CHAPTER XIX.
A _Cache_.--The Black Forest.--A Site for the Hut--The Eagles.--Gerald'sAccident.--A Subterranean Grotto.--The Pitcher Plant.--A PotatoGround.--The Fig-tree.--Australian Jumbles.--The Hungry Guest.
They began at last to be weary of the monotonous voyaging, and wereglad, one morning, on ascending the banks, to see a change of scenery.The reedy swamps were replaced by rich grassy slopes, where tall treesand bright creeping blossoms, the fragrant golden flower of the _Acacia_and the balmy odor from various trees of the _Eucalyptus_ kind,encouraged them to hope that they might find a retreat in such apleasant region.
"Halloo!" cried Wilkins. "Just all on ye step here, and take a good lookat this here tree. We're not the first white folks as has had a lookround hereabout. As sure as you're there, Mr. Arthur, there's a _catch_,as they call 't, under this same tree. Look ye, I kenned it all as soonas ever I set eyes on that there criss-cross, cut wi' an honest steelblade, I'se warrant it; and says I to mysel', our own folks has beenhere, and we'll just try a bit at their diggings; that's wi' yer leave,Mr. Arthur."
Arthur hesitated; he certainly neither wished to commit, nor to conniveat, a robbery; but he considered some information worth knowing might befound in the _cache_. He therefore sent to the canoes for shells,spades, and knives; and all the young men began to dig with as muchearnestness and anxiety as if they had been the gold-diggers in thesouth of the country.
"If we were to find a great nugget of gold," said Gerald.
"I would rather find a good saw," said Jack.
"Or an iron kettle," suggested Margaret.
"I should like a telescope," said Hugh.
"Now, nurse, what will you have?" asked Arthur.
"Well then, Mr. Arthur, honey, if I must speak," answered nurse, "Iwould say a barrel of flour; but just as God pleases."
"I feel it! I feel it!" cried Gerald, flinging away his knife in hisecstasy. "It is something hard."
"Be very careful," said Arthur. "We must not damage the hidden stores.Whatever can it be? here are canisters and bags."
"It'll be tea and sugar," cried Ruth, clapping her hands with delight.
"Nay, nay, lass, what need for folks to bury tea and sugar?" saidWilkins. "Here's summut a deal better--powder and shot. And see here,Mr. Arthur, ye're a scholar; this'll be like her Majesty's ship's nameon 'em."
"There is, indeed," replied Arthur, "and the date when they were placedhere, which is three years ago. I fear the owners will never return toclaim them now."
"All the better for us," said Wilkins. "There's nought here a bit worse,and it's all fair, ye ken, Mr. Arthur. Finders, keepers, all t' worldround."
Arthur looked inquiringly at his father.
"The wisdom of the world, Wilkins," said Mr. Mayburn, "is not always thewisdom of God. But, in the case of this treasure-trove, Arthur, as theammunition is certainly the property of her Majesty, lying uselesshere, I do think--Margaret, am I right?--I am of opinion that we mayappropriate a part of this valuable deposit; leaving in the place awritten acknowledgment of the loan. Then, if God spares us to have theopportunity, we must report our trespass to the Government."
"I think you are right, dear papa," said Margaret; "but the temptationis so great, that perhaps we are none of us in a state to give impartialjudgment."
Wilkins, without listening to a word of the discussion, had taken onhimself the responsibility of the offence, and was already activelyengaged in moving off the bags and canisters to the boats.
"Not more than we may need, remember, Wilkins," said Margaret.
"And who's to say what we may need, miss," answered the man. "We'vemony a hundred mile to trot yet, and some uglier customers than t' blackfellows to come on afore we've done, and that's them hang-gallowsbush-rangers."
"We will compromise with our conscience," said Arthur, "by taking awayhalf the store; and papa's portable writing-case will supply us with themeans of making a brief statement and an apology."
The note was written, enclosed in a bark case, and attached to one ofthe bags left in the hole; the soil was then restored, and the turfcarefully replaced, so that no trace of the _cache_ might attract thenatives.
"They'd make a bonny kettle of fish, if they did come on 't," saidWilkins; "for ten to one they'd fling t' powder on t' fire, and thenthere'd not be mony on 'em left to talk about it."
"We must take especial care to guard our cargo against fire," saidArthur; "and we have also another enemy to fear--the water--which mightsoon render our treasure useless. Therefore, the sooner we leave theboats, and 'take to the bush,' as Wilkins says, the better. This countrycertainly looks pleasant; but I should prefer a more woody and shelteredspot."
"If you look directly south, Arthur," said Hugh, "you will see a blackspot, which, I take it, must be a thick forest. It would make a goodland-mark for us, if we leave the river. What do you say? must we aimfor it?"
Arthur directed his attention to Hugh's black forest, which certainlystood in the way they wished to go; and as there was no appearance ofsmoke, or even of former fires on the plains, there was some reason tothink the district might not be frequented by the savages. Theseconsiderations decided them to abandon once more the easycanoe-voyaging, and, with the weighty addition to their burdens of theammunition from the _cache_, they slowly set out. The plain was coveredwith rich high grass that would have fed thousands of cattle, but wasnow only tenanted by herds of graceful kangaroos and small detachmentsof tall stalking emus. The trees were populated with swarms of parrots,cockatoos, pheasants, and small warblers, and the air rang with theirmingled notes, cheerful at least, if not harmonious.
When the dark wood became fully visible to them, Margaret observed thatBaldabella seemed startled and uneasy, and frequently paused as ifreluctant to proceed. But when, after an hour's walk, the sombre thickforest spread before them, half a mile across, the woman turned round toMargaret with trembling limbs, and said in a faltering voice, pointingto the forest, "Good miss, no go; bad spirit kill all people; goodmaster, Baldabella, all die. Bad spirit very angry, say no people gohere."
Margaret tried to reason with the terrified woman, who had now turnedround to flee with her child; she appeared to be agitated in the highestdegree, and when the child clung to Margaret, who turned to follow therest, the distressed mother, wringing her hands, wailed in the mostpathetic manner; till at length, with an air of sudden resolution, shedrew herself up, with her usual dignity, and said,--
"Baldabella die, not leave good friends," and walked calmly on by theside of Margaret.
Arthur had learned previously that the natives regarded a dark wood withsuperstitious awe; but he now concluded that Baldabella had someacquaintance with this particular spot, and that it was an object offear to the natives. This was a circumstance which would render it stillmore desirable to the travellers as a place of seclusion; and when theycame up close to the gloomy forest, they did not wonder at thesuperstitious dread of the ignorant savages. It seemed as if neither mannor beast, nor even the light of heaven, could penetrate the mysteriousspot. Lofty trees, resembling the pine, the chestnut and the cypress, asclosely ranged as it was possible for nature to plant them, were sointerwoven and matted together, for the height of eight or ten feet withcoiled thorny shrubs and creeping plants, that they formed animpenetrable fortress that seemed to defy the impotent attacks of man.
"I wonder which of us is the favored prince who is to 'cut his brightway through,' this enchanted wood," said Gerald. "Here's an adventure,Hugh! Now for knives and axes!"
"Do not be too hasty, boys," said Arthur. "It would be prudent to makethe circuit of the wood first, in order to select the most accessiblepoint. Besides," continued he, as they walked on, "I think we mustproceed with caution. We will cut a low tunnel, the entrance to whichcan be easily closed, if we find it possible to remain here for a shortseason; and thus we shall leave no trace of our presence."
"I shall be well content to remain here," said Mr. Mayburn, "amidstthese noble and curiou
s trees and shrubs. To study their varieties willsufficiently occupy and amuse me."
"And I shall be satisfied to live in a hut," said Margaret, "howeverrude it may be, where we can have rest and peace; where we can repairour tattered garments, and perhaps make new boots to replace these wornfragments. But I fear our abode in the forest must be gloomy anddepressing."
"We can build a nest in the trees," said Gerald, "as the people did inthe Swiss Family Robinson, and live in the cheerful society of parrotsand cockatoos. That looks like the very fig-tree the family inhabited;let us choose it. See, it is covered with ripe figs that look verytempting. I should like to climb for some."
"The fig-tree will not fly away, Gerald," said Arthur, "and just now wemust all have more important employment. We must immediately commenceour tunnel, for the air is more sultry than ever, and I have fanciedmore than once that I have heard the distant roll of thunder. Isincerely wish we had a shelter at hand. I must call on you, myfriends, to halt at once. We will try this point."
The part of the wood before which they had arrived, though quiteimpervious, was less thorny than any part they had yet passed, andtherefore more easy to work, and they began to cut down the entangledbrushwood for about four feet in height, and wide enough to admit thepassage of one person only. The lopped branches were carefullycollected, to be removed to the interior of the wood, when the path wascompleted; but their labor was long and tedious, for the forest couldnot be less than fifty yards in breadth. Fortunately after piercing itfor twenty yards, they found the underwood less rank and entangled, andwere satisfied with trampling it down to make the road smoother for thewomen.
This wood terminated finally in a glade of extraordinary beauty, richlyclothed with grass and studded with the gorgeous flowers of the tropicalregions. This glade spread before them level for some distance, thengradually sloped upwards, thickly grown with wild oats, and then withbrush, to a great height, the whole forming an isolated mountain, whichwas apparently flat at the summit.
The young boys declared this must be the very abode of enchantment; andas the ascent was a succession of green terraces, they were all able,with some fatigue, but with little difficulty, to attain the highestridge, when they saw, with some astonishment, that a few feet below themlay a basin or crater, covered with verdure--tall grass mingled with theusual thick brush.
After gazing on it for a few minutes, Hugh said, "What a capital placefor our hut. Margaret cannot call this height gloomy, for, by mountingthe ridge, we can look over the forest and survey the whole countryround us. Then the flowers are so gay and pleasant, and we shall seemultitudes of birds. Do look, papa, at those two superb eagles that aresoaring above our heads, and that doubtless have their eyrie somewherein this mountain."
But while they were gazing at the birds, O'Brien, who stood at somedistance from them, was making ready his bow, and before they were awareof it he had skilfully sent an arrow into one of the eagles, which fellfluttering and screaming among the brushwood.
"Victory! victory!" he cried, looking round for Mr. Mayburn. "Did yousee me shoot the eagle, papa?"
"I saw and admired the magnificent creatures, Gerald," answered Mr.Mayburn; "and I deeply grieved to see one fall by your hand. It was novictory, but a wanton cruelty. You have destroyed the noble bird for nouseful purpose, and my heart is afflicted to observe the distress of theattached mate. See how he circles round the spot which has left himbereaved and lamenting. I am forcibly reminded of the powerful words ofone of our modern classical poets, who, in describing such a tragicalbereavement, writes,--
'She whom he mourns Lies dying, with the arrow in her side, In some far stony gorge, out of his ken, A heap of fluttering feathers: never more Shall the lake glass her flying over it; Never the black and dripping precipices Echo her stormy scream as she sails by!'"
"I thought you would have liked to possess the bird, papa," said Gerald,"and I am really sorry for the widowed mate. I feel quite uncomfortableto see the old fellow soaring round me and uttering, I have no doubt,violent abuse. But I may as well recover my game, that you may gratifyyour curiosity by examining an Australian eagle."
"I saw it fall just behind yon yellow-flowered shrub, which looks solike our own English furze," said Hugh.
Gerald dashed forward into the bush to search for his prize, whileMargaret and her father examined with great satisfaction the richtable-land, and Jack pointed out a favorable site for a wattled,bark-roofed hut, which, he asserted, might be easily constructed in acouple of days. But while they were discussing this important affair,they were alarmed by a loud cry from Gerald, "Help, help! the enchanterhas got me! Come, Arthur, by yourself, and throw me a rope!"
All were in alarm, and where to throw the rope was the question, for theboy was not to be seen. Arthur and Jack, with a pole and ropes, steppedlightly over the bushes, expecting to find Gerald plunged in a marsh.His cries directed them to a spot, where they saw only his head and onearm clinging to a bush.
"Take care what you are about," said he; "I have slipped into a hole,and perhaps there may be more like it. You had better just slide thepole along till I can catch it, and then, perhaps, I may manage to raisemyself. The worst is, I hear that furious eagle, fluttering and hissingjust below me, and I am every moment in fear lest she should attack me,and peck my legs to revenge her wrongs."
With the aid of the rope and the pole, and the exertions of his friends,Gerald scrambled to a safe spot in the bushes, and then they all took asurvey of the cave, or grotto, that lay below; and were so muchinterested by it, that they resolved to explore it at once. Jackvolunteered to make the first expedition, and began by attaching therope to a stout bush to facilitate his descent, and taking with him thepole to test the security of the ground below.
The floor of the cave was not more than twelve feet below the opening,and Jack looked round to find himself in a large grotto, floored withdry white sand; the rocky sides were garlanded with creeping plants, andit was lighted by many apertures above, similar to that through whichGerald had fallen, and, like that, almost covered with brushwood. Darkbranch-caves ran from this airy grotto, into which they penetrated for afew yards, to satisfy themselves that it was uninhabited; and, from theobservations he made, Arthur could not but believe the whole was ofvolcanic origin, and, in fact, a portion of the crater of an exhaustedvolcano.
"We may find a capital magazine here for the powder," said Jack; "andthis light part will make a kitchen for the women folks while we arebuilding the hut Think you, Mr. Arthur, I should make them a ladder?They'll hardly like swinging down by a rope."
Arthur thought they would certainly not like such a mode of descent, andthe ladder was decided on. Then he ventured to draw near the screamingeagle to endeavor to extract the arrow from his wing, but the bird madesuch fierce returns for his kindness, that he was compelled to retreat,and wait for a more favorable moment for the operation; and in the meantime, the youths ascended to report the discovery of the cave.
Wilkins had been employed in cutting down and bringing up the ascent aquantity of the wild oats, and Margaret and her father were foundstanding by a pool of clear water, which, though now somewhat shallow,would doubtless contain an abundant supply after the rain. Around thispond Mr. Mayburn had found many new and beautiful flowers, and, as soonas he was satisfied of O'Brien's safety, he hastened to point out one ofhis most valued acquisitions.
"Observe, my dear children," said he, "one of the most curious plantsever discovered, _Cephalotus follicularis_, one of the pitcher-plants,so named from the peculiar-form of the delicate white blossoms. Youperceive that these _pitchers_ on the strong footstalk contain water--inthis are some drowned insects. Hence, some writers have asserted thatthese flowers are used by the larger insects of prey as receptacles fortheir food. But we must see that this accumulated moisture is topreserve the plant in its beauty during the long dry season."
"Could we not plant potatoes here?" asked Margaret. "In this genialclimate we migh
t soon raise a crop, and our stock is now very low."
"Of course we can, Meggie," said Hugh. "I understand the habits of our_solanum_. This light, dry, fresh soil will exactly suit it. Come,Gerald, let us lose no time in marking off and clearing ourpotato-ground, before the rains stop us. That will be more useful thanshooting eagles."
They were all gratified with the discovery of the cave, and anxious tosee it, but were induced to wait till a ladder was made, which was to becommenced as soon as a party had returned to the wood to fill up themouth of the tunnel. For this purpose they used part of the loppedbranches, which they arranged so artfully, that no one could suspect abreach had been made. The remainder of the brushwood was to be conveyedup the mountain for firewood.
After this, Hugh and Gerald made a foray in an immense fig-tree,dispersing the feathered tenants, and carrying off a large stock of theripe fruit. The rest returned, laden with firewood and wild oats. ThenJenny made them some tea, and cakes of bruised oats, mixed with theplentiful but insipid juice of the figs. These cakes were baked in theashes, and much enjoyed by the ever keenly hungry boys, who named thedark hard biscuits Australian jumbles.
Before night should put an end to their labors, Jack and the young boyscut down a slender tree, resembling the pine, to make a ladder; andMargaret, with the help of Wilkins, pared off the turf, dug a large plotof ground, and planted it with potatoes. Then, worn out with a day ofextreme toil, the wayfarers rested beneath a threatening sky, in theheated atmosphere which indicated an approaching storm.
A few drops of rain at daybreak roused up the whole family to promptactivity.
"It's no time to start and build to-day," said Wilkins. "Wait a bit;here's a storm ower our heads; or, if ye want work, what say ye tosinking yon bit pond a foot deeper? it holds nought, and when t' rainfalls it'll overflow and half drown us, if we don't mind."
Arthur thought it was a more prudent plan to dig another pond orreservoir, rather deeper than the original one, and make a channelbetween the two. They should thus secure a supply of water, and preventtheir potato ground from being washed away by a sudden flood.
"And, now that the ladder is finished," said Margaret, "it would bebetter that papa and I should descend at once into this subterraneangrotto, and make it ready for our temporary abode, till you are able tobuild a hut; for there is certainly a prospect of rain falling to-day."
"Come along," cried Gerald, "that I may usher you into mynewly-discovered dominions. Now, Ruth, we shall have you safe; you willhave few opportunities of committing mischief when you are below theearth. Come and descend into the burning mountain, and take care youdon't fight with my eagle."
"Oh! master, is't true--is't a burning mountain?" asked Ruth, in terror.
"It has been a volcano," answered Mr. Mayburn, "but, in all probability,exhausted, hundreds of years ago. It is now, as you see, a beautifulwilderness."
Ruth did not regard the beauty of the spot; she saw only, in her mind'seye, the red flames pouring from Mount Vesuvius, as depicted in a gaudypicture-book she had seen in her childhood.
"Oh, please, Miss Marget," she exclaimed, "stay up here! don't go downinto that hole; it'll, maybe, break out again, and we'll all be burntalive."
But Margaret remonstrated, the boys laughed and Jenny scolded; and,finally, Jack brought Ruth down to the range of subterranean apartments,where Margaret and Jenny soon planned dormitories, kitchen, andstore-rooms. A large alcove was to be the chapel, and the light bowerygrotto beneath the entrance was to be the drawing-room,--at least, tillthe heavy rains should compel them to seek more effectual shelter. Herethey collected stones for seats, and rolled into the midst a large pieceof rock for a table, upon which was spread the breakfast of tea andoat-cakes, at present their only provision.
Mr. Mayburn was delighted to have the opportunity of inspecting sonearly the wounded, but still fierce eagle, with its shining blackplumage; and he judged it was that known as _Aquila Fucoso_. It was invain, however, to attempt a close examination till Wilkins and Jack,after some struggling, and a few severe pecks, succeeded in holding ittill Arthur extracted the arrow from the wing, and saw that nature wouldprobably heal the wound in a few days. In the mean time the bird wasstarving, for it rejected with disdain the farinaceous food offered toit; and Hugh and Gerald promised, as soon as the reservoir wascompleted, to set out and shoot some small birds or opossums, for theirhungry guest.