in search of the castaways-第67章

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oo　much　for　the　bridge；　or　whether　the　train　had　gone　off　the　rails；　the　fact　remained　that　five　carriages　out　of　six　fell　into　the　bed　of　the　Loddon；　dragged　down　by　the　locomotive。　　The　sixth　carriage；　miraculously　preserved　by　the　breaking　of　the　coupling　chain；　remained　on　the　rails；　six　feet　from　the　abyss。　　Below　nothing　was　discernible　but　a　melancholy　heap　of　twisted　and　blackened　axles；　shattered　wagons；　bent　rails；　charred　sleepers；　the　boiler；　burst　by　the　shock；　had　scattered　its　plates　to　enormous　distances。　From　this　shapeless　mass　of　ruins　flames　and　black　smoke　still　rose。　After　the　fearful　fall　came　fire；　more　fearful　still！　Great　tracks　of　blood；　scattered　limbs；　charred　trunks　of　bodies；　showed　here　and　there；　none　could　guess　how　many　victims　lay　dead　and　mangled　under　those　ruins。　Glenarvan；　Paganel；　the　Major；　Mangles；　mixing　with　the　crowd；　heard　the　current　talk。　　Everyone　tried　to　account　for　the　accident；　while　doing　his　utmost　to　save　what　could　be　saved。　〃The　bridge　must　have　broken；〃　said　one。　〃Not　a　bit　of　it。　　The　bridge　is　whole　enough；　they　must　have　forgotten　to　close　it　to　let　the　train　pass。　That　is　all。〃　It　was；　in　fact；　a　swing　bridge；　which　opened　for　the　convenience　of　the　boats。　　Had　the　guard；　by　an　unpardonable　oversight；　omitted　to　close　it　for　the　passage　of　the　train；　so　that　the　train；　coming　on　at　full　speed；　was　precipitated　into　the　Loddon？　This　hypothesis　seemed　very　admissible；　for　although　one…half　of　the　bridge　lay　beneath　the　ruins　of　the　train；　the　other　half；　drawn　up　to　the　opposite　shore；　hung；　still　unharmed；　by　its　chains。　No　one　could　doubt　that　an　oversight　on　the　part　of　the　guard　had　caused　the　catastrophe。　The　accident　had　occurred　in　the　night；　to　the　express　train　which　left　Melbourne　at　11：45　in　the　evening。　　About　a　quarter　past　three　in　the　morning；　twenty…five　minutes　after　leaving　Castlemaine；　it　arrived　at　Camden　Bridge；　where　the　terrible　disaster　befell。　The　passengers　and　guards　of　the　last　and　only　remaining　carriage　at　once　tried　to　obtain　help。　　But　the　telegraph；　whose　posts　were　lying　on　the　ground；　could　not　be　worked。　It　was　three　hours　before　the　authorities　from　Castlemaine　reached　the　scene　of　the　accident；　and　it　was　six　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　the　salvage　party　was　organized；　under　the　direction　of　Mr。　Mitchell；　the　surveyor…general　of　the　colony；　and　a　detachment　of　police；　commanded　by　an　inspector。　　The　squatters　and　their　〃hands〃　lent　their　aid；　and　directed　their　efforts　first　to　extinguishing　the　fire　which　raged　in　the　ruined　heap　with　unconquerable　violence。　A　few　unrecognizable　bodies　lay　on　the　slope　of　the　embankment；　but　from　that　blazing　mass　no　living　thing　could　be　saved。　The　fire　had　done　its　work　too　speedily。　　Of　the　passengers　ten　only　survivedthose　in　the　last　carriage。　　The　railway　authorities　sent　a　locomotive　to　bring　them　back　to　Castlemaine。　Lord　Glenarvan；　having　introduced　himself　to　the　surveyor…general；　entered　into　conversation　with　him　and　the　inspector　of　police。　The　latter　was　a　tall；　thin　man；　im…perturbably　cool；　and；　whatever　he　may　have　felt；　allowed　no　trace　of　it　to　appear　on　his　features。　He　contemplated　this　calamity　as　a　mathematician　does　a　problem；　he　was　seeking　to　solve　it；　and　to　find　the　unknown；　and　when　Glenarvan　observed；　〃This　is　a　great　misfortune；〃　he　quietly　replied；　〃Better　than　that；　my　Lord。〃　〃Better　than　that？〃　cried　Glenarvan。　　〃I　do　not　understand　you。〃　〃It　is　better　than　a　misfortune；　it　is　a　crime！〃　he　replied；　in　the　same　quiet　tone。　Glenarvan　looked　inquiringly　at　Mr。　Mitchell　for　a　solution。　〃Yes；　my　Lord；〃　replied　the　surveyor…general；　〃our　inquiries　have　resulted　in　the　conclusion　that　the　catastrophe　is　the　result　of　a　crime。　　The　last　luggage…van　has　been　robbed。　　The　surviving　passengers　were　attacked　by　a　gang　of　five　or　six　villains。　The　bridge　was　intentionally　opened；　and　not　left　open　by　the　negligence　of　the　guard；　and　connecting　with　this　fact　the　guard's　disappearance；　we　may　conclude　that　the　wretched　fellow　was　an　accomplice　of　these　ruffians。〃　The　police…officer　shook　his　head　at　this　inference。　〃You　do　not　agree　with　me？〃　said　Mr。　Mitchell。　〃No；　not　as　to　the　complicity　of　the　guard。〃　〃Well；　but　granting　that　complicity；　we　may　attribute　the　crime　to　the　natives　who　haunt　the　Murray。　　Without　him　the　blacks　could　never　have　opened　a　swing…bridge；　they　know　nothing　of　its　mechanism。〃　〃Exactly　so；〃　said　the　police…inspector。　〃Well；〃　added　Mr。　Mitchell；　〃we　have　the　evidence　of　a　boatman　whose　boat　passed　Camden　Bridge　at　10：40　P。　M。；　that　the　bridge　was　properly　shut　after　he　passed。〃　〃True。〃　〃Well；　after　that　I　cannot　see　any　doubt　as　to　the　complicity　of　the　guard。〃　The　police…officer　shook　his　head　gently；　but　continuously。　〃Then　you　don't　attribute　the　crime　to　the　natives？〃　〃Not　at　all。〃　〃To　whom　then？〃　Just　at　this　moment　a　noise　was　heard　from　about　half　a　mile　up　the　river。　　A　crowd　had　gathered；　and　quickly　increased。　　They　soon　reached　the　station；　and　in　their　midst　were　two　men　carrying　a　corpse。　It　was　the　body　of　the　guard；　quite　cold；　stabbed　to　the　heart。　The　murderers　had　no　doubt　hoped；　by　dragging　their　victim　to　a　distance；　that　the　police　would　be　put　on　a　wrong　scent　in　their　first　inquiries。　This　discovery；　at　any　rate；　justified　the　doubts　of　the　police…inspector。　The　poor　blacks　had　had　no　hand　in　the　matter。　〃Those　who　dealt　that　blow；〃　said　he；　〃were　already　well　used　to　this　little　instrument〃；　and　so　saying　he　produced　a　pair　of　〃darbies；〃　a　kind　of　handcuff　made　of　a　double　ring　of　iron　secured　by　a　lock。　〃I　shall　soon　have　the　pleasure　of　presenting　them　with　these　bracelets　as　a　New　Year's　gift。〃　〃Then　you　suspect〃　〃Some　folks　who　came　out　free　in　Her　Majesty's　ships。〃　〃What！　convicts？〃　cried　Paganel；　who　recognized　the　formula　employed　in　the　Australian　colonies。　〃I　thought；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃convicts　had　no　right　in　the　province　of　Victoria。〃　〃Bah！〃　said　the　inspector；　〃if　they　have　no　right；　they　take　it！　They　escape　sometimes；　and；　if　I　am　not　greatly　mistaken；　this　lot　have　come　straight　from　Perth；　and；　take　my　word　for　it；　they　will　soon　be　there　again。〃　Mr。　Mitchell　nodded　acquiescence　in　the　words　of　the　police…inspector。　At　this　moment　the　wagon　arrived　at　the　level　crossing　of　the　railway。　Glenarvan　wished　to　spare　the　ladies　the　horrible　spectacle　at　Camden　Bridge。　　He　took　courteous　leave　of　the　surveyor…general；　and　made　a　sign　to　the　rest　to　follow　him。　　〃There　is　no　reason；〃　said　he；　〃for　delaying　our　journey。〃　When　they　reached　the　wagon；　Glenarvan　merely　mentioned　to　Lady　Helena　that　there　had　been　a　railway　accident；　without　a　hint　of　the　crime　that　had　played　so　great　a　part　in　it；　neither　did　he　make　mention　of　the　presence　of　a　band　of　convicts　in　the　neighborhood；　reserving　that　piece　of　information　solely　for　Ayrton's　ear。　The　little　procession　now　crossed　the　railway　some　two　hundred　yards　below　the　bridge；　and　then　resumed　their　eastward　course。

CHAPTER　XII　TOLINE　OF　THE　LACHLAN

ABOUT　two　miles　from　the　railway；　the　plain　terminated　in　a　range　of　low　hills；　and　it　was　not　long　before　the　wagon　entered　a　succession　of　narrow　gorges　and　capricious　windings；　out　of　which　it　emerged　into　a　most　charmi