CHAPTER XIII.
Rope-making.--The Cavern of Illustrations.--Ruth at theWater-pools.--Victualling the Fortress.--The Blockade.--Assault andBattery.--Bloodshed.--The close Siege.--Prospect of Famine.
Mr. Mayburn was uneasy till they set out next morning; for the thickbush-covered hill was a convenient spot for concealment. They left theirsleeping-place, therefore, at the earliest dawn, and continued theirprogress, while the young men found several trees of the stringy bark;the strips of the bark, measuring twenty or thirty feet, were hangingfrom the trunk raggedly, but very conveniently for the purpose of theworkmen, who collected a quantity of the rolls of bark, and carried iton their shoulders, till a singular isolated column of rock attractedthem to examine it; and as it afforded a little shade, and stood in anopen glade, where they need not fear hidden enemies, they rested at thefoot of it, and eat their breakfast of kangaroo steaks. Then Jack,fixing short poles into the ground to tie the bark to, soon set all theyouths to work to twist strong ropes of considerable length. They spentsome hours in this labor, and completed so heavy a burden of ropes, thatwhen they set out again they looked anxiously for an opportunity ofrelieving themselves by putting the ropes to profitable use. Theydirected their steps towards a rocky range before them, which held out aprospect of protection for the night; and bending under the weight oftheir burden, they were glad to reach the straggling, mountainous,sandstone rocks which, running east and west, interrupted their directcourse.
It was always easy in these ranges to find caves or hollow grottos,convenient for a retreat, and the bright moon showed them a low opening,which admitted them into a spacious and lofty cave. It was large enoughto have contained fifty persons, dry and clean--for the floor was offine sand; and when they had lighted a fire, they discovered that theywere not the first who had inhabited the cave, for the walls werecovered with rude, colored paintings of men and animals--the men andanimals of Australia. With great amusement and astonishment the boyslooked on the kangaroo, the opossum, many curious lizards, and heads ofmen, colossal in size, and imperfect in execution, somewhat resemblingthe ambitious child's first attempts at high art.
"I think I couldn't draw so good a kangaroo as that myself," saidGerald; "but I could make something more like the head of a man. Dolook, Margaret; that fellow has crimson hair and a green nose."
"They have not, certainly," said Mr. Mayburn, "attained perfection inthe art of coloring; nevertheless, the uninstructed men who couldaccomplish these drawings cannot be so deficient in abilities as we havebeen taught to believe these aborigines are. I wish we could, withsafety to ourselves, hold intercourse with a small number of them. Couldit not be attempted, Arthur?"
"If they would approach us openly, we would endeavor to meet themamicably, my dear father," answered Arthur; "but when they steal on ustreacherously, we must conclude their intentions are hostile. Even nowwe must prepare for defence; and though we might keep watch at theopening, I think we had better build it up."
They soon secured the entrance with slabs of stone, and then eat theirsupper, and slept with less uneasiness than usual.
"Who has moved them stones?" asked Wilkins, sharply, as, roused by thelight streaming in, he sprung from the nook he had chosen for his lair.
"It's that fidgety lass," answered Jenny. "She's been scuttling aboutthis hour, feeding her poultry, and setting things to rights as if wewere living in a parlor; and then she roused me up to help her to make abit of way to get out to fetch water. You see, Wilkins, she's ahard-working lass, but it's her way to make a fuss."
"A fuss, indeed!" replied he, indignantly; "and a nice fuss she wouldhave made if she'd let a hundred black fellows in on us. Halloo, Jack!it would be as well if we were off to see after that unlucky sister ofthine."
The rest of the family were soon aware of Ruth's errantry, but they didnot expect she would be far from the cave, as the water was spread inpools and rills, abundantly, at the foot of the rocks. The next minute,however, they were startled by a succession of shrieks, and snatching uptheir weapons, the young men rushed out, and then saw, to their greatvexation, Ruth running wildly towards them, pursued by six of thenatives, in their usual unclothed state; and it was plain their swiftsteps would soon overtake the affrighted girl, unless they were promptlychecked.
"Shout as loud as ye like," cried Wilkins, "but mind not to send asingle arrow without hitting, or they'll not care a dump for us. See andaim to do some damage--d'ye hear?"
The natives were yelling and waving their spears, and their opponentsanswered by hallooing and brandishing their glittering knives, at thesight of which the savages stopped suddenly, and looked anxiously round,as if expecting reinforcement; then discharging a volley of spears, theyturned round and rapidly fled out of sight.
Ruth was left lying prostrate on the ground, and when Jack got up toher, he found a spear had struck her on the shoulder, but fortunatelystuck in her wide cloak, without injuring her, though her terror anddistress were great.
"They'll eat me up," she cried out. "They'll eat us all, Jack; and, oh,what will Jenny say? they've gotten my water-can!"
In her great fear, the poor girl had thrown away the usefulgourd-bottle--a serious loss; and Gerald was intrusted to convey herback to the cave, while the rest went forward to the pools, in hopes ofrecovering the gourd and procuring water. The vessel was, happily,found, and filled with water, and the youths returned to the cave, wherethey found great alarm prevailing.
"Had we not better flee without delay?" asked Mr. Mayburn.
Arthur looked significantly at Wilkins, and the man said,--"Ay, ay, Mr.Arthur! ye have a head; ye can see a bit afore ye. Why, master, a bonniefigure we should cut running ower yon bare grounds--men folks and womenfolks, all like a pack of scared rabbits, wi' a pack of a hundred or soof these naked black dogs at our heels."
"But, my good man, if we stay here we shall be slain," said Mr. Mayburn,in great agitation.
"No, no, dear papa," answered Arthur. "I conclude that Wilkins's planis, that we should remain here, and hold our impregnable castle till thefoe grows tired of the hopeless siege."
"That's the best thing," said Wilkins; "they're a set of stiff hands,and we'se be put to it to tire 'em out; but we'll try what we can do.And, I say, master, we must give a look round for stores; we'll neverlet 'em starve us out. It takes good rations to get up one's heart."
"And if we have to be shut up some time," said Margaret, muchdistressed, "we must have, especially, a supply of water."
"In course, Miss," answered Wilkins; "that's a thing we cannot want,barring we had beer, which isn't to be had, more's the pity. Let's see;if we'd a bit of a tub or barrel, we'd easy fill't now, afore they'reback on us. Nay, nay, Jenny, woman; let that meat be just now, and bringus all your shells, or aught that'll hold water."
The gourd was emptied into the large turtle-shell, and Wilkins took itback to be refilled at the pools, the rest following with the largest ofthe mussel-shells; and as they went on, they carefully looked out forany available article of food that could be easily attained before thereturn of the enemy. The air was thronged with birds, and every tree wasan aviary. They might soon have brought down a quantity with theirarrows, but Arthur urged on them the necessity of first obtaining thewater. After they had filled all their water-vessels, they found theyshould only have a supply for two days, even if carefully husbanded.Thankful even for this boon, they had yet time to shoot a dozenpheasants, before the _coo-ee_ of the natives, gradually getting nearer,made it necessary that they should seek the cave, and make ready theirdefences.
Their first care was to fortify strongly the opening which formed theirentrance, and which they hoped was the only weak point. But as it wasevident, from the paintings, that this cave was well known to thenatives, it was expedient to search it thoroughly, lest there should beother outlets. Many branches ran from the main cave, but all seemedequally impregnable; and the only openings were small gaps far above theground, from which the decomposed sandstone had fallen, and
layscattered in fragments over the ground. There were traces of fires,showing that the cave had been previously inhabited, but no remains offuel; and a few withered sticks that they had brought in the precedingday were all the provision they had made for cooking their food.
"After all our wild and savage life," said Hugh, "we are not yet comedown to eat uncooked meat, I really think; and by your leave, CaptainArthur, we will make a sally to pick up sticks."
"Look through this cranny, Hugh, and tell me if you think this is a timefor throwing open our gates," said Arthur.
"I give in! I give in!" answered the boy. "Look out, Gerald; see what aswarm of dark wretches, all in earnest too, for they have sheaves ofspears in the left hand, while the right hand is raised to do battle.Keep back, Ruth! you simpleton. You have certainly seen enough of theseugly monsters."
"Oh Miss Marget!" shrieked the girl, "they'll come in and eat us. Stonewalls is nought to 'em. They're not Christian folks, they're spurrits!they 're skellingtons; I ken 'em by their bones. Oh! send them back totheir graves, master!"
Within thirty yards of the rock, and immediately before it, weregathered crowds of fierce savages; their dark skins marked with a whitesubstance like pipe-clay, in fantastic figures; most of them werepainted to represent skeletons. And while, with wild and demoniac yells,they were leaping and whirling round with graceful agility, they poisedtheir spears, ready to cast them as soon as a victim appeared in sight.There was a painful expression of surprise and vexation on every face;and Jack, usually so indulgent to his sister's foibles, could not helpsaying:
"Oh, Ruth, lass! this is thy doing."
"Why, Jack, honey!" sobbed she, "what could I think, when I seed thatbig grinning black face glouring at me fra' t' middle on a bush, andnone nigh hand me: and oh! honey, I'd setten out afore I said myprayers. What could I do but just skirl and run? and I did it."
"That you did, Ruth, and no mistake," said O'Brien. "But, after all,it's better to have our enemies before our face than at our back. Will Isend an arrow among them, Arty?"
"Certainly not, Gerald," answered Arthur; "we may need all our arrows,and we had better not be the first to commence an aggression. If we hadhad plenty of powder and shot, I have no doubt we might have dispersedthem without bloodshed; but I am loth to waste a single cartridge ofour small store. What are they about now, Hugh?"
One tall savage had mounted a mass of rock about thirty yards from them;and now, with wonderful dexterity, he sent a spear whirling through theair directly through a small gap in the rock, about twenty feet from theground. Most fortunately, Arthur had ordered the whole party to gatherclose to the entrance, and the weapon passed on one side of them, andfalling upon a shell of water tilted it over.
"Good-for-nothing rascals!" cried Jenny. "See what a mischief they'vedone."
"Be thankful, nurse," said Arthur, "that we saw the intention of thefellow, and were able to escape the spear. We now know our weak points,and may keep out of harm's way."
But Gerald, who thought the first aggression was committed, no longerscrupled to draw his bow, and sent an arrow, which he had barbed withskill, into the shoulder of the warrior on the rock, with such force,that he was hurled to the ground. In an instant all his companionscrowded around him; he was raised from the ground, and the whole partydisappeared in the bush, with every symptom of terror.
Wilkins was in an ecstasy of delight. He patted Gerald roughly on theback, saying, "That's the thing, my brave lad; ye're of the right sort;ye've let the rogues see what we can do. But if ye'd missed him we'devery soul been done. They'd have reckoned nought on us."
"It was a rash act, Gerald," said Mr. Mayburn; "but I hope the poor manis not seriously injured."
Wilkins made a grimace as he said, "Them there arrows is made o'purpose to injer, master. They're a bit sharpish to bide when they bangin among a fellow's bones, and no doctor at hand to hack 'em out."
"Didn't I tell you, Master Gerald," said Ruth, "that it were a sin and ashame to make them things as would rive folks' flesh?"
"You are the girl that said that," answered Gerald, wild with hisexploit; "and weren't you right, Ruth, _astore_! I meant them to _rive_;and see how the cowards have scampered off from them. Couldn't we go outnow, Arthur? You know we want firewood."
"Do not be impatient, Gerald," replied Arthur, "we have fuel sufficientfor one day, and we do not know how far our foes may have fled."
"Depend on't, Mr. Arthur," said Wilkins, "there's not a bush or a rockwe see but has its man. We'll have to make shift to live on what we havefor a bit. They'll soon be trying another dodge."
But though the usual _coo-ee_ rang through the distant woods, mingledwith the soft low wailing of the voices of women, the people were notseen again during a day which seemed unusually long to the anxiousprisoners. The women cooked the pheasants with the last firewood, whileMargaret filled a pillow-cover with the feathers for her father's head;but they had all become so accustomed to the hard earth, or at best to abed of wiry grass, that even Mr. Mayburn regarded this pillow as auseless luxury, and an undesirable addition to the baggage, whichrendered their journey so tedious.
"I will undertake to carry the light pillow," said Margaret, "and Itrust we may again meet with a river to lighten the toil of ourpilgrimage."
"If we found a wagon drawn by oxen, like them Mr. Deverell bought,"said Jenny, "it would be fitter for my master and you, Miss Marget."
"And a few good horses for the rest of us, nurse," said Hugh; "but saywhat you will, papa, of the beauty and excellence of this new country,it is a great vexation that there are no beasts of burden. Neitherelephant nor camel; not even a llama or a quagga which may be reduced toservitude. No four-footed creature have we yet seen but the kangaroo;and one never read, even in the Fairy Tales, of a man hopping along,mounted on a kangaroo."
"Nothing for it but trudging, Hugh," said Gerald, "unless we could meetwith an ostrich to tame."
"I fear," replied Mr. Mayburn, "that the emu, which is the ostrich ofAustralia, is not formed for carrying burdens, nor tractable enough tosubmit to the dominion of man. I am anxious to see the bird, though Ifear we may obtain no advantage from meeting with it."
In rambling among the caves to fill up the tedious hours, the boysdiscovered, in a distant branch cavern, a heap of dry wood which hadfallen through an opening in the rock, at least fifty feet above them.If this opening were even known to the natives, it could not avail themas a means of descent to the cave, and, much to the mortification of theadventurous boys, it was totally inaccessible from the interior.
"But we can comfort nurse's heart," said Hugh, "by the report that wehave found fuel enough for an English winter. And see, Gerald, some ofthese strong straight sticks will make us a sheaf of arrows, and we canbarb them with the fish-bones we preserved. Here's our work for theday."
It was a comfort to Margaret to have the two most restless of the partyquietly employed; though Mr. Mayburn objected to the barbing of thearrows, so unnecessary for destroying birds, so cruel if meant for thesavages. Wilkins sat down to make a pair of shoes of the skin of thekangaroo, and Jack made more ropes with the remains of the stringy bark.And thus the day of anxiety passed without more alarm.
Another morning dawned through the chinks of the rocky walls, and forsome time all was so still, that they began to hope the natives hadwithdrawn; but before the middle of the day the whole troop presentedthemselves so suddenly, that they were close to the rocks, and thus,secure from the arrows of the besieged, before they could prevent theirapproach.
They had come armed with heavy clubs, with which they began violently tobatter the walled entrance. This was a formidable mode of attack, andthe only mode of defence was to accumulate more stones to strengthen thebarrier. Still the men persevered, fresh parties relieving those whowere tired; but the defence seemed already shaking; while Margaret,always resolute in difficulties, had herself almost lost the power ofconsoling her more timid father. Wilkins seemed watching for anopportunity, placed before a
narrow crevice in the rock, which wasshaded outside by brush, and suddenly they saw him plunge his long knifethrough the opening against which he had seen one of the nativesleaning.
The knife entered the back of the man, who uttered a groan, and fell. Hewas immediately surrounded by the rest, who examined the wound, and thengazed round, apparently unable to comprehend the nature of this attackfrom an invisible enemy. Some of the men fled at once, many of thempierced by the arrows the young men sent after them, while othersremained to bear away, with care and tenderness, the bleeding body oftheir companion, who appeared to be mortally wounded. These humane menwere respected, even by their opponents, and permitted to retireunmolested; and for the remainder of the day, except for the sounds ofmourning from the native women, which, however, gradually became morefaint and distant, all continued still and peaceful.
The next morning broke on the besieged party with the melancholyconviction that their fortress was no longer tenable. The spring wasalready advanced, the air had become hot and parching, and the water wasexhausted.
"We must endeavor, under any circumstances," said Arthur, "to procurewater, or we must die. I propose that three of us should set out to thenearest pool for a supply, leaving the rest to guard the entrance; andif we are successful, to re-admit us. If the savages should attack andovercome us, then it will be the duty of those left here to close thebarrier, leaving us to our fate, and to use every exertion in theirpower to protect and save the feeble."
Sad as was this necessity, it was imperative, and now the question was,who were to have the honor of joining the "Forlorn Hope," as Hugh termedthe expedition. Arthur decided that the party should consist of Hugh,Wilkins, and himself. Jack was too useful to be risked, Gerald too rashto be trusted.
Arthur would not even take with him the valuable rifle, their primereliance, but left it in the charge of Jack. Then, with bows and arrowsslung over their backs, and such water-vessels as they could command intheir hands, they cautiously went out, leaving orders to the garrison,that each man should stand before his slab of stone, to be ready toreplace it before the opening, if necessary.
They reached the pool without interruption, satisfied their own thirst,filled the vessels, and then, with joy and triumph, turned homewards.But before they had proceeded many yards, a loud "_Coo-ee_," not farfrom them, proved they had not escaped notice. The cry was echoed frommany distant spots, and the water-carriers redoubled their speed, till aspear, whizzing close to the ear of Wilkins, induced Arthur to call ahalt. They faced round, set down their water-buckets, and handled theirbows. They saw that they were pursued by about a dozen men, who werethirty or forty yards behind them, amongst whom they discharged arrows,two or three times in rapid succession, with some effect, it would seem,from the confusion and irresolution which they observed had taken placeamong the natives; of which they took advantage, and snatching up theirvaluable burdens, they reached the cave before the savages rallied, and,being joined by a reinforcement, were quickly following them.
"Up with the defences," cried Arthur, breathlessly. "And now, thank God!we shall be able to hold out two or three days longer."
"Then we shall have to live on potatoes and these few green oats," saidJenny, "for we have only six pheasants left, and they spoil fast in thishot place. But, to be sure, there's them greedy hens, that can eat asmuch as a man, and are no good, unless we eat them."
"Oh no, Jenny, please don't!" cried Ruth. "See, here's six eggs they'velaid; isn't that some good? poor bit things! Oh, Miss Marget, dinnot let'em be killed!"
Margaret willingly granted the fowls their lives, the eggs beingconsidered equivalent to the oats the animals consumed; and she beggedJenny to have more trust in God, who had till now continued to supplytheir "daily bread."