Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-06-10
AT MULLINER'S CAMP


Mulliner's Camp, on the Hodgkinson,
was the most hopeless looking spot in
the most God forsaken piece Of country
in North Queensland, and Haughton,
the amalgamator at the Big Surprise
crushing mill, as he turned YEARLY
away from the battery tables to look at
his retorting fire, cursed silently but
vigorously at his folly in staying there.
TWAS Saturday night, and the deadly
melancholy Of Mulliner's was, if posi-
BILE, somewhat accumulated by the crash
and rattle of the played out old five head
battery, accompanied by the wheezings
and groanings of its VIGOROUSLY unre-
liable pumping gear. Half a mile away
from the decrepit old battery and stu
ated ON the summit Of an adder infested,
ironstone ridge, the dozen or so Of bark
humpies that constituted Mulliner's
camp proper stood out clearly in the
bright starlight in all their squat ugli-
ness Haughton, as he threw log or
two into the retort furnace and watched
the shower Of sparks fly high up over
the battery roof was thinking of old
Channing's daughter Kate, and the Curl
GUS state of affairs existing between her
and his partner Ballantyne. Briefly
stated, this is what had occurred-that
is, as far as Haughton knew.
Twelve months before Mrs. Charming,
a meek faced, religious minded lady,
had succumbed to the worries of life un-
der the combined and Frustrating infiu-
ences Of a galvanized iron roof, an indie
pendent, Chinaman cook and q small,
powerful, theological library. Immedi-
ately after her death old Charming wrote
to his daughter, then at school in Sgd
ney, to come back and cheer up his lonely
life. Being dutiful girl, she packed
up and went.
On board the steamer she had met
Ballantyne, who was returning to
Queensland to resume his mining pur
suits in the Palmer district He knew
old Claiming well by reputation as a
wealthy but eccentric old squatter, and
in few days he managed to make the
girl fall violently in love with him.
The day that the steamer reached Bris-
bane, telegram was brought on board
for Miss Claiming. 1t was from her
father, telling her that Mrs. Lankey of
Mount Brindlebul was coming up from
Sydney in another week, and she was
to wait in Brisbane for her. Then they
were to travel northward together.
If there was one woman in the world
she hated, it was Mrs. Lankey Of Mount
Brindlebul station, in the gulf coun-
try, and Ballantyne, from whom she
could hide nothing, saw his opportu-
nifty and took it, He took her ashore,
placed her in lodgings, went to hotel
himself, and the day before her future
escort arrived married her.
Perfectly satisfied with the cogent
reasons he gave for secrecy in not APP
prising her father of their marriage,
and shedding tears at the nonchalant
manner in which he alluded to a honey
moon "some time, in a year or so, when
the old man comes to know of it, "
pretty Kate Charming went back alone
to her lodgings to await Mrs. Lankey
and cogitate upon the peculiarly mas
terful way in which Ballantyne had
wooed and won her.
Six months afterward she got letter
from Ballantyne, telling her that he
had bought Petermann's crushing mill
at Mulliner's Camp, 80 as to be near
you. my pet, he said. At the same
time he warned her of the folly of their
attempting to meet-at least openly
but added that Haughton, his partner,
who knew of his marriage, would visit
Calypso Downs occasionally and give
her news Of him; also, that they could
correspond by the same medium.
Thus matters stood between them for
some months till Kate, wearying to
meet the cold, calculating Ballantyne,
adopted the device Of riding over late
Sunday afternoon to Mulliner's for the
mail, instead of her father sending over
one of his black boys.
But, instead of meeting her with
kisses, Ballantyne terrified her with saw
age reproaches. TWAS madness, he said,
for her to run such risk. By and by he
would be in a better position. At pres
emit he was as poor as a rat, and it was
best for them to be apart. And Kate,
thoroughly believing in him, bent to his
will. She knew that her father was, as
Ballantyne thoughtfully observed, such
violent tempered old man that he
would cast her off utterly. unless he