A Visit to Blestland

Introduction

" There they go again ! There go Cringe's white slaves ! Your fellow-bondmen are about to enjoy their customary respite and their mid-day meal, old fellow; so that our own lunch hour must be close at hand. If food for reflection was all we required to sustain life, we need never experience the pangs of hunger while your philanthropic employer's busy hive is open to contemplation at leisure ; but as Dame Nature demands something more substantial, I shall be glad when refreshment is announced." The speaker and the person addressed, who happened to be the writer, were lounging on the verandah of a comfortable inn, gazing lazily in the direction of a huge industrial establishment, one of several in the vicinity, from the various outlets of B ■2 which workers of both sexes and all ages swarmed with anxious haste.

The silence which followed the delivery of the remarks recorded was presently broken by my friend making certain specific inquiries concerning the factory referred to ; and having received the desired replies he proceeded to comment on what I said in an abstracted sort of way. " Many hundreds of them ! " he soliloquized. " To themselves their labour yields barely sufficient to keep body and soul together, whilst to the owner of the hive in which they toil it returns a princely income ! How long will injustice so gross be per mitted to exist, I wonder ? The time will inevitably come when the system which sanctions such con ditions will be swept away for ever ; but my great fear is that, when it does arrive, the result will be the establishment of some other form of social in justice. The cause of suffering humanity would gain but little, and might possibly lose much, by the substitution of one form of tyranny for another.

What think you, Carlo ? Could you but give audible expression to your views, old fellow, I have no doubt they would be found to be in agreement with your master's." The fine retriever to which the thoughtless question was addressed manifested much pleasure at having received this special notice; and wagging his bushy tail as if to show his concurrence with the tenor of the speaker's remarks, he approached the latter gently, and presented his intelligent head for a coveted caress. Hearing my friend give utterance to views similar to those which he had just enunciated was by no means an uncommon occurrence, indeed he seemed to derive no mean delight from frequently witness ing the displeasure with which his radical fulmina tions were usually received by persons of a prudent cast of thought like myself; but notwithstanding my familiarity with his political sentiments, and the fact that I had long made a practice of listening to his observations on such subjects with an assumption of contemptuous indifference, there was that in his latest remarks which riveted my attention with irresistible force.

I tried with all my might to banish from my thoughts the ideas which he had cursorily suggested ; but do what I would I could not succeed in diverting my attention even for a moment. In quivering letters of blood-red hue, three sentences were continuously marshalled in dignified solemnity before my bewildered mental vision ; and no effort of mine could obliterate them : — " The time will inevitably come when the system which sanctions such conditions will be swept away for ever," grimly led the way. Then came : " My great fear is that, when it does arrive, the result will be the establishment of some other form of social injustice." And lastly: "The cause of suffering humanity would gain but little, and might possibly lose much, by the substitution of one form of tyranny for another." Every letter of every quoted word seemed to me instinct with a desire to sear its individual outline on my devoted brain ; and I could see no reason to doubt that the object aimed at would in every case be attained.

The short, plethoric landlord, whose political creed was of the sober, conservative order, came upon the scene and endeavoured to engage me in conversation ; but I was far too abstracted to respond to his advances, nor did my attention wander in the least degree until it was directed to the approach of a large number of vehicles of various designs whose destination, it transpired, was a sporting rendezvous. " Here is a fine show for you, gentlemen ! " sarcastically cried my discontented friend. "You will fail to find any poverty-pinched faces in this gallant array. You will see no man in this gay procession whose existence depends on the amount of the world's work which he performs. Without a single exception they live luxuriously, directly or indirectly, on the toil of others. "And foremost in the van I can see Sir David Muntch, the present owner of my precious self.

It is but meet that I should dutifully salute one who suffers me to work that I may live ; and although I have reason to believe that my expression of humility will pass unnoticed by the great man, I nevertheless proceed to give effect to my intention." A mock obeisance, well in keeping with the bitter tone of his sneering remarks, followed; and he immediately went on to further criticize those among the passers-by whom he deemed worthy of notice. " Here, too, comes the proprietor of yourself and innumerable other bondmen, the grumpy Mr. Cringe," he said, glancing at me. " Does he bestow a single unselfish thought on the .hundreds of toilers in yonder hive of his, as he rolls past it in regal state ? Not one, you may depend upon it. If he thinks of them seriously at all, it is to ponder on the possibility of abstracting a still greater proportion of their earnings from the unfortunate wretches.

When it is borne in mind how immeasurably easier it is to replace a servitor than an employer, one cannot help wondering how it is that the condition of the masses is not even more deplorable than it is at present. That purse-proud vulgarian could dispense with the services of every soul in his employ without diminishing his income for a moment, or otherwise sustaining any serious injury ; but should the workers be tempted by any consideration, however grave, to dispense with the services of a particular employer, we know well the fate that would befall them. "Old Benny the money-lender, too, is visible to the naked eye ; but the resplendency of his jewels renders it unsafe to permit the unprotected optic to gaze at him for any length of time. "Another prime favourite of fickle fortune ap proaches — Mr. Craftson, the great city landlord.

Public requirement continues to increase the value of this man's rent-roll to such an extent, and his penuriousness of character is so pronounced, that he must eventually become the possessor of fabulous wealth. And yet neither he nor those from whom he inherited the property has or had any more strictly exclusive right to it than any other individual member of the community ! How I wish Httle Fussi the Leveller was here to inveigh against a system which makes such people possible ! It always does me good to hear it vigorously cursed ! " Like myself, Boniface was at great pains to make him believe by certain actions, such as audibly hum ming snatches of music-hall ditties and so forth, that he was not listening; but that, also like me, he distinctly heard every word that was uttered received ample confirmation from the fact that he rose to his feet with a loud snort of indignation when the Leveller's name was mentioned, and retired with all the dignity which it was in his power to assume.

" An excuse might possibly be found for the tenacity with which you cling to the set of stunted and ungenerous political beliefs which you have inherited ; but what can be thought of a fellow like that," he asked, with a contemptuous glance at the retreating figure of the landlord, " who, having been nurtured in poverty, has had years of bitter experience of the injustices and disabilities under which the financially weak and destitute labour, and yet transfers his sympathy to the cause of monopoly the moment he is prompted to do so by self-interest ? And the pity of it is that people of the Bulgee type are by no means uncommon." This tirade, which bid fair to be prolonged indefi nitely, was cut short by the receipt of an invitation to the repast for which he professed to hunger ; and no reference to the subject - matter thereof was afterwards made.

When in due course we returned to our positions on the verandah, my friend lost no time in once more burying himself in the work of fiction which he had been engaged in reading during the greater portion of the morning ; and this example I earnestly endeavoured to follow, but without meeting with the slightest shadow of success. Jumbled confusedly with certain thoughts that the unstudied comments which I pretended not to heed had called into existence, came the three sentences al ready quoted to torment me again ; and to nothing but their kaleidoscopic movements could I devote the least attention. The drowsy hum of busy wheels came to me from the distant factories ; and this, together with the very pronounced stillness which prevailed in the immediate vicinity, had the effect of soothing my harassed brain after the lapse of what appeared to be a considerable time.

Indeed I think I must have been on the point of dozing, when I was violently startled by my companion casting his un offending volume from him with a loud crash, and yawningly announcing that he could read no longer. He then proceeded to propose a stroll, and tried to induce me to accompany him ; but I felt quite disinclined for exertion, and urged as an excuse that I had certain matters to attend to connected with a projected fishing excursion on which we meant to embark on the morrow, and which was intended to extend over our annual holidays, which had just begun. 'o Having exhausted his persuasive powers in an ineffectual attempt to prevail upon me to alter my decision, he called upon his faithful Carlo to follow him and walked briskly away. His hand had barely touched the wicket-latch, however, when something seemed to strike him which caused him to hesitate ; and after a few moments' indecision he thoughtfully retraced his steps.

"A circumstance has just occurred to me which I think affords sufficient reason for postponing our departure for a day at least," he said, with gloomy earnestness. " To-morrow will be the sixth anni versary of the awful boating calamity which befell the poor Wingford family ; and surely a more auspicious day for setting sail might easily be selected." Although he who spoke them was unaware of the fact, these words rudely recalled the great sorrow of my life. Had he known of the wealth of undying affection which I so lavishly bestowed on a certain member of the family referred to, the name which he uttered would not have escaped his lips, I know ; but he knew not of it, nor of the corre sponding burden of grief wbich her untimely end called upon me to bear, for not even to him, life long and well-tried friend though he was, could I bring myself to speak of my great but blighted love for Bessie Wingford.

It was too transcendently sacred a thing to be made the subject of ordinary discussion ; and besides, I derived a sort of melancholy satisfaction from the knowledge that the existence of the sad memories which I was doomed to cherish for ever was in no way suspected by any living soul. Finding that his efforts to obtain my consent to the delay of which he spoke were no more likely to be successful than his endeavours to persuade me to accompany him in his ramble, he again left me ; and I was thereupon free to ponder on the mournful reflections which his latest observations had so cruelly induced.

Chapter I

On a lovely afternoon in the early autumn time, there might have been seen in a picturesque nook on a grand old river which for ever empties itself into matchless Port Jackson, two young men busily engaged in making preparations for what was in tended to be a somewhat protracted excursion, judging by the quantity of stores with which they considered it necessary to fortify themselves. One devoted his attention exclusively to matters connected with the sailing and sporting departments, while the other busied himself in attending to the stowage of the rather numerous camp requirements which he considered indispensable. A harmless foible noticeable in the character of the latter young gentleman was a firm belief that he was the possessor of special qualifications for the performance of the task in which he was engaged, although evidence of his faculty for bestowing articles where they would be most difficult to find had been frequently afforded on similar occasions.

Nothing would be regarded by him as a more unpardonable affront, than a suggestion that the duty which he was then enthusiastically performing should be attended to by some one else. A deeply-interested observer of the proceedings in which his master was cheerily engaged, was a beautiful retriever named Carlo, which followed his movements closely as he packed aud repacked various parcels, and whose excitement became of the highest when spasmodic incursions ashore had to be made, in order to supply some just-discovered want. With many manifestations of delight, he would pre cede his master as they went on such occasions ; but owing to his being intrusted with something to carry on the way back, his return journey was always made with a dignified gravity which showed how much impressed he was with his own importance.

Before proceeding further, and in order to gratify any feminine curiosity which may possibly be aroused on the subject, it may be as well to state that the men to whom attention is directed were on the sunny side of thirty ; neither above nor below the average with respect to the possession of good looks, and, professedly at any rate, confirmed bachelors. They were, in fact, none other than — my friend Mac and self, lifelong friends and best of chums, who were engaged in making elaborate preparations for a boating excursion such as we annually enjoyed together, and to which we long looked forward with pleasant anticipation. Just as we were about to set sail, Mac became possessed of a doubt as to whether the locker con tained a certain condiment which he very highly prized ; and declaring that the want of it would rob the trip of all enjoyment, he proceeded, against my wish, and in a wild flurry, to institute a search for the article in question.

This necessitated the dis placement of a great number of parcels of various dimensions; and as the confused heap had to he replaced — a task which was rendered all the more tedious by the packer's anxiety to complete it — all was not in readiness to cast off for nearly an hour after the time at which it was intended we should sail. When at length my friend announced himself as ready to assume the post of helmsman, Carlo received an invitation to board the boat, to which he was not slow to respond ; the moorings were deftly undone, and a voyage which I shall never cease to remember had just begun. Out on the gleaming river, where the shimmering wavelets danced rapturously and winked roguishly at our approach, as if to show how exceptionally glad they were to see us on that lovely afternoon.

The favouring breeze, of which we were so slow to take advantage, soon urged us along at a merry pace, and the faster we sailed, the more rapturous became the delight of the silvery fairies who welcomed us so brightly. Carlo lost no time in constituting himself look out; and that he might perform the duties of his office with the maximum degree of efficiency, he took up a position at the prow, where, with head erect, he sniffed and blinked contentedly at every moving object that kept a respectful distance. On no account, however, would he brook the near ap proach of any vessel, large or small ; and when any such took place, his angry remonstrance became as vigorous as his pride and delight were great when the offending craft withdrew. In course of time it became necessary to pass a towering warship at close quarters, and, probably owing to its huge size, it was treated by Carlo to an exceptionally vehement display of antipathy, a circumstance which pleased Mac very much, since, as he averred, it proved his pet's aversion to such institutions.

On we glided, past rugged headland, picturesque islet, and beautiful beach, until a glimpse of the mighty ocean proclaimed it time to alter our course if we would enter what appeared to be a bay of limited area, but which is in reality the entrance to a vast and maze-like harbour of surpassing beauty. We bad not been long engaged in threading our devious way among these winding waters when the breeze which had hitherto served us died completely away, and thereupon Mac very fretfully announced that if the calm continued for any considerable length of time, it would be impossible to reach the camping-ground he had in view before nightfall. I was tempted to remind him of the fact that he alone was responsible for any inconvenience to which we would have to submit, because of the part he took in delaying our departure ; but as nothing could possibly be gained by doing so, I refrained, and instead of upbraiding him, made a suggestion.

I expressed myself in favour of going ashore at once, camping for the night, and continuing our journey on the morrow ; but my companion irritably avowed his intention of proceeding at all hazards, and a possible chance of avoiding many thrilling experiences was thereby lost for ever. The lengthening shadows of the tree-clad hills which reared themselves so abruptly from out the placid waters, betokened the near approach of sunset before the errant breeze returned ; but it compensated in some degree for its recent defection by the increased energy which it quickly displayed, and we were soon sailing gaily again towards a goal which we were destined never to reach. Darkness set in, and save the gentle murmur of the water as it resented the disturbance of its repose, and the faint sighing of the wind as it passed through the rigging, not a sound was to be heard.

Mac seemed disinclined to converse, so I gazed idly over the side at the angry fluid as it seemed to rush madly past. By and by I could plainly see out lined in phosphorescent gleams myriads of nymphs, who beckoned me seductively to join them in their darklinf haunts, and the fantastic frolics of these must have fascinated me for quite a long time, for when at length the spell became shattered, I could see that we had arrived at a part of the harbour with which I was unfamiliar. That this would have to occur before we could reach the prospective camping-place, I was made aware by Mac's description of the latter's position ; and as I had reason to believe that my acquaintance with the enchanting haven in which we then found ourselves was but little less extensive than his own, I felt justified in concluding that our journey's end was close at hand.

Questioning my companion eagerly on the subject, I received from him for the first time in my life a petulant reply. " For heaven's sake do exercise a little patience," he said. " We have a long way to go yet, and childish fretfulness will only tend to make it appear longer still. Don't worry, there's a good fellow." Dim and uncertain as was the light, I could see at a glance that his countenance wore an unusually troubled expression; but this I attributed to a natural feeling of annoyance which he probably experienced on reflecting that he was the cause of our being belated, and so I lapsed again into silence. The last words of his peevish answer were scarcely uttered, when the wind, already strong, suddenly increased to something like a hurricane ; the boat sped with lightning-like rapidity through the rebellious water; and the gambols of the water nymphs became more frolicsome than ever.

These I contemplated dreamingly until my attention was diverted by casually noting that a physical change in our surroundings was rapidly taking place. The high wooded hills, in whose shadows we had hitherto been sailing, faded swiftly away ; and the whole scene changed, as if by magic, from a thing of beauty to one which could not truthfully be described as inviting. The farther we went the more apparent it became that we had abandoned the harbour proper and were sailing on a vast, and to me unknown, river, whose mud-coloured banks were barely high enough to restrain its waters from deluging the arid wastes c which stretched away on either side as far as the eye could reach. Just as I was about to make some emphatic comment on the unsuitableness of the locality for the object which we had in view, a sudden change in the appearance of the water forcibly arrested my attention.

The fitful phosphorescent gleams out of which my imagination had been fashioning sportive naiads had entirely disappeared, and from the angry ripples was emitted instead that which bore a striking resemblance to electrical sparks ! At first the phenomenon was confined to the water which suffered disturbance by the passage of the boat; but it quickly spread in all directions until the entire bosom of the great river presented the appearance of a vast sheet of throbbing flame ! The spectacle was sufficiently awe-inspiring to make the stoutest heart quake ; and yet a terrified glance at my companion showed me that he was perfectly unmoved. A fear of appearing faint hearted restrained me from calling out to him in my anguish ; and besides, as I told myself, I might be the victim of au optical illusion induced by some indefinable cause.

This latter theory remained unexploded but a very short time ; and when I was forced to cast it aside as untenable, I felt that to remain silent any longer meant endangering my reason. " This rather startling phenomenon does not seem to surprise you in the least, Mac," I said, as calmly as I could ; " so that I suppose I am right in assuming that this is not the first time you have witnessed the weird spectacle ? I hate making complaints, as you know ; but I cannot help saying, old fellow, that I would prefer to spend my holidays among less uncanny surroundings." The sound of my voice caused him to start violently, as if it had recalled him from a deep reverie ; and having stared at me in an exceedingly strange way for quite a long time, he deliberately released the tiller, of which he had charge, and took a seat beside me.

" Oh ! hang it all," I expostulated ; " do you want to run us ashore ? " " Had I the power, I would have done so long since," he replied, in a hoarse, unnatural voice ; " but all my efforts to that end have been in vain." " The power ! " I stammered, in pardonable trepida tion. " What, in the name of goodness, do you mean ? " " That I am utterly unable to control the movements of the boat by the ordinary or any other method," he said solemnly. " We should have landed long ago would she but answer her helm ; but she persistently refuses to do anything of the kind. I refrained from reporting the matter to you in the hope that the strange spell which seems to have been cast upon us would pass away ; but there does not appear to be any immediate prospect of that, judging by the sensational display to which you have called my attention, so that it is best that we face our temporary trouble in company, as it were.

You were not right in assuming that I had previously witnessed anything of this kind ; and when I assure you that I never set eyes on the locality before, you will readily understand that I did not choose it for a camping place." An explosive report of flapping canvas silenced him suddenly ; and a startled glance at the main sail revealed the terrifying fact that, although our craft was moving at a stupendous pace before a hard gale, it derived no momentum from its sails, which hung idly from their stays ! We were being carried — Heaven knew where — by some unknown, irresistible force, at a rate which far outpaced the hurrying wind ! An icy cold sensation passed along my spinal column ; a clammy, chilly perspiration suffused my brow ; and the contraction of my scalp was of so violent a nature, that its natural covering became almost rigid enough to displace its artificial protector when the truth respecting our position forced itself boldly upon me.

Casting a wild despairing glance around, the tiller attracted my attention ; and the possibility of the rudder having been lost suddenly occurring to me, I hastened to investigate in that direction for myself, although I was vaguely conscious that it mattered not to us whether it was lost or not. A very few moments sufficed to prove that the steering gear was in faultless order, and that Mac's report concerning its powerlessness to affect the boat's course was all too correct ; and the last ray of hope being thus extinguished, I buried my face in my hands, so as to shut out the horrifying spectacle by which we were surrounded, and tried to think out what was best to be done. My condition was not one which made calm thinking possible, however, and the desperate idea of plunging into the fiery river and swimming for our lives having suggested itself to me almost at once, I imparted my inspiration to my companion as distinctly as a tongue with a strong cleaving tendency would permit.

The absurdity of assuming that we could resist the mighty influence which controlled the boat's movements, even if we survived actual contact with the mysterious fluid, having been pointed out to me, I could but groan dismally and bewail my fate. "Above all things, we must not allow ourselves to become the victims of panic," Mac said, and there A VISIT TO BLESTLAND was a light in his brave, honest eyes as he spoke which I had seen there more than once before in the hour of danger. " The position is altogether unique and undoubtedly trying : but that is all the more reason why we should endeavour to face it coolly and manfully. You have only just realized the predica ment in which we are placed ; but I have had a couple of hours or more to ponder on the situation, and my cogitation has convinced me that nothing whatever is to be gained by fretting.

Since we must await developments, whether we like it or not, it is better far to do so calmly and bravely, than fretfully and timidly. The fact must not be overlooked that we might be very much worse off than we really are, old fellow ; for we have an ample supply of provisions, and we suffer no physical discomfort of any kind. The irresistible influence at present controlling our movements may disappear as mysteriously as it arrived, at any moment ; and when we regain our freedom of action, as we are sure to do sooner or later, I think we can be depended upon to find our way hack to Middle Harbour. I am as hungry ns the proverbial hunter, as you must be also ; so I beg to propose that, like sensible men, we address our selves to the work of self-refreshment, and calmly await inevitable results."

It was not so much the matter of this little speech, as the confident and courageous manner in which it A VISIT TO BLESTLAND was delivered, that had the effect of allaying my pardonable fears to a surprising extent; and in an incredibly short space I became cool enough to adopt my friend's suggestion, and to emulate the generally philosophic view which he took of the situation. In order to keep our thoughts as far as possible from dwelling on what we looked upon then as a dire misfortune, conversation on indifferent subjects was not allowed to flag for an instant, until the drowsy god made a call which was not to be denied, and we were forced to seek rest in forgetfulness.

Chapter II

The bright morning sun was well above the horizon before his rays became strong enough to recall us from grateful dreamland; and, as may easily be imagined, a rapid survey of our new sur roundings followed immediately on our awakening. It was apparent at a glance that no appreciable diminution of the speed at which we were being hurried onward had taken place since the previous night, a circumstance which was not calculated to reassure us ; but when the fact was realized that in the meantime we had been transported entirely out of sight of land, I found it impossible to repress a fresh feeling of genuine alarm. " Can it be that we are doomed to traverse for ever the bosoms of lonely unknown seas like the Flying Dutchman of ancient story, I wonder ? " I asked Mac, with a ghastly attempt at appearing indifferent.