Читать книгу Old Convict Times to Gold Digging Days - William Derricourt - Страница 10

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Soon after this I made an arrangement to travel with some cheapjacks and help them in their business. They were going to Thame market with their carts. I was left a little distance behind, meaning to overtake them. As I was trudging along I met a man who asked me where I was going, and upon hearing offered to show me a short cut. We turned into the fields, and upon reaching a stile came upon a man waiting there, who had the appearance of a game-keeper. The keeper seemed to have had some quarrel with my guide, for he angrily said that if he had his gun he would march him off to the hall. My guide said he would wait until the gun was fetched, and coolly sat himself down on the stile. The keeper went away, returned with a gun in a few minutes, and, to my horror and amazement, immediately raised it to his shoulder and shot the other man dead. I was horribly frightened, both at the sight and at being grazed by a stray pellet. I rushed away across the field shouting, "I'll tell, I'll tell," when the savage raised his gun again, saying, "Take that," and tried to let me have the second barrel. Fortunately it was a miss-fire. I ran until I came to a man ploughing, who, upon hearing what I had to say, lent me one of his horses, upon which I galloped to a neighboring inn and raised the alarm. There was at once a rush to the scene of the murder, where the crowd found the criminal still standing as though rooted to the earth. He was seized; and, after some rough handling, taken to Thame. Here, after the inquest, he was committed to take his trial at the next Oxford assizes on charge of wilful murder. Meanwhile, I, as an important witness, was sent to an inn to be looked after and provided for until the case came on.

One morning, soon before the assizes were to begin, I was waked by a man who told me to get up quickly, dress myself in a new suit of clothes which he had brought, and come along with him. He said he was going to take me to Ireland, showed me a handful of sovereigns, gave me several, said I should have plenty more, that I should never want for anything, and that he would be my friend.

Dazzled by the gold I agreed; and, following him outside the house, found that he had a horse waiting for him and that there was a pony for me. We rode to Bambury, where we were to stay that night; but my new friend soon proved to be the wrong sort of man to have been entrusted with the smuggling off of a witness. He picked up some loose company, hung about drinking with them for two or three days, and then, giving me a further supply of money, asked me whether I could find my way to Ireland by myself. I told him that with plenty of money and a good horse I could find my way anywhere. I then started off passing through Warwick, meaning to visit my home and tell my parents all my adventures. When I arrived the whole family was thunderstruck. I gave each of my brothers and sisters a sovereign, and much more to my mother and father. I went to bed, leaving all the rest of the money in my pocket. When I awoke every coin had disappeared. My father told me in a most serious manner that there were such things as fairies, and I was simple enough to believe that there might be something in what he said.

After puzzling my brain for some days about this, I at last told my people that I would go back and try and get another supply of money.

They tried to persuade me not to do so, but seeing I was determined, my mother gave me a sovereign expenses, and I set out, leaving my pony and new clothes behind, and dressed in some old things belonging to my brother. I made for my former lodgings in St. Thomas's, Oxford. By this time a large reward had been offered for the missing boy, the witness of the murder, but it was not known in Oxford that I was he. One day as I was loitering about I saw a large crowd hurrying along the street, and, on asking, found that the trial of the keeper was just beginning. I went to the court and, although hungry, stayed there the whole day and until, I think, 11 o'clock at night. During the trial my name was called three times, but, no answer being given, or appearance made, the Attorney-General, addressing the jury, declared his fixed belief that the missing witness had either been murdered or in some way got rid of. The murdered man's heart was produced in court, and from the evidence to hand exclusive of mine the keeper was found guilty, and sentenced to death by hanging.

On the day appointed for the execution immense crowds were gathered together; but, to the disappointment, no doubt, of many it soon became known that the death sentence had been commuted, and the prisoner sent to the hulks.