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is stirred up, that it is not advisable to tackle with his fists, and much less with his rifle. Wiesenhavern, with that precision of manners, which always gains the point on such occasions, placed a decanter full of brandy on the bar, and, with cocked pistols in both hands, said, "Touch it, if you dare; if any one among you got the pluck to put in his tumbler one drop out of that bottle there he is a dead man;" and Mr. Brandt backed him by simply saying:—
"I'll shoot the fellow, like a dog."
"What was the result? Of course the same, whenever you deal with knaves—and you make them understand what you mean. They were cowed; and as by this time, the high words had called in several old customers of the house who wished well to it, because they knew it deserved it, so the ruffians had to cut for fear of their own dear lives.
Then it was related with sorrow, that several similar bands were scouring the gold-fields in all directions, and in the name of the committee of the Eureka stockade, under cover of pressing for fire-arms and amunition, plundered the most respectable stores of all they could lay their hands upon.
One instance, as reported there and then by parties who had just witnessed the transaction.
A similar gang, four strong, had entered the store of Dr. 0'Conner, on the Golden Point, and asked in the name of the committee, powder and shot, but the vagabonds did not care so much for amunition for their guns, as for the stuff for their guts, what tempted them most was fine good Yorkshire hams, and coffee to wash it down. In short, they ransacked the whole store; and each took care of "something," the best of course, and therefore the cash-box, worth some twenty pounds was not forgotten.
The above are facts. I do not assert that such were the orders of the committee, got up after four o'clock of same Saturday at the Eureka stockade. I had no part or portion in the committee, and know nothing of it personally.
LV.
NON SIT NOBIS VANUM, MANE SURGERE ANTE LUCEM.
I ran up to the stockade to remonstrate with Peter Lalor, for whom I had too much respect to think for one moment, that he had any hand, and much less that he had sanctioned, such suicidal proceedings.
Thanks to the password; I entered within the stockade. It must have been not far from midnight. I found everything comparatively quiet; the majority were either asleep or warming themselves
