Twice Bought

Twice Bought, by R.M.
Ballantyne

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Title: Twice Bought
Author: R.M. Ballantyne
Release Date: June 6, 2007 [EBook #21706]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWICE
BOUGHT ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

TWICE BOUGHT, BY R.M. BALLANTYNE.
CHAPTER ONE.
"`Honesty is the best policy,' Tom, you may depend on it," said a youth

to his companion, one afternoon, as they walked along the margin of
one of those brawling rivulets which, born amid the snows of the
Rocky Mountain peaks, run a wild and plunging course of many miles
before finding comparative rest in the celebrated goldfields of Oregon.
"I don't agree with you, Fred," said Tom, sternly; "and I don't believe in
the proverb you have quoted. The world's maxims are not all gospel."
"You are right, Tom; many of them are false; nevertheless, some are
founded on gospel truth."
"It matters not," returned Tom, angrily. "I have made up my mind to
get back from that big thief Gashford what he has stolen from me, for it
is certain that he cheated at play, though I could not prove it at the time.
It is impossible to get it back by fair means, and I hold it quite
allowable to steal from a thief, especially when that which you take is
your own."
Fred Westly shook his head, but did not reply. Many a time had he
reasoned with his friend, Tom Brixton, about the sin of gambling, and
urged him to be content with the result of each day's digging for gold,
but his words had no effect. Young Brixton had resolved to make a
fortune rapidly. He laboured each day with pick and shovel with the
energy of a hero and the dogged perseverance of a navvy, and each
night he went to Lantry's store to increase his gains by gambling. As a
matter of course his "luck," as he called it, varied. Sometimes he
returned to the tent which he shared with his friend Westly, depressed,
out of humour, and empty-handed. At other times he made his
appearance flushed with success--occasionally, also, with drink,--and
flung down a heavy bag of golden nuggets as the result of his evening's
play. Ultimately, when under the influence of drink, he staked all that
he had in the world, except his clothes and tools, to a man named
Gashford, who was noted for his size, strength of body, and utter
disregard of God and man. As Brixton said, Gashford had cheated him
at play, and this had rendered the ruined man unusually savage.
The sun was down when the two friends entered their tent and began to
pull off their muddy boots, while a little man in a blue flannel shirt and

a brown wide-awake busied himself in the preparation of supper.
"What have you got for us to-night, Paddy?" asked Westly.
"Salt pork it is," said the little man, looking up with a most expressive
grin; "the best o' victuals when there's nothin' better. Bein' in a
luxurious frame o' mind when I was up at the store, I bought a few
split-pays for seasonin'; but it comes hard on a man to spind his gould
on sitch things when his luck's down. You've not done much to-day, I
see, by the looks of ye."
"Right, Paddy," said Tom Brixton, with a harsh laugh; "we've done
nothing--absolutely nothing. See, there is my day's work."
He pulled three small grains of gold, each about the size of a pea, from
his trousers pocket, and flung them contemptuously into a washing-pan
at his elbow.
"Sure, we won't make our fortins fast at that rate," said Paddy, or
Patrick Flinders.
"This won't help it much," said Westly, with a mingled smile and sigh,
as he added a small nugget and a little gold-dust to the pile.
"Ah! then, haven't I forgot the shuggar for the tay; but I've not got far to
go for to get it. Just kape stirrin' the pot, Mister Westly, I'll be back in a
minit."
"Tom," said Westly, when their comrade had gone out, "don't give way
to angry feelings. Do try, like a good fellow, to look at things in a
philosophical light, since you object to a religious one. Rightly or
wrongly, Gashford has won your gold. Well, take heart and dig away.
You know I have saved a considerable sum, the half of which is at your
service to--"