain 
 her esteem. 
 
 Before the ship was ready to sail, Lenore had 
 learnt to call me brother ; and when parting with 
 her to go on board, her sorrow was expressed 
 in a manner that gave me much gratification. 
 
 Perhaps it is wrong for any one to feel 
 pleasure at the demonstrations of another's 
 grief; but there are circumstances when such 
 will be the case, whether wrong or not. Un- 
 fortunate, indeed, is that lonely being, who has 
 not in the wide world one acquaintance from 
 whom he can part, with eyes dimmed by the 
 bright drops of sorrow. 
 
 There are thousands of seamen, who have 
 wandered long and far from every early tie of 
 kindred and friendship. They form no others ; 
 but wander over the earth unloving, unloved and 
 unknown — as wretched, reckless and lone, as the 
 " last man," spoken of by the poet Campbell. 
 
 There is ever a bright spot in the soul of
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 61 
 
 that man, who has reason to believe that 
 there is some one, who thinks of him with 
 kindness when far away ; and that one bright 
 spot will often point out the path of virtue — 
 which otherwise might have been passed, undis- 
 covered, or unheeded.
 
 62 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 CHOOSING A HORSE. 
 
 The reader may justly say that I have dwelt 
 too long on the incidents of my early years. As 
 my excuse for having done so, I can only urge, 
 that the first parts we play on the stage of life 
 appear of more importance to us than what they 
 really are; and are consequently remembered 
 more distinctly • and with greater interest than 
 those of later occurrence. 
 
 I will try not to offend in the same way again ; 
 and, as some compensation for having been too 
 tedious, I shall pass over nearly three years of 
 my existence — without occupying much space in 
 describing the incidents that transpired during 
 this period. Circumstances aid me in doing
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 63 
 
 SO ; for these three years were spent in a tran- 
 quil, happy manner. They produced no change 
 in nay situation : for I remained in the same em- 
 ployment — in the service of Captain Hyland. 
 
 The ship " Lenore/* owned and commanded 
 by him, was a regular trader between Liverpool 
 and New Orleans. 
 
 In our voyages, the captain took as much 
 trouble in trying to teach me navigation — and all 
 other things connected v^ith the profession of 
 the sea — as he could have done had 1 been his 
 own son. 
 
 I appreciated his kindness ; and had the 
 gratification to know that my efforts to deserve it 
 met with his warmest approbation. 
 
 At every return to Liverpool, and during our 
 sojourn there, his house was my home. At 
 each visit, my friendship for Mrs. Hyland, and 
 her beautiful daughter Lenore, became stronger. 
 It was mutual too ; and I came to be regarded 
 almost as one of the family. 
 
 When in Liverpool, I had frequent oppor- 
 tunities of going to Dublin to see my mother ;
 
 64 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 and with shame I confess that I did not make use 
 of them. The attractions of my home in Liver- 
 pool proved too great for me to leave it — even 
 for a short interval. 
 
 I often thought of going to Dublin; and 
 reflected with pride on the fact that I was 
 getting to be a man, and would be able to 
 protect my relatives from any ill-treatment they 
 might have received at the hands of Mr. Leary. 
 With all this, I did not go. 
 
 Aboard of the ship, I had one enemy ; who, 
 for some reason not fully understood, seemed 
 to hate me as heartily, as one man could hate 
 another. This was the first mate, who had 
 been w^ith Captain Hyland for several years. 
 
 He had witnessed with much disfavour the 
 interest the captain took in my welfare, from 
 the time of my first joining the ship ; and 
 jealousy of my influence over the latter 
 might have had much to do in causing the 
 mate's antipathy towards myself. 
 
 The steward, sail-maker, and one or two 
 others, who were permanently attached to the
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 65 
 
 vessel, were all friends to the " Rolling Stone," 
 the name by which I was generally known ; 
 but the hostility of the first mate could not 
 be removed by any efforts I made towards 
 that end. 
 
 After a time, I gradually lost the nickname of 
 the " Rolling Stone," and was called by my 
 proper name, Rowland. I suppose the reason 
 was, that my actions having proved me 
 willing and able to remain for some time 
 in one situation, it was thought that I 
 deserved to be called a " Rolling Stone" no 
 longer. 
 
 I had been nearly three years with Captain 
 Hyland, and we were in New Orleans — 
 where the ship, lying at the wharf, was left 
 under my charge. The captain himself had 
 gone to stay at a hotel in the city ; and I had 
 not seen him for several days. 
 
 The first mate was at this time neglecting his 
 duty, and frequently remained over twenty-four 
 hours absent from the ship. On one occasion, 
 just as the latter came aboard to resume his
 
 66 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 duties, I received intelligence, that the captain 
 was very ill, and wished to see me ashore. 
 
 Notwithstanding this message from the cap- 
 tain himself — the mate, whose name was 
 Edward Adkins — refused to allow me to leave 
 the ship. 
 
 The season was summer ; and I knew that 
 many people were dying in the city — which 
 was scourged at the time with yellow fever. 
 
 The captain had undoubtedly been taken 
 ill of that disease ; and, disregarding the com- 
 mands of the mate, I went ashore with all haste 
 to see him. 
 
 I found him, as I had anticipated, sufifering 
 from yellow fever. He had just sufficient 
 consciousness to recognize, and bid me an 
 eternal farewell, with a slight pressure of his 
 hand. 
 
 He died a few minutes after ; and a sensa- 
 tion came over me similar to that I had 
 experienced a few years before — when bending 
 over the cold inanimate form of my father. 
 
 Mr. Adkins became the captain of the
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 67 
 
 " Lenore," and at once gave me a discharge. 
 My box was sent ashore ; and I was not after- 
 wards allowed to set foot on board of the 
 ship ! 
 
 I appealed to the English Consul ; but could 
 obtain no satisfaction from him. I could not 
 blame the official : for the mate was entitled 
 to the command, and consequently had the 
 right of choosing his crew. 
 
 My wages were paid me — besides some 
 trifling compensation, for being discharged in 
 a foreign port. 
 
 Again the new world was before me; and 
 the question once more came up : *' What am 
 I to dor 
 
 I wished to return to Liverpool to see Mrs. 
 Hyland and Lenore. They were to me as a 
 mother and sister. Who should carry to them 
 the sad news of their great misfortune ? W^ho 
 but myself? 
 
 The beautiful Lenore, I must see her again. 
 I had been fancying myself in love with her 
 for some time ; but, now that her father was
 
 68 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 dead I reflected more sensibly on the subject, 
 and arrived at the conclusion that I was a 
 fool. I was but seventeen, and she only 
 thirteen years of age ! Why should I return 
 to Liverpool ? I had a fortune to make ; and 
 why should 1 return to Liverpool ? 
 
 I thought of my mother, brother, and sister. 
 They were under the ill-treatment of a man I 
 had every reason to hate. They might need my 
 protection. It was my duty to return to them. 
 Should I go ? 
 
 This question troubled me for some time ; but 
 in the end it was settled. I did not go. 
 
 Many will say that T neglected a sacred 
 duty ; but perhaps they have never been 
 placed in circumstances similar to mine. 
 They have never been in a foreign country, 
 at the age of seventeen, in a city like New 
 Orleans. 
 
 There was at this time a great commotion 
 in the place. The fife and drum were con- 
 tinually heard in the streets ; and flags were 
 flying from houses in difi'erent parts of the
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 69 
 
 city — indicating the localities of " recruiting 
 stations." 
 
 The United States had declared war against 
 Mexico ; and volunteers were invited to join the 
 arnay. 
 
 Among other idlers, I enrolled myself. 
 It was probably a very unwise act; but 
 many thousands have done the same thing ; 
 and I claim an equal right with others to 
 act foolishly, if so inclined. We are all guilty 
 of wise and foolish actions, or more properly 
 speaking, of good and bad ones; and often, 
 when desirous of doing the one, it ends by 
 our committing the other. 
 
 After being " mustered into the service," we 
 were sent into the country to a rendezvous : 
 where the corps to which I belonged, which was 
 to form part of a cavalry regiment, received its 
 allotted number of horses. 
 
 To have pointed out a particular horse to a 
 particular man, and have said " that is yours," 
 would have given occasion for many to declare 
 that partiality had been shown. For this
 
 70 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 reason, an arrangement was made by which each 
 man was allowed to choose his own horse. 
 
 The animals were ranged in a line, by being 
 tied to a rail fence ; and then we were all mustered 
 in rank, about two hundred and fifty yards to 
 the rear. It was then made known, that on a 
 signal being given, each one of us might take the 
 horse that suited him best. 
 
 The word of command was at length given ; 
 and a more interesting foot race was perhaps 
 never witnessed, than came off on that occasion. 
 
 I was good at running ; but unfortunately but 
 a poor judge of horse flesh. 
 
 Only three or four of the company reached 
 the fence before me ; and I had nearly all the 
 horses from which to make my choice. 
 
 I selected one, with a short neck and long 
 flowing tail. He was of coal-black colour ; and, 
 in my opinion, the best looking horse of the 
 lot. It was an intellectual animal — a horse of 
 character — if ever a horse had any mental 
 peculiarities entitling him to such distinction. 
 
 It was the first steed I ever had the chance
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 71 
 
 of bestriding ; and the movenaent by which I 
 established myself on his back must have been 
 either very cleverly, or very awkwardly 
 executed : since it greatly excited the mirth of 
 my companions. 
 
 The horse had a knack of dispensing with 
 any disagreeable encumbrance; and having 
 been so long a '* Rolling Stone/* I had not yet 
 acquired the skill of staying where I was not 
 wanted. 
 
 When I placed the steed between my legs, he 
 immediately gave me a hint to leave. I know 
 not whether the hint was a strong one or not ; 
 but I do know that it produced the result the 
 horse desired : since he and I instantly parted 
 company. 
 
 I was informed that the animal came from 
 Kentucky ; and I have not the least doubt 
 about this having been the case j for after dealing 
 me a sommersault, it started off in the direction 
 of the " dark and bloody ground," and was only 
 stopped on its journey by a six foot fence. 
 
 Those who were dissatisfied with the result
 
 72 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 of their choice, had permission to exchange 
 horses with any other with whom they could 
 make an arrangement. 
 
 In the corps to which I belonged was a 
 young man from the State of Ohio, named 
 Dayton. When the scamper towards the 
 horses took place, instead of running with the 
 rest, Dayton walked leisurely along ; and arrived 
 where the horses were tied, after every other 
 individual in the company had appropriated a 
 steed. The only horse left for Dayton had also 
 a character — one that can only be described 
 by calling him a sedate and serious animal. 
 
 This horse had a sublime contempt for either 
 whip or spurs ; and generally exercised his own 
 judgment, as to the pace at which he should 
 move. That judgment equally forbade him to 
 indulge in eccentric actions. 
 
 Dayton proposed that we should exchange 
 steeds — an offer that I gladly accepted. When 
 my absconding horse was brought back to the 
 camp, I made him over to Dayton, by whom 
 he was at once mounted.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 73 
 
 The animal tried the same movements with 
 Dayton that had proved so successful with me ; 
 but they failed. He was a good rider, and stuck 
 to his horse, as one of the men declared, ** like 
 death to a dead nigger." 
 
 The creature was conquered, and afterwards 
 turned out one of the best horses in the troop. 
 
 VOL. L
 
 74 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AN EPISODE OF SOLDIER-LIFE. 
 
 American authors have written so much 
 about the Mexican war, that I shall stat 
 nothing concerning it, except what is absolutely 
 necessary in giving a brief account of my own 
 adventures — which, considering the time and 
 the place, were neither numerous nor in any 
 way remarkable. 
 
 While in the service of the United States 
 during that campaign, I was the constant com- 
 panion of Dayton. On the march and in the 
 field of strife, we rode side by side with each 
 other. 
 
 We shared many hardships and dangers ;
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 75 
 
 and such circumstances usually produce firm 
 friendships. It was so in our case. 
 
 Dayton was a young man who won many 
 friends, and made almost as many enemies ; for 
 he took but little care to conceal his opinions 
 of others, whether they were favourable or not. 
 Although but a private, he had more in- 
 fluence among his comrades than any other man 
 in the company. The respect of some, and the 
 fear of others, gave him a power that no officer 
 could command. 
 
 I did not see much of the war ; as I was only 
 in two actions — those of Buena Vista and 
 Cerro Gordo. 
 
 I know that some of the people of Europe have 
 but a very poor opinion of the fighting qualities 
 of the Mexicans, and may not dignify the 
 actions of Buena Vista and Cerro Gordo by the 
 name of battles. These people are mistaken. 
 The Mexicans fought well at Buena Vista ; 
 notwithstanding that they were defeated by men, 
 said to be undisciplined. 
 
 It has been stated in a London paper that 
 
 E 2
 
 7b THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 the Mexicans are more contemptible, as an 
 enemy, than the same number of Chinamen. 
 The author of that statement probably knew 
 nothing of either of the people he wrote about ; 
 and he was thus undervaluing the Mexicans for 
 no other reason, than that of disparaging the 
 small but brave army to which I belonged. 
 
 The Mexicans are not cowards. An indi- 
 vidual Mexican has as much moral and physical 
 courage as a man of any other country. As a 
 general thing they have as little fear of losing 
 life or limb as any other people. " Why 
 then," some may ask, " were they beaten by a 
 few thousand American volunteers ?** 
 
 Without attempting to answer this question, I 
 still claim that the Mexicans are not cowards. 
 
 In the battle of Buena Vista I lost the horse 
 obtained by exchange from Dayton. The 
 animal had been my constant care and companion, 
 ever since I became possessed of him ; and had 
 exhibited so much character and intellect, that 
 I thought almost as much of him, as I did of 
 Dayton, my dearest friend.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 77 
 
 In ray opinion, it is not right to take horses 
 on to the field of battle. I never thought this, 
 until I had my steed shot under me — when the 
 sight of the noble animal struggling in the 
 agonies of death, caused me to make a mental 
 vow never again to go on horseback into a battle. 
 
 This resolve, however, I was soon compelled 
 to break. Another horse was furnished me 
 the next day — on which I had to take my place 
 in the ranks of my corps. 
 
 One day the company to which I belonged 
 had a skirmish with a party of guerilleros. 
 
 We were charging them — our animals urged 
 to their greatest speed — when Dayton's horse 
 received a shot, and fell. 1 could not stop to 
 learn the fate of the rider, as I was obliged to 
 keep on with the others. 
 
 We pursued the Mexicans for about five 
 miles ; and killed over half of their number. 
 
 On returning to camp, I traced back the 
 trail over which we had pursued the enemy — in 
 order to find Dayton. After much trouble I 
 succeeded ; and I believe no person ever saw
 
 78 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 me with more pleasure than did Dayton on that 
 occasion. 
 
 The dead horse was lying on one of his legs, 
 which had been broken. He had been in this 
 situation for nearly three hours ; and with all his 
 exertions had been unable to extricate himself. 
 
 After getting him from under the terrible 
 incubus, and making him as comfortable as 
 possible, I sought the assistance of some of my 
 companions. These I fortunately found without 
 much trouble, and we conveyed our wounded 
 comrade to the camp. Dayton was afterwards 
 removed to a hospital ; and this was the last I 
 saw of him during the Mexican war. 
 
 I had but very little active service after this : 
 for my company was left behind the main army ; 
 and formed a part of the force required for 
 keeping open a communication between Vera 
 Cruz, and the capital of Mexico. 
 
 The rest of the time I remained in the army, 
 was only remarkable for its want of excitement 
 and tediousness ; and all in the company were 
 much dissatisfied at not being allowed to go
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 79 
 
 on to the Halls of Montezuma. The duty at 
 which we were kept, was only exciting for its 
 hardships ; and American soldiers very soon 
 become weary of excitement of this kind. We 
 were only too delighted, on receiving orders to 
 embark for New Orleans. 
 
 On the Sunday before sailing out of the port 
 of Vera Cruz, I went in search of some amuse- 
 ment ; and commenced strolling through town 
 in hopes of finding it. In my walk, I came 
 across a man seated under an awning, which he 
 had erected in the street, where he was dealing 
 ''Faro." A number of people were betting 
 against his " bank ;" and 1 lingered awhile to 
 watch the game. 
 
 Amongst others who were betting, was a 
 drunken mule driver, who had been so far un- 
 fortunate as to lose all his money — amounting 
 to about one hundred dollars. 
 
 The " M.D." — as the mule drivers were 
 sometimes styled — either justly, or not, accused 
 the gambler of having cheated him. He made 
 so much disturbance, that he was at length
 
 80 THE ADVENTURES OP 
 
 forced away from the table by others standing 
 around it — who, no doubt, were interested in the 
 game. 
 
 The *' M.D." went into a public house near 
 by ; and soon after came out again, carrying a 
 loaded rifle. 
 
 Advancing within about twenty paces of the 
 table where the gambler was engaged, he called 
 out to the crowd to stand aside, and let him 
 have a shot at the " skunk," who had cheated 
 him. 
 
 " Yes," said the gambler, placing his hand 
 on a revolver, " stand aside, gentlemen, if you 
 please, and let him have a chance!" 
 
 Those between them, obeyed the injunc- 
 tion in double quick time ; and, as soon as 
 the space was clear enough to give a line 
 for his ballet, the gambler fired — before the 
 " M.D." had raised the rifle to his shoulder. 
 
 The mule-driver was shot through the heart ; 
 and the game went on ! 
 
 We had an interesting voyage from Vera 
 Cruz to New Orleans. The hardships of the
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 81 
 
 march and camp were over. Some were 
 returning to home and friends; and all were 
 noisy — some with high animal spirits, and 
 some with strong ardent spirits, known under 
 the name of rum. 
 
 There was much gambling on the ship, and 
 many rows to enliven the passage ; but I must 
 not tarry to describe all the scenes I have met, 
 or the narrative of the Life of a Rolling Stone 
 will be drawn out too long for the patience of 
 my readers. 
 
 We landed in New Orleans ; were paid what 
 money was due to us, and disbanded — each re- 
 ceiving a bounty warrant for one hundred and 
 sixty acres of land. 
 
 In the company to which I belonged, 
 were some of my countrymen, who had been in 
 the English army ; and I often conversed with 
 them, as to the comparative treatment of the 
 soldiers of the English and American armies. I 
 shall give the conclusion we came to upon 
 this subject. 
 
 A majority of English soldiers have relatives 
 
 E 3
 
 82 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 whom they visit and with whom they correspond. 
 The reader will easily understand that when such 
 is the case, thousands of families in the United 
 Kingdom have more than a national interest in 
 the welfare of the army, and the manner its 
 soldiers are treated. The sympathies of the 
 people are with them ; and a soldier, who may 
 be ill-used, has the whole nation to advocate his 
 cause. 
 
 The majority of American regular soldiers 
 are isolated beings — so far as home and friends 
 are concerned — and about the only interest 
 the nation at large takes in their welfare 
 is, that they do their duty, and earn their 
 pay. 
 
 This difference is understood by the soldiers 
 of both armies ; and it has its effect on their 
 character. 
 
 In England, the army is regarded as an 
 important part of the nation. 
 
 In the United States, it is not ; but only as 
 a certain assemblage of men, employed by the 
 people to do a certain work — for which they
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 83 
 
 receive good wages, and plenty of food : for in 
 these respects, the American soldier has an 
 advantage over the English, almost in the ratio 
 of two to one !
 
 84 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A FRUITLESS SEARCH. 
 
 There were speculators in New Orleans, 
 engaged in buying land warrants from the 
 returning volunteers. T sold mine to one of 
 them, for one hundred and ten dollars. Besides 
 this amount, I had about fifty dollars saved 
 from my pay. 
 
 I shall now have the pleasure of recording 
 the fact that I made one move in the right 
 direction. I set sail for my childhood's home. 
 
 Conscience had long troubled me, for having 
 neglected to look after the welfare of my 
 relatives ; and I embarked for Dublin with 
 a mind gratified by the reflection that I was 
 once more on the path of duty.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 85 
 
 So much pleasure did this give me, that 
 I resolved ever after to follow the guiding 
 of reason, as to my future course in life. The 
 right course is seldom more difficult to pursue 
 than the wrong one, while the wear and tear 
 of spirit in pursuing it is much easier. 
 
 How many strange thoughts rushed into my 
 brain — how many interrogations offered them- 
 selves to my mind, as we dropped anchor 
 in Dublin Bay. Should I find my mother 
 living? Should I know my brother William 
 and my sister Martha? What had become 
 of Mr. Leary ? Should I have to kill him ? 
 
 Such questions, with many others of a 
 similar nature, coursed through my soul while 
 proceeding towards the city. 
 
 I hurried through the streets, without allowing 
 anything to distract my thoughts from these 
 themes. I reached the house that had been the 
 home of my childhood. 
 
 At the door, I paused to recover from an 
 unusual amount of excitement; but did not 
 succeed in quelling the tumultuous emotions
 
 86 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 that thrilled my spirit with an intensity I had 
 never experienced before. 
 
 I looked cautiously into the shop. It was 
 no longer a saddle and harness-maker's, but 
 a dingy depot for vending potatoes, cabbages, 
 and coals ! 
 
 I thought a great change must suddenly 
 have taken place in the whole city of Dublin. 
 
 It did not occur to me, that six years was 
 a sufficient period of time for turning a sad- 
 dler's shop into a greengrocer's — without any 
 reason for being surprised ai the transformation. 
 
 I stepped inside ; and inquired of a stout, 
 red-haired woman the whereabouts of a Mrs. 
 Stone, who formerly occupied the premises. 
 The woman had never heard of such a 
 person ! 
 
 It suddenly occurred to me — and I heaved 
 a sigh at the recollection — that my mother's 
 name was not Stone, but that she was Mrs. 
 Leary. 
 
 I renewed my inquiry, substituting the latter 
 name.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 87 
 
 '* Mistress Leary?" said the vulgar-looking 
 hag before me ; " lift here five year ago." 
 
 The vender of cabbages did not know where 
 Mrs. Leary had gone. Neither did I ; and 
 this knowledge, or rather absence of knowledge, 
 produced within me a train of reflections that 
 were new and peculiar. 
 
 I turned out of the house, and walked 
 mechanically up the street. A familiar name 
 met my half-vacant gaze. It was painted on 
 a sign, over the door of a cheese-monger's 
 shop — Michael Brady 
 
 I remembered that Mrs. Brady, the wife 
 of the man whose name I saw, was the 
 intimate acquaintance and friend of my mother. 
 Perhaps, I might learn something from her; 
 but what, I almost feared to ascertain. 
 
 I went into the shop, and found Mrs. Brady 
 seated among her cheeses. She did not look 
 a day older than when 1 last saw her. When 
 asked, if she remembered ever having seen me 
 before, she gazed at me for some time, and 
 made answer in the neo-ative.
 
 88 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 I was not astonished at her reply. I could 
 easily understand her stupidity : my appearance 
 must have greatly altered since she had seen 
 me last. 
 
 " Do you remember the name of Rowland 
 Stone?" I asked. 
 
 "What! the little Rolling Stone?" she 
 exclaimed, gazing at me again. " I do believe 
 you are," said she, "Now when T look at you, 
 I can see it is. How you have changed !" 
 
 " What has become of my mother ?'' I cried 
 out, too impatient to listen longer to her ex- 
 clamatory reflections. 
 
 " Poor woman !" answered Mrs. Brady, 
 "that's what I have wished to know for 
 many years.'* 
 
 I was called upon to exercise the virtue 
 of patience — while trying to obtain from Mrs. 
 Brady what information she could give con- 
 cerning my family. With much time spent 
 and many questions put, I obtained from her 
 the following particulars ; 
 
 After my departure, Mr. Leary became very
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 89 
 
 dissipated, and used to get drunk every day. 
 Whenever he sold anything out of the shop, 
 he would go to a puhlic-house, and stay there 
 until the money obtained for the article was 
 spent. He would then return ; abuse my 
 mother ; beat the children ; take something else 
 out of the shop ; and pawn it for more money 
 to spend in drink or dissipation. This game 
 he had continued, until there was nothing left 
 in the establishment that Mr. Leary could 
 sell for a shilling. 
 
 The neighbours remonstrated with my mother 
 for allowing him to proceed in this manner ; 
 but the deluded woman seemed to think that 
 everything done by her husband was right ; and 
 was even offended with her friends for interfering. 
 No arguments could persuade her that Mr. 
 Leary was conducting himself in an improper 
 manner. She appeared to think that the 
 drunken blackguard was one of the best men 
 that ever lived ; and that she had been exceed- 
 ingly fortunate in obtaining him for a husband ! 
 
 When Mr. Leary had disposed of everything
 
 90 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 in the shop, and had spent the proceeds in 
 drink, he absconded — leaving my mother, brother 
 and sister to suffer for the necessaries of life. 
 
 Instead of being gratified at getting clear of 
 the scoundrel, my mother was nearly heart- 
 broken to think he had deserted her ! 
 
 Her first thought was to find out where he 
 had gone. He had served his apprenticeship in 
 Liverpool ; and my mother had reasons to believe 
 that he had betaken himself thither. The 
 house in which she resided, had been leased by 
 my father for a long term. At the time Mr. 
 Leary deserted her, the lease had several 
 years to run. Since the time when it had been 
 taken, rents in the neighbourhood had greatly 
 risen in value ; and my mother was able to sell 
 the lease for ninety pounds. Obtaining this 
 sum in cash, she left Dublin with her children ; 
 and proceeded to Liverpool to find Mr. Leary, 
 as Mrs. Brady said, that she might give him the 
 money to spend in drink ! 
 
 My mother's friends had advised her to re- 
 main in Dublin ; and told her that she should
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 91 
 
 be thankful her husband had deserted her ; but 
 their advice was either unheeded, or scornfully 
 rejected. In spite of all remonstrance, she took 
 her departure for Liverpool ; and Mrs. Brady 
 had never heard of her again. 
 
 I was intensely interested in what was told 
 me by Mrs. Brady. For awhile, I believed that 
 my poor beguiled parent deserved her fate, 
 however bad it may have been ; and I was half 
 inclined to search for her no more. But when 
 I came to reflect that nearly five years had 
 elapsed since she left Dublin, I fancied that, if 
 unfortunately successful in finding Mr. Leary, 
 she might by this time have recovered from her 
 strange infatuation concerning him. Though 
 for her folly, she deserved almost any fate Mr. 
 Leary might bring upon her, I believed it to be 
 my duty to see her once more. Besides, I had 
 a strong desire to renew the rudely broken 
 links of affection, that had existed between 
 myself and my sister and brother. 
 
 When a boy, I was very proud of 
 having a sister like little Martha ; she was so
 
 92 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 kind, affectionate, and beautiful. And William, 
 too, I remembered him with a brother's fond- 
 ness. Although my mother had acted ever so 
 foolishly, it was not the less my duty to look 
 after her. Perhaps, for her unaccountable 
 delusion, she had been by this time sufficiently 
 punished. It was my desire to find her, if 
 possible, and learn if such was the case. She 
 was my mother, and I had no other wash than 
 to act towards her as a son. I determined, 
 therefore, to proceed to Liverpool. 
 
 1 may confess that something more than duty 
 summoned me thither — something even stronger 
 than filial affection. It was the design of visit- 
 ing Mrs. Hyland — or, rather her daughter. I 
 knew there would be danger to my happiness in 
 again seeing Lenore ; and I strove to strengthen 
 my resolution by the belief that I was acting 
 under a call of duty. 
 
 I had been with Captain H}'land when he 
 died. I alone saw his eyes closed in death, and 
 alone followed him to the grave. Why should 
 I not visit his wife and child ?
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 93 
 
 I could fancy that that pressure of the hand 
 given me by the Captain in his dying struggle, 
 was a silent comniand to me — to carry to them 
 his last blessing. 
 
 Besides, Mrs. Hyland had been very kind to 
 myself; and during my sojourn in Liverpool, 
 had made her home to me both welcome and 
 pleasant. Why should I refrain from seeing 
 her again — simply because her daughter was 
 beautiful ? I could think of no sufficient reason 
 for denying myself the pleasure. The dread of its 
 leading to pain was not enough to deter me ; 
 and I resolved to renew my acquaintance with 
 Lenore. 
 
 Before leaving Dublin, I tried to get some 
 information that would aid me in my search 
 after Mr. Leary and my relatives ; but was un- 
 successful. None of Mr. Leary's former 
 acquaintances could give me any intelligence as to 
 what part of the city of Liverpool he might be 
 found in. I could only learn that my mother, 
 before leaving, had some knowledge to guide
 
 94 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 her, which had probably been obtained, sometime 
 or other, from Mr. Leary himself. 
 
 In my search, therefore, I should have no 
 other traces than such as chance might throw 
 in my way.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 95 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 A CHILLING RECEPTION. 
 
 I do not like Liverpool as a city ; and less 
 do I admire a majority of its citizens. Too 
 many of them are striving to live on what they 
 can obtain from transient sojourners. Being 
 the greatest shipping port in the United 
 Kingdom — and that from which most emigrants 
 take their departure — it affords its inhabitants 
 too easy opportunities for exercising their skill — 
 in obtaining the greatest amount of money for 
 the least amount of service — opportunities of 
 which many of them are not slow to avail 
 themselves. 
 
 My dislike to the people of Liverpool may 
 perhaps, arise from the fact that I claim to be
 
 96 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 a sailor ; and that thousands of people in that 
 great seaport — from beggars, thieves, and the 
 like who crowd its crooked, narrow, dirty 
 streets in search of a living, up to mer- 
 chants, agents, and ship-owners — imagine that 
 there is no harm in taking advantage of a 
 sailor, and, under this belief, seldom lose an 
 opportunity of doing so. 
 
 The first thing I did after arriving in this 
 precious seaport, was to possess myself of a 
 city directory, and make a list of all the saddle 
 and harness makers in the place — putting down 
 the address of each opposite his name. 
 
 I then wrote a note to each of them — re- 
 questing, that if they knew anything of a 
 journeyman saddler named Matthew Leary, they 
 would have the goodness to communicate with 
 me ; if not, no answer to my note would be 
 required. 
 
 Having completed this interesting corres- 
 pondence — which occupied me the whole of a 
 day — I repaired to the residence of Mrs. 
 Hyland.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 97 
 
 There had been no change there. I found 
 her still living in the same house, where years 
 before, I had parted with her and her daughter. 
 
 I was conducted into the drawing-room ; and 
 the next instant one of the most beautiful 
 creatures man ever beheld, stood before me. 
 
 Lenore was beautiful when a child ; and 
 time had only developed her young charms into 
 the perfection of feminine loveliness. To me, 
 her beauty transcended everything I had ever 
 seen : although T had been in Dublin, New 
 Orleans, and Mexico — three places which are 
 not the least favoured with the light of woman's 
 loveliness. 
 
 Lenore was now sixteen years of age, and 
 looked neither more nor less. The only descrip- 
 tion I can give of her is that there was nothing 
 remarkable about her, but her beauty. I can 
 give no particulars of how^ she appeared. If 
 asked the colour of her hair and eyes, I should 
 have been unable to tell ; 1 only knew that she 
 was beautiful. 
 
 I was painfully disappointed at the reception 
 
 VOL. I. F
 
 98 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 she gave me. She did not meet me with those 
 manifestations of friendship I had anticipated. 
 It was true that I had been a long time away ; 
 and her friendship towards me might have 
 become cooled by my protracted absence. But 
 this was a painful consideration. I endeavoured 
 to dismiss it — at the same time I strove to 
 awaken within her the memories of our old 
 companionship. 
 
 To my chagrin, I saw that I was unsuc- 
 cessful. She seemed to labour under some 
 exciting emotion ; and I could not help 
 fancying that it was of a painful character. 
 
 Her whole behaviour was a mystery to me : 
 because so different from what it had formerly 
 been, or what I had hoped to find it. 
 
 I had left Lenore when she was but little 
 more than a child, and she was now a young 
 lady. 
 
 Id the three years that had intervened, there 
 was reason for me to expect some change in 
 her character. With her mother, no change I 
 presumed could have taken place. I left Mrs.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 99 
 
 Hyland a woman ; and such I should find her, 
 only three years older. In her I expected to 
 meet a friend, as I had left her. She entered the 
 room. I was again doomed to disappointment ! 
 
 She received me with even more coldness 
 than had been exhibited by Lenore. She did 
 not even offer me her hand ; but took a seat, 
 and with a more unpleasant expression than I 
 had ever before observed on her face, she waited 
 apparently with impatience for what I might 
 have to say. 
 
 The sensitive feelings of my soul had never 
 been so cruelly wounded. I was in an agony 
 of anger and disappointment ; and unable any 
 longer to endure the painful excitement of my 
 emotions, I uttered a few common-place 
 speeches, and hastily withdrew from their 
 presence. 
 
 What could their conduct mean ? In the 
 excited state of my thoughts, I was unable to 
 form even a conjecture, that seemed in any way 
 consistent with my knowledge of their previous 
 character. 
 
 F 2
 
 100 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 It might be that when Lenore was a child, 
 and I was a boy, they had seen no harm in 
 befriending and being kind to me ; but now 
 that Lenore was a young lady, and I a man — 
 a sailor, too — they might have reasons for not 
 having any further acquaintance with me. 
 
 Could it be that they were endued with 
 that selfishness — in this world possessed by so 
 many ? That they had been my friends only 
 because Captain Hyland was my protector — to 
 fall away from me now, that his protection 
 could be no longer extended to me ? 
 
 I could hardly think this possible: for it 
 would be so much out of keeping with all that 
 1 had ever known of the character either of Mrs. 
 Hyland, or her daughter. 
 
 1 had long anticipated great pleasure in 
 revisiting them ; and had thought when again in 
 their presence I should be with friends. Never 
 had I been so cruelly disappointed; and for awhile 
 I fancied that I should never care to meet with 
 old acquaintances again. 
 
 I am capable of forming strong attachments.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. lOl 
 
 I had done so for Mrs. Hyland and her daughter, 
 and their chill reception had the effect of 
 causing me to pass a sleepless night. 
 
 In the morning, I was able to reflect with a 
 little more coolness, as well as clearness. A cause, 
 perhaps the cause, of their strange conduct 
 suddenly suggested itself to my mind. 
 
 Adkins, the first mate of the ship Lenore, 
 had been, and, no doubt, still was — my enemy. 
 He had turned me out of the ship in New 
 Orleans ; and had, in all likelihood, on his arrival 
 in Liverpool, poisoned the mind of Mrs. Hyland, 
 by some falsehood, of which I w^as the victim. 
 I knew the scoundrel to be capable of doing 
 this, or any other base action. 
 
 There was a consolation in the thought that 
 this explanation might be the real one, and for 
 a while it restored the tranquillity of my spirit. 
 
 I would see them again ; demand an explana- 
 tion ; and if my suspicions proved true, I could 
 refute any change made against me — so as once 
 more to make them my friends. 
 
 I did not desire their friendship from any
 
 102 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 personal motives. It might not now be worth 
 the trouble of having it restored ; but in memory 
 of their past kindness, and out of regard for my 
 own character, I could not leave them labouring 
 under the impression that I had been ungrate- 
 ful. 
 
 Alas ! there was a deeper motive for my 
 desiring an explanation. Their friendship was 
 worth restoring. It was of no use my endeavour- 
 ing to think otherwise. The friendship of a 
 beautiful creature like Lenore was worth every 
 thing. The world to me would be worthless 
 without it. I was already wretched at the 
 thought of having lost her good opinion. I 
 must again establish myself in it ; or failing, 
 become more wretched still. 
 
 The next day, I returned to the residence of 
 Mrs. Hyland. I saw her seated near the win- 
 dow, as I approached the house. I saw her 
 arise, and retire out of sight — evidently after 
 recognising me ! 
 
 I rang the bell. The door was opened by a 
 servant — who, without waiting to be interrogated.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 103 
 
 informed me that neither Mrs. nor Miss Hyland 
 were at home ! 
 
 I pushed the door open ; passed the astonished 
 domestic ; entered the hall ; and stepped un- 
 ceremoniously into the apartment — in the win- 
 dow of which I had seen Mrs. Hyland, 
 
 No one was inside — excepting the servant, 
 who had officially followed me. I turned to 
 her, and said in a tone savouring of command : 
 
 " Tell Mrs. Hyland that Mr. Rowland Stone 
 is here, and will not leave until he has seen 
 ter." 
 
 The girl retired, and soon after Mrs. Hyland 
 entered the room. She did not speak; but 
 waited to hear what 1 had to say. 
 
 " Mrs. Hyland," I began, " I am too well 
 acquainted with you, and respect you too much, 
 to believe that 1 am treated in the manner 1 have 
 been, without a good cause. Conscious of having 
 done nothing intentionally to injure you, or yours, 
 I have returned to demand the reason why your 
 conduct towards me has undergone such a 
 change. You once used to receive me here as
 
 104 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 though I was your own son. What have I 
 done to forfeit your friendship ?" 
 
 " If your own conscience does not accuse you/' 
 she answered, " it is not necessary for me to 
 give you any explanation ; for you might not 
 understand it. But there is one thing that I 
 hope you will understand : and that is, that 
 your visits here are no longer either welcome 
 or desirable." 
 
 *' I learnt that much yesterday," said I, 
 imitating in a slight degree the air of sneering 
 indifference, in which Mrs. Hyland addressed 
 me. " To-day I have called for an explanation. 
 Your own words imply that I was once welcome ; 
 and I wish to know why such is no longer the 
 case." 
 
 '* The explanation is then, that you have 
 proved unworthy of our friendship. There is 
 no explanation that you can give, that will 
 remove the impression from my mind that you 
 have been guilty of ingratitude and dishonesty 
 towards those who were your best friends ; and 
 I do not wish to be pained by listening to any 
 attempt you may make at an apology."
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 105 
 
 I became excited. Had the speaker been 
 a man, my excitement would have assumed the 
 shape of anger. 
 
 " I only ask/' I replied, endeavouring, as 
 much as possible, to control my feelings, *' I 
 only ask, what justice to you, as well as myself, 
 demands you to give. All I require is an 
 explanation ; and 1 will not leave the house, until 
 I have had it. I insist upon knowing of what 
 I am accused." 
 
 Mrs. Hyland, apparently in high displeasure 
 at the tone I had assumed, turned suddenly 
 away from me, and glided out of the room. 
 
 To calm my excitement, I took up a paper, 
 and read, or attempted to read. 
 
 For nearly half an hour I continued this half 
 involuntary occupation. At the end of that time, 
 1 stepped up to the fire-place, caught hold of the 
 bell pull, and rang the bell. 
 
 " Tell Miss Lenore,'' said I, when the servant 
 made her appearance, " that I wish to see her ; 
 and that all the policemen in Liverpool cannot 
 put me out of this house, until I have done so.'' 
 
 F 3
 
 106 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 The girl flounced back through the door ; and 
 shortly after Lenore, with half of a smile on 
 her beautiful face, entered the room. 
 
 She appeared less reserved than on the in- 
 terview of the day before ; and, if possible, more 
 lovely. I was too happy to interpret from her 
 deportment, that she had not yet entirely for- 
 gotten the past ; and that what I now wished to 
 know, she would not hesitate to reveal. 
 
 " Lenore," said I, as she entered, ** in you I 
 hope still to find a friend — notwithstanding the 
 coldness with which you have treated me ; and 
 from you I demand an explanation." 
 
 " The only explanation I can give," said she, 
 " is, that mamma and I have probably been 
 deceived. There is one who has accused you 
 of ingratitude, and other crimes as bad — perhaps 
 worse." 
 
 " Adkins !" I exclaimed. " It is Adkins, 
 the first mate of the ' Lenore 1' " 
 
 *' Yes ; it is he who has brought the accusa- 
 tion ; and, unfortunately, whether false or no, 
 your conduct has been some evidence of the
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 107 
 
 truth of the story he has told us. Oh ! Row- 
 land, it was hard to believe you guilty of 
 ingratitude and crime ; but your long absence, 
 unexplained as it was, gave colour to what has 
 been alleged against you. You have never written 
 to us : and it will be nearly impossible for you 
 to be again reinstated in the good opinion 
 of my mother." 
 
 " In yours, Lenore ?** 
 
 She blushingly held down her head, without 
 making reply. 
 
 " Will you tell me of what I am accused ?" 
 I asked. 
 
 " I will," she answered. " And, Rowland ; 
 before I hear one word of explanation from you 
 learn this : I cannot believe you guilty of any 
 wrong. I have been too well acquainted with 
 you to believe that you could possibly act, under 
 any circumstances, as you have been accused of 
 doing. It is not in your nature." 
 
 " Thank you, Lenore !" said I, with a fervour 
 I could not restrain myself from showing. 
 * You are now as you have ever been, more
 
 108 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 beautiful than anything in the world, and wise 
 as you are beautiful." 
 
 " Do not talk thus, Rowland ! Nothing but 
 your own words can ever change the opinion I 
 had formed of your character — long ago, when 
 we were both children. I will tell you why my 
 mother is displeased with you. There are more 
 reasons than one. First, when my father died 
 in New Orleans, Mr. Adkins brought back the 
 ship ; and you did not return in it. We were 
 surprised at this ; and called Mr. Adkins to 
 account for not bringing you home. He did 
 not appear willing to give us any satisfaction 
 concerning you ; but we would insist on having 
 it ; and then, with apparent reluctance, he stated 
 that he had not wished to say anything against 
 you — fearing that from our known friendship for 
 you, it might be unpleasant for us to hear it. 
 He then told us, that you had not only neglected, 
 and proved cruel to my father — when on his 
 death-bed — but, that, as soon as it became certain 
 there was no hope of his recovery, you behaved as 
 though you thought it no longer worth while to
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 109 
 
 trouble yourself with a man, who could not live 
 to repay you. He said that you had previously 
 deserted from the ship, and left my father — 
 notwithstanding his earnest entreaties that you 
 should remain with him. It cannot be true. 
 1 know it cannot be true; but so long as 
 my mother thinks there is a particle of truth 
 in Mr. Adkins' statement, she will never forgive 
 you. Your accuser has also stated that when 
 you left the ship, you took with you what was 
 not your own ; but this he did not tell us until 
 several months had elapsed, and there appeared 
 no probabiHty of your returning.'' 
 
 *' What has become of Mr. Adkins now ?" I 
 asked. 
 
 " He is on a voyage to New Orleans in the 
 * Lenore.' He obtained my mother's confidence, 
 and is now in command of the ship. Lately he 
 has been trying to make himself more disagree- 
 able to myself — by professing for me — what he, 
 perhaps, believes to be an affection. Oh ! it 
 is too unpleasant to dwell upon. My mother 
 listens, 1 fear, too consentingly, to all he has
 
 110 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 to say : for she is grateful to him for his kindness 
 to my father before he died — and for the 
 interest he appears ever since to have taken in 
 our welfare. His manner towards us has 
 greatly changed of late. Indeed, he acts as if 
 he were the head of our family, and the owner of 
 the vessel. I believe he is expected to return to 
 Liverpool at any time : as the time for the 
 voyage has expired, and the ship has been due 
 for some days." 
 
 *' I wish he were in Liverpool noWy* said L 
 " When he does arrive, I will make him prove 
 himself a liar. Lenore ! I have ever been 
 treated with the greatest kindness by your 
 father and mother. It is not in my nature to 
 be either ungrateful or dishonest. Your father's 
 ship was my home ; I did not leave that home 
 without good reason. I was turned out of it by 
 the very villain who has accused me. I shall 
 stay in Liverpool until he returns ; and when I 
 have exposed him, and proved myself still 
 worthy of your friendship, I shall again go 
 forth upon the world with a light heart, as I 
 can with a clear conscience.''
 
 A ROLLING STONE. Hi 
 
 Requesting Lenore to tell her mother that 
 she had been deceived — and that I should stay 
 in Liverpool till I proved that such was the 
 case — I arose to take my departure. I 
 lingered only to add : that I would not again 
 annoy them with my presence until the return 
 of the ship — when I should challenge Adkins to 
 appear before them, and prove him guilty of 
 the very crimes he had charged against myself 
 — ingratitude and dishonesty. 
 
 With this promise did I close my interview 
 with Lenore.
 
 112 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 ON THE TRACK OF MR LEARY. 
 
 After leaving Mrs. Hyland's house, I had 
 much to occupy my thoughts. The principal 
 subject that engaged their attention was the 
 wonderful beauty of Lenore. 
 
 She was beautiful ; and she professed to be 
 my friend. But while I felt a consoling pride in 
 possessing the friendship of one so lovely, there 
 was much that was unpleasant in the thought 
 that her mother could, even for an instant, 
 have believed me guilty of the grave charges 
 brought against me by Adkins. 
 
 To be thought ungrateful by one who had 
 treated me with so much kindness, and more
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 113 
 
 especially one who was the mother of Lenore, 
 was a reflection full of bitterness. 
 
 Adkins had now done enough to make me 
 his deadly enemy. He had never used me well 
 aboard ship; and would have caused me still more 
 trouble there had he not been restrained by his 
 fear of Captain Hyland. He had turned me 
 out of the ship in New Orleans. He had 
 returned to Liverpool, and accused me of the 
 basest of crimes. 
 
 But what was still more unpleasant to dwell 
 upon : he was endeavouring to deprive me of 
 what was of almost equal consequence with my 
 character — of her whom I had hoped might one 
 day become my wife. Yes, there could be no 
 doubt of the fact. He was trying to win 
 Lenore. 
 
 This last I could scarce look upon as a crime 
 on his part. To aspire to win one so lovely 
 was no crime ; and one who should do so would 
 only be acting as Nature commanded. 
 
 But at that time, I did not view it in this 
 light ; and the idea of Edward Adkins aspiring
 
 114 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 to the hand of Lenore Hyland was proof to 
 me that he was the vilest wretch that ever 
 encumbered the earth. 
 
 For a while, I forgot my hatred for Mr. 
 Leary in my dislike to Mr. Adkins. 
 
 Hatred with me had never before reached a 
 thirst for revenge ; but to this degree of 
 hostility had it attained, within an hour after 
 leaving Lenore. 
 
 But what could 1 do? When my enemy 
 returned, I could confront him in presence of 
 Lenore and her mother. I could make one 
 statement ; which he would certainly contradict 
 by making another. I was in a country where 
 the laws do not allow a man any chance of 
 obtaining redress for the cruellest wrong, or 
 insult, he may suffer. 
 
 I passed that night, as the preceding one, 
 without sleep. 
 
 The day after that on which I had 
 addressed my letters to the saddle and harness 
 makers of Liverpool, I received answers from 
 two of them — both men who had been 
 acquainted with Mr. Leary.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 115 
 
 I lost no time in calling upon these corres- 
 pondents. 
 
 One of them frankly informed me that Mr, 
 Leary's time, as an apprentice, had been served 
 in his shop ; that he did not think him exactly 
 honest ; and had been only too glad to get rid 
 of him. He had not seen or heard anything of 
 Mr. Leary for seven years ; and hoped never to 
 behold that individual again. He had taken 
 Leary, when a boy, from the workhouse ; and 
 believed he had no relatives, who would know 
 where he was to be found. 
 
 I called on the other saddler, and learnt from 
 him that Mr. Leary, after having served his 
 time, had worked in his establishment as a 
 journeyman ; though only for a very short while. 
 Leary had left him to go to Dublin ; but had 
 returned three or four years afterwards, and 
 had again been employed by him for a few 
 days. On leaving the second time, Mr. Leary 
 had engaged to go out to New South Wales, 
 with a saddle and harness maker from that 
 colony ; who, as the Liverpool tradesman
 
 116 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 laughingly stated, had been so foolish as to pay 
 for Leary's passage, in the hope of being repaid 
 by his services after he got there. 
 
 With painful interest, I inquired, whether Mr. 
 Leary had taken along with him to Australia a 
 wife and family. 
 
 " No," said the saddler ; " nothing of the 
 kind. He was not able to do that: since he 
 had to tell a thousand lies to induce the saddler 
 to take himself. But I remember, there was a 
 woman from Dublin inquiring for him after he 
 had sailed ; and she, poor creature, appeared 
 well nigh heart-broken, when she learnt that he 
 had gone without her. I suppose she must 
 have been his wife." 
 
 The saddler had heard nothing since from 
 either Leary or the woman, 
 
 A part of this intelligence was very satis- 
 factory. My mother had not found Mr. Leary in 
 Liverpool, and that wretch was now far away. 
 
 But where was my mother? Where had 
 she and her youngest children been for the last 
 five years ? How should I learn their fate ?
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 117 
 
 Surely I had plenty of work before me. My 
 relatives were to be found ; and this would be 
 no easy task : since I had not the slightest clue 
 to guide me in the search. I had to convince 
 Mrs. Hyland that I was still worthy of her 
 friendship. I had to obtain revenge on my 
 enemy Adkins ; ^nd a greater task than all would 
 still remain. I had to win, or forget Lenore. 
 
 My last interview with her, had revived 
 within my mind the sweet remembrances of 
 the past, along with thoughts of the present, 
 and dreams of the future — thoughts and 
 dreams that would not again sleep. A mental 
 vision of her loveliness was constantly before 
 me. 
 
 What was I to do first ? I had but little 
 money in my pockets; and could not leave 
 Liverpool at present to obtain more. I must 
 stay until the return of Adkins ; and it would 
 not do to spend my last shilling in idly 
 waiting. 
 
 Without friends I could only get such occu- 
 pation, as required the severest labour to per-
 
 118 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 form ; but, fortunately for that, I had the will, 
 health, and strength I feel a pride in stating, 
 that I acted, as a man should under the cir- 
 cumstances. Instead of strolling about in 
 hopeless idleness, I went to the docks, and 
 obtained labourer's work. 
 
 For two weeks I worked at handling cotton 
 bales, and bags of sugar. The toil was humble, 
 and the pay for it was proportionately small ; 
 but duty commanded me, and I worked on, 
 cheered by hope, and without repining at my 
 fate. 
 
 Sometimes in the evening, I would walk up 
 and down the street in front of the residence of 
 Mrs. Hyland — with the hope of seeing Lenore, 
 or with the knowledge of being near her, 
 whether she might be seen or not. I found 
 pleasure even in this. 
 
 I did not like to call on her again — until I 
 had given her mother some proof of my 
 innocence. 
 
 Sometimes it occurred to me to ask myself 
 the question, why should I see her more, even
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 119 
 
 after I had cleared myself? She was beautiful, 
 dangerously beautiful; and I was friendless, 
 homeless, and without fortune. Why should I 
 endanger my future peace of mind, by becoming 
 more and more infatuated with one whose heart 
 I could scarce hope ever to possess ? 
 
 Duty as well as reason told me to pursue the 
 search for my relatives, and see Lenore Hyland 
 no more. But where is the heart love-stricken 
 that will listen to the call, either of reason, or 
 duty? 
 
 Mine did not, and could not. It was deaf 
 to such an appeal. I could think only of Lenore ; 
 yearn to see her again — to speak with her — to 
 listen to her — to love her !
 
 120 THE ADVENTURES OP 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 AN ENCOUNTER WITH A COWARD. 
 
 About a week after my interview with Mrs. 
 Hyland and her daughter, I saw what I had 
 been daily looking for — a notice in one of the 
 Liverpool papers, under the head of" Shipping 
 Intelligence," announcing the arrival of the 
 ship " Lenore," Captain Adkins, from New 
 Orleans. 
 
 After reading the notice, I hastily flung aside 
 the paper ; and proceeded direct to the docks — 
 where I found the vessel had already arrived. 
 
 As I might have expected, Adkins was not 
 aboard. He had landed several hours before, 
 while the ship was still in the river. Having 
 ascertained the name of the hotel where he was 
 in the habit of staying, while in Liverpool, I
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 121 
 
 lost no time loitering on board the ship, but went 
 in search of him. On reaching the hotel, I found 
 that he had slept there the night before, but 
 had gone out after breakfast in the morning. 
 
 My conjecture was, that he would be found 
 at the house of Mrs. Hyland ; and it now 
 occurred to me that I had been wonderfully 
 stupid in not looking for him there in the first 
 instance. 
 
 From the hotel, I proceeded direct to Mrs. 
 Hyland's residence ; as I walked along, anticipat- 
 ing much pleasure in the task of compelling 
 Adkins to refute his own falsehoods. I feared, 
 however, that shame would hinder him telling 
 the truth ; and that even in my presence he 
 would stick to his infamous story. I feared 
 it : because I did not wish to kill him. 
 
 As I had conjectured, he was visiting at Mrs. 
 Hyland's. Just as I reached the door, Adkins 
 was coming out. 
 
 1 controlled my temper as well as I could. 
 I did not wish to defeat my purpose by an 
 exhibition of idle anger. 
 
 VOL. 1. G
 
 122 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 " Good morning Mr. Adkins !" said I. " We 
 meet again ; and I assure you, on my part, with 
 profound pleasure/' 
 
 He would have passed without speaking; had 
 I not placed my body so as to block the way. 
 
 *' Who the devil are you ; and what do you 
 want ?" he asked, with a bullying tone and air 
 that I had often known him assume before. 
 
 " I am Rowland Stone,*' I answered, " and I 
 wish to see you on a matter of considerable 
 importance." 
 
 '* You see me then ! what the important 
 business ?'* 
 
 " It can only be made known in the presence 
 of Mrs. Hyland and her daughter." 
 
 " Mrs. Hyland does not wish to see you," 
 said Adkins, " and much less her daughter, I 
 should think. As for myself, I want nothing 
 to do with you." 
 
 " I can believe the latter part of your asser- 
 tions," I answered ; " but it is necessary that we 
 should sometimes do what may not be exactly 
 agreeable to us. If there is a spark of manhood 
 in you, walk back into the house, and repeat
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 123 
 
 to Mrs. Hyland in my presence, what you have 
 said behind my back." 
 
 " I shall not take the trouble to do any thing 
 of the kind. I tell you again, I want nothing 
 to say to you. Give me the way !'' 
 
 As Adkins said this, he made a gesture as 
 if he intended to pass me. 
 
 " rU give you the way to h — ," said I, 
 " unless you do as I bid you ;" and I caught 
 him by the collar to drag him into the 
 house. 
 
 He resisted this attempt by aiming a blow 
 at me; which I returned with such interest, 
 that while I still kept my legs, the captain of 
 the " Lenore " missed his ; and, staggering back- 
 ward, he fell heavily on the door-step. 
 
 I had now lost all command of myself; and, 
 after ringing the bell, to have the door re-opened, 
 I seized him by the hair of the head — for the 
 purpose of hauling him inside. 
 
 My purpose would have been accomplished. 
 I would hate broken down the door, dragged 
 him into the house, confronted him with Mrs. 
 
 G 2
 
 124 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Hyland, and made him swallow his false words, 
 but for the arrival of a trio of policemen. 
 
 I was not overcome until after a long 
 struggle ; in which the exertions of the three 
 policemen, Adkins himself, and another man, 
 who was passing at the time, were united 
 against me. It ended in their putting me in 
 irons. 
 
 As I was led away from the house, I noticed 
 that Mrs. Hyland and Lenore were both at the 
 window — where, I had no doubt, they had been 
 witnesses of the affray. 
 
 I was at once taken to a police station, 
 and locked up in one of its cells. 
 
 Next morning I was brought before a 
 magistrate. Adkins was there to prosecute. 
 The three policemen w^ere present as witnesses ; 
 as also the Liverpool citizen, who had aided 
 in putting me in irons. 
 
 After evidence was heard against me, I was 
 called upon for my defence. I had nothing to 
 say to the charge. 
 
 The magistrate emphatically declared that a
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 125 
 
 case of a more unprovoked assault had never 
 been brought before him ; and that he did not 
 think the ends of justice would be met by the 
 infliction of a fine. He therefore sentenced me 
 to fourteen days' imprisonment. 
 
 I thought none the less of myself for that ; 
 and, under other circumstances, two weeks in a 
 prison might not have been passed unpleasantly. 
 But it was bitterness to reflect, that while I 
 was passing my time in the companionship of 
 petty thieves, Edward Adkins was daily visiting 
 Lenore. 
 
 Fourteen days must I pass as a prisoner, 
 while my vile enemy would be enjoying the 
 society of Mrs. Hyland and her daughter — no 
 doubt doing all he could to blacken my character, 
 and lower me still further in their estimation ! 
 
 The reflection was anything but pleasant; 
 though 1 might have partly consoled myself by 
 another : that I was much better off inside the 
 gaol, than millions of my fellow countrymen 
 outside of it. Had I committed some crime, 
 that reallv deserved this conflnement, then
 
 126 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 would I, indeed, have felt really wretched ; but 
 conscience accused me of no wrong ; and I was 
 not without those tranquillizing emotions ever 
 springing from a sense of rectitude and 
 nnocence. 
 
 I was not afraid that Adkins would gain any 
 great advantage over me in winning the afifec- 
 tions of Lenore — even though aided by the 
 influence of her mother. It was not that 
 which troubled me during my sojourn within 
 the walls of a prison. If Lenore should prove 
 capable of choosing such a man for her husband, 
 I need not regret her loss. My spirit was more 
 harassed by the thought : that wrong should have 
 thus triumphed — that Adkins should be in the 
 society of Lenore, when he should have been in 
 my place in the prison, and I in his. 
 
 After I had passed eight days of my confine- 
 ment, I was surprised one morning by the an- 
 nouncement that I was to receive visitors. 
 
 Two persons had called, and inquired for 
 Rowland Stone. They were outside — waiting 
 to be admitted to my cell.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 127 
 
 Both proved to be old acquaintances. One 
 was a man named Wilton, who had been the 
 second mate of the ship "Lenore," under 
 Captain Hyland. The other was Mason, the 
 steward of the same ship. 
 
 As both these men had been very kind to 
 me when I was in the ship, I was pleased to 
 see them ; but much more so, when I learnt to 
 whom I was indebted for their visit. Mason told 
 me that he was still steward of the " Lenore, ' 
 and that Miss Hyland had come to him on 
 board : for the purpose of obtaining a true 
 account of the circumstances that stood between 
 me and Adkins. 
 
 ** I was glad to learn, Rowley, that you had 
 turned up again," said Mason ; " but at the 
 same time, sorry to hear of your present 
 trouble. I at once resolved to try and get you 
 out of at least a part of it, although I may lose 
 my situation by doing so. T told Miss Hyland, 
 plainly enough, that Adkins was a villain, and 
 that I could prove it. I promised her that I 
 would come and see you. Wilton here, is now
 
 128 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 the skipper of a tug-boat on the river, and T 
 brought him along — knowing that he can lend 
 a hand to help us." 
 
 " Nothing can please me more than to see 
 Adkins lose the command of the * Lenore/ " in- 
 terposed Wilton, '' for I know that he is not 
 an honest man ; and that he has been all along 
 robbing the widow. We must decide on some 
 plan to convince Mrs. Hyland, that she is 
 placing confidence in a scoundrel." 
 
 Wilton and Mason remained with me nearly 
 an hour ; and it was decided that nothing should 
 be done openly, until my term of imprisonment 
 should expire. We were then to ascertain when 
 Adkins would be on a visit to Mrs. Hyland's 
 house, when we should all three go together, 
 meet him there, and tell Mrs. Hyland the whole 
 story of his falsehood and dishonesty. 
 
 " Should she not believe us, and still continue 
 to trust him," said Wilton, " then she deserves 
 to be robbed ; that's my way of thinking.'' 
 
 I thought the same, so far as robbing her of 
 her worldly wealth ; but it was bitter to believe
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 12 9 
 
 that the rascal might also rob her of a jewel more 
 priceless than all else — of Lenore. But I could 
 not believe that the most insane folly on her 
 part would deserve so extreme a punish- 
 ment, as that of having Adkins for a son-in- 
 law! 
 
 Mason gave me his address ; so did Wilton ; 
 and I promised to call on them, as soon as I 
 should be set at liberty. 
 
 They left me happy, and hopeful. I was 
 happy, not because I was young, and in good 
 health — not because I had found friends who 
 would aid me in subduing an enemy ; but 
 because the beautiful Lenore had interested her- 
 self in my misfortunes, and was trying to remove 
 them. 
 
 That was a theme for many long and pleasant 
 reveries, which while they rendered me impatient 
 to be free, at the same time enabled me to pass 
 the remainder of my term of imprisonment, with 
 but slight regard for the many petty annoyances 
 and discomforts of the situation. 
 
 I accepted my liberty when it was at length 
 
 G 3
 
 130 
 
 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 given me ; and on the same day went to visit 
 Mason and Wilton. 
 
 What had been done already by Lenore, left 
 me under the impression that she would still 
 further aid me in estabhshing the truth. I felt 
 confident, that she would not object to letting 
 us know on what day and hour we might meet 
 Adkins at her mother's house ; and with this 
 confidence, I wrote a note to her, containing 
 the request that she would do so. Then, in 
 pleasant expectation of soon having an oppor- 
 tunity of clearing my character, I awaited the 
 answer.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. J 31 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 A RECKONING UP. 
 
 Lenore did not disappoint me. Two days 
 after getting out of the prison, I received her 
 reply — informing me that Adkins would be at her 
 mother's house the next day, and advising me to 
 call with my friends, about half-past ten. I had 
 made known to her the object of my de- 
 sire to meet him. 
 
 After receiving her note, I went immediately 
 to Mason and Wilton ; and we appointed a 
 place of rendezvous for the next morning. 
 
 That evening, I was as uneasy as the com- 
 mander-in-chief of an army on the eve of a 
 great battle. I had an enemy to confront and 
 conquer — a reputation already sullied to restore 
 to its former brightness.
 
 132 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 I could not help some anxiety as to the result. 
 
 In the naorning, I met my friends at the 
 appointed place ; and as the clock struck ten, 
 we started for the residence of Mrs. Hyland. 
 
 As we came within sight of the house, I per- 
 ceived Lenore at the window. She recognised 
 us, rose from her seat, and disappeared towards 
 the back of the room. When I rang the bell, 
 the door was opened by herself. 
 
 Without hesitating, she conducted us all 
 three into the parlour, where we found Adkins 
 and Mrs. Hyland. 
 
 The latter appeared to be no little astonished 
 by our unexpected entrance ; but as for Adkins 
 himself, he looked more like a frightened maniac 
 than a man. 
 
 '* What does this mean ?" exclaimed Mrs. 
 Hyland, in a voice that expressed more alarm 
 than indignation. 
 
 '* These gentlemen have called to see you on 
 business, mother," said her daughter. " There 
 is nothing to fear from them. They are our 
 friends.*'
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 133 
 
 Having said this, Lenore requested us to be 
 seated ; and we complied. 
 
 Adkins did not speak ; but I could read from 
 the play of his features, that he knew the game 
 was up, and that he had lost. 
 
 " Mrs. Hyland," said Wilton, after a short 
 interval of silence, " I have called here to do 
 what 1 believe to be a duty, and which I ought 
 to have done long ago. If I am doing any wrong, 
 it is only through my ignorance of what's right. 
 I w?ts your husband's friend, and we sailed 
 together, for nine years or thereabouts. I was on 
 the ship ' Lenore ' when Captain Hyland died, 
 in New Orleans; and I have heard the stories 
 that Mr. Adkins here has told about this young 
 man. Those stories are false. When in New 
 Orleans, at the time of \our husband's death, 
 Adkins was most of the time drunk, and 
 neglecting his duty. Rowley did not desert 
 from the ship ; neither did he neglect the cap- 
 tain, but was the only one of the ship's company 
 with him, or taking care of him, when he died. 
 Mr. Adkins never liked Rowley ; and the only
 
 134 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 reason I can think of for his not doing so, is 
 just because it is natural for a bad man to dislike 
 a good one. When Mr. Adkins obtained the 
 command of the ship, he would not let Rowley 
 come aboard again — much less return in her to 
 Liverpool. I made one voyage with Adkins 
 as first mate after Captain Hyland's death, and 
 learnt, while making it, that I could not continue 
 with him any longer — unless I should become 
 nearly as bad as himself. For that reason I left 
 the ship. 
 
 " Mrs. Hyland !" continued Wilton, fixing 
 his eye upon Adkins, and speaking with 
 determined emphasis, *' I have no hesitation in 
 pronouncing Mr. Adkins to be a wicked, deceit- 
 ful man ; who has been robbing you under the 
 cloak of friendship ; and still continues to rob 
 you. 
 
 " These men have formed a conspiracy to 
 ruin me I" cried Adkins, springing to his feet. 
 " I suppose they will succed in doing it. Three 
 men and one woman are more than I can con- 
 tend against !'*
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 135 
 
 Mrs. Hyland paid no attention to this re- 
 mark ; but, turning to Mason, said : " I believe 
 that you are Mr. Mason, the steward of the 
 * Lenore.' What have you to say ?'* 
 
 " I have to state that all Mr. Wilton has told 
 you, is true," said Mason. " Rowley, to nay 
 knowledge, has never done anything to forfeit 
 your friendship. I have long known that Cap- 
 tain Adkins was a scoundrel ; and my desire to 
 expose him — overcome by the fact that I have 
 a large family to support, and was afraid of 
 losing my situation — has caused me to pass 
 many a sleepless hour. I had made up my 
 mind not to go another voyage along with him — 
 before learning that my testimony was wanted 
 in aid of Rowley here. On hearing that he had 
 robbed the young man — not only of his old 
 friends, but of his liberty — I no longer hesitated 
 about exposing him. He is a dishonest villain ; 
 and T can prove it by having the ship's accounts 
 overhauled.'' 
 
 " Go on ! go on !" cried Adkins. *' You have
 
 136 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 it all your own way now. Of course, my word 
 is nothing/' 
 
 " He is telling the truth for once in his life," 
 said Mason to Mrs. Hyland. " For his word is 
 just worth nothing, to any one who knows him." 
 
 " Now, Rowland," said Mrs. Hyland, " what 
 have you to say ?" 
 
 " Very little," I answered. " I did not wish 
 you to think ill of me. There is nothing that 
 can wound the feelings more than ingratitude ; 
 and the kindness with which you once treated 
 me, was the reason why 1 have been so desirous 
 of proving to you that I have not been ungrate- 
 ful. You have now evidence that will enable 
 you to judge between Adkins and myself; and 
 after this interview, I will trouble you no more ; 
 for I do not desire to insist upon a renewal of 
 the friendship you have suspected. I only 
 wished you to know that I had given you no 
 cause for discontinuing it." 
 
 " Now, gentlemen !" said Adkins, " having 
 been amused by all each of you has to say, I 
 suppose I may be allowed to take my leave of
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 137 
 
 you; and," said he, turning to Mrs. Hyland, 
 " ril see you again, madam, when you have 
 not quite so much interesting company to 
 engage your attention/' 
 
 He arose, and was moving towards the door. 
 
 '* Stop !" shouted Mason, stepping before 
 him. " Mrs. Hyland," continued the steward, 
 " I know enough about this man, and his man- 
 agement of your business, to justify you in giving 
 him in charge to a policeman. Shall I call 
 one? 
 
 For a minute Mrs. Hyland was silent. 
 
 I looked at Adkins, and saw that my triumph 
 over him w^as complete. His own appearance 
 condemned him ; and anyone to have seen him 
 at that moment — humiliated, cowed, andguilty — 
 would ever after have dreaded doing wrong : 
 through very fear of looking as he did. 
 
 In truth, he presented a melancholy spectacle : 
 for he had not the courage to assume even 
 a show of manliness. 
 
 To complete my triumph, and his discompo- 
 sure, Lenore, who had been all the while listen-
 
 138 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 ing with eager interest, and apparent pleasure to 
 what had been said, cried out : " Let him go, 
 mother, if he will promise never to come near 
 us again 1" 
 
 " Yes, let him go !" repeated Mrs. Hyland. 
 " I must think before I can act." 
 
 Mason opened the door ; and Adkins sneaked 
 out in a fashion that was painful, even for me — 
 his enemy — to behold. After his departure, 
 each waited for the other to speak. 
 
 The silence was broken by Mrs. Hyland, who 
 said : 
 
 "Of you, Mr. Wilton, and you, Mr. 
 Mason, I have often heard my late husband 
 speak in the highest terms ; and I know of no 
 reason, why I should not believe what you have 
 told me." 
 
 " With you, Rowland,'* she continued, turning 
 her eyes upon me, with something of the old 
 friendly look, *' with you, I have been acquainted 
 many years ; and the principal reason I had for 
 doubting your integrity and truthfulness, was 
 because I thought that, had you possessed the
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 139 
 
 regard for us, you should have had, you would 
 certainly have come back after the death of my 
 husband. 
 
 " You did not ; and the circumstance, as 
 you will admit, was strong against you. I have 
 now much reason to believe that I have been 
 deceived in Adkins ; and 1 do not know whom 
 to trust, I must suppose that all of you have 
 come here without any ill feeling towards me : 
 for I know not why you should wish to do 
 me an injury. 
 
 ** I have a respect for those in whom Mr. 
 Hyland placed confidence. I have heard him 
 speak well of all of you; and I do not remember 
 now of anything he ever said that should give me 
 a favourable opinion of Adkins. Indeed, I never 
 heard Mr. Hyland speak much concerning him. 
 It is my duty to think of the past as well as the 
 present, before I can say anything more.'* 
 
 Wilton and Mason both assured Mrs. Hyland 
 that they had only acted under the influence of 
 a sense of duty — inspired by the respect they had 
 for the memory of her husband.
 
 140 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 We left the house ; but not till Mrs. Hyland 
 had shaken hands with me, and at the same 
 time extended to me an invitation to call the next 
 day ; and not till Mrs. Hyland's daughter had 
 given me reason to believe that my visit would 
 be welcome.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. ]4l 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 ONCE MORE FRIENDS. 
 
 I DID call the next day, and had no particular 
 reason to be dissatisfied with my reception. 
 
 Mrs. Hyland did not meet me in the same 
 motherly manner, she once used to exhibit; but 
 I did not expect it ; and I could not feel dis- 
 pleased at being admitted on any terms, into 
 the presence of a being so beautiful as Lenore. 
 
 Neither did she receive me in the same 
 manner she used to do in the past ; but neither 
 was 1 annoyed by that circumstance. It was 
 necessary that the child-like innocence and 
 familiarity, once existing between us, should 
 cease ; and it was no chagrin to me to perceive 
 that it had done so.
 
 142 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 I confessed to Mrs. Hyland, that I had acted 
 wrong in not returning to Liverpool after her 
 husband's death ; but I also explained to her 
 how, on being discharged frona the ship, I had 
 felt myself sorely aggrieved ; and, having no 
 longer a home, I had to wander about as cir- 
 cumstances dictated. I added, of course, that 
 could I have had the least suspicion that 
 my absence would have been construed into any 
 evidence of crime or ingratitude, I would have 
 returned long before to refute the calumny. 
 
 Lenore did not try to conceal her pleasure, at 
 seeing her mother and myself conversing once 
 more as friends. 
 
 " You must not leave us again, Rowland," 
 said she, " for we have not many friends, and 
 can ill-afford to lose one. See how near we 
 have been to losing you — all through your 
 being absent." 
 
 " Yes, Rowland," said Mrs. Hyland. " My 
 house was once your home ; and you are wel- 
 come to make it so again. I shall only be 
 fulfilling the wishes of my husband, by renew-
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 143 
 
 ing the intimate friendship that once existed 
 between us." 
 
 Her invitation to make her house once more 
 my home, I reluctantly declined. Lenore 
 seemed no longer my sister ; and with some 
 sorrow the conviction forced itself on my 
 mind — that my fate was to love — to love, yet 
 wander far from the one I loved. 
 
 Lenore was now a young lady. I thought 
 myself a man. As children, we could no longer 
 live together — no longer dwell under the same 
 roof. Lenore was too beautiful ; and I was too 
 much afflicted with poverty. Any further 
 acquaintance between us might not contribute to 
 my future happiness but the contrary. 
 
 I left the house with mingled feelings of 
 pleasure and despair; pleased to find myself 
 once more restored to the good opinion of Mrs. 
 Hyland — despairing of being able to resist the 
 fascinations of her daughter's beauty. 
 
 Every time I gazed upon her fair face, could 
 only add to my misery. I was young ; and as 
 I had been told, good-looking, Lenore and I
 
 144 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 had been old friends and playmates. It was 
 possible for rae to win her love ; but would it 
 be honourable ? 
 
 Would it be a proper return for the kindness of 
 Captain Hyland and his widow, for me, a penni- 
 less " rolling stone," to try to win the affections of 
 their only child, and subject her to the misery 
 of my own unfortunate lot ? No ! 1 could love 
 Lenore ; but I could not act in such an unworthy 
 manner. 
 
 Then followed the reflection, that Mrs. 
 Hyland had some property. Her home would 
 be mine. She needed a son-in-law to look after 
 the ship ; and I was a seaman. 
 
 These thoughts only stirred within me a 
 feeling of pride, that would not allow me to 
 receive anv advantao;e of fortune from one I 
 could choose for a wife. I knew that with all the 
 exertions a man may make — and however correct 
 his habits may be — he cannot live happily with a 
 wife who brings into the firm of husband and 
 wife more money than himself. 
 
 Another unpleasant consideration came before
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 145 
 
 me. Why should I be seeking for reasons 
 against marrying Lenore, when perhaps she 
 might not consent to marry me ? Because we 
 were old fiiends, was no reason why she should 
 ever think of me as a husband. By trying to 
 make her love me, I might, as she had said 
 of Mr. Adkins, cause her only to hate me. 
 
 The day after my visit to Mrs. Hyland and 
 Lenore, I w^ent to see Mason, the steward ; in 
 order that I might thank him for the good 
 word he had spoken for me — as well as for much 
 kindness he had shown towards me, when we 
 were shipmates in the ' Lenore.' He received me 
 in a cordial manner, that caused me to think better 
 of mankind, than I had lately done. In a long 
 conversation I held with him, he told me of many 
 acts of dishonesty, in the committal of w^hich he 
 had detected Adkins; who, he said, had been 
 robbing Mrs. Hyland in every way he could. 
 
 " Captain Hyland took much trouble in 
 giving you some education," said he ; " why 
 don't you marry the daughter, and take com- 
 mand of the ship ?" 
 
 VOL. L H
 
 146 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 "I am a poor penniless adventurer," I 
 replied ; " and dare not aspire to so much 
 happiness as would be mine, were I to become 
 the husband, as well as captain, of ' Lenore.' I 
 am neither so vain nor ambitious." 
 
 " That's a fact," said Mason. " You have 
 not enough of either. No man ever did any 
 thing for himself, or any one else, without 
 thinking something of himself, and making 
 such a trial as you decline to undertake. He is 
 a lucky man who wins without trying." 
 
 There was truth in what the steward said ; 
 but the Hylands had been my friends, and 
 w^ere so again ; and I could not bring myself to 
 abuse the confidence they had placed in me. I 
 could not speak of love to Lenore, and so I told 
 the steward. 
 
 In this interview with Mason, I learnt from 
 him that Adkins had disappeared, and could 
 no more be found ! 
 
 " His flight," said Mason, " will be positive 
 proof to Mrs. Hyland that he was unworthy of 
 the confidence she had placed in him. She
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 147 
 
 cannot be too thankful, that your return has been 
 the means of her discovering his true character. 
 I would have exposed him long ago, but I did 
 not think that J could succeed ; and that I would 
 only be doing myself an injury — in short, 
 ruining my poor family, without the consolation 
 of knowing that I had also ruined a scoundrel. 
 Thank the Lord for all his mercies ! The 
 villain has been uncloaked at last." 
 
 "With this pious thanksgiving ended the 
 interview, between the honest steward and 
 myself. 
 
 H 2
 
 148 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 LOVE AND POVERTY. 
 
 From that time I called every day to see 
 Lenore and her mother ; and each time came 
 away more hopelessly infatuated. 
 
 My money was gradually growing easier to 
 count — until I found that I had but a few 
 shillings left, and necessity must soon force me 
 to seek employment. Of course I contemplated 
 going to sea, and making my living on board 
 some ship ; but I found it impossible to come 
 to a determination. 
 
 How was I to leave Liverpool, where I could 
 gaze each day on the beauty that adorned 
 Lenore ? 
 
 I could not take my departure until circum-
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 149 
 
 stances should compel me. In order to 
 protract my stay as long as possible, I lived on 
 but one meal per diem ; and as I had also to keep 
 a little money for my lodgings, I made that 
 meal upon a penny roll. 
 
 Mrs. Hyland had determined on giving up the 
 ship — a resolution no doubt due to the mis- 
 management, or rather dishonesty, of him who 
 had lately commanded her. I assisted her in 
 finding a purchaser ; and she was very fortunate 
 in disposing of the vessel at a good price. 
 
 She had plenty of money, and was willing to 
 aid me. But pride prevented me from accepting 
 of anything but her friendship ; and ofttiraes 
 did I appear in the presence of Lenore while 
 sufifering the pangs of hunger ! Was that 
 love? 
 
 I thought it was ; and on this fancy, and a 
 single roll of bread, I lived from day to day. 
 Never had I been so happy, and, at the same 
 time, so wretched. I could look upon 
 her I loved, and converse with her for hours 
 at a time. That was happiness. But I loved
 
 150 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Lenore, and must leave her. That was 
 misery. 
 
 Lenore seemed to meet me with so much 
 cheerfulness, that ray resolution to leave her — 
 without being absolutely compelled to it — was 
 often nearly broken ; and I believe there are but 
 few who would have resisted the temptation to 
 stay. But pride, a sense of justice, and a 
 love of independence, prompted me to go forth 
 again upon the world, and seek fortune afresh. 
 Perhaps, too, the fact that I was naturally a 
 '' rolling stone," might have had much to do in 
 my determination, at length arrived at, of bidding 
 adieu to Lenore. There was yet another 
 motive urging my departure — one which had 
 been too long allowed to lie dormant within my 
 bosom : my relatives were lost, and I knew not 
 where to find them. This thought often arose, 
 causing me much regret. I had as yet no 
 reason to believe that they had left Liverpool ; 
 but if such should prove to be the case, the 
 sooner I started in search of them, the sooner 
 would my conscience be satisfied.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 151 
 
 I waited till my last shilling was spent ; and then 
 sold a signet ring — which I had taken from the 
 finger of a dead Mexican, on the field of hattle — 
 obtaining thirty shillings for it. With this 
 trifling sum I had a great deal to accomplish. It 
 constituted the sole fund wdth which my relatives 
 were to be sought and found. It was the capital 
 I had to invest, in the business of making a 
 fortune worthy of Lenore ! 
 
 I advertised for my mother in some of the 
 Liverpool papers ; but the only result was the 
 loss of the greater part of my cash. She had 
 probably gone after Mr. Leary to Australia. 
 Having followed him from Dublin to Liverpool, 
 was proof that she was foolish enough to follow 
 him to the Antipodes ; and the money she 
 had received for the lease of her house, would 
 enable her to go there. 
 
 Had I been certain that she had sailed to 
 Australia, I should have gone after her ; but I 
 could scarce believe that she had been guilty of 
 an act of folly : which even the absence of 
 common sense would neither excuse nor explain.
 
 152 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 B ecause she had once acted foolishly, was not 
 positive proof that she still continued the victim 
 of her unfortunate infatuation. 
 
 The mere conjecture that my mother had 
 emigrated to Australia, would not have been a 
 sufficient reason for my going so far in search of 
 her — so far away from Lenore. Still it was cer- 
 tain I must go somewhere. I had a fortune to 
 make ; and, in my belief, Liverpool was the last 
 place where an honest man would have stood 
 any chance in making it. 
 
 My clothing had become threadbare, and 
 my hat and boots were worn to such a dilapi- 
 dated condition, that I became every day more 
 ashamed to pay my visits to Lenore. I at length 
 resolved upon discontinuing them. 
 
 I arose one morning, with the determination 
 of making a move of some kind during the 
 day : for the life that I had been leading for the 
 past six weeks could be endured no longer. 
 
 I made an excursion to the docks, where I soon 
 succeeded in finding a berth ; and shipped for 
 the " run " in a large vessel — a " Hner *' —
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 153 
 
 bound to New York. This business being settled, 
 I proceeded to the house of Mrs. Hyland — to 
 bid her and her daughter "good-bye." 
 
 They showed every evidence of regret at my 
 departure ; and yet they did not urge me very 
 strenuously to remain : for they knew something 
 of my disposition. 
 
 I had a long conversation with Lenore alone. 
 
 " Miss Hyland," said I, " I am going in search 
 of a fortune — a fortune that must be obtained by 
 hard toil ; but that toil shall be sweetened by hope 
 — the hope of seeing you again. We are both 
 young; and the knowledge of that gives me 
 encouragement to hope. I shall not now speak 
 to you of love ; but I shall do so on my return. 
 I believe that we are friends; but I wish to 
 make myself worthy of something more than 
 your friendship." 
 
 I fancied that Lenore understood me. I 
 cannot describe the exquisite pleasure that 
 thrilled me, as I noted the expression of her 
 features while she stood listening. It did not 
 forbid me to hope. 
 
 H 3
 
 154 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 " I will not try to detain you, Rowland," she 
 answered, '* but if you are unsuccessful abroad, 
 do not remain long away. Return to us ; and 
 you will find those who can sympathise with 
 your disappointments. I shall pray that no harm 
 may befall you ; and that we may soon meet 
 again." 
 
 I could perceive her bosom trembling with 
 some strong emotion, as she uttered these 
 parting words. 
 
 As I took her hand to bid the final ''good 
 bye," we were both unable to speak ; and we 
 parted in silence. 
 
 The memory of that parting cheered me 
 through many a dark and stormy hour of my 
 after life.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 155 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 ATLANTIC LINERS. 
 
 Perhaps the most worthless characters, who 
 follow the sea as a profession, are to be found 
 among the crews of Atlantic liners — especially 
 those trafficking between Liverpool and New 
 York. 
 
 These nien seldom make voyages to any 
 other ports, than the two above mentioned ; and 
 their custom is to " ship for the run" in one 
 vessel, and return in another. They do not 
 affect long voyages ; and prefer that between 
 Liverpool and New York to any other. 
 
 There are several reasons for this preference 
 on their part. 
 
 One is the facility with which — on an Atlantic 
 liner — they can rob each other, and steal from 
 the passengers.
 
 156 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 » 
 
 Another is, that being, even for seamen, a 
 profligate, dissipated set, these short voyages 
 give them more frequent opportunities of being 
 in port — where they can indulge in the vices and 
 habits so congenial to their vulgar tastes. 
 
 A third reason is, the great number of 
 emigrant-passengers carried between those ports, 
 along with the loose observance of the Passenger 
 Act — the rules of which are less strictly enforced 
 upon Atlantic liners, than aboard ships going 
 on longer voyages. 
 
 It may be inferred from this, that the 
 ruffians comprising the crews of the Atlantic 
 liners, have a better opportunity of plundering 
 the passengers than in any other ships. 
 
 When embarking on one of these vessels 
 to recommence my duties as a seaman, I was 
 not encumbered w^ith much luggage \ and I was 
 not very long in her forecastle, before discover- 
 ing that this was rather an advantage than 
 a misfortune ! 
 
 I had spent so much of my money, that I 
 should have been absolutely unable to buy an
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 157 
 
 outfit for any other " trip" than that between 
 Liverpool and New York. 
 
 The less a sailor takes aboard with him on 
 such a voyage, the less will he lose before it is 
 terminated. 
 
 One of the crew of the ship in which I sailed, 
 was a yonng seaman, who had never made the 
 voyage from Liverpool to New York ; and there- 
 fore lacked experience of the evil doings incidental 
 to such a trip. He had been foolish enough 
 to bring on board a large " kit" of good clothing. 
 The first night out of port, when this young 
 man was keeping his watch on deck, one of his 
 comrades below took notice of his chest. 
 
 " It's locked,*' said the man, stretching out his 
 hand to try the lid. 
 
 " Blast him !" cried another, " I suppose he 
 thinks we are all thieves here 1" 
 
 " Sarve him right if he were to lose every- 
 things that's in it," significantly remarked a third. 
 
 " So say I," chimed in a fourth speaker, 
 drawing nearer to the kit, in order to be at hand 
 in case of a scramble — which the moment after 
 was commenced.
 
 158 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 The chest was turned over ; all hands taking 
 share in the act ; and without further ado, its 
 bottom was knocked in. Most of the sailor's 
 effects were pulled out, and scattered about — 
 each of the ruffians appropriating to himself some 
 article which he fancied. 
 
 Amongst other things, was a new pair of 
 heavy horseskin boots, which were obtained by 
 a fellow, who chanced to stand in need of 
 them ; and who pulled them on upon the spot. 
 
 The next day, the young sailor having missed 
 his property, of course created a disturbance 
 about it. For this, he was only laughed at by 
 the rest of the crew. 
 
 He complained to the officers. 
 
 " Had your clothes stole, have you ?" care- 
 lessly inquired the first mate. " Well, that's 
 what you might have expected. Some of the 
 boys are queer fellows, I dare say. You should 
 have taken better care of your togs — if you cared 
 anything about them." 
 
 The next day, the young sailor saw one of 
 the men with the stolen boots upon his feet ;
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 159 
 
 and at once accused the wearer of the theft. But 
 the only satisfaction he obtained, was that of 
 getting kicked with his own boots 1 
 
 We had on board between three and four 
 hundred passengers — most of them Irish and 
 German emigrants. 
 
 Several deaths occurred amongst these poor 
 people. Whenever one of them died, the fact 
 would be reported to the officers ; and then the 
 first mate would order the sail-maker to enclose 
 the body in a sack — for the purpose of its being 
 thrown overboard. This command to the sail- 
 maker was generally given as follows : 
 
 ** Sails ! there's a dead 'un below. Go down, 
 and sack 'im." 
 
 As these words were heard by the passengers 
 — alas ! too often repeated — the sailmaker was 
 known during the remainder of the voyage by 
 the name of Mr. Sackem ; and this unfortunate 
 functionary became an object of mysterious 
 dread to many of the passengers — especially the 
 women and children. 
 
 Women generally have a great horror of
 
 160 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 seeing the dead body of any of their relatives 
 thrown into the sea ; and Mr. Sackem incurred 
 the ill-will of niany of the female emigrants, 
 who were simple enough to think that he was 
 someway or other to blame for the bodies 
 being disposed of in this off-hand, and ap- 
 parently unfeeling fashion ! 
 
 A young child — one of a large family of 
 Irish people — had died one night ; and the next 
 morning the sailmaker went into the steerage 
 where the body lay — to prepare it for interment 
 in the usual way. 
 
 The first attempt made by Mr. Sackem, to- 
 wards the performance of his duty, brought upon 
 him an assault from the relatives of the de- 
 ceased child, backed by several others w^ho 
 had been similarly bereaved ! 
 
 Poor Sails was fortunate in getting back upon 
 deck with his life ; and he came up from the 
 hatchway below with his clothing torn to rags ! 
 He had lost the greater part of a thick head of 
 hair ; while his countenance looked like a map of 
 North America, with the lakes and rivers indi- 
 cated in red ink.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 161 
 
 Tt was not until the captain had gone down — 
 
 and given the passengers a fine specimen of 
 
 the language and manners of the skipper of 
 
 an Atlantic liner in a rage — that the body was 
 
 allowed to be brought up, and consigned to its 
 
 last resting place in the sea. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 I landed in New York, with the determination 
 of trying to do something on shore ; for I was 
 by this time convinced, that a fortune was not to 
 be made by following the occupation of a com- 
 mon sailor. 
 
 I did not remain long in New York, Too 
 many emigrants from Europe were constantly 
 arriving there ; and continuing that same struggle 
 for existence, which had forced them into exile. 
 
 I had every reason to believe, that a young 
 man like myself was not likely to command his 
 full value, where there were so many com- 
 petitors ; and I determined to go on to visit the 
 West. 
 
 Is it true, a life on the sea might have been 
 preferable to the hardships, that were likely to
 
 162 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 be encountered beyond the borders of civiliza- 
 tion ; but Lenore was not to be won by my 
 remaining a common sailor; nor would such a 
 profession be likely to afford me either time or 
 opportunity for prosecuting the search after my 
 lost relations. I knew not whether I was 
 acting prudently or not ; but I directed my 
 course westward ; and did not bring to, until I 
 had reached St. Louis, in the State of Missouri. 
 There I stopped for a time to look about me. 
 
 On acquaintance with it 1 did not discover 
 much in this western city to admire. A person 
 of sanguine hopes, and anxious to accomplish 
 great things in a very little time, is, perhaps, 
 not in a fit frame of mind to form correct 
 conclusions ; and this may account for my being 
 discontented with St. Louis. 
 
 I could not obtain a situation in a city where 
 there was but little to be done, and no great 
 wages for doing it. I was told that I might 
 find employment in the country — at splitting 
 rails, cutting wood, and other such laborious 
 work ; but in truth, I was not in the vein
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 163 
 
 to submit myself to this kind of toil. I was 
 disappointed at finding, that in the great West 
 I should have much more work to do than I 
 had previously imagined. 
 
 It chanced that at this time there was a 
 grand commotion in St. Louis. Gold had 
 been discovered in California — lying in great 
 quantities in " placers," or gold washings ; and 
 hundreds were departing — or preparing to depart 
 — for the land where fortunes were to be made in 
 a single day. 
 
 This was precisely the sort of place I was 
 looking for ; but to reach it required a sum of 
 money, which I had not got. I had only the 
 poor satisfaction of knowing that there were many 
 others in a similar situation— thousands of them, 
 who wished to go to Cahfornia, but were 
 prevented by the same unfortunate circum- 
 stances that obstructed me. 
 
 Many were going overland — across the 
 prairies and mountains ; but even this manner 
 of reaching the golden land required more cash 
 than I could command. A horse, and an outfit
 
 164 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 were necessary, as well as provisions for the 
 journey, which had to be taken along, or pur- 
 chased by the way. 
 
 I regretted that I had not shipped in New 
 York, and worked my passage to California 
 round the Horn. It was too late now. To 
 get back to any sea-port on the Atlantic, would 
 have required fifteen or twenty dollars ; and I 
 had only five left, of all that I had earned upon 
 the liner. I spent these five dollars, before I 
 had succeeded in discovering any plan by which 
 I might reach California. I felt convinced that 
 my only chance of finding my relatives, and 
 making myself worthy of Lenore, lay in my get- 
 ting across, to the Pacific side of America. 
 
 While thus cogitating, I was further tanta- 
 lized by reading in a newspaper some later 
 accounts from the diggings. These imparted 
 the information that each of the dio:£:ers was 
 
 CO 
 
 making a fortune in a week, and spending it in a 
 day. One week in California, was worth ten 
 years in any other part of the world. Any one 
 could get an ounce of gold per diem — merely for
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 165 
 
 helping the giver to spend the naoney he had 
 made! 
 
 Should I — the Rolling Stone — stay where I 
 could find employment at nothing better than 
 splitting rails, while Earth contained a country 
 like CaHfornia? 
 
 There was but one answer to the interroga- 
 tion : No. 
 
 I resolved to reach this land of gold, or 
 perish in the attempt.
 
 166 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 ON HORSEBACK ONCE MORE. 
 
 The same newspaper that had imparted 
 the pleasing intelligence, supplied me with 
 information of another kind — which also 
 produced a cheering effect upon my spirits. 
 
 The emigrants proceeding overland to 
 California, required protection from the 
 Indians — many hostile tribes of whom lived 
 along the route. Military stations, or " forts" 
 as they were called, had to be established 
 at different points upon the great prairie 
 wilderness ; and, just then, the United States' 
 Government was enlisting men to be for- 
 warded to these stations.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 167 
 
 Most of the men enrolled for this service, 
 were for its cavalry arm ; and after my last 
 quarter of a dollar had been spent, I became 
 one of their number. My former experience 
 in a dragoon saddle — of which I could give 
 the proofs — made it no very difficult matter 
 for me to get mounted once more. 
 
 Enlisting in the army, was rather a strange 
 proceeding for a man who was anxious to 
 make a fortune in the shortest possible time ; 
 but I saw that something must be done, 
 to enable me to live; and I could neither 
 hold a plough, nor wield an axe. 
 
 At first, I was not altogether satisfied with 
 what I had done ; for I knew that my mother 
 was not to be found in the wilds of America ; 
 and that, after remaining five years in the 
 ranks of the American army, I would be 
 as far as ever from Lenore. 
 
 There was one thought, however, that 
 did much to reconcile me to my new situa- 
 tion ; and that was, that our line of march 
 would be towards California !
 
 168 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Three weeks after joining the cavalry 
 corps, we started for a station lying beyond 
 Fort Leavenworth. 
 
 Our march was not an uninteresting 
 one : for most of my comrades were young 
 men of a cheerful disposition ; and around 
 our camp-fires at night, the statesman, 
 philosopher, or divine, who could not 
 have found either amusement or instruc- 
 tion, would have been a wonderful man. 
 
 Our company was composed of men of 
 several nations. All, or nearly all, of them 
 were intelligent ; and all unfortunate : as, of 
 course, every man must be, who enters the 
 ranks as a common soldier. 
 
 Man is the creature of circumstances, 
 over which he has no control. The cir- 
 cumstances that had brought together the 
 regiment to which I belonged, would pro- 
 bably make a volume much more instructive 
 and interesting than any " lady novel ;" and 
 this, judging from the taste displayed by the
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 169 
 
 majority of readers of the present day, is 
 saying more than could be easily proved. 
 
 Many European officers would have 
 thought there was but slight discipline in 
 the corps to which I w^as attached ; but 
 in this opinion, they would be greatly in 
 error. 
 
 The efficiency of our discipline consisted 
 in the absence of that pretty order, which 
 some French and English martinets would 
 have striven to establish ; and which would 
 have been ill-suite;! for a march over the 
 sterile plains, and through the dense forests 
 encountered in the line of our route. This 
 absence of strict discipUne did not prevent 
 us from doing a good day's march ; and yet 
 enabled us to have plenty of game to cook 
 over our camp-6res by night. 
 
 We had no duty to trouble ourselves with, 
 but what the common sense of each taught 
 him to be necessary to our safety and welfare ; 
 and we were more like a hunting party 
 
 VOL. I. I
 
 170 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 seeking amusement, than like soldiers on a 
 toilsome march. 
 
 For all this, we were proceeding towards our 
 destination, with as much speed as could 
 reasonably be required. 
 
 We had one man in the company, known 
 by the name of " Runaway Dick" — a name 
 given to him after he had one evening, by 
 the camp-fire, entertained us with a narration 
 of some of the experiences of his life. 
 
 He had run away from home, and gone 
 to sea. He had run away from every ship 
 in which he had sailed. He had started in 
 business several times, and had run away 
 each time in debt. He had married two 
 wives, and had run away from both ; and, 
 before joining our corps, he had run away 
 from the landlord of a tavern — leaving Boni- 
 face an empty trunk as payment for a large 
 bill. 
 
 "Runaway Dick" was one of the best 
 marksman with a rifle we had in the com-
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 171 
 
 paDy; and it was the knowledge of this, that 
 on one occasion caused me perhaps the 
 greatest fright I ever experienced. 
 
 I had risen at an early hour one morning, 
 which being very cold, I had lighted a fire. 
 I was squatted, and shivering over the half 
 kindled faggots, with a buffalo robe wrapped 
 around my shoulders, when I saw " Runaway 
 Dick" steal out from his sleeping place under 
 a waggon. On seeing me, he turned sud- 
 denly round, and laid hold of his rifle. 
 
 I had just time to throw off the hairy 
 covering, and spring to my feet, as the rifle 
 was brought to his shoulder. Three seconds 
 more, and I should have had a bullet through 
 my body 1 
 
 " Darn it 1 I thought you was a bar," 
 said Dick coolly, putting down his rifie ; as 
 I fancied, with a show of some chagrin at 
 having been undeceived, and ** choused" out 
 of his shot. 
 
 J afterwards heard that he was only trying 
 
 I 2
 
 172 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 to frighten me. If so, the experiment proved 
 entirely successful. 
 
 After reaching the post we were to 
 occupy, I was not so well satisfied with my 
 situation, as when on the march. 
 
 The discipline became more strict, and we 
 had a good deal of fatigue-work to do — in 
 building huts, stables, and fortifications. 
 
 Besides this unsoldierly duty by day, we had 
 at night to take our turn as sentinels around 
 the station. 
 
 Emigrants on the way to California passed 
 us daily. How I envied them their freedom 
 of action, and the bright hopes that were 
 
 luring them on ! 
 
 * * * ♦ 
 
 One morning, " Runaway Dick'* was not 
 to be found. He had run away once more. 
 It was not difficult to divine whither — to 
 California. 
 
 In this, his latest flight, he appeared to give 
 some proof that he had still a little honesty
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 173 
 
 left : for he did not take along with him 
 either his horse, or his rifle. 
 
 I overheard some of the officers speaking 
 of him after he was gone ; one of them 
 pronounced him " a d — d fool" for not 
 taking the horse — so necessary to him upon 
 the long journey he would have to perform, 
 before reaching his destination. 
 
 On hearing this remark, I registered a 
 resolve, that, when my turn came to desert, 
 they should not have occasion to apply the 
 epithet to me ; at all events, not for the 
 same reason that Runaway Dick had de- 
 served it. 
 
 Whether Dick's example had any influence 
 on me, 1 do not now remember. I only 
 know that I soon after determined to desert, 
 and take my horse with me. 
 
 I had served the Government of the 
 United States once before ; and did not think 
 myself any too well rewarded for my services. 
 I might probably have believed that " Uncle
 
 174 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Sam" was indebted to me ; and that by dis- 
 missing myself from his employ, and taking 
 with me some of his property, it would be 
 only squaring accounts with him ; but I did 
 not then take the trouble to trifle with my 
 conscience — as I do not now — to justify my 
 conduct by any such excuse. To carry off the 
 horse would be stealing ; but I required the 
 animal for the journey ; and I did not like to 
 leave my officers under the impression that I 
 was a " d — d fool/' 
 
 *^ Every one who robs a government is not 
 called a thief," thought I ; " and why should 
 I win that appellation when only trying to 
 win Lenore ?*' 
 
 I could not afford to squander the best 
 part of my Hfe in a wilderness — standing 
 sentry all the night, and working on forti- 
 fications all the day. 
 
 It was absurd for any one to have en- 
 listed an intelligent-looking young fellow like 
 myself, for any such occupation. Was I not
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 175 
 
 expected to take French leave on the first 
 favourable opportunity ? And would I not be 
 thought a " fool" for not doing so ? 
 
 These considerations did not influence me 
 much, I admit; for the true cause of ray 
 desertion, was the knowledge that neither my 
 relatives nor Lenore would ever be encountered 
 in the middle of the great American prairie, 
 and that to find either I must " move on." 
 
 One night I was dispatched on patrol 
 duty, to a place some two miles distant 
 from the fort. The sky was dark at the 
 time*; but I knew the moon would be shining 
 brightly in an hour. 
 
 A better opportunity would perhaps never 
 occur again ; and I resolved to take ad- 
 vantage of it and desert. 
 
 By going through the wilderness alone, I 
 knew that I should have many dangers and 
 hardships to encounter ; but the curiosity, of 
 learning how these were to be overcome, only 
 added to my desire for entering upon them.
 
 176 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 My patrol duty led me along the trail of the 
 emigrants proceeding westward ; and even in 
 the darkness, I was able to follow it without 
 difficulty, riding noost of the way at a 
 trot. When the moon rose, I increased 
 my pace to a gallop, and scarce halted until 
 daybreak ; when, perceiving a small stream 
 that ran through the bottom of a narrow^ 
 valley, I rode toward it. There dismounting, I 
 gave my horse to the grass — which was grow- 
 ing so luxuriantly as to reach up to his knees. 
 
 The horse was more fortunate than I : for 
 the long night's ride had given me an 
 appetite, which I had no means of satisfying. 
 I was hungry and happy — happy, because 1 
 was free ; and hungry for the same reason ! 
 A paradox, though a truth. 
 
 There were birds warbling among the 
 trees by the side of the stream. I could 
 have shot some of them with my rifle, or 
 revolver, and cooked them over a fire — for I 
 had the means of making one. But I 
 was not hungry enough to risk the report
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 177 
 
 of a shot being heard ; and after tethering my 
 horse, to make secure against his deserting 
 me, I lay down upon the long grass and 
 fell fast asleep. 
 
 I dreamt no end of dreams ; though they 
 might all have been reduced to one ; and that 
 was : that the world was my inheritance, and 
 I was on my way to take possession of it. 
 
 When I awoke, the sun was in the centre 
 of the sky. My horse had satisfied his 
 hunger ; and, following the example of his 
 master, had laid down to sleep. 
 
 I did not hesitate to disturb his repose ; 
 and, having saddled and remounted him, I 
 once more took to the emigrant trail, and 
 continued on towards fortune and Lenore !
 
 178 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 OLD JOHNSON. 
 
 I TRAVELLED along the trail all that after- 
 noon and evening ; until, just as twilight was 
 darkening into night, I came in sight of 
 some camp-fires. On seeing them, I paused 
 to consider what was best to be done. 
 
 To halt at the camp — if, as I supposed, it 
 was a party of emigrants — might lead to my 
 being taken, in case of being pursued from the 
 fort ; for my dress, the U. S. brand on the 
 horse, and the military saddle, all proved 
 them the property of " Uncle Sam." 
 
 This determined me to avoid showing 
 myself — until I should have put a greater 
 distance between myself and the fort.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 179 
 
 I dismounted on the spot where I had 
 halted, tethered my horse, and tried to take 
 some rest. I soon found that I could not 
 sleep : hunger would not admit of it. 
 
 Within sight of me were the camp-fires, 
 surrounded by people, who would probably 
 have relieved my wants ; and yet I feared to 
 go near them. 
 
 Conscience, or common sense, told me, 
 that emigrants in a wilderness might not 
 look very favourably upon one, employed to 
 protect them, deserting from his duty, and 
 taking property along with him — of which 
 every citizen of the United States believes 
 himself to be the owner of a share. They 
 might not actually repel me. In all proba- 
 bility they would give me something to eat ; 
 but they might also give information con- 
 cerning me — should I be pursued — that would 
 enable my pursuers to make a prisoner of 
 me.
 
 ISO THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Before day-break I awoke, having enjoyed 
 a brief slumber; and, silently mounting my 
 horse, 1 rode beyond the emigrants' camp — 
 deviating widely from the trail to get around 
 them. 
 
 I soon recovered the track ; and pursued 
 it as fast as my steed was willing to carry 
 me. When, looking out for a place where 
 water could be obtained — with the intention 
 of stopping awhile and killing some bird or 
 animal for food — I came in sight of another 
 party of emigrants, who were just taking their 
 departure from the spot where they had en- 
 camped for the night. 
 
 I had put one train of these travellers be- 
 tween me and the fort ; and now fancied myself 
 tolerably safe from pursuit. Riding boldly 
 up to the waggons, I told the first man I 
 encountered, and in very plain terms that I 
 must have something to eat. 
 
 "Now, I like that way of talking,'* said 
 he. *' Had you asked for something in the
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 181 
 
 humble manner many would have done, 
 perhaps you would not have got it. 
 People don't like to carry victuals five hun- 
 dred miles, to give away for nothing ; but 
 when you say you must have something to 
 eat, then, of course, I can do nothing but 
 give it to you. Sally !" he continued ; calling 
 out to a young woman who stood by one of 
 the waggons, " get this stranger something 
 to eat." 
 
 Looking around me, I saw a number of 
 people — men, women, and children of every 
 age. There appeared to be three families 
 forming the "caravan" no doubt emi- 
 grating together, for the purpose of mutual 
 protection and assistance. There were five 
 or six young men — who appeared to be the 
 sons of the elder ones — and a hke number 
 of young women, who were evidently the 
 daughters of three others of middle age ; 
 while a large flock of miscellaneous children, a 
 small flock of sheep, a smaller number of
 
 182 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 cattle, several horses, and half-a-dozen half- 
 famished dogs completed the live-stock of 
 the train. 
 
 " I guess you're a deserter ?" said the 
 man, to whom I had first addressed myself, 
 after he had finished his survey of myself 
 and horse. 
 
 " No," I answered. " I'm on my route 
 to Fort Wool. I have lost my way, and 
 gone without eating for two days." 
 
 " Now, I like that way of talking," responded 
 the emigrant, who appeared to be the head 
 man of the party. " When a man tells me 
 a story, I like it to be a good one, and well 
 told — whether I believe it, or not." 
 
 "What reason have you to disbelieve 
 me?" I asked, pretending to be offended 
 at having my word doubted. 
 
 " Because I think, from your looks, that 
 
 you are not a d d fool," answered the 
 
 man, '* and no other but a fool would think 
 of staying in a military fort, in this part
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 183 
 
 of the world, any longer than he had a 
 chance to get away from it." 
 
 I immediately formed the opinion, that 
 the person speaking to me was the most 
 sensible man I had ever met — myself not 
 excepted : for it was not necessary for him 
 to have seen Lenore, to know that I had 
 done well in deserting. 
 
 After my hunger had been appeased, I 
 moved on with the emigrant train ; which 
 I found to consist of three Missouri farmers 
 and their families, on their way to the 
 " Land of Promise." The man with whom 
 I had conversed, was named Johnson, or 
 " old Johnson," as some of his juniors called 
 him. He was a sharp, brisk sort of an 
 old fellow ; and 1 could perceive, at a glance 
 there was no chance of his being hum- 
 bugged by any made-up story. I, therefore, 
 changed my tactics ; and frankly acknow- 
 ledged myself to be a deserter from the 
 United States' troops, occupying the last
 
 184 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 fort he had passed. It was scarce necessary 
 to add, that my destination was California. 
 I finished by proposing : that he would 
 have my services in whatever capacity he 
 might require them, in consideration of fur- 
 nishing me with food upon the journey. 
 
 " Now, I like that way of talking," said 
 old Johnson, when I had concluded, " we 
 just chance to need your help, and that 
 of your horse, too ; and we'll try to do the 
 best we can for you. You must expect to 
 see some hard times, before we get through 
 — plenty of work and no great feeding — but 
 do your share of the work, and you shall 
 fare like the rest of us." 
 
 I could ask nothing fairer than this ; and 
 the next day, found me dressed in a suit of 
 " linsey wolsey,'' working my passage to 
 California, by taking my share with the 
 others, in clearing the track of obstructions, 
 driving the cattle, and such other duties as fall 
 to the lot of the overland emigrant.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 185 
 
 The journey proved long, fatiguing, and 
 irksome — much more so than I had expected ; 
 and many times a day did J swear, that, if 
 I ever worked a passage to California again, 
 it should he hy water. I was impatient to get 
 on ; and chafed at the slow pace at which we 
 crawled forward. Horses and cattle would 
 stray, or make a stampede ; and then much 
 time would be lost in recovering them. 
 
 Sometimes we would reach a stream, where 
 a bridge had to be built or repaired ; and two 
 or three days would be spent at the work. 
 The draught horses and oxen would die ; or, 
 becoming unable to proceed farther, would 
 have to be left behind. The strength of 
 our teams was being constantly weakened — 
 unui they were unable to draw the heavily 
 loaded waggons ; and it became necessary 
 to abandon a portion of their contents — vvhich 
 were thrown away upon the prairies. The 
 first articles thus abandoned, were carpets 
 and other useless things, not required on the
 
 186 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 journey, but which to please the women, or 
 at their instigation, had been put into the 
 waggons at starting, and dragged for six or 
 seven hundred miles ! 
 
 The dogs, that, at the commencement of 
 the journey, had for each mile of the road, 
 travelled about three times that distance, 
 having worn the skin from the soles of their 
 feet, now crawled along after the waggons 
 without taking one unnecessary step. They 
 seemed at length to have reached the 
 comprehension : that the journey was to be 
 a protracted one ; and that while undertaking 
 it, the idle amusement of chasing birds was 
 not true canine wisdom. 
 
 I shall not startle my readers with a 
 recital of any remarkable adventures we 
 had with the hostile Indians : for the simple 
 reason that we had none. They gave us 
 much trouble for all that : since our fear 
 of encountering them, kept us constantly 
 on the alert — one of our party, and some-
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 187 
 
 times more, standing sentry over the camp 
 throughout the whole of every night. 
 
 If my readers reason aright, they will give 
 me credit for not drawing on my imagination 
 for any part of this narrative. They may 
 easily perceive that, by thus eschewing the 
 subject of an encounter with Indians, I lose 
 an excellent opportunity for embellishing my 
 true tale with an introduction of fiction. 
 
 As we approached the termination of our 
 journey, the teams became weaker — until 
 it took all of them united in one yoke to draw 
 a single waggon, containing only the youngest 
 of the children, and a few pounds of neces- 
 sary provisions ! 
 
 The old ladies, along with their daughters, 
 performed the last hundred miles of the 
 journey on foot; and when we at length 
 reached the first settlement — on the other 
 side of the mountains — a band of more 
 wretched looking individuals could scarce 
 have been seen elsewhere. My own appear-
 
 188 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 ance was no exception to that of my com- 
 panions. My hat was a dirty rag wrapped 
 around my head like a turban ; while my boots 
 were nothing more than pieces of buffalo 
 hide, tied around my feet with strings. For 
 all this, I was as well dressed as any of 
 the party. 
 
 My agreement with old Johnson was now 
 fulfilled; and I was at liberty to leave him. 
 I was anxious to be off to the diggings, where 
 his eldest son, James : a young man about 
 twenty years old, proposed accompanying me. 
 Old Johnson declined going to the diggings 
 himself — his object in coming to California 
 being to '* locate" a farm, while the country 
 was still '* young." 
 
 He furnished us with money to buy cloth- 
 ing and tools, as well as to keep us in food 
 for awhile — until we should get fairly under 
 weigh in the profession we were about to 
 adopt. 
 
 I promised to repay my share of this
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 189 
 
 money to his son — as soon as I should earn 
 its equivalent out of the auriferous earth of 
 California. 
 
 " Now, I like that way of talking," said 
 old Johnson, *' for Tm a poor man ; and as 
 I have just come here to make a fortune, I 
 can't afford to lose a cent." 
 
 I parted with Mr. Johnson and his party 
 of emigrants with some regret, for they all 
 had been more kind to me than I had any 
 reason to expect. 
 
 I have never fourd the people of this 
 world quite so bad as they are often repre- 
 sented ; and it is my opinion, that any man 
 who endeavours to deserve true friendship, 
 wiU always succeed in obtaining it. 
 
 I have never met a man whose habit was 
 to rail against mankind in general, and his 
 own acquaintances in particular, whose 
 friendship was worth cultivation. Such a 
 man has either proved unworthy of friend-
 
 190 THE ADVENTURES OP 
 
 ship, and has never obtained it ; or he has 
 obtained, and therefore possesses that, for 
 which he is ungrateful.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 191 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 " PROSPECTING EXPEDITION." 
 
 On parting with the Californian colo- 
 nists, young Johnson and I proceeded direct to -- •> 
 the diggings on the Yuba, where, after looking 
 about for a day or so, we joined partnership 
 with two others, and set to work on a " claim" 
 close by the banks of the river. 
 
 We had arrived at an opportune season — 
 the summer of 1849 — when every miner was 
 doing well. There was a good deal of genero- 
 sity among the miners at this time ; and those 
 who could not discover a good claim by their 
 own exertions, would have one pointed out 
 with directions how to work it !
 
 
 192 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Our party toiled four weeks at the claim 
 we had chosen, and was very successful in 
 obtaining gold. Never did my hopes of the 
 future appear so bright. Never did Lenore 
 seem so near. 
 
 No gold washing could be done on the 
 Yuba during the winter — the water in the 
 river being then too high — and, as we had not 
 much longer to work, it was proposed by 
 three men, who held the claim adjoining ours, 
 that we should join them in prospecting for 
 some new diggings — where we might be able 
 to continue at work all the winter, unem- 
 barrassed by too much water and too many 
 miners. 
 
 One of our neighbours who made this 
 proposal, had visited a place about forty miles 
 farther up the country — where he believed we 
 might find a "placer*' such as we required. 
 He had been upon a hunting expedition to the 
 place spoken of; and while there did not 
 look for gold — having no mining tools along
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 193 
 
 witli him ; but from the general appearance 
 of the country, and the nature of the soil, 
 he was convinced we might find in it some 
 rich dry diggings, that would be suitable for 
 working in the winter. 
 
 It was proposed that one of us should 
 accompany the man on a prospecting ex- 
 pedition ; that we should take plenty of pro- 
 visions with us, and search until we should 
 discover such diggings as we desired. 
 
 To this proposal, both parties agreed ; and 
 1 was the one chosen, by Johnson and my 
 other two companions, to represent them in 
 the expedition — the expenses of which were 
 to be equally shared by all. 
 
 Before starting, I left with young James 
 Johnson my share of the gold we bad already 
 obtained — which amounted to about sixty 
 ounces. 
 
 The hunter and I started — taking with us 
 three mules. Each of us rode one — having 
 our roll of blankets lashed to the croup of the 
 
 VOL. I. K
 
 194 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 saddle. A sixty pound bag of flour, some 
 other articles of food, a tent, and the neces- 
 sary " prospecting" tools formed " the cargo" 
 of the third mule ; which, in the language 
 of California, was what is called a " pack 
 mule." 
 
 My fellow prospecter was only known to 
 me by the name of Hiram. I soon dis- 
 covered that he was not an agreeable com- 
 panion — at least, on such an expedition as 
 that we had undertaken. He was not 
 sociable ; but, on the contrary, would remain 
 for hours without speaking a word ; and 
 then, when called upon to say something, he 
 would do so in a voice, the tones of which 
 were anything but musical. 
 
 The animal I bestrode had been christened 
 " Monte," that of Hiram was called " Poker ;" 
 and the mule carrying " the cargo" was 
 " Uker." With such a nomenclature for 
 our beasts, we might easily have been 
 mistaken for a pair of card-sharpers.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 195 
 
 Our progress over the hills was not very 
 rapid. We were unable to go in a direct 
 line ; and were continually wandering around 
 steep ridges, or forced out of our way by 
 tributaries of the main river — which last we 
 were frequently compelled to ascend for miles 
 before we could find a crossing place. 
 
 Although fortunate in having good mules, 
 I do not think that our travel averaged more 
 than fifteen miles a dav, in a direct line from 
 where we started, though the actual distance 
 travelled would be over thirty ! 
 
 Late in the evening of our third day out, 
 our pack-mule, in fording a stream, got 
 entanded amono; the branches of a fallen 
 tree ; and, while trying to extricate the animal 
 out of its dilemma, Hiram was pulled into 
 the water, and jammed against a limb — so 
 as to suffer a serious injury. 
 
 That night we encamped by the stream — 
 near the place where the accident had hap- 
 pened ; and, about midnight, when T was 
 
 K 2
 
 196 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 changing ray mule — Monte — to a fresh 
 feeding place, the animal became suddenly 
 alarmed at something, and broke away from 
 me — pulling the lazo through my hands, 
 till not only was the skin peeled clean off my 
 fingers, but one or two of them were cut 
 clean to the bone. I reproached myself for 
 not sooner having had the sense to let go ; 
 but, as usual, the reproach came after the 
 damage had been done. 
 
 The mule, on getting free, started over 
 the ridge as though she had been fired from a 
 cannon — while Poker and Uker, taking 
 the hint from their companion, broke their 
 tethers at the same instant, and followed at 
 a like rate of speed. 
 
 I returned to Hiram, and^ommunicated 
 the unpleasant intelligence: that the mules 
 had stampeded. 
 
 " That's a very foolish remark,'' said he ; 
 *' for you know I'm not deaf." 
 
 This answer did not fall very graciously
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 197 
 
 on my ear ; but having made up my mind, 
 to remain in good humour with my com- 
 panion as long as possible, 1 pretended not 
 to notice it. I simply said in reply, that I 
 thought there must either be a grizzly bear, 
 or Indians, near us — to have stampeded the 
 mules. 
 
 J" Of course thar is," said Hiram, in a 
 tone more harsh than I had ever before 
 heard him use. 
 
 I fancied that he was foolish enough to 
 blame me for the loss ot the mules ; and was 
 a little vexed with him, for the way in which 
 he had answered me. 
 
 1 said nothing more; but, stepping aside 
 I bandaged up my fingers, and tried to obtain 
 a little sleep. At sunrise I got up ; and, 
 having first dressed my wounded fingers, I 
 kindled a fire, and made some coffee. 
 
 " Come, Hiram !" said I, in an en- 
 couraging tone, " turn out, mate ! We may 
 have a hard day's work in looking for the
 
 J9i 
 
 198 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 mules; but no doubt we'll find them all 
 right." 
 
 " Find them yourself," he answered. " I 
 shan't look for them." 
 
 I had much difficulty in controlling my 
 temper, and restraining myself from giving 
 Hiram an uncourtcous reply. 
 
 To avoid subjecting myself to any 
 of his ill-natured speeches, I returne( 
 the fire, and ate my breakfast alone. 
 
 While engaged in this operation, I 
 pondered in my own mind what was best 
 to be done. It ended by my coming to 
 the determination to go in search of my 
 mule Monte ; and, having found her, to 
 return to my partners on the Yuba. I felt 
 certain, that should 1 attempt farther to 
 prosecute the expedition along with Hiram, 
 and he continue to make the disagreeable 
 observations of which he had already given 
 me a sample, there would certainly be a row 
 between us. In some parts of the world,
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 199 
 
 where people think themselves highly en- 
 lightened, two men getting angry with one 
 another, and using strong language, is not 
 an unusual occurrence; and very seldom 
 results in anything, more than both proving 
 themselves snarling curs. But it is not so 
 in California, where men become seriously 
 in earnest — often over trifling affairs; and 
 had a row taken place between my comrade 
 and myself, I knew that only one story 
 would have been told concerning it. 
 
 I finished my breakfast; and, leaving 
 Hiram in his blankets, 1 started off over 
 the ridge to find Monte. T searched for 
 the mules about six hours ; and having been 
 unsuccessful in my search, I returned to 
 the camp without them. 
 
 Hiram was still wrapped up in his blan- 
 ket, just as I had left him ; and then the 
 truth suddenly flashed into my dark mind, 
 like lightning over a starless sky. 
 
 Hiram was ill, and I had neglected him !
 
 200 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 The bruise on his side, received against 
 the fallen tree, was more serious than I 
 had supposed ; and this had misled me. He 
 had made no complaint. 
 
 The moment I became aware of my 
 mistake, I hastened to his side 
 
 '' Hiram,'' said I, " you are ill ? Forgive 
 me, if you can. I fear that my thoughtless- 
 ness, and passionate temper, have caused you 
 much suffering." 
 
 He made no reply to my conciliatory 
 speech. He was in a very high fever; and 
 asked faintly for water. 
 
 I took the tin vessel, in which I had 
 made the coffee ; and having filled it at the 
 stream, gave him a pint cup full. 
 
 He drank the water eagerly ; and then 
 found voice to talk to me. He said that 
 he was glad that I had returned; for he 
 wished to tell me where he had buried some 
 gold, and where his wife and child were 
 living, and could be written to.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 201 
 
 He spoke with great difficulty ; and soon 
 called for more water. 
 
 I again filled the cup nearly full, and 
 handed it to him. After drinking every 
 drop that was in it, he requested me to 
 give him the coffee-can; but, thinking that 
 he had drunk enough water, I declined ac- 
 ceding to his request ; and tried to persuade 
 him, that too much water would do him a 
 serious injury. He only answered me by 
 clamouring for more water. 
 
 " Wait but a little while," said I. " In 
 a few minutes you shall have some more." 
 
 " Give it me now ! Give it me now ! 
 Will you not give me some now ?" 
 
 Knowing that the quantity he had already 
 drunk, could not fail to be injurious to him, 
 I refused to let him have any more. 
 
 "Give me some water!" he exclaimed, 
 with more energy of voice and manner, than 
 I had ever known him to exhibit. 
 
 I replied by a negative shake of the head. 
 
 K 3
 
 202 THE ADVET^TURES OF 
 
 "Inhuman wretch!" he angrily cried out. 
 " Do you refuse ? Refuse to give a dying 
 man a drop of water \" 
 
 1 once more endeavoured to convince him, 
 that there would be danger in his drinking 
 any more water — that there was yet a chance 
 for him to live; but, while talking to him, 
 I perceived a change suddenly steaUng over 
 his features. He partly raised himself into 
 a sitting position ; and then commenced curs- 
 ing me, in the most horrible language I 
 had ever heard from the lips of a dying man ! 
 
 After continuing at this for several minutes 
 he sank back upon the grass, and lay silent 
 and motionless. 
 
 Allowing a short interval to elapse, I ap- 
 proached the prostrate form, and gently laid 
 my hand upon his forehead. 1 shall never 
 forget the sensation that thrilled through me, 
 as I touched his skin. It was already cold 
 and clammy — convincing me that my pros- 
 pecting companion had ceased to live !
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 203 
 
 I passed the whole of the following day 
 in trying to recover the mules. Had I 
 succeeded, I would have taken the body to 
 some camp of diggers, and buried it in a 
 Christian manner. 
 
 As this was not possible, with my lame 
 hands, I scooped out a shallow grave ; and 
 buried the body as I best could. 
 
 Having completed my melancholy task, 
 I started afoot to rejoin my partners on 
 the Yuba — where I arrived — after several 
 days spent in toilsome wandering — footsore 
 and dispirited. 
 
 The adventure had taught me two lessons. 
 Never to refuse any one a drink of water 
 when I could give it; and to be ever after 
 careful in interpreting the language of others 
 — lest some wrong might be fancied, where 
 none was intended.
 
 204 THE ADVENTURES OP 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 RICHARD GUINANE. 
 
 On my return to the Yuba, with the 
 sad tale of my comrade's death — and the 
 consequent unfortunate termination of our 
 prospecting scheme — Hiram's partners made 
 search for his gold, in every place where 
 it was likely to have been buried. 
 
 Their search proved fruitless. The precious 
 treasure could not be found. Unfortunately, 
 none of us knew where his family resided. 
 He had been incidentally heard to say, that 
 he came from the state of Delaware ; but this 
 w^as not sufficient clue, to enable any of us 
 to communicate with his relatives.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 205 
 
 His wife has probably watched long for 
 his return ; and may yet believe him guilty 
 of that faithlessness — too common to men 
 who have left their homes on a similar 
 errand. 
 
 As our claim on the Yuba was well nigh 
 exhausted, we dissolved partnership — each 
 intending to proceed somewhere else on his 
 own account. Young Johnson — who had 
 been my companion across the plains — never 
 before having been so long away from his 
 parents, determined upon going home to 
 them, and there remaining all the winter. 
 
 1 had heard good accounts of the southern 
 " placers," which, being of the sort known 
 as " dry diggings," were best worked during 
 the rainy season. Three or four men, from 
 the same *' bar" where we had been engaged, 
 were about starting for the Mocolumne ; and, 
 after bidding James Johnson and my other 
 mates a friendly farewell, I set out along 
 with this party.
 
 206 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 After reaching our destination, I joined 
 partnership with two of my travelling com- 
 panions ; and, during the greater part of the 
 winter, we worked upon Red Gulch — all three 
 of us doing well. 
 
 Having exhausted our claim, my two part- 
 ners left me^ both to return home to New 
 York. Being thus left once more alone, I 
 determined upon proceeding still farther south 
 — to the Tuolumne river, there to try my 
 fortune during the summer. 
 
 On my way to the Tuolumne, 1 fell in 
 with a man named Richard Guinane, who 
 had just come up from San Francisco City. 
 He was also en route for the diggings at 
 Tuolumne; and we arranged to travel to- 
 gether. 
 
 He was going to try his luck in gold 
 seeking for the second time ; and, finding 
 him an agreeable companion, I proposed 
 that we should become partners. My proposal 
 was accepted — on the condition that we should
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 207 
 
 stop awhile on the Stanislaus — a river of 
 whose auriferous deposits my new partner had 
 formed a very high opinion. 
 
 To this I made no objection; and, on 
 reaching the Stanislaus, we pitched our tents 
 upon its northern bank. 
 
 When 1 became a little acquainted with 
 the past history of my companion, 1 might 
 reasonably have been expected to object to 
 the partnership. From his own account, he 
 was born to ill-luck : and, such being 
 the case, I could scarce hope that fortune 
 would favour me — so long as 1 was in his 
 company. Assuredly was Richard Guinane 
 the victim of unfortunate circumstances. 
 There are many such in the world; though 
 few w^hom Fortune will not sometimes favour 
 with her smiles — when they are deserved ; 
 and, ofttimes, when they are not, 
 
 Richard Guinane, according to his own 
 account of himself, was one of these few. 
 Circumstances seemed to have been always
 
 20S THE ADVENTURES OP 
 
 against him. Each benevolent, or praise- 
 worthy action he might perform, appeared 
 to the world as dictated by some base and 
 selfish feeling ! Whenever he attempted to 
 confer a favour, the effort resulted in an 
 injury, to those whom he meant to benefit. 
 Whenever he tried to win a friend, it ended 
 by his making an enemy ! 
 
 His hopes of happiness had ever proved 
 delusive — his anticipations of misery were 
 always realized ! 
 
 Pride, honour, in short, every noble feeling 
 that man should possess, appeared to be 
 his ; and yet fate so controlled those senti- 
 ments, that each manifestation of them 
 seemed, to the world, the reverse of the true 
 motive that inspired it. Such was Guinane's 
 character — partly drawn from statements 
 furnished by himself, and partly from facts 
 that came under mv own observation. 
 
 Certain circumstances of his life, which he 
 made known to me, had produced an impres-
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 209 
 
 sion on my memory ; but more especially those 
 of which I was myself a spectator, and which 
 brought his unhappy existence to an abrupt 
 and tragical termination. The history of 
 his life is too strange to be left unrecorded. 
 
 Richard Guinane was a native of New 
 York State ; where his father died before he 
 was quite five years of age — leaving a wife and 
 three children, of whom Dick was the eldest. 
 
 So early had Dick's ill-fortune made its 
 appearance, that before he had reached his 
 fourteenth year, he had established the' 
 reputation of being the greatest thief and 
 liar in his native village ! 
 
 When once this character became attached 
 to him, no church window could be broken, 
 nor any other mischief occur, that was not 
 attributed to Dick Guinane ; although, accord- 
 ing to his own account, he was really the best 
 behaved boy in the place ! 
 
 Near the residence of his mother, lived 
 the widow of a merchant; who had left a
 
 210 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 small fortune to his only child, a daughter — 
 the widow having the sole charge both of the 
 fortune and the heiress — already a half 
 grown girl. 
 
 With a charming voice, this young lady 
 would answer to the name of Amanda Milne. 
 She had seen Dick every day, since her 
 earliest childhood ; and she had formed a bet- 
 ter opinion of him than of any other lad in the 
 village. She was the only one in the place, 
 except his own mother, who felt any regard 
 for Dick Guinane. All his other neighbours 
 looked upon him, as a living evidence of 
 God's amazing mercy ! 
 
 Like most young ladies, Amanda was 
 learning some accomplishments — to enable her 
 to kill time in a genteelj and useless manner. 
 
 The first great work achieved by her fin- 
 gers, and to her own entire satisfaction, was a 
 silk purse — which it had not taken her quite 
 two months to knit. This purse, on a 
 favourable opportunity having offered itself, 
 was presented to Dick.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 211 
 
 Not long after, her mother wished to 
 exhibit her needle-work to sonrie friends — as a 
 proof of the skill and industry of her daughter, 
 who was requested to produce the purse. 
 
 Amanda knew that Dick was not liked by 
 the inhabitants of the village ; and that her 
 own mother had an especially bad opinion of 
 him. Moreover, the Guinane family w-as 
 not so wealthy as the widow Milne ; and in 
 the opinion of many, there was no equality 
 whatever between the young people represent- 
 ing each. 
 
 Though Amanda was well aware of all 
 this, had she been alone with her mother, 
 in all Ukelihood she would have told the 
 truth ; but, in the presence of strangers, she 
 acted as most other girls would have done 
 under similar circumstances. She said she had 
 lost the purse ; and had searched for it every- 
 where without finding it. About that time, 
 Dick was seen in possession of a purse ; and 
 would give no account, of how he came by it.
 
 212 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 The two facts that Amanda Milne had lost a 
 purse, and that Dick Guinane had one in 
 his possession, soon became the subject of a 
 comparison; and the acquaintances of both 
 arrived at the conclusion : that Amanda, as 
 she had stated, must have lost her purse, and 
 that Dick must have stolen it ! 
 
 Time passed on — each month producing 
 some additional evidence to condemn poor 
 Dick in the estimation of his acquaintances. 
 
 Mrs. Guinane was a member of the Me- 
 thodist Church, over which presided the Rev. 
 Joseph Grievous. This gentleman was in the 
 habit of holding frequent conversations with 
 Mrs. Guinane, on the growing sinfulness of 
 her son. Notwithstanding her great reve- 
 rence for her spiritual instructor, she could not 
 perceive Dick's terrible faults. Withal, the 
 complaints made to her — of his killing cats, 
 dogs, and geese, stealing fruit, and breaking 
 windows — were so frequent, and apparently 
 so true, that she used to take Dick to
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 213 
 
 task, and in a kindly way read long naaternal 
 lectures to him. 
 
 Dick always avowed his innocence — even 
 in the presence of Mr. Grievous — and would 
 use the best of arguments to prove himself 
 *• not guilty." This pretence of innocence, 
 in the opinion of the Rev. Grievous, w^as a 
 wickedness exceeding all his other misdeeds ; 
 and the sanctimonious gentleman suggested 
 the remedy, of having Dick beaten into con- 
 fession and repentance ! To this course of 
 treatment, however, Mrs. Guinane firmly 
 refused to give her consent. 
 
 One day, Dick had been to a neighbouring 
 town ; and when returning, had passed a 
 house — to the gate of which the old and well 
 known horse of the Rev. Grievous stood tied. 
 Simply noticing the horse, and reflecting 
 that his reverend owner must be inside the 
 house, Dick continued on. 
 
 When near his mother's house, he was 
 overtaken by the horse, that had come trotting
 
 214 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 along the road after him. The horse was 
 without a rider ; which proved that not being 
 properly secured, he had got loose. 
 
 Dick caught the horse ; mounted hira ; and 
 connmenced riding back — for the purpose of 
 delivering him to the minister ; for he could 
 not permit, that so pious a person should 
 have to walk home throug^h the mud. 
 
 The road was bad — like most of the country 
 roads in the United States — and Dick was 
 already fatigued with a long walk. To take 
 the horse to the house where his owner was 
 visiting, would give him more than a mile 
 to walk back ; but no personal consideration 
 could deter the lad from doing what he 
 thought to be his duty. 
 
 On coming out of the house — where be 
 had been visiting one of the members of 
 his church — Mr. Grievous was surprised 
 not to find his horse ; but the mystery 
 was fully explained when, after proceeding 
 a short distance, he saw Dick Guinane 
 on the horse's back.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 215 
 
 Here was evidence welcome to Mr. 
 Grievous. Dick was at one of his old games 
 — caught in the very act — riding another 
 man's horse — and that horse the property of 
 his own minister ! 
 
 The Rev. Joseph was rejoiced ; as he had 
 long been looking for an opportunity like this. 
 He attributed all Dick's misdeeds to the 
 want of proper chastisement ; and here was 
 a good reason for administering it to him. 
 Dick had no father to correct his faults ; and, 
 in the opinion of Mr. Grievous, his mother 
 was too lenient with the lad. 
 
 He had long promised, that if ever he 
 caught Dick in any misdemeanour, he would 
 himself administer a lesson that would not 
 only benefit the boy, but the community 
 in which he dwelt. He would be only ful- 
 filling a duty, which his sacred office imposed 
 upon him ; and the present opportunity was 
 too good a one to be lost. 
 
 Dick rode up to the minister, dismounted,
 
 216 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 and accosted him in a manner that should 
 have been proof of innocence. Perhaps it 
 would have been, by any other person ; 
 but to the Rev. Grievous, Dick's confident 
 deportment — inspired by the consciousness 
 of having acted rightly — only aggravated 
 the offence of which he was supposed 
 to be guilty. His bold effrontery was but 
 the bearing of a person long accustomed to 
 crime. So reasoned Mr. Grievous ! 
 
 Without giving Dick time to finish his 
 explanation, the minister seized him by the 
 collar ; and, with his riding whip, commenced 
 administering to him a vigorous chastisement. 
 
 Dick was at the time over sixteen years of 
 age ; and was, moreover, a strong, active 
 youth for his years. 
 
 So great was his respect, for all persons, 
 whom he thought superior to himself, that 
 for some time he bore the chastisement — un- 
 resistingly permitting the minister to proceed 
 in the execution of his fancied duty.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 217 
 
 Human nature could not stand such treat- 
 ment long ; and Dick's temper at length 
 giving way, he picked up a stone, hurled it 
 at the head of the reverend horsewhipper — 
 who, on receiving the blow, fell heavily to 
 the earth. 
 
 He rose again ; and in all probability would 
 have returned to a more vigorous use of his 
 horsewhip, had his victim been still within 
 reach ; but Dick had secured himself against 
 farther punishment, by taking to his heels, 
 and placing a wide distance between himself 
 and his irate pastor. 
 
 Next day, Dick was brought before a 
 magistrate ; the Rev. Grievous, upon oath, 
 being compelled to make a somewhat true 
 statement of the affair. The justice had no 
 other course than to discharge the prisoner ; 
 which he did with reluctance — expressing 
 regret that the strict letter of the law did not 
 allow him to deal with the offence in the 
 manner it so justly merited I 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 218 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 His native village no longer afforded a 
 peaceful home for Dick Guinane. 
 
 He was pointed at in the streets. Other 
 boys of his age were forbidden by their 
 parents to play with him ; and the little 
 school girls crossed the road in terror, as they 
 saw him approach. In the opinion of the 
 villagers, he had reached the climax of 
 earthly iniquity. 
 
 He was sent to reside with an uncle — his 
 mother's brother — who lived in the city of 
 New York. Before leaving his native place, 
 he attempted to make a call on Amanda 
 Milne; but was met at the door by her 
 mother, who refused either to admit him 
 within the house, or allow her daughter to 
 see him. 
 
 Shortly after reaching his new home in 
 the great city, he received a letter from his 
 mother — enclosing a note from Amanda, the 
 contents of which partly repaid him for all 
 the injuries he had suffered,
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 219 
 
 During a residence of five years in New 
 York, he was unsuccessful in everything he 
 undertook ; and, unfortunately, though from 
 no fault of his own, lost the confidence of 
 his uncle, as also his protection. 
 
 He returned to his native village ; where 
 he found that he was still remembered with 
 disfavour. 
 
 He talked of love to Amanda Milne ; 
 but his suit was rejected. She admitted 
 being much prepossessed in his favour, and 
 that he had no rival in her affections ; but 
 what woman can brave the ridicule of all her 
 acquaintances, and the anger of an only 
 parent, by accepting a lover universally 
 shunned and condemned? 
 
 Dick once more bade adieu to his native vil- 
 lage ; and after various vicissitudes in different 
 cities of the United States, at length found 
 his way to California. He had been one of 
 the most fortunate miners on the Feather 
 
 L 2
 
 220 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 river ; and had invested the money made 
 there in a dry goods store in San Francisco. 
 
 Just one week after entering upon his new 
 business, the city of San Francisco was burnt 
 to the ground ; and Dick's dry goods store, 
 including the contents, along with it. 
 
 With only one hundred dollars in his 
 purse, he again started for the diggings ; and 
 it was while journeying thither that he and I 
 came together, and entered into partnership 
 as above related.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 221 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 After breaking ground upon the Stanis- 
 laus, we loiled for three weeks without any 
 success. Every one around us seemed to be 
 doing well ; but the several naining claims 
 worked by Guinane and myself seemed to be 
 the only places in the valley of the Stanislaus 
 where no gold existed. Not a grain rewarded 
 our labours. 
 
 '* For your sake we had better part com- 
 pany," said Guinane to me one evening, 
 after we had toiled hard all day, and obtained 
 nothing. " You will never have any luck, so 
 long as you are my partner."
 
 222 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 I was inclined to think there was some 
 truth ia what my comrade said ; but I did 
 not like the idea of leaving a man, merely 
 because he had been unfortunate. 
 
 " Your fate cannot long contend with 
 mine," I answered. " I am one of the most 
 fortunate fellows in the world. If we con- 
 tinue to act in partnership, my good fortune 
 v,'ill, in time, overcome the ill-luck that attends 
 upon you. Let us keep together awhile 
 longer." 
 
 " Very well," assented Guinane, " but I 
 warn you that some one above — or below, 
 may be — has a * down' on me ; and the good 
 genius attending you will need to be very 
 powerful to make things square. However, 
 you lead the way, and I will follow." 
 
 I did lead the way ; and we went to Sonora, 
 further south ; w:here we entered upon a claim 
 at a place called Dry Creek. Here we met 
 with success, of which we could not reason- 
 ably complain.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 223 
 
 We often used to walk into Sonora in the 
 evening ; and amuse ourselves, by witnessing 
 the scenes occurring in the gambling houses, 
 or having a dance with the bright-eyed 
 Mexican sefioritas. 
 
 One evening, while loitering about in one 
 of the gambling houses, we saw a digger who 
 was intoxicated, almost to the degree of 
 drunkeness. He was moving about in half 
 circles over the floor, keeping his feet under 
 him with much difficulty, unknown to 
 himself. Every now and then, he loudly 
 declared his intention of going home ; as 
 if he thought such a proceeding on his part, 
 was one in which all around him must be 
 highly interested. Each time, before going, 
 he would insist upon having another drink ; 
 and this continued, until he had swallowed 
 several glasses of brandy, on the top of 
 those that had already produced his in- 
 toxication. In paying for these drinks, he 
 pulled out a bag of gold-dust, which carried.
 
 224 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 judging from its size, about one hundred 
 ounces ; and a man behind the bar, weighed 
 from it the few specks required in payment 
 for the liquor. 
 
 There was something in the appearance 
 of this miner that strangely interested me. 
 I fancied that I had seen him before ; but 
 could not tell where. While I was en- 
 deavouring to identify him, he staggered 
 out of the house into the street — leaving 
 me in doubt, as to whether we had met 
 before or not. 
 
 The thoughts of my companion Guinane, 
 were not absorbed by wanderings like mine ; 
 and he had been more observant of what 
 was transpiring around him. After the 
 miner had gone out, he came close up to me, 
 and whispered : — 
 
 "That man will be robbed. When he 
 pulled out his bag of gold to pay for the 
 drink, I saw two men exchange glances, 
 and walk out before him. They will way-
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 225 
 
 lay, and rob him. Shall we let them 
 do it ?" 
 
 " Certainly not," I answered ; " I like the 
 look of the man ; and do not think that 
 he deserves to lose his money." 
 
 " Come on then 1" said Guinane ; and we 
 both stepped out into the street. 
 
 The first direction in which we turned 
 was the wrong one ; for, after proceeding 
 about a hundred yards, nothing of the 
 drunken man was to be seen ; and we knew^ 
 that he was too drunk to have got any farther 
 away. 
 
 We turned back ; and walked at a quick 
 pace — indeed, ran — in the opposite direction. 
 This time our pursuit was more successful. 
 We saw the drunken miner lying on the 
 pavement, with two men standing over him ; 
 who pretended, as we came up, that they 
 were his friends ; and that they were endea- 
 vouring to get him home. 
 
 Had the drunken man been willing to 
 
 L 3
 
 226 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 accept of their assistance, we might have 
 found no excuse for interferring ; but as we 
 drew near, we could hear him exclaiming, 
 " Avast there, mates ! I can navigate for 
 myself. Be ofiF, or, dammee ! I'll teach you 
 manners." 
 
 " Stormy Jack !" I exclaimed, rushing 
 forward, followed by Guinane. "Tis you 
 Stormy? What's wrong? Do you want 
 any help ?" 
 
 " Yes," replied Jack ; " teach these fellows 
 some manners for me. My legs are too drunk ; 
 and I can't do so myself." 
 
 The two men moved silently, but rapidly 
 away. 
 
 " Have you got your gold ?" I asked, 
 ready for pursuit in case the fellows had 
 robbed him. 
 
 " Yes, that's all right. One of them 
 tried to take it; but I wouldn't let him. 
 I'm sober enough for that. It's only my 
 legs that be drunk. My hands are all right."
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 227 
 
 Stormy's legs were indeed drunk ; so much 
 so, that Guinane and I had much difficulty 
 in getting him along. We were obliged to 
 place him between us, each supporting one 
 of his sides. After considerable labour, we 
 succeeded in taking him to a house where 
 I was acquainted. Here we put him to 
 bed ; and, after leaving instructions with the 
 landlord, not to let him depart until one 
 of us should return, we went home to our 
 own lodgings. 
 
 Next morning, at an early hour, I called 
 to see Stormy ; and found hira awake and 
 waiting for me. 
 
 "You done me a good turn last night,'' 
 said he, " and 1 shall not forget it, as I 
 have you." 
 
 " Why do you think you have forgotten 
 me?" I asked. 
 
 *' Because last night you called me Stormy 
 Jack ; and from that, 1 know you must have 
 seen me before. I've not been hailed by
 
 228 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 that name for several years. Now, don't 
 tell me who you are : for 1 want to. find 
 out for myself." 
 
 "You could not have been very drunk 
 last night," said I, " or you would not 
 remember w^hat you were called ?" 
 
 " Yes, would I," answered Stormy, " ac- 
 cording as the land lay, or what sort of drunk 
 it was. Sometimes my mind gets drunk, 
 and sometimes my legs. It's not often they 
 both get drunk together. Last night it was 
 the legs. Had you been a man six or seven 
 years ago, when I was called Stormy Jack, 
 I should remember you : for I've got a 
 good memory of things that don't change 
 much. But w^hen I used to be called 
 Stormy Jack, you must have been a bit 
 o' a tiny boy. Now, who can you be? 
 What a stupid memory I've got !" continued 
 he, scratching his head. "There's no 
 way of teaching it manners, as I knows 
 of. But what boy used to call me Stormy
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 229 
 
 Jack — that looked as you ought to have 
 looked a few years ago ? Ah ! now I have 
 it. Bless my eyes, if you arn't the Rollin' 
 Stone 1" 
 
 Stormy then rushed forward ; grasped my 
 hand ; and nearly crushed it between his 
 strong, sinewy fingers. 
 
 " Rowley, my boy !" said he, *' I knew we 
 should meet again, Fve thought of you, 
 as I would of my own son, if I'd had one. 
 IVe looked the world over, trying to find 
 you. How come you to hail me by name 
 last night? You are an astonishing chap. 
 I knew you would be ; and some one has 
 larnt you manners. Ah ! I suppose 'twas 
 Nature as did it ?" 
 
 I need not say, that Stormy and I, after 
 this singular renewal of companionship, were 
 not likely to part in a hurry. We passed 
 that day together, talking over old times — 
 Stormy giving me a history of some events 
 of his Ufe, which had transpired since our 
 parting in New Orleans.
 
 230 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 '* On the morning I last saw you," said 
 he, "I went to work on the ship, as 1 
 intended ; and did a hard day's work — for 
 which I've never yet been paid. 
 
 " When I was going home to you, I met 
 an old shipmate ; and, in course, we went 
 into a grog-shop to have something to 
 drink. 
 
 " After having a glass with my friend 
 at his expense, of course, it was but right 
 for him to have one at mine. We then 
 parted company ; and I made tracks for the 
 lodging-house, where I had left you. 
 
 " Them two glasses of brandy, after work- 
 ing hard all the afternoon in the hot sun, 
 did more for me, than ever the same quantity 
 had done before. I was drunk somewhere ; 
 though I was not exactly certain where. 
 
 " Just before reaching the house where 
 we were staying, I met the first-breezer ; 
 who, you remember, had knocked me down 
 with the carpenter's mallet. Well ! without
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 231 
 
 more ado, I went to work to teach him 
 manners. 
 
 "While giving him the lesson, I larnt 
 that it was my head that was drunk : for 
 my legs and arms did their duty. I beat 
 and kicked him in a way, that would have 
 rejoiced the heart of any honest man. Just 
 as I was polishing him off, two constables 
 came up, and collared me away to gaol. 
 
 "The next morning, I was sentenced to 
 one month's imprisonment. Captain Bran- 
 non did not like that : for he v/anted me 
 back aboard of his ship. But the magistrate, 
 mayor, or whatever he was, that sentenced 
 me, had too much respect for me to allow 
 the captain to have his own way ; and I 
 was lodged and fed, free of all expense, until 
 the * Hope' had sailed. 
 
 "After coming out of the gaol, I went 
 straight to the boarding-house, in hopes of 
 finding you still there; but I larnt that 
 you had gone away, the next day after I
 
 232 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 was jugged ; and the old woman could net 
 give any account of where you had drifted 
 to. I thought that you had joined the 
 ' Hope' again, and gone home. IVe been 
 everywhere over the world since then ; and 
 I don't know how I could have missed 
 seeing you before now ! 
 
 '* I came to San Francisco Bay in an 
 English ship — the captain of which tried 
 to hinder the crew from deserting, by an- 
 choring some distance from the city, and 
 keeping an armed watch over them. He 
 thought we were such fools as to leave 
 San Francisco in his ship for two pounds 
 a month, when, by taking another vessel, 
 we could get twenty ! He soon found his 
 mistake. We larnt him manners, by tying 
 and gagging him, as well as his first officer, 
 and steward. Then we all went ashore in 
 the ships' boats — leaving the ship where I 
 suppose she is now — to rot in the bay of 
 San Francisco.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 233 
 
 "After coming up to the diggings, I 
 had no luck for a long time ; but I'm 
 now working one of the richest claims 
 as ever was opened." 
 
 During the day, I told Stormy the par- 
 ticulars of my visit to Dublin ; and the 
 trouble I was in concerning the loss of 
 my relatives. 
 
 " Never mind 'em !" said he, " make a 
 fortune here — and then make a family of 
 your own. I've been told that that's the 
 best way to forget old friends ; though, for 
 myself, I never tried it." 
 
 Stormy's advice seemed wisdom : as it led 
 me to think of Lenore. Before parting with 
 my old messmate, I learnt from him where 
 he was living. We arranged to see each 
 other often ; and as soon as we should have 
 an opportunity of dissolving the respective 
 partnerships in which each was engaged, 
 we should unite and work too:ether. 
 
 Stormy was the first friend who took
 
 234 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 me by the hand — after I had been turned 
 out upon the cold world ; and time had 
 not changed the warm attachment I had long 
 ago conceived for the brave sailor.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 235 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 On leaving San Francisco, Guinane had 
 declared his intention of going to the Stanislaus 
 river ; and his acquaintances, left behind in 
 that city, had been directed to write to 
 him at the latter place. 
 
 One Saturday morning, he borrowed a 
 mule from one of the neighbouring miners, 
 to ride over to the post office for his letters. 
 
 The miner owning the mule, was just 
 going to his work; and pointed out the 
 animal to Guinane. It was grazing on the 
 hill-side, about half a mile distant from our 
 tents. In addition to pointing it out, the
 
 236 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 owner described it to be a brown mule, with 
 rat tail, and hog mane. 
 
 He then brought the saddle and bridle 
 out of his tent; and, placing them at Dick's 
 disposal, went off to his work. 
 
 Dick proceeded towards the hill ; caught 
 and saddled the mule ; and, bidding me good- 
 day, rode off on his journey. 
 
 I was expecting him back that evening ; 
 but he did not return. 1 felt no concern 
 on account of his remaining absent all that 
 night. The next day was Sunday ; and 
 knowing that he would not be wanted to 
 do any work on the claim, he might, for 
 some purpose that did not concern me, 
 have chosen to stay all night in the 
 town. 
 
 Sunday evening came, without Guinane ; 
 and, fearing that some accident might have 
 befallen him, I resolved to start next morn- 
 ing for the post office, should he not return 
 before that time.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 237 
 
 The next mornino: came, without bringino: 
 back the absentee; and I set out in search 
 of him. 
 
 After going about five miles, I met 
 him returning; and, to my surprise, I saw 
 that he was afoot ! I was still more sur- 
 prised as he drew near, and I obtained a close 
 view of his face and features. Never in 
 my life had I seen such a change in the 
 person of any individual, in so short a 
 time. He seemed at least ten years older, 
 than when he left me at the diggings two days 
 before. 
 
 His face was pale and haggard ; and there 
 was a wild fiendish expression in his eyes, 
 that was fearful to behold. I could not have 
 believed the eyes of Richard Guinane capable 
 of such an expression. His clothing was 
 torn to rags, bedaubed with dirt, and spotted 
 with dry blood. In short, his whole ap- 
 pearance was that of a man who had been 
 badly abused.
 
 238 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 '*What has happened?" I asked, me- 
 chanically — as soon as my surprise at his 
 appearance permitted me to speak. 
 
 " I can't tell now," said he, speaking with 
 much difficulty. " I must have water." 
 
 I turned back ; and we walked on towards 
 our tents, in which direction we had not far 
 to go, before arriving at a coffee-shop. There 
 he drank some water, with a glass of 
 brandy ; and then, ordering a breakfast, he 
 went out to have a wash in the river — an 
 operation of which I had never seen a 
 human being in greater need. 
 
 He ate his breakfast in haste — scarce 
 speaking a word until he had finished. 
 Then, starting suddenly from his seat, he 
 hurried out of the house; and moved on 
 along the road towards the place where 
 our tents were pitched. 
 
 " Come on !" cried he. " I cannot stop 
 to talk. I've work to do. I want revenge. 
 Look here !"
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 239 
 
 He stopped till I came up — when, lifting 
 the long dark hair frona the sides of his 
 head, he pernaitted me to see that he had 
 no ears ! 
 
 " Will you aid me in obtaining revenge ?" 
 he asked. 
 
 " Yes," I answered, '* with* my body and 
 soul !" 
 
 " I knew you would !" he exclaimed. 
 " Come on ! we have no time to lose." 
 
 As we walked homeward, I learnt from 
 him the particulars of the terrible misfortune 
 that had befallen him. 
 
 On the Saturday morning, after starting 
 off for the town, he had got about a mile 
 beyond the place where I had met him, 
 when he was overtaken by a party of four 
 Mexicans. 
 
 Before he was well aware that they had 
 any intention to molest him, a lazo was 
 thrown over his shoulders; and he was
 
 240 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 dragged to the ground — where his arms 
 were instantly pinioned. 
 
 By signs, he was made to understand : that 
 his captors claimed the mule, upon which 
 he had been riding. 
 
 Guinane could speak but few words of 
 Spanish ; and therefore could not make the 
 Mexicans understand, how the mule came 
 into his possession. 
 
 After holding a consultation amongst 
 themselves, they took his revolver from 
 him ; and, whilst three of them held him, 
 the fourth cut off both of his ears ! They 
 then mounted their horses, and rode away — 
 taking with them the mule Guinane had 
 borrowed from the miner. 
 
 After going about three hundred yards, 
 they halted ; took off the saddle and bridle — 
 which they did not claim to own — threw them 
 on the ground, as also Guinane's revolver ; 
 and then continued their course. 
 
 Nothing can be said to justify these men
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 241 
 
 for what they had done ; but probably they 
 could have alleged some excuse for their 
 conduct. 
 
 They undoubtedly believed that Guinane 
 had stolen the mule ; and they knew that if one 
 of their own countrynaen had been caught in 
 a similar act, he would have been fortunate 
 to have escaped with his life. They saw no 
 reason why an American should not be 
 punished tor a misdeed — as well as a Mexi- 
 can. 
 
 Guinane pursued them at the top of his 
 speed, insane with grief, and burning with 
 indignation. 
 
 They soon rode out of his sight ; but he 
 continued on after them — until he fell ex- 
 hausted to the earth. He must have lain 
 for some hours in a state of insensibility ; 
 partly caused by loss of blood — partly by 
 the fatigue that had followed the wild raging 
 of his passions. 
 
 It was night when he recovered his 
 
 VOL. I. M
 
 242 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 senses ; and in his endeavours to reach honae, 
 he had wandered among the hills, in every 
 direction but the right one. 
 
 1 have said that he recovered his senses. 
 The expression is hardly correct. He only 
 awoke to a consciousness that he still existed 
 — a horrible consciousness of the inhuman 
 treatment he had been submitted to. His most 
 sane thought was that of a burning thirst 
 for vengeance; but so intense had been this 
 desire, that it defeated its own object : 
 rendering him unconscious of everything else, 
 and to such a degree, that he had only dis- 
 covered the right road to our camp a few 
 minutes before I had met with him. 
 
 " The truth is," said he, as he finished tell- 
 ing me his story, *' I returned to the place 
 where J lost my ears, with the insane hope 
 that I might meet the Mexicans. After 
 having a look at the place, I recovered my 
 senses once more ; enough to direct me 
 towards the only object for which I now
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 243 
 
 care to live and that is, revenge. I'm not 
 in so much haste for it now, as I was an hour 
 ago. There's plenty of time. I'm young, 
 and will find them sometime. Come on ! 
 Come on ! How slow you walk !" 
 
 We were then going at a pace that might 
 be called running. 
 
 On reaching our tents, we learnt that 
 Guinane had actually taken the wrong mule I 
 The miner from whom he had borrowed it, 
 bad not thought it necessary to describe its 
 brands. Not supposing there was another mule 
 in the neighbourhood, in any way resembling 
 his own, he had not imagined there could 
 be any mistake. 
 
 From some diggers, we learnt that the 
 Mexicans we wished to find, had encamped 
 for the night — near the place where Guinane 
 had caught the mule ; and it was not strange 
 they had accused him of having stolen it. 
 On recovering the animal, in the manner 
 described, they had returned to their camp ; 
 
 M 2
 
 244 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 and shortly afterwards had resumed their 
 journey. By making some inquiries, we found 
 that they had gone southward. 
 
 As they had no mining tools along with 
 them, we came to the conclusion, that they 
 were on their way home — into some of the 
 northern provinces of Mexico. If so, we 
 might easily overtake them, before they 
 could pass out of California. 
 
 We lost no time in making preparations 
 for the pursuit — the most important part of 
 which was the providing ourselves with good 
 horses. In due time, this difficulty was got 
 over ; although my bag of gold dust was much 
 lighter, after the purchase of the horses had 
 been completed. 
 
 By daybreak of the next morning, we were 
 ready for the road. Guinane kept urging me 
 to expedition — in pursuit of those who had 
 awakened within his soul a thirst for ven- 
 geance, that blood alone could assuage !
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 245 
 
 CHAPTER XXIIL 
 
 A CURIOUS CASE OF SELF-MURDER. 
 
 The pursuit conducted us southward ; and, 
 at almost every place where we made inquiry, 
 we heard of four mounted Mexicans — who 
 could be no other than the men we were 
 desirous of overtaking. 
 
 For the first two days, we were told, in 
 answer to our inquiries, that they were about 
 forty-eight hours in advance of us. 
 
 On the third morning, we again got word 
 of them at a rancho ; where they had stopped 
 to bait their horses. The owner of the 
 rancho gave a description of a mule which
 
 246 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 they were leading along with them — a brown 
 mule, with rat tail and hog naane. It could 
 be no other than the one, which had cost Dick 
 so dearly. 
 
 After feeding their animals, the Mexicans 
 had made no further halt ; but had taken the 
 road again — as if pressed for time. So 
 fancied the ranchero. 
 
 They must have been under some ap- 
 prehension of being pursued — else they would 
 not have travelled in such hot haste. It 
 was about forty hours — the man said — 
 since they had taken their departure from 
 the rancho. We were gaining upon them ; 
 but so slowly, that Guinane was all the while 
 chafing with impatience. 
 
 He seldom spoke. When he did, it was 
 to urge me to greater speed. I had much 
 trouble in holding him sufficiently in check 
 to prevent our horses from being killed with 
 over riding. 
 
 From information obtained at the rancho,
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 247 
 
 we could now tell that the Mexicans were 
 making for the sea coast, instead of 
 directing their march towards the in- 
 terior. If they intended going overland 
 to the city of Mexico, they were taking a 
 very indirect road towards their destination. 
 
 At each place where we got word of them 
 — on the fourth day of our pursuit — we learnt 
 that the distance between us was rapidly les- 
 sening. 
 
 Near the evening of this day, we stopped 
 at another rancho, to refresh our horses — now 
 nearly done up. The Mexicans had stopped 
 at the same place, six hours before. On 
 leaving it, they had taken the road to 
 San Luis Obispo. We should arrive 
 there about noon on the following day. 
 
 "To-morrow,'* said Guinane, as he lay 
 down to snatch a short repose, while our 
 horses were feeding, " to-morrow I shall 
 have revenge or death ! My prayer is, God 
 let me live until to-morrow /"
 
 248 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Again we were in the saddle — urging our 
 horses along the road to San Luis Obispo. 
 
 We reached that place at the hour of noon. 
 Another disappointment for my companion ! 
 
 San Louis is a seaport. A small vessel 
 had departed that morning for Mazatlan, and 
 the Mexicans were aboard of her ! 
 
 On arriving at the port, they had hastily 
 disposed of their animals ; and taken 
 passage on the vessel — which chanced to be 
 on the eve of sailing. We were just one hour 
 too late I 
 
 To think of following them further would 
 have been worse than madness — which is 
 folly. By the time we could reach Mazatlan, 
 they might be hundreds of miles off — in the 
 interior of Mexico. 
 
 Never have I witnessed such despondency, 
 as was exhibited by Guinane at that moment. 
 
 So long as there had appeared a chance 
 of overtaking the men, who had injured him, 
 he had been sustained by the hope of
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 249 
 
 revenge ; but on our relinquishing the 
 pursuit, the recollection of the many nais- 
 fortunes that had darkened his life, added 
 to this new chagrin, came palpably before his 
 mind, suggesting thoughts of suicide ! 
 
 *' 'Twas folly to pursue them at all," said 
 he. " I should have known that the chance of 
 overtaking them would have been a stroke of 
 fortune too good to be mine. Fate has never 
 yet been so kind to me, as to grant a favour I 
 so much desired ; and I was a fool to expect it. 
 Shall 1 die ?" 
 
 I used every means in my power to direct 
 his thoughts to some other subject ; but he 
 seemed not to heed, either what I said or did. 
 
 Suddenly arousing himself from a long 
 reverie, he emphatically exclaimed : 
 
 " No ! I will war with fate, till God calls 
 me hence ! All the curses of fortune shall 
 not make me surrender. All the powers of 
 Hell shall not subdue me. I will live, and 
 conquer them all!" ^ 
 
 M 3
 
 250 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 His spirit, after a terrible struggle, had 
 triumphed ; and now rose in opposition to 
 fate itself. 
 
 We rode back to the Stanislaus. It was a 
 dreary journey ; and I was glad when it was 
 over. There had been an excitement in the 
 chase, but none in returning from it. Even 
 the horses seemed to participate in the cloudy 
 change that had come over our thoughts. 
 
 After arriving at the Stanislaus, I went to 
 see Stormy Jack. I found him hard at work, 
 and doing well in his claim — which was likely 
 to afford him employment for several weeks 
 longer. I was pleased to hear of his success ; 
 and strongly urged him to abstain from 
 drink. 
 
 " I don't intend to drink any more," said 
 he, " leastwise, as long as I'm on the dig- 
 gings ; and sartinly not when I have any 
 gold about me. That last spree, when I 
 came so near losin' it, has larnt me manners.** 
 
 Guinane accompanied me on this visit to
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 251 
 
 Stormy; and on our return, we passed 
 through the town. My partner had left 
 his name at the office of " Reynold's 
 Express/' for the purpose of having his 
 letters forwarded from the General Post 
 office in San Francisco. As we passed the 
 Express Office, he called in, to see if any had 
 arrived for him. 
 
 A letter was handed to him — for which he 
 paid in postage and express charges, one 
 dollar and fifty cents ! 
 
 After getting the letter, we stepped into 
 a tavern, where he commenced reading it. 
 
 While thus occupied, I noticed that he 
 seemed strangely agitated. 
 
 " We are friends," said he, turning short 
 towards me. " I have told you some of my 
 troubles of the past. Read this letter, and 
 make yourself acquainted with some more. 
 It is from Amanda Milne." 
 
 He held the letter before my eyes, and 
 I read : —
 
 :lO)l THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 " I know your upright and manly spirit 
 will see no impropriety in my writing to you. 
 I have done you injustice ; and in doing so, 
 have wronged myself, as much as you. I 
 have just learnt that your character has been 
 injured by a fault of mine — by my not having 
 acknowleged giving you the purse. Forgive 
 me, Richard ! for I love you, and have loved 
 you, ever since I was a child." 
 ' Guinane crumpled the letter between his 
 fingers, and I was able to read no more. I saw 
 him suddenly raise his hands towards the 
 place where once were his ears — at the same 
 time that I heard him muttering the words : 
 
 " Too late ! too late !'* 
 
 Another movement followed this — quick 
 and suspicious. I looked to ascertain its mean- 
 ing. A revolver was in his hand — its muzzle 
 touching his temples ! 
 
 I rushed forward ; but to use his own last 
 words, I was *' too late." 
 
 There were three distinct sounds : a snap,
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 258 
 
 the report of a pistol, and the concussion of 
 a body falling upon the floor. 
 
 I stooped to raise him up. It was too 
 late. He was dead ! 
 
 Can the reader comprehend the thought 
 that dictated this act of self-destruction ? If 
 not, I must leave him in ignorance. 
 
 In preparing the remains of my comrade 
 for the grave, a silk purse, containing a 
 piece of paper, was found concealed beneath 
 his clothing. There was writing upon the 
 paper, in a female hand. It was as fol- 
 lows : — 
 
 " Dick, 
 " I do not believe the stories people tell of 
 you ; and think you are too good to do any- 
 thing wTong I am sorry you have gone 
 away. Good bye. 
 
 " Amanda." 
 
 It was, no doubt, the note he had received
 
 254 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 from Amanda, after his first parting with her — 
 enclosed in the letter of his mother, sent after 
 him to New York. It was replaced in 
 the purse, and both were buried along with 
 his body. 
 
 Poor Amanda ! She may never learn his 
 sad fate — unless chance may direct her to 
 the reading of this narrative.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. '255 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 AN IMPATIENT MAN. 
 
 I HAVE not much fault to find with this 
 world— although the people in it do some 
 strange things, and often act in a manner 
 that puzzles me to comprehend. The man 
 of whom Guinane had borrowed the mule, 
 was himself an original character. After my 
 comrade's death, I became slightly acquainted 
 with this individual ; and was much amused, 
 though also a little pained, at what I thought 
 to be his eccentric behaviour. 
 
 Original types of mankind are, perhaps, 
 more frequently met with on gold fields than
 
 256 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 elsewhere. Men without a certain spirit and 
 character of their own, are less likely to adopt 
 a life of so many perils and hardships, as 
 gold diggers must needs encounter. 
 
 But there are also men who can appear 
 eccentric — even amongst gold diggers; and 
 the individual to whom I have alluded was 
 one of these. His name was Foster. 
 
 The mail from the Atlantic States was due in 
 San Francisco every fortnight ; and, of course, 
 at about the same interval of time, in the 
 different diggings to which the letters were 
 forwarded — the Stanislaus among the rest. 
 Three days, before its arrival, at the last 
 mentioned place, Foster used to leave his 
 work, and go to the post-office — which stood 
 at a considerable distance from his claim — for 
 letters. He would return to his tent, as a 
 matter of course, disappointed ; but this did 
 not prevent him from going again to the 
 post-office, about six hours after. 
 
 " Has the mail arrived yet ?" he would 
 inquire of the post-master.
 
 A ROLLING STONE, 257 
 
 *' No. I told you a few hours ago, that I 
 did not expect it in less than three days." 
 
 *' Yes, I know ; but the mail is uncertain. 
 It is possible for it to arrive two or three days 
 earlier than usual ; and I want my letters as 
 soon as they get in." 
 
 "No doubt," the post-master would say, 
 " no doubt you do ; and I advise you to call 
 again in about three days.'' 
 
 *' Thank you ; I will do so,'* Foster would 
 answer; and six hours after he would call 
 again ! 
 
 "As soon as the mail arrives," the post- 
 master would then tell him, " I will send 
 your letters to you. It will be less trouble 
 for me to do that, than to be so often un- 
 necessarily annoyed." 
 
 " No, no !" Foster would earnestly ex- 
 claim, " pray don't trust them into the hands 
 of any one. They might be lost. It is no 
 trouble for me to call." 
 
 " I can easily believe that," the post-
 
 258 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 master would rejoin. " If it was any trouble, 
 you would not come so often. I must, there- 
 fore, adopt some plan to save me from this 
 annoyance. As soon as the mail arrives I 
 will put up a notice outside the window here, 
 and that will save you the trouble of coming 
 in, and me of being bothered with your 
 questions. Whenever you come in front of 
 the house, and do not see that notice, you 
 may be sure that the mail has not arrived. 
 You understand?" 
 
 "Yes, thank you; but I don't wish to 
 give any unnecessary trouble. I dare say the 
 mail will be here by the time I come again. 
 Good-day !" 
 
 Six hours after, Foster would be at the 
 post-office again ! 
 
 " Any news of the mail?'* he would ask. 
 
 *' Are you working a good claim ?" in- 
 quired the post-master once — in answer to this 
 perpetual dunning. 
 
 " Yes," replied Foster. "Tolerably good."
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 259 
 
 " 1 am sorry to hear it.'' 
 
 « Why ?" 
 
 " Because if you were not doing well, you 
 might be willing to go into some other busi- 
 ness — the post-office for instance — and buy 
 me out. If you were here yourself, you would 
 have your letters as soon as they arrived. Since 
 getting them seems to be your principal 
 business, you should be on the spot to attend 
 to it. Such an arrangement would relieve 
 me, from a world of annoyance. You worry 
 me, more than all the rest of the several 
 hundred people who come here for letters. 
 I can't stand it much longer. You will 
 drive me mad. I shall commit suicide. I 
 don't wish to be uncivil in a public capacity ; 
 but I can't help expressing a wish that you 
 would go to h — 11, and never let me see your 
 face again." 
 
 Foster's chagrin, at not getting his letters, 
 would be so great, that the post-master's 
 peculiar wish would pass unheeded ; and the
 
 260 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 letter-seeker would only go away to return 
 again, a few hours after. 
 
 Usually about the tenth time he called, 
 the mail would be in ; and in the general 
 scramble of the delivery, Foster would get 
 two letters — never more, and never less. 
 
 One evening, near mail time, he was, as 
 usual on a visit to the post-office after his 
 letters ; and his mate — whose name was Far- 
 rell — having got weary of sitting alone in his 
 tent, came over to mine — to pass an hour or 
 two in miner's gossip. He told me, that 
 Foster had been for his letters seven times 
 during the two days that had passed ! 
 
 *' He will have to go about three times 
 more," said Farrell, " and then he will 
 probably get them. The mail should be in 
 this evening." 
 
 " Forster appears to think very much of his 
 family ?" I remarked to his partner. " I never 
 saw a person so impatient for news from 
 home.*'
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 261 
 
 "He is certainly very anxious to hear 
 from home," said Farrell, ** but not exactly 
 for the reasons you may be supposing. Fos- 
 ter and I are from the same neighbourhood, 
 and have known each other for many years. 
 We canne to California together ; and I am 
 well acquainted with all the circumstances 
 under which he is acting. Now, if you 
 hailed from anywhere near that part of the 
 world to which we belong, I should say 
 nothing about him ; but as you don't, and 
 it's not likely you'll ever drift in that direction, 
 there can be no more harm in my telling you 
 what I know, than there would be in talking 
 about some one of whom we have read, and 
 who has been dead a thousand years ago." 
 
 ** Foster married when he was very young 
 — his wife being a woman about ten years 
 older than himself. She was worse than 
 old — she was plain ; and besides had but very 
 little sense. Add to this, that she was always ill ; 
 and ill-tempered, and you have a woman, whom
 
 262 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 you will admit could not be very agreeable 
 for a wife. 
 
 " He had not been married over a week, 
 before he discovered that he had been naak- 
 ing a fool of himself. 
 
 " You have noticed his anxiety about the 
 letters. Well — I shall explain it. By every 
 mail, he expects news of the death of his wife ; 
 and it is his impatience to hear that which 
 makes him so uneasy about the arrival of 
 yie post. Tf he should get a letter to-night 
 containing the news of her death, he would 
 be the happiest man in California ; and I 
 dare say would start for home, within an 
 hour after receiving it." 
 
 I expressed some surprise, that one man 
 should intrust another with such a disgraceful 
 secret ; and plainly proclaimed my disappro- 
 bation of Foster's conduct. 
 
 " You are wrong, my friend,'* rejoined his 
 partner. " For my part, I admire his frank 
 and manly spirit. What is the use of
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 263 
 
 one's pretending that he wishes his wife to 
 live, if he really desires her to die ? I hate 
 a hypocrite, or a person who will, in any way, 
 deceive another. I don't suppose that Fos- 
 ter can help disliking his wife — any more than 
 he can keep from sleeping. The feeling may be 
 resisted for a while ; but it will conquer in the 
 end. Foster is a man, in whom I cannot be 
 deceived ; and I respect him for the plain 
 straightforward manner, in which he avows 
 his sentiments." 
 
 *'This indecent impatience to hear of the 
 death of his wife," said I, " cannot wholly arise 
 from hatred. There is probably some other wo- 
 man with whom he is anxious to be united ?*' 
 
 "That is very, very likely," answered 
 Farrell, "and the second letter he always 
 receives along with the one from his wife may 
 serve as an affirmative answer to your con- 
 jecture. Well ! he is one of the most open- 
 hearted honourable fellows I ever met ; and 
 I don't care how soon his hopes are realized.
 
 264 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Because a man has been foolish a little in his 
 youth, is no reason why he should always be 
 punished for it." 
 
 Our conversation was interrupted by the 
 arrival of Foster himself — who appeared in a 
 high state of pleasant excitement. 
 
 " Come on, Farrell !"• cried he, *' let us 
 go to the tent, and settle up. It is all over 
 with the old lady; and I start for home by 
 daybreak to-morrow morning." 
 
 Farrell bade me good-night and Foster, 
 who did not expect to see me again, shook 
 hands at parting — bidding me a final good- 
 bye. 
 
 There was much in the expression of 
 Foster's countenance that I did not admire ; 
 and, notwithstanding, the apparent openness 
 of his speech, I cculd not help thinking hira 
 a fellow not only without good feeling, but 
 hypocritical, and treacherous. 
 
 Farrell purchased his mule, and also 
 his share of the mining tools; and bv
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 265 
 
 break of day the next morning, Foster was 
 on his way to San Francisco. 
 
 The post-master of Sonora was annoyed 
 by him no more ; and Farrell was left to 
 regret the loss of his plain-speaking partner. 
 
 VOL. 1.
 
 266 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 A BULL AND BEAR FIGHT. 
 
 One Sunday afternoon, seeking for amuse- 
 ment, I walked into Sonora ; and, following a 
 crowd, I reached the *' Plaza de Tores." 
 
 The proprietor of this place had gone to 
 a great expense, to get up a grand entertain- 
 ment for that day. 
 
 A large grizzly bear had been caught alive 
 in the mountains — about twenty miles from 
 the town — and, at great trouble and ex- 
 pense, had been transported in a strong cage 
 to Sonora — to afford amusement to the 
 citizens of that lively little city.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 267 
 
 To bring the bear froai his native wilds, 
 had required the labour of a large party of 
 men ; and several days had been spent in the 
 transport. A road had to be made most 
 part the way — of sufficient width to permit 
 the passage of the waggon that carried the 
 cage. Bridges had also to be thrown over 
 streams and deep ravines ; and the bear was 
 not securely landed in Sonora, until after he 
 had cost the proprietor of the Bull-ring about 
 eleven hundred dollars. 
 
 Several savage bulls had also been pro- 
 vided for the day's sport ; and the inhabitants 
 of the town, and its vicinity, were promised 
 one of the most splendid, as well as exciting, 
 entertainments ever got up in California. 
 
 T had before that time witnessed two or 
 three Spanish bull fights ; and had formed a 
 resolution never to see another. But the 
 temptation in this case — being a bull and 
 bear fight — was too strong to be resisted : 
 and I paid two dollars — like many others as 
 
 N 2
 
 268 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 foolish as myself — for a ticket ; and, armed 
 with this, entered the amphitheatre. 
 
 The Plaza de Toros was a circular enclosure 
 with benches — on which about two thousand 
 people could be comfortably seated; but, 
 before the performance had commenced, the 
 place contained three thousand or more. 
 The first performance was an ordinary 
 Spanish bull fight; and excited but little 
 interest. The bull was soon killed, and 
 dragged out of the arena. 
 
 After a short interval, a second bull made 
 his bow to the spectators. The instant this 
 one showed himself, everybody predicted an 
 exciting scene ; for the animal leaped into 
 the arena, with a wild bellowing, and an 
 expression of rage, that portended a very 
 different spectacle, from that exhibited by his 
 predecessor. 
 
 The toreros appeared surprised — some of 
 them even confounded — by the fierce, sudden 
 and energetic spring with which the bull 
 charged into their midst.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 269 
 
 A matador standing alone, in the arena, is 
 in but little danger — even when pursued by 
 the fiercest bull. It is when three or four 
 of the t'>reros are in the ring together — 
 getting in one another's way while turning 
 to avoid his horns — that the bull has the 
 advantage over his adversaries. At such 
 times, the bull-fighter runs a great risk of 
 getting badly gored, or even killed out- 
 right. 
 
 The latter misfortune happened to one 
 of the men, on the occasion in question. 
 The second bull that had promised such a 
 savage exhibition of his fierce strength, did not 
 disappoint the spectators. In the third or 
 fourth charge which he made among the 
 matadors, he succeeded in impaling one of 
 their number upon his horns. The body of 
 the unfortunate man was lifted clear up from 
 the ground, and carried twice round the rmg 
 — before the bull thus bearing him could be 
 despatched !
 
 270 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Of course, the man was dead; and had 
 been so, long before being taken off the 
 animal's horns. His heart's blood could be 
 seen running in a thick stream down the 
 shaggy forehead of the bull, and dripping 
 from his nose, as he carried the inanimate 
 form around the arena ! 
 
 The dead bodies of both man and animal 
 were taken out of the place together, and 
 on the same cart ; the only interval allowed 
 to elapse between the sports, was the short 
 half hour necessary to making prepara- 
 tion for the grand spectacle of the day — 
 the fight between the bear and a bull ! 
 
 The cage containing the grizzly was drawn 
 into the ring by a span of horses — which 
 were at once taken away ; and then a small, 
 and not a very formidable " toro," was led 
 into the arena by several men, who guided 
 him with their long lazos. 
 
 The appearance of this bull was disappoint- 
 ing to the spectators, who fancied that a much
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 271 
 
 larger animal should have heen chosen to en- 
 counter the savage monster of the moun- 
 tains. The explanation was conjectured by all. 
 The bear was worth over one thousand dol- 
 lars, while the bull cost only twenty-five ; and 
 from this disparity in pric?, it was evident 
 that the owner of both wished to give grizzly 
 the advantage in the fight. This was made 
 certain, by the proprietor himself coming 
 forward vvith the unexpected proposal : that 
 before commencing the fight, the bull should 
 have the tips shaved off from his horns ! 
 "This," he said, "would hinder the bear 
 from receiving any serious injury ; and it 
 could be exhibited in a fight on some other 
 Sunday !" 
 
 But the spectators wished to see a good 
 fight on this Sunday, and a fair fight as well. 
 They did not wish to see the poor bull 
 deprived of his natural means of protecting 
 himself; and then torn to pieces by the claws 
 of the favoured bear.
 
 272 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 The master of the amphitheatre was about 
 to carry out his economic project — when a 
 scene ensued that beggars all description. It 
 ended in the bull being allowed to retain the 
 tips of his horns. 
 
 The action now commenced. The hind leg 
 of the bear was pulled out of the cage door — 
 which was partially opened for the purpose. 
 The leg was made fast, by a strong log chain, 
 to a stake that had been driven deep into the 
 ground near the centre of the arena. The 
 door was then thrown wide open ; but, not- 
 withstanding this apparent chance of recover- 
 ing his liberty, the bear refused to take ad- 
 vantage of it. 
 
 A rope was then made fast to the back of 
 the cage, and attached to a horse standing 
 outside the enclosure. By this means, the 
 cage was dragged aw^ay from the bear, instead 
 of the bear being abstracted from the cage — 
 leaving the animal uncovered in the centre 
 of the arena. The lazos were next loosed
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 273 
 
 off from the horns of the bull ; and the two 
 combatants were left in possession of the 
 ground — at liberty to exercise their savage 
 prowess upon each other. 
 
 The bull on regaining his feet, rolled its 
 eyes about, in search of something on which 
 he might take revenge, for the unseemly way 
 in which he had just been treated. The 
 only thing he could conveniently encounter 
 was the bear ; and, lowering his muzzle to the 
 ground, he charged straight towards the latter. 
 
 Bruin met the attack by clewing himself 
 into a round ball. In this peculiar shape he 
 was tossed about by the bull, without sustain- 
 ing any great injury. After he had been 
 rolled over two or three times, he suddenly 
 unclewed himself; and, springing upward, 
 seized the bull's head between his fore paws. 
 
 So firm was his grip, that the poor bull 
 could neither advance nor retreat — nor even 
 make movement in any direction. It appeared 
 as if it could only stand still, and bellow. 
 
 N 3
 
 274 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 To make the grizzly let go his hold — 
 in order that the fight might proceed with 
 more spirit — a man, in the employ of the pro- 
 prietor, entered the arena with a hucket of 
 water — which he threw over the bear. The 
 latter instantly relinquished his hold of the 
 bull ; and, rapidly extending one of his huge 
 paws, seized hold of the servant who had 
 douched him ; and, with a jerk, drew the man 
 under his body. 
 
 Having accomplished this feat, he was pro- 
 ceeding to tear the unfortunate man to pieces ; 
 and had squatted over him with this inten- 
 tion, when a perfect volley of revolvers — in 
 all about two hundred shots — were fired at 
 his body. The bear was killed instantly; 
 though strange to say, his death was caused 
 by a single bullet, out of all the shots that 
 had hit him ; and there were more than a 
 hundred that had been truly aimed ! The 
 only wound, that could have proved fatal to 
 such a monster, was a shot that had entered
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 275 
 
 one of his ears, and penetrated to the hrain. 
 Many balls were afterwards found flattened 
 against the animars skull, and his skin was 
 literally peppered ; but, though the man, at 
 the time the shots were fired, was clutching 
 the bear's throat with both hands, he was not 
 touched by a single bullet 1 
 
 There were two circumstances connected 
 with this affair, that, happening in any other 
 land but California, would have been very 
 extraordinary. One was, the simultaneous 
 discharge of so many shots, at the moment 
 when the bear was seen to have the man in 
 his power. It might have been supposed, 
 that the spectators had been anticipating 
 such an event, and were ready with their 
 revolvers : for the bear's seizing the man, 
 seemed a preconcerted signal for them to 
 fire. 
 
 Another remarkable circumstance was, that, 
 although the discharge of so many pistols 
 was sudden and unexpected, and proceeded
 
 276 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 from every point round the circle of the 
 amphitheatre — where thousands of people were 
 crowded together — no one but the bear was 
 injured by the shots ! 
 
 It was a striking illustration of some pecu- 
 liarities in the character of the energetic self- 
 relying men of the world, that then peopled 
 California. 
 
 In the " Plaza de Toros" — witnesses of the 
 scenes I have attempted to describe — were 
 many young girls belonging to the place ; as 
 well as others, from Mexico, Chili, and Peru. 
 During the continuance of that series of ex- 
 citing scenes — which included the killing of 
 one person by empalement upon a bull, 
 the mutilation of another by the claws of 
 a grizzly bear, and the destruction of the bear 
 itself, by a volley of revolvers — these interest- 
 ing damsels never allowed the lights of their 
 cigarritos to become extinguished ; but calmly 
 smoked on, as tranquil and unconcerned, 
 as if they had been simply assisting at the 
 ceremony of a " fandango !"
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 277 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 stormy's autobiography. 
 
 In my rambles about Sonora and its vici- 
 nity, when seeking amusement on what is 
 called the " first day of the week," I was 
 generally accompanied by Stormy Jack. 
 
 During my early acquaintance with the 
 old sailor, I was too young to have formed 
 a correct opinion of his character ; and my 
 respect for him, was based entirely upon 
 instinct. 
 
 Now that I was older, and possessed of a 
 more mature judgment, that respect — instead 
 of having diminished — had increased to such
 
 278 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 a degree, as to deserve the name of admira- 
 tion. I could not help admiring his many 
 good qualities. He loved truth ; and spoke 
 it whenever he said anything. He was frank, 
 honest, sociable, and generous. He had an 
 abhorrence of all that was mean — combined 
 with a genuine love for fair play and even- 
 handed justice of every kind. He was in the 
 habit of expressing his opinions so frankly, 
 that, on the slightest acquaintance,' every 
 honest man became his friend, and every 
 dishonest one his enemy. 
 
 Stormy w^as, in truth, one of nature's noble- 
 men — such a one as is seldom met with, and 
 never forgotten. He was instinctively a gentle- 
 man ; and the many long years in which 
 he had been associated, with those who are 
 thought to be lowest in the scale of civiliza- 
 tion, had not overcome his natural inclination. 
 
 Stormy was strong on all points but one ; 
 and that was, in the resisting his appetite for 
 strong drink. To this he too often yielded.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 279 
 
 " Do not think, Rowley," said he one evening, 
 when I chanced to allude to this subject, " that 
 I can't keep frona drinking, if I tried. I never 
 drank when I was young : for I had some 
 hope and ambition then ; and I could see the 
 silliness of giving way to such a habit. It is 
 only since I have become old Stormy Jack, 
 and too old for my bad habits to be of any 
 consequence to myself, or any one else. No, 
 Rowley ; it don't signify much now, how often 
 I get drunk — either in my mind or legs. 
 When I was young, like you, I had no one 
 to teach me manners — except the world ; and 
 it did larn me some. Wherever I went, 
 every one appeared to think it was their busi- 
 ness to teach me manners ; and the way they 
 went about it, w-as not always very gentle. 
 I've seen hard times in this world, Rowley, 
 my lad." 
 
 " I have no doubt of it, Stormy,'' said I, 
 " for you have that appearance. You look 
 as though, man, fate, and time had all used 
 you roughly."
 
 2S0 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 " And so they have. IVe nobody to thank 
 for anything; unless it is the Almighty, 
 for having given nae health and strength 
 to out-live what I have passed through; and 
 Fm not sartin that I should be thankful 
 for that. If you like, Rowley, I'll tell you 
 something of my history ; and it'll give you 
 an idea of the way the world has used me." 
 
 " I should like it much." 
 
 " Here goes then ! The first thing I can 
 remember, is a father who used to get drunk 
 in the legs ; and the second, a mother who 
 would as often get drunk in the head. 
 
 "As my father, when intoxicated, could 
 not stand on his feet, nor move from the 
 place in which he chanced to be, my mother 
 would take advantage of his helplessness ; 
 and used to teach him manners, in a way 
 that always kept his countenance covered 
 with scratches, cuts, and bruises. I may 
 add, that she served myself in a very similar 
 manner. If ever either my father, or I, were
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 281 
 
 seen in the streets without a fresh wound on 
 our faces, the neighbours knew that there 
 was no money in the house, or anything 
 that would be received at a pawn shop for so 
 much as sixpence. The soundness of our 
 skins would prove the scarcity of cash in 
 my father's establishment ; or as they say 
 here in Californy, that we were * hard up.' 
 
 " About the time I was thirteen years of 
 age, my parents discovered that they could 
 no longer maintain themselves, much less 
 me ; and they sought, and found, a home in 
 the workhouse — whither 1 was taken along 
 with them. 
 
 " Both died in the workhouse the year 
 after entering it ; and I was apprenticed, or 
 I might say hired out, to a baker. 
 
 " In this situation, 1 had a world of work 
 to do. I had to sit up all night, helping the 
 journeymen to make the bread; and then I 
 had to go out for two or three hours every 
 morning — with a heavy basket of loaves
 
 282 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 on my head, to be delivered to the cus- 
 tomers living here and there. In addition 
 to this hard work, I was nearly starved. 
 The only time I could get enough to eat, 
 was when I was out on my rounds with the 
 bread ; when I could steal a little scrap from 
 each loaf — in such a way that the morsel 
 would'nt be missed. 
 
 " I've not yet told you, that my native 
 place is London ; and if you know anything 
 of that city, you may have some idea of the 
 life I lived when a child, with two miserable, 
 poor, and drunken parents. 
 
 " Well ; I staid with the baker above two 
 years ; and though I was nearly killed with 
 hard work and want of food — as well as 
 sleep — that, perhaps, was'nt the most unhappy 
 part of my life. There was a worse time 
 in store for me. 
 
 " The baker and his wife, v.ho owned and 
 ill-treated me, had a little girl in the house — 
 a slavey they had taken from the same
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 283 
 
 workhouse from which they had fetched rae. 
 This girl was'nt treated any hetter than 1 
 was ; and the only happy moments either o' 
 us ever had, were when we could he together, 
 and freely express our opinions of our master 
 and mistress — hoth of whom behaved equally 
 bad to us — if anything, the w-oman the worst. 
 The girl and 1 used to encouranje each other 
 with hopes of better times. 
 
 " I had seen many little girls in the streets, 
 dressed very fine, and looking clean, well-fed, 
 and happy ; and some of them I thought 
 very beautiful. But none of them appeared 
 so beautiful, as the one who was being 
 worked and starved to death in the same 
 house with myself — though her dress was no- 
 thing but a lot of dirty rags. 
 
 " By the time I had got to be sixteen years 
 of age, I W'as too much of a man to stand 
 the ill-usage of the baker and his wife any 
 longer ; and I determined to run away. 
 
 " 1 did not like to leave behind me ray
 
 284 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 companion in misery ; bat as I thought, that, 
 in a few weeks I should make a little fortune, 
 and be able to find her a better home, we 
 became reconciled to the idea of parting with 
 one another. 
 
 " One morning I bade her good-bye ; and 
 started off with the basket of bread on my 
 head to go my rounds. 
 
 " When I had nearly completed the 
 delivery, and had left with different 
 customers all but the last loaf, I set 
 down the basket ; took this loaf under my 
 arm ; and was free. 
 
 *' I went straight to the docks to look out 
 for something ; and, before the day was over, 
 I found a situation aboard a schooner in the 
 coal trade — that was about to sail for New- 
 castle. 
 
 " The skipper of this vessel was also its 
 owner; and himself and his family used it 
 as their regular home. 
 
 " I was determined to please this man
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 286 
 
 — not only by doing my duty, but as much 
 more as I could. I succeeded in gaining 
 his good will. 
 
 " We went to Newcastle ; took in a cargo ; 
 and by the time we reached London again, 
 the skipper would not have been wilUng 
 to part with me, had I desired to leave him. 
 When we got back to London, he gave me 
 hberty to come ashore; and made me a 
 present of half-a- crown, to spend as I liked. 
 
 " It was the largest sum of money I had 
 ever owned ; and, with it in my possession, 
 I thought that the time when I might take 
 my little fellow servant away from the hard 
 life she was leading, could not be far away. 
 I determined not to spend one penny of 
 the money upon myself; but to go ashore 
 at once, and make a bold push towards 
 getting the girl away from the place where 
 she was staying. 
 
 " I told the skipper all about her — what 
 sort of a home I had left her in — and the
 
 286 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 cruelties she was still likely to be endur- 
 ing. 
 
 " He talked to his wife ; and after they 
 had asked me a good many questions : as 
 to whether the girl was well-behaved, and 
 used no bad language — they told me that I 
 might bring her aboard the vessel then lying 
 in the river ; and that she might look after 
 the three children, and do anything else 
 to make herself useful. 
 
 ** I started off on my errand, in better 
 spirits than I had ever been in before. 1 
 was afraid to go near the baker's house, for 
 fear I should be seen from the shop and 
 might have trouble in getting away again : 
 for I had been regularly bound as his 
 apprentice. So I watched the public-house 
 — where I knew the girl would be sure to 
 come for the supper beer in the evening. 
 
 " After I had been looking out for about 
 half an hour, she came, looking more beauti- 
 ful, more ragged and dirty, than when I had 
 last seen her, four weeks before.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 287 
 
 " * Come on, Ann V I cried. (Ann was her 
 name.) * Come on ! Fling away your jug, 
 and follow me T 
 
 " I ran up to her, while I was speaking. 
 
 " She dropped the jug — not because I had 
 told her to do so — but from the excitement 
 of her surprise at seeing me. It fell out 
 of her hands on the pavement; and was 
 broken to pieces. 
 
 " ' Follow me,' said I, * IVe another home 
 for you.' 
 
 ** She gave one glance at the broken 
 jug ; and probably thought of her mistress, 
 and the beating she would be sure to get, 
 should she go home without the jug and 
 the supper beer. That thought decided her. 
 She then took my hand ; and we started off 
 tow^ards the river. 
 
 " I am going to cut my story short," 
 said Stormy, after a pause — during which 
 he seemed to suffer from some painful 
 reflection. " For nine years I worked for
 
 288 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 that girl. Part of the time I was getting 
 good wages — as the second mate of a large 
 ship, running to Charleston, in the United 
 States; and all of my money was spent 
 in keeping Ann in a good home, and in 
 having her taught to read and write, and 
 behave herself like a lady. 
 
 "To deny myself every comfort, for the 
 sake of saving money for her, was my 
 greatest pleasure. I have often crossed the 
 Atlantic without proper clothing : so that 
 Ann might be placed beyond the danger 
 of want, while I was gone. 
 
 " During these nine years, I drank no 
 grog, nor liquor of any kind. I would 
 not even take a glass at the expense of 
 any of my messmates : because I would be 
 expected to stand a glass in return; and 
 there was more pleasure in saving the 
 money for Ann, than in spending it on 
 what could only injure me. I have often 
 walked the cold wet decks with my feet
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 289 
 
 freezing for the want of a pair of socks 
 and good boots — because these things would 
 cost money; and all that I could make I 
 wished to spend only for the benefit of 
 Ann, who was always in my thoughts — the 
 idol of my soul. 
 
 "While making my voyages across the 
 Atlantic, I got some of my companions to 
 learn me to read and write a little. I 
 worked very hard at this, when I could 
 find time. There were two reasons for my 
 wishing to be able to write : the first, 
 because I had some desire to learn on my 
 own account; and the other reason was, 
 that when I should marry Ann, I did nut 
 wish her to have a husband who could 
 not write his own name. 
 
 "When I had got to be about twenty- 
 three years of age, I began to think of 
 getting married. I was earning good wages ; 
 and had saved enough money to furnish 
 a little house for Ann. Just about that 
 
 VOL. 1. O
 
 290 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 time, however, I noticed she had begun 
 to treat me with a little coldness. I had 
 been so very saving of my money, that 
 I always went rather shabbily dressed ; and 
 I at first thought that she might be a 
 little ashamed of my appearance. I knew 
 that this would not be right on her part; 
 but I also knew that women have got 
 vanity ; and that they cannot help a feeling 
 of that kind. I could not think that it 
 was possible for Ann not to love me^ — 
 after the many sacrifices I had made for 
 her — for I deserved her love, and had 
 fairly earned it. I thought that if there 
 was a man worthy of being loved by her, 
 and having her for his wife, I was that 
 man ; for T had done all that I was able 
 to gain her good will ; and no one can do 
 more. I was under the belief, too, that 
 she loved me : for she had many a time 
 told me so. You may imagine, then, 
 how I was taken aback, when one time
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 29l 
 
 that I returned from a voyage to give her 
 all the money I had earned, I found that 
 she treated me very coldly; and that every 
 day she grew colder and colder, and seemed 
 as if she only wanted to get clear of my 
 company." 
 
 At this interesting crisis of his story, 
 Stormy was interrupted hy the entrance of 
 two of our mining neighbours ; who came 
 into our tent to have a quiet game of 
 " uker" along with us. 
 
 o 2
 
 292 THE ADVENTURES OP 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 ANN. 
 
 1 HAD been much interested in Stormy's 
 
 story of his early life; and the next 
 
 evening, I went over to his tent, and 
 
 , taking a seat upon the ground, requested 
 
 him to continue it. 
 
 **A11 right, Rowley, my boy," said he, 
 in answer to my appeal. " I believe that 
 I left off last night, where the girl, after 
 my having worked nine years for her, had 
 begun to treat me with coldness. 
 
 "Well, on becoming sure o' this, I 
 determined to find out the reason. I knew
 
 A ROLLING STOxNE. 293 
 
 there must be something wrong; and 1 
 made up my mind to find out what it 
 was— though it might lead to the breaking 
 up of all my fine prospects. One day, 
 when my ship was about to start on a 
 new trip to Charleston, I settled scores 
 with the captain, and left her. Ann was 
 under the belief, that I had gone off in 
 the vessel; but she was mistaken. I had 
 stopped behind, to keep an eye on herself. 
 A few months before, I had given her 
 some money — to enable her to go into 
 partnership with a widow, in keeping a 
 little stationery and toy shop — and she was 
 now in that business. My scheme was 
 to keep an eye on the shop ; and see what 
 was going on. I had not been very long 
 playing spy, before I found out the lay of 
 the land. A young fellow of a swellish 
 appearance, used to pay visits to the shop, 
 nearly every day of the week. He came 
 in the evening; and Ann would go
 
 294 THE ADVENTURES OP 
 
 but with him to theatres and dancing 
 places. 
 
 "I watched the fellow to his home, or 
 to his lodgings — for he lived in a two-pair 
 back; and from there I tracked him to 
 his place of business. I found that he was 
 what in London is called a * clerk.' He 
 was a thing unworthy of Ann ; but, of 
 course, that being the case, he did not 
 know it; and I could see from his vain 
 looks that he thought sufficiently of himself — 
 too much to marry Ann. From what I 
 saw, I had no doubt that he was deceiving 
 her. 
 
 " I scarce knew what to do : for there was 
 no use in telling the girl that she was being 
 deceived. She would not have believed me. 
 
 " If she had believed me, and given the 
 puppy up, it would not have made much diffe- 
 rence to me. My confidence in her was gone. 
 I could have had it no more. She had acted 
 ungrateful to me — by giving her preference to
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 295 
 
 a conceited swell — who took her about to 
 places of amusement, where men do not 
 take young girls, whom they intend after- 
 wards to marry. Ann had proved herself un- 
 worthy of a love like mine. I had toiled for 
 her, and loved her, for nine long years ; and 
 this was the return. 
 
 " My good resolutions all forsook me — by 
 the shock which her ingratitude gave me^ 
 and ever since that time, Tve been only 
 Stormy Jack, and nothing more. You know 
 what he is." Stormy once more relapsed into 
 silence, as if his story had been concluded. 
 More deeply interested than ever, I desired to 
 know more. In answer, to my request, he 
 resumed his narrative. 
 
 " Well," continued he. " My next voyage 
 was a long one. I made the trip to India, 
 and was gone fourteen months; but on 
 my return, at the end of that time, I had not 
 forgotten Ann. I still loved her — although I 
 knew that she could never be my wife. Even
 
 296 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 had she consented, my pride would not allow 
 of my marrying her now. 
 
 " When I got back from India, I went to 
 the little shop to enquire for her. She was no 
 longer there. I found her in the work-house 
 - — the same from which she had been taken 
 when a child. She was the mother of a child, 
 seven months old ; and had never been 
 married. I determined to teach her manners. 
 You may think it strange, Rowley, but I 
 was now, more than ever, resolved she should 
 love me. Ifc would be some satisfaction for 
 what I had suffered on her account. 1 knew 
 my motive wasn't altogether as it ought 
 to have been, but I could not help doing as 
 I did. 
 
 " When paid the wages, owing me by the 
 East Indiaman, I had about twenty-five pounds 
 to the good ; and, with this money, I took 
 Ann out of the workhouse, and placed her in 
 a comfortable home. I acted, to all appear- 
 ance, as kindly to her, and seemed as affec-
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 297 
 
 tionate as I had ever been ; and I even gave 
 her more of my company than I had ever 
 done before. When she came to contrast 
 my conduct with that of the heartless villain 
 who had ruined and deserted her, she could 
 not help loving me. On her knees, and with 
 tears in her eyes, she confessed her folly, and 
 sorrow for the past; and prayed for me to 
 forgive her. 
 
 " * Of course, I forgive you, Ann,* said 1, 
 * or 1 would not have returned to you.' 
 
 " ' And will you love me as much as you 
 once did ?' she then asked. 
 
 " ' Certainly I will.' 
 
 " * John,' she said, * you are the most 
 noble-minded man in the world ; and I only 
 begin to know your real worth. Oh ! what 
 a fool I have been, not to have known it 
 before ! You are better than all other men on 
 the earth !' 
 
 " Ann had got over the folly of her girl- 
 hood. The sorrows which she had suffered 
 
 o 3
 
 298 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 during the last few months, had taught her 
 wisdom, and brought repentance; and she now 
 believed, that such love as I had ofiFered her 
 was of some value. 
 
 " I visited her every day ; and appeared to 
 take such an interest in the welfare, both of 
 herself and her child, that I, at length, became 
 certain that she loved me. She could not 
 have helped it, had she tried. Poor girl ! 
 she fancied she was going to be happy again ; 
 but she was mistaken. 
 
 ** When my money was all spent, I pre- 
 pared to take leave of her. Before going, 
 I told her the truth ; that I had loved her, 
 ever since she was a child ; and that I ever 
 would ; but that I could never make her my 
 wife. After what had transpired, I could never 
 be happy as her husband. 
 
 "'I shall never forget you, Ann,' said 
 I. 'Whenever I have a pound in my 
 pocket, you are welcome to fifteen shillings 
 of it ; but my happiness, for this world, you
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 299 
 
 have entirely destroyed ; and I can never 
 marry you, as 1 once intended to do. 
 You know the many years that I toiled 
 for you; and was that not proof that I 
 loved you dearly ? All that I have done, 
 I am willing to do again ; but what I 
 had hoped to do, is no longer possible. 
 You have not proved worthy of my love, 
 and can never be my wife.' 
 
 "As I said this, she was nearly dis- 
 tracted ; and declared that she would never 
 accept another shilling from me. She 
 promised to do for me all that I had 
 done for her : to work for me, and let 
 me live in idleness. I had at last sue- 
 ceeded in winning her love. 
 
 " Perhaps I was wrong in having done 
 so ; but the manner in which I had been 
 myself wronged, rendered me incapable of 
 acting honest. I could not help taking 
 this way to lam her a little manners. 
 There was another I intended laming a
 
 300 THE ADVENTURES OF 
 
 lesson to, before I left London ; but I de- 
 termined to teach him in a very different 
 way. It was the swell that had ruined 
 Ann. 
 
 "I looked out for hiai; and found him 
 in the street ; on the way to his place of 
 business. I laid one o' my flippers on 
 his shoulder, to keep him from escaping, 
 while I gave him his lesson with the other. 
 I flattened his nose ; nearly tore off one of 
 his ears; and did him some other damage 
 besides. The police pulled me off o' him ; 
 and I was taken away to the station, and 
 next day brought before a magistrate. 
 
 "I only got two months for giving 
 the conceited snob his lesson ; which I 
 didn't much regret, for I was just as well 
 off in the gaol as anywhere else. My time 
 or my liberty was worth nothing more 
 to me. When again set free, I made 
 another voyage to India, and got back 
 in fourteen months.
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 301 
 
 " When I returned, Ann was dead. She 
 had died in the same work-house, in which 
 she was born. 
 
 ** Since then, there has been no particular 
 reason why I should behave myself; and 
 I have been, as you see me, old Stormy 
 Jack. I never again thought of getting 
 married. 1 could only love but one; and 
 that one it was not my fate to be spliced 
 to. 1 suppose it was never intended I 
 should get married. At all events, I don't 
 mean to try. I made one girl miserable 
 by not marrying her ; and I might make 
 another miserable if I did." 
 
 With this hypothetical reflection, Stormy 
 concluded his sad story. 
 
 END OF VOL. I,
 
 LONDON : 
 Printed by A. Schulze 13, Poland Street.
 
 BOUND BY e 
 BONE A.SON 
 
 'e,Fi££r stubet