Here the two amiable interlocutors were interrupted by a squabble that had grown up between the long boat steerer and some Chilean new comers whom he had desired to ‘keep it up,’ and not satisfied with applying ‘moral suasion’ to the case, he had taken the liberty to drag one or two of them into the middle of the floor by their long ear locks. Not caring to dance on compulsion, they struck long-legs with their fists, and he gave them battle. He kept them at a distance a few moments with his long arms, but they made up for this by drawing their cochillars. Brandishing their knives they rushed upon him with great fury. The other whalemen interfered in behalf of their shipmate, while all the cholars present took sides with their countrymen. The battle threatened to be serious, and blood had already begun to flow, when the door opened and a stout, broad-shouldered man entered the apartment.
‘Charley, is that you?’ shouted the master of the house.
‘Yes, what is the muss?’ cried the new-comer, whom the reader will recognize as the hero of the fire who took the ladder on his shoulders—‘Hullo! here! knives out! daggers drawn! Down, you rascals!’
Charley then seized two of the most forward of the combatants in his Herculean grasp, and hurled them against the wall, while the rest, recognizing the famous engineer, fell back, breathing heavily and eyeing their adversaries with murderous spite.
Patrick and Jamie, who had thus far taken no part in the affray, felt themselves aggrieved by the presence of an official whom they had no particular reasons for admiring, and whose presence had more than once been a check upon their professional labors. They first began to grumble together in a low voice, and finding that they could do this with impunity, they felt emboldened to proceed still farther.
‘The boys has got to be very civil in these times,’ said Patrick.
‘Oh! it was nothing but a little spree like, they was having—no harm at all, at all, in a free country, just for a lark like,’ returned Jamie carelessly.
‘But the laws is very strict for all that,’ said Patrick, nodding graciously.
‘Oh, murder, yes,’ returned Jamie, ‘its English laws they are like more than like what it used to be, before their—’
‘You mane the Vigilance Committee, Jamie; oh! bad luck to ’em, they is no lawful powers any how. There’s niver been any good in the place since they began to meddle with the payple.’
Several of the company drew near the two Irishmen and seemed to be interested in their discourse, while Charley, in conversation with the keeper of the den, eyed them at a distance.
In the mean time, the two orators, believing they were at the head of a considerable party, got on their feet, and began to swagger about the hall and swing their fists in close proximity to such persons present as they supposed to be unfavorable to their views. Jamie was particularly violent until he happened to graze the shoulder of Charley who, shooting out a fist that would have startled an ox, struck the big Irishman under the ear and felled him to the floor.
What would have been the result of this demonstration, if the door had not opened at the moment, we cannot say, but all eyes were turned upon the individual who now made his appearance. This was a man of youthful appearance, some thirty-five years of age, rather tall and well made, with red whiskers and moustaches and a very good set of teeth. He was a little pock-marked though not enough to injure his chance with the ladies, and his manner was both brisk and ostentatious. He was dressed in the extreme of fashion, with a profusion of rings on his fingers, and his entrance filled the dingy apartment with the scent of musk.—Taking out a blue silk handkerchief with which he made as if he would have wiped his face, and which he then flourished about the room a moment, he thrust out a leg as if to exhibit a boot of patent leather, and planting his heel jauntily on the floor, he put the question—
‘Well, boys, has Monteagle called here for me, to-night?’
Without waiting for an answer he clapped his hands familiarly on the shoulder of Charley, saying—‘How about that prisoner of yours? all safe, eh?’
‘Montgomery, do you mean?’ asked Charley in his deep base voice.
‘Ah! that was his name I believe. He’ll be triced up, I take it—scragged, as the Botany boys call it. Ha! ha! ha!’
‘You must have heard that he has escaped, Mr. Blodget?’
‘Escaped! Ah!’ cried Blodget, with a start of real or pretended surprise—‘the devil! Got loose, eh? No man is safe while such fellows are abroad,’ and he placed his hand on the guard of his gold watch—‘but how did it happen, Charley? Come, boy, how did he get away, the villian?’
‘If you haven’t heard,’ returned Charley, looking circumspectly at his interrogator, ‘I’ll enlighten you on that subject.’
‘Do, do, I’m all impatience.’
‘So I per-ceive,’ announced the Engineer. ‘You must know that Montgomery, the thief, was placed in the room of the Vigilance Committee, and Peter was set over him as a guard: that is, the door was locked and Peter was on the outside.’
‘Yes, yes, I understand; and so he jumped out the window.’
‘No, not that exactly, for the windows were barred and fastened; but he made a hole through the plastering above, and getting on a table and some other lumber he climbed up into the room above and so he got clear.’
‘Oh! the villain!’ roared Blodget, at the same time rubbing his hands very unlike a man who was indignant at the escape of a felon.
Charley observed the strange inconsistency of Blodget’s conduct, and when, a moment afterwards, Monteagle thrust his head into the open window and hailed Blodget by name, the Engineer cast a rapid glance first at the latter and then at the former while a cloud came over his brow as if he was sorry to see the youth in such company.
With an almost imperceptible wink to the two Irishmen, Jamie and Patrick, the gay young man rushed out the door and confronted ‘his friend’ Monteagle.—‘Upon my word you look vastly improved,’ said Blodget as he drew Monteagle towards Kearney street, and pressed his arm cordially. ‘I was afraid it was all day with you, one while, and I can assure you that Mr. Vandewater was deeply concerned about you. That man holds you in high esteem, Monteagle; you may depend upon that. He fairly lost flesh when you were considered dubious.’
‘I believe, sir, that my employers place entire confidence in me,’ returned Monteagle, ‘and that is all that I expect of them. But, pray, where are you bound to-night? After my long confinement, I should like to see a little pleasure. I feel a great inclination to wander on the sea shore, or go on a little boating excursion.’
‘Done, sir. I will go with you on Sunday, or whenever you please; but, for the present, suppose we just drop in here at the Belle Union and see some of these enterprising gents lose a few slugs, and the wry faces that they make.’
‘I’ve heard sad stories of that place,’ returned the youth, but suffering himself to be led in the direction of the gambling house. ‘I have heard that more money has been lost there than ever changed hands in the hells of Baden, at the saloons of the Palais Royal, or at Crockford’s. I have a strong dislike to every species of gambling.’
‘So have I. Thunder and Mars: I think it no better than highway robbery,’ cried Blodget with a great show of virtuous indignation—‘that is—except you know—where for mere amusement one takes a cue with a friend. By the bye, are you good at shoving a ball, Monteagle?’
‘Charley, is that you?’ shouted the master of the house.
‘Yes, what is the muss?’ cried the new-comer, whom the reader will recognize as the hero of the fire who took the ladder on his shoulders—‘Hullo! here! knives out! daggers drawn! Down, you rascals!’
Charley then seized two of the most forward of the combatants in his Herculean grasp, and hurled them against the wall, while the rest, recognizing the famous engineer, fell back, breathing heavily and eyeing their adversaries with murderous spite.
Patrick and Jamie, who had thus far taken no part in the affray, felt themselves aggrieved by the presence of an official whom they had no particular reasons for admiring, and whose presence had more than once been a check upon their professional labors. They first began to grumble together in a low voice, and finding that they could do this with impunity, they felt emboldened to proceed still farther.
‘The boys has got to be very civil in these times,’ said Patrick.
‘Oh! it was nothing but a little spree like, they was having—no harm at all, at all, in a free country, just for a lark like,’ returned Jamie carelessly.
‘But the laws is very strict for all that,’ said Patrick, nodding graciously.
‘Oh, murder, yes,’ returned Jamie, ‘its English laws they are like more than like what it used to be, before their—’
‘You mane the Vigilance Committee, Jamie; oh! bad luck to ’em, they is no lawful powers any how. There’s niver been any good in the place since they began to meddle with the payple.’
Several of the company drew near the two Irishmen and seemed to be interested in their discourse, while Charley, in conversation with the keeper of the den, eyed them at a distance.
In the mean time, the two orators, believing they were at the head of a considerable party, got on their feet, and began to swagger about the hall and swing their fists in close proximity to such persons present as they supposed to be unfavorable to their views. Jamie was particularly violent until he happened to graze the shoulder of Charley who, shooting out a fist that would have startled an ox, struck the big Irishman under the ear and felled him to the floor.
What would have been the result of this demonstration, if the door had not opened at the moment, we cannot say, but all eyes were turned upon the individual who now made his appearance. This was a man of youthful appearance, some thirty-five years of age, rather tall and well made, with red whiskers and moustaches and a very good set of teeth. He was a little pock-marked though not enough to injure his chance with the ladies, and his manner was both brisk and ostentatious. He was dressed in the extreme of fashion, with a profusion of rings on his fingers, and his entrance filled the dingy apartment with the scent of musk.—Taking out a blue silk handkerchief with which he made as if he would have wiped his face, and which he then flourished about the room a moment, he thrust out a leg as if to exhibit a boot of patent leather, and planting his heel jauntily on the floor, he put the question—
‘Well, boys, has Monteagle called here for me, to-night?’
Without waiting for an answer he clapped his hands familiarly on the shoulder of Charley, saying—‘How about that prisoner of yours? all safe, eh?’
‘Montgomery, do you mean?’ asked Charley in his deep base voice.
‘Ah! that was his name I believe. He’ll be triced up, I take it—scragged, as the Botany boys call it. Ha! ha! ha!’
‘You must have heard that he has escaped, Mr. Blodget?’
‘Escaped! Ah!’ cried Blodget, with a start of real or pretended surprise—‘the devil! Got loose, eh? No man is safe while such fellows are abroad,’ and he placed his hand on the guard of his gold watch—‘but how did it happen, Charley? Come, boy, how did he get away, the villian?’
‘If you haven’t heard,’ returned Charley, looking circumspectly at his interrogator, ‘I’ll enlighten you on that subject.’
‘Do, do, I’m all impatience.’
‘So I per-ceive,’ announced the Engineer. ‘You must know that Montgomery, the thief, was placed in the room of the Vigilance Committee, and Peter was set over him as a guard: that is, the door was locked and Peter was on the outside.’
‘Yes, yes, I understand; and so he jumped out the window.’
‘No, not that exactly, for the windows were barred and fastened; but he made a hole through the plastering above, and getting on a table and some other lumber he climbed up into the room above and so he got clear.’
‘Oh! the villain!’ roared Blodget, at the same time rubbing his hands very unlike a man who was indignant at the escape of a felon.
Charley observed the strange inconsistency of Blodget’s conduct, and when, a moment afterwards, Monteagle thrust his head into the open window and hailed Blodget by name, the Engineer cast a rapid glance first at the latter and then at the former while a cloud came over his brow as if he was sorry to see the youth in such company.
With an almost imperceptible wink to the two Irishmen, Jamie and Patrick, the gay young man rushed out the door and confronted ‘his friend’ Monteagle.—‘Upon my word you look vastly improved,’ said Blodget as he drew Monteagle towards Kearney street, and pressed his arm cordially. ‘I was afraid it was all day with you, one while, and I can assure you that Mr. Vandewater was deeply concerned about you. That man holds you in high esteem, Monteagle; you may depend upon that. He fairly lost flesh when you were considered dubious.’
‘I believe, sir, that my employers place entire confidence in me,’ returned Monteagle, ‘and that is all that I expect of them. But, pray, where are you bound to-night? After my long confinement, I should like to see a little pleasure. I feel a great inclination to wander on the sea shore, or go on a little boating excursion.’
‘Done, sir. I will go with you on Sunday, or whenever you please; but, for the present, suppose we just drop in here at the Belle Union and see some of these enterprising gents lose a few slugs, and the wry faces that they make.’
‘I’ve heard sad stories of that place,’ returned the youth, but suffering himself to be led in the direction of the gambling house. ‘I have heard that more money has been lost there than ever changed hands in the hells of Baden, at the saloons of the Palais Royal, or at Crockford’s. I have a strong dislike to every species of gambling.’
‘So have I. Thunder and Mars: I think it no better than highway robbery,’ cried Blodget with a great show of virtuous indignation—‘that is—except you know—where for mere amusement one takes a cue with a friend. By the bye, are you good at shoving a ball, Monteagle?’
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