Bunyip Land: A Story of Adventure in New Guinea

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

  HOW I GOT INTO SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES.

  It is not a pleasant place to pass a night, on the ground at the edge ofa vast forest, inhabited by you know not what noxious beasts, while ifyou light a fire to scare them off you always do so with the idea thatin scaring one enemy you may be giving notice to a worse where he mayfind you to make a prisoner or put you to death.

  However we determined to risk being seen by savages, the more readilythat we had gone so far now without seeing one, and in a short time aruddy blaze was gilding the forest edge and the great sparks werecracking around the trees.

  We had calculated upon being back at camp that night, so we had eatenall our food, and now, as we sat there by the fire hungry and tired, Ibegan to think that we might have done worse than cut off the kangaroo'stail before Jimmy had thrown it away.

  Poor Jimmy! He too seemed to be bitterly regretting the idleness thathad made him give up his self-imposed task, and the dismal hungry lookshe kept giving me from time to time were ludicrous in the extreme.

  "Never mind, Joe," said the doctor smiling; "tighten your belt, my lad,and get to sleep. That's the best way to forget your hunger. You'll besure to begin dreaming about feasts."

  The doctor was right; I lay hungrily awake for a short time, and thendropped off to sleep, to dream of delicious fruits, and cooking, and thesmell of meat burning, and I awoke with a start to find that there was avery peculiar odour close to my nose, for a piece of wood must have shota spark of its burning body into the shaggy head of poor Jimmy, who wassleeping happily unconscious, while a tiny scrap of wood was glowing andthe hair sending forth curls of smoke.

  I jumped up, seized Jimmy by the hair, and crushed out the spark,awaking that worthy so sharply that he sprang up waddy in hand, caughtme by the throat, and threw me back, swinging his war-club over his headto strike a tremendous blow.

  He saw who it was in time and dropped his weapon.

  "What a fool, Jimmy, yes! What a fool Jimmy sleep. Pull Jimmy hair,jig jag. Hallo! What a want?"

  It took some time to make him understand what had been wrong, but evenwhen he did comprehend he seemed to be annoyed with me for waking himout of a pleasant dream, probably about damper and mutton, for thesaving of so insignificant a thing as his hair, which would have soongrown again.

  Jimmy lay down again grumbling, but was soon asleep, and on comparingnotes with the doctor I found I was so near my time for taking my turnat watching and keeping up the fire that I exchanged places with him.

  As is often the case, the troubles and depressing influences of thenight departed with the day, and setting out very hungry, but by nomeans in bad spirits, we soon found a more open part, where the forestwas beginning to end, and after about three hours' walking we reachedour little camp, where we had no difficulty in satisfying our cravings,our ordinary food being supplemented by a great bunch of plantains whichone of the blacks had found and saved for us.

  After a good rest, during which the doctor and I had talked well overour future course, we determined to go right on as we had come foranother four days and then to strike due south to hit the shore, alwayssupposing that we encountered nothing fresh to alter our plans.

  "And I'm sure we shall," I said to myself, for somehow, I cannot tellyou why--and perhaps after all it was fancy--I felt sure that we shouldnot be long now before we met with some adventure.

  I did not like to say anything of this kind to the doctor, for I feltthat if I did he would laugh at me; but I took the first opportunity Icould find of confiding in Jack Penny.

  He looked down at me and then seemed to wave himself to and fro, lookingat me in a curious dreamy fashion.

  "Do you think that? do you feel like as if something is going tohappen?"

  "Yes," I said hastily. "I don't ask you to believe it but I cannot helpthinking something about my curious feelings."

  "Oh! I believe you," he said eagerly. "Oh! I quite believe you, JoeCarstairs. I used to feel like that always on mornings when I woke upfirst, and so sure as I felt that way father used to be going to lickme, and he did. I should put fresh cartridges in my gun if I was you.I'll keep pretty close to you all day and see you through with itanyhow."

  But Jack Penny did not keep his word, for somehow as we were journeyingon in the heat of the day looking eagerly for a spring or river to makeour next halting-place we were separated. I think it was Jack's backwanted a rest. Anyhow I was steadily pushing on within shoutingdistance of my companions, all of whom had spread out so as to be morelikely to hit upon water.

  It was very hot, and I was plodding drowsily along through a beautifulopen part dotted with large bushes growing in great clumps, many ofwhich were covered with sweet smelling blossoms, when just as I waspassing between a couple of the great clumps which were large enough tohide from me what lay beyond, I stopped utterly paralysed by the scenesome fifty yards in front.

  For there in the bright sunshine stood a boy who might have been aboutmy own age intently watching something just beyond some bushes in hisfront, and the moment after a small deer stepped lightly out full in myview, gazed round, and then stooped its graceful head to begin browsing.

  The boy, who was as black as ebony and whose skin shone in the sun,seemed to have caught sight of the deer at the same moment as I, for hethrew himself into position, poising the long spear he carried, restingthe shaft upon one hand and bending himself back so that he might getthe greatest power into his throw.

  I had seen Jimmy plant himself in the same position hundreds of times,and, surprised as I was at coming upon this stranger, whose people wereprobably near at hand, I could not help admiring him as he stood there athorough child of nature, his body seeming to quiver with excitement forthe moment and then becoming perfectly rigid.

  My eye glanced from the boy to the deer and back again, when a slightmovement to my right caught my attention and I stood paralysed, for in acrouching attitude I could see a second black figure coming up, war-clubin hand, evidently inimically disposed towards the young hunter.

  "And he may belong to a friendly set of people," I thought. "It isJimmy!"

  "No: it was not Jimmy, but one of the bearers--Ti-hi," I thought.

  "No: it was a stranger!"

  Just then the boy drew himself back a little more, and as I saw thestooping figure, that of a big burly savage, stealthily creeping on, Irealised his intention, which was to wait till the boy had hurled hisspear and then leap upon him and beat him to the ground.

  I made no plans, for all was the work of moments. I saw the spear leavethe boy's hand like a line of light in the sunshine; then he turned,alarmed by some sound behind him, saw the savage in the act of leapingupon him, uttered a shrill cry of fear, and ran somewhat in mydirection, and at the same moment my gun made a jump up at my shoulderand went off.

  As the smoke rose I stood aghast, seeing the boy on my left crouchingdown with a small waddy in his hand and the great black savage prone onhis face just to my right.

  "I've killed him!" I exclaimed, a chill of horror running through me;but as I thought this I brought my piece to the ready again, for thesavage leaped to his feet and turned and ran into the bush at atremendous pace.

  From habit I threw open the breech of my gun without taking my eyes fromthe boy, and, thrusting my hand into my pouch, I was about to place afresh ball cartridge in its place when I found that I had drawn theright trigger and discharged the barrel loaded with small shot, asufficient explanation of the man being able to get up and run away.

  I remained standing motionless as soon as I had reloaded, the boywatching me intently the while and looking as if he was either ready toattack or flee according to circumstances. Friendly advance there wasnone, for he showed his white teeth slightly and his eyes glittered asthey were fixed upon mine.

  Suddenly I caught sight of the deer lying transfixed by the boy's spear,and without a word I walked quietly to where the little animal lay, theboy backing slowly and watchfull
y from me, but holding his waddy readyfor a blow or to hurl at me, it seemed, if I ventured to attack.

  I wanted to make friends, and as soon as I reached the dead deer Istooped down, holding my gun ready though, and taking hold of the spear,drew it out and offered it to the young hunter.

  He understood my motion, for he made a couple of steps forward quickly,but only to draw back uttering an angry ejaculation, and raise his waddyin a threatening way.

  "He thinks I want to trap him," I said to myself; and taking the spearin regular native style, as Jimmy had taught me, I smiled and nodded,tossed it in the air, and let it drop a few yards away with the shaftupright and towards his hands.

  I pointed to it and drew back a few yards, when, quick as some wildanimal, he made two or three bounds, caught up the spear, poised it, andstood as if about to hurl it at me.

  It was not a pleasant position, and my first impulse was to raise my gunto my shoulder; but my second was to stand firm, resting on my piece,and I waved my hand to him to lower the spear.

  The boy hesitated, uttered a fierce cry, and stamped one foot angrily;but I waved my hand again, and, thrusting my hand into my pocket, pulledout a ring of brass wire, such as we carried many of for presents to thesavages, and I tossed it to him.

  I saw the boy's eyes glitter with eagerness, but he was too suspiciousto move, and so we stood for some minutes, during which I wonderedwhether my companions had heard the report of my gun, and if so whetherthey would come up soon. If they did I was sure they would alarm theboy, who seemed as suspicious as some wild creature and shook his spearmenacingly as soon as I took a step forward.

  A thought struck me just then as I saw a red spot glisten on a leaf, andstepping forward I saw another and another, which I pointed to, and thenagain at a continuous series of them leading towards the dense bush.

  I took a few more steps forward when the boy suddenly bounded to my sideas if he realised that I had saved his life and that he was bound to tryand save me in turn.

  He uttered some words fiercely, and, catching my arm, drew me back,pointing his spear menacingly in the direction taken by the greatsavage, and in response to his excited words I nodded and smiled andyielded to his touch.

  We had not taken many steps before he stopped short to stand and stareat me wonderingly, saying something the while.

  Then he touched me, and as I raised my hand to grasp his he uttered afierce cry and pointed his spear at me once more, but I only laughed--very uncomfortably I own--and he lowered it slowly and doubtfully onceagain, peering into my eyes the while, his whole aspect seeming to say,"Are you to be trusted or no?"

  I smiled as the best way of giving him confidence, though I did not feelmuch confidence in him--he seemed too handy with his spear. He,however, lowered this and looked searchingly at me, while I wonderedwhat I had better do next. For this was an opportunity--here was a ladof my own age who might be ready to become friends and be of greatservice to us; but he was as suspicious and excitable as a wildcreature, and ready to dash away or turn his weapons against me at theslightest alarm.

  It was very hard work to have to display all the confidence, but I toldmyself that it was incumbent upon me as a civilised being to show thissavage a good example, and generally I'm afraid that I was disposed tobe pretty conceited, as, recalling the native words I had picked up fromour followers, I tried all that were available, pointing the while tothe deer and asking him by signs as well if he would sell or barter itaway to me for food.

  My new acquaintance stared at me, and I'm afraid I did not make myselfvery comprehensible. One moment he would seem to grasp my meaning, thenext it appeared to strike him that I must be a cannibal and want to eathim when I made signs by pointing to my mouth. At last, though, theoffer of a couple of brass rings seemed to convince him of myfriendliness, and he dragged the little deer to me and laid it at myfeet.

  After this we sat down together, and he began chattering at a tremendousrate, watching my gun, pointing at the spots upon the leaves, and thentouching himself, falling down, and going through a pantomime as ifdying, ending by lying quite stiff with his eyes closed, all of whicheither meant that if I had not fired at the big black my companion wouldhave been killed, or else that I was not on any consideration to use mythunder-and-lightning weapon against him.

  I did not understand what he meant, and he had doubtless very littlecomprehension of what I tried to convey; but by degrees we became verygood friends, and he took the greatest of interest in my dress,especially in my stout boots and cartridge-belt. Then, too, he touchedmy gun, frowning fiercely the while. My big case-knife also took up agood deal of his attention and had to be pulled out several times andits qualities as a cutter of tough wood shown.

  After this he drew my attention to his slight spear, which, though ofwood, was very heavy, and its point remarkably sharp and hard. In spiteof its wanting a steel point I felt no doubt of its going throughanything against which it was directed with force.

  He next held out his waddy to me to examine. This was a weapon ofblack-looking wood, with a knob at the end about the shape of agood-sized tomato.

  I took hold of the waddy rather quickly, when it must have struck theboy that I had some hostile intention, for he snatched at it, and forthe moment it seemed as if there was a struggle going on; then I felt aviolent blow from behind, as if a large stone had fallen upon my head,and that was all.