CHAPTER XXVII.
The Eagle's Eyrie.--The Chaotic Solitude disturbed.--The VoluntaryPrisoners.--The Report of the Spy.--The Foe at the Gates.--A Traitor inthe Camp.--Dispersion of the Invaders.--A lucky Escape.--A pleasantVoyage.
After a few days more had elapsed, the close confinement became irksometo all. Baldabella, accustomed to a free, roving life, pleaded her greatdesire to fish by moonlight; and as there was less danger for her thanfor the white men, this was permitted, and she returned safely withabundance of fish to increase the store of provisions. Then Hugh andGerald, unlucky as their last expedition had been, begged humbly thatthey might be allowed to put their noses out beyond the bars of theircage.
"No, no! unruly boys," answered Margaret; "you have a spacious_pleasaunce_ around you; be content and thankful to enjoy it."
"Then surely we may climb the woods at the side?" said Hugh. "We want tofind the nests of the strange birds we hear above us. No harm can befallus in our own domain; it will be only like running up a ladder, thebrush is so thick and low. Come along, Gerald, and let us inspect thewonders of our aviary."
Mr. Mayburn would really have liked himself to have a peep into the manyholes and crannies of the rocks, which sent forth such multitudes ofbirds, and he could not object to the expedition. The agile boys made nodelay, but, clinging to the bushes, sprung up the almost perpendicularside of the mountain, disturbing the domestic peace of the tenderpigeons, provoking the voluble abuse of the noisy cockatoos, andfinally, at the summit, regarding with awe, at a respectful distance,the eyrie of the dark eagle, which, with the fire of its fierce eyes,defied their approach.
"We will avoid any offence to _Aquila_," said Hugh. "We might come tothe worse again, Gerald. But where are you mounting now?"
"Only to the peak, Hugh," answered he. "I should like to have a peepround, to find out what our neighborhood is." And the active boy soongained the highest point, and stood there, an Australian Mercury, on the"heaven-kissing hill."
"What a wonderful sight!" he cried out. "Do come up, Hugh, to see theseheights, and hollows, and windings,--a rocky chaos! It is like thebeginning of a new world!" Then turning round to observe the scene athis left hand, he suddenly cried out, in a tone of alarm,--"Halloo! I'min for it now!" and as he hastily descended from his elevated position,the report of fire-arms, multiplied as usual among the mountains, provedthat the chaotic solitude was not free from the visitation of man.
"Down! down! hurry to them, Hugh!" continued Gerald, now safe from theshots. "Tell them to gather in the charqui, and the firewood, and allthings scattered about. Above all, let Ruth carry off the poultry, andgag that noisy cock; the rangers are at our heels. I shall take up myabode in this darling little oven behind the bushes, and if they shouldmount the ramparts, I shall be able to act spy. No words about it, butbe off. It is safer here than down below."
There was indeed no time for Hugh to delay, for many traces ofhabitation were scattered over the valley. Buckets stood at the well;linen was spread to dry; the charqui was exposed on the bushes; knivesand axes were lying about, and the hens and chickens, and men and women,were all out, enjoying the open air. When Hugh dropped among them,breathless and pale, to tell his vexatious tale, they had somewhatanticipated the danger, from hearing the report of the fire-arms; andall hands were already employed to endeavor to restore to the busyvalley the wild and solitary aspect of undisturbed nature. The fowlswere collected into their coop, which was placed in a dark hollow; andthough they did not follow Gerald's advice, and gag the tell-tale cock,they threw a large cloak over the coop, and chanticleer, duped into thebelief that it was night, folded his wings, and, mounted on his perch,resigned himself to repose amidst his family.
When they had restored to the lately populous vale as natural anappearance as circumstances would allow, they all withdrew into thelargest cave, and filled up the entrance, with an appearance of artfuldisorder, with rocky fragments, very impatient for Gerald's return toreport the extent of the danger to which they were exposed, and the bestmode of escaping from it. But after waiting a considerable time in theirgloomy prison, weary of compelled inaction, every heart was filled withanxiety at the protracted absence of the adventurous boy. Three hourselapsed, and after listening and looking through the crevices of therock in vain, Arthur was on the point of venturing out to ascend thecliffs himself, when Gerald's voice was heard whispering through anarrow opening, "Is it a serpent or a genie you think I am, to glidethrough this peep-hole? Open sesame!"
There was no time lost in admitting the welcome visitor. "Now, then!"said he; "quick! quick! the foe is at the gate. Now, my boys, do thething nately, as we Irish say. We mustn't build it up like a wall yousee, Jack."
It was not built like a wall; but by the united strength of the party,an immense mass of rock was rolled before the opening, which nearlyclosed it, the pendent branches from above concealing the fissures, andaffording light and a means of making observations in safety.
"Now, Gerald," said Margaret, "I beseech you to tell me what is themeaning of all this alarm?"
"All my fault; my ill luck again, Meggie," answered he. "I would erectmyself like a statue at the very summit of the mountains; and fromthence I saw on a plain below half a dozen fellows mounted on horseback,whom I recognized, by their canary-colored garments, to be those wickedconvicts. I sank down from my eminence in a moment, but not before thehawk-eyed rogues had seen me and fired. I was not hit; but I expectedthey would be after me if they could climb through the brush, so I creptinto a snug little hollow just below the peak, arranged my leafycurtains in an elegant manner, and waited to receive my company so longthat I had really dropped asleep, and was only awaked by the rough,coarse voices of men swearing and using language which I have done mybest to forget altogether.
"They seemed to be in a great rage, and one wicked wretch sworedreadfully and said, 'It's the same ugly little cove as we blazed atafore. He's a spy sent out by them p'lice, and he's off to informagainst us. We'll burn him alive if we lay hands on him.'
"I didn't want to be burnt alive, so I crept into a corner, and laystill as a mouse.
"'T' other chap were bigger, I say,' growled another fellow.
"'Haud yer jaw,' answered the first; 'think ye they keep a pack of younghounds like this to point free rangers? But where's he slunk?'
"'I say, Bill,' called out a third voice, 'look ye down here. It's asnug, cunning hole; will 't be t' p'lice office, think ye?'
"'How'd they get at it, man?' replied Bill. 'Dost thee think they've gotwings to flee down?'
"'I'se warrant ye, we'll somehow find a road into it,' said the firstvoice. 'We'se try, at ony end; for we'll have to clear our way afore weset out on another spree. I'se about tired of eating flesh, now t'brandy's all swallowed; and if we could light on Black Peter, we'd beoff on some grand job to set us up again.'
"'Halloo! lads! what's this?'
"Then I heard oaths, and strange screams, and blows, and something heavyflopped past my den, screaming; and wasn't I in a grand fright to thinkthat one of these rogues had found such a ready road down to ourgrounds. But I soon heard the men above me again, cursing the venomousbird; and I guessed then that they had fallen in with our friend_Aquila_, and, perhaps, been worsted. I ventured cautiously to lookdown, and saw the poor eagle fluttering and hopping about below, halfkilled by the brutes no doubt; but by degrees I heard their voices dyingaway, and was sure they were withdrawing. Then I took courage, andslipped down my rude ladder as briskly as a lamp-lighter, and was withyou, only pausing a moment to look at the poor eagle as I passed, lyingcrouched in a corner covered with blood, and extending a broken wing.And now, Arthur, don't you think our citadel is in danger?"
"Indeed I do, Gerald," answered Arthur. "All we can do is to keepclosely hidden as long as we can, and then to fight for our dear friendswho cannot fight for themselves. We have weapons,--spears, arrows, andtwo rifles; and we have a capital position for defending the weak. Ifthere be no more than six men, we will defy
them."
"That will be capital," said Gerald,--"a regular siege. How is thecastle provisioned, Jenny?"
"Why, lucky enough, Master Gerald," answered she, "we fetched in here,because it was nighest at hand, all the dried meat, and the skin, and wefilled the buckets before we brought them from the well; and that's justwhat we have, barring a few cakes; for one never looked for being shutup here like. There's all the oats, and the tea and coffee, and thefirewood, are left in what we called our kitchen."
"We'se do," said Wilkins, "we'se soon sattle their business, I reckon,"looking grimly at the edge of his knife as he sharpened it upon a stone;adding, "And how and about them guns, captain? Who's to work 'em?"
"I shall take one myself," answered Arthur; "and if I thought I couldtrust to your discretion, Wilkins, I would put the other into yourhands."
"You may trust me for bringing down my bird," said the man; "that'swhat I were always up to, or I hadn't been here."
"What I mean you to understand by discretion, Wilkins," said Arthur,"is, that you are not to fire till I order you; and then to _wing_, notto bring down your bird."
"Why, what's the good of that?" remonstrated Wilkins; "it's like givinga rogue a ticket of leave, just to turn a thief into a murderer; that'swhat ye'll get for being soft. I ken my chaps: ye'd better make an endon 'em."
"It would be unjust and inhuman," said Mr. Mayburn. "These mistaken menmay not intend to hurt any of us."
"Except to burn me alive, sir," said Gerald.
"That, I apprehend, my boy," answered Mr. Mayburn, "was but anexaggerated form of speech. But, hark! what noise do I hear?"
Sounds were heard like the rolling of stones. Arthur commanded silence,as every thing depended on their remaining watchful and still. Thenvoices were distinguished, and, through the green pendent branches, menwere seen in the tranquil valley,--men in the felon's marked dress ofgrey and yellow, ferocious in aspect, coarse and blasphemous inlanguage. Mr. Mayburn shuddered as he heard, for the first time, theoaths and defiant words of hardened infidels; and the good man kneeleddown to pray that God would visit with a ray of grace these lostsinners.
"Ay! ay!" cried one, "here are the tracks of the gentry coves: and lookye, Jem, here's a woman's bit of a shoemark. What will they be actinghere, I'd like to know. If we could fall on that saucy lad now, I'djust wring his neck about for him."
Gerald made up a queer face at Hugh, but they did not dare to laugh.
"Will they have oughts of cash with them?" growled another man. "What dowe want with women and lads?"
"To trade with 'em, man," answered the other; "to swop 'em yonder amongt' squatters for cash down. We'll thrust some of them black fellowsforward to bargain for us; they're easy wrought on to do a job likethat. But where can their den be? they're surely flitted."
Examining every open cave and hollow in the surrounding rocks, the men,using the most violent and abusive language, searched the little valleyin vain; and the anxious prisoners began to hope that they would soon bewearied out and retire, when suddenly they were appalled by a shrilltriumphant crow from the little bantam cock, which had probablydiscovered the deception practised on him. A momentary silence wasfollowed by shouts and loud laughter, as the invaders rushed to theprison-house of the impatient fowls.
Wilkins muttered unspeakable words, and darted a furious glance at Ruth;and Gerald, with a deep low groan, whispered, "A traitor in the camp!"while Ruth climbed up to an opening, in great alarm, to observe the fateof her beloved pets. That was soon determined. The voice of the unluckybird had plainly pointed out its abode; the stony prison was forcedopen; a crowing, a screaming, and a fluttering were heard; two of thefowls were seen to fly awkwardly to the bushes, above the reach of themarauders, and chanticleer was beheld by his distracted mistress, swunground lifeless, with his head grasped by his destroyer.
At this cruel spectacle, the simple girl could no longer control herfeelings. She uttered a piercing shriek; Jenny sprang on her too late tostop the indiscretion, and dragged her from the opening, shaking herviolently, and even provoked so far as to administer a little soundboxing of the ears, declaring that the girl ought to be hanged; whileWilkins, with ill-repressed fury, shook his hand at the unfortunateoffender, and then said, "It's all up now! Stand to yer guns, myhearties; we'se have a tight bout on 't."
"Ay, man the walls!" cried Gerald,--
"'Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit To his full height! On, on, ye noble English!'"
"Quieter ye are, t' better, Mr. Gerald," said Wilkins. "What say ye, Mr.Arthur, if we fix on our port-holes; and then, if we pick out our chaps,we'll soon thin 'em."
"By no means," said Mr. Mayburn. "Such a proceeding would be unfair; themen would not even see their enemies."
"An ambush is always fair in the strategy of war," said Hugh. "These menare invaders, papa, and we have a right to drive them off."
The affair soon came to a crisis; the cry of Ruth had not passedunnoticed. The men rushed up to the fortress, and with stones and clubsendeavored to force an entrance. A volley of shots and arrows drove themback, wounded, and furious in their language; but when the firingceased, they took courage, and again advanced to renew the attempt. Thistime aim was taken, and two men fell dead, or desperately wounded; andthey retired once more, and entered into some consultation unheard bytheir opponents. Then a villainous-looking fellow cried out, in ataunting manner,
"I say, ye cowardly chaps, show yer faces, and 'liver yersel's up aforeyer forced to it; we'se use ye well, and keep ye till ye raise cash topay yer ransom. Else, mark my words, if ye send any more of yermurdering shots, we'll take ye at last, and twist all yer necks whileyer living."
"Mistaken man!" cried Mr. Mayburn, "why will you provoke the wrath ofGod by causing desolation and slaughter among his glorious works? Knowyou not that for all these things God will bring you to judgment?"
"Halloo!" cried the wretch; "what! ye've gotten a missioner amang ye.He'll do precious little harm."
"His only desire is to do good," said Arthur. "But you are mistaken ifyou think us cowards. We have brave men among us, who will not submit toany treaty with convicts. We have nothing to give you; we areshipwrecked voyagers, who have only saved our guns, and with them wewill defend our lives and liberty. We do not wish to injure you if youwill leave us in peace; and you have neither means nor numbers toovercome us."
"We'se see about that," answered the man. "We'se soon raise force toburn or starve ye out."
Another consultation succeeded; and finally they departed, leaving thebesieged under the disagreeable impression that they had only departedto procure a reinforcement.
"What a different set of fellows Robin Hood's Free Rangers were," saidHugh. "Gerald and I have many a time longed to have lived in merrySherwood."
"Lawlessness inevitably leads to crime," said Mr. Mayburn. "I fear thehalo of chivalry and romance blinds us as to the real character of thoseoutlaws."
"Yes, Hugh," said Arthur; "if your bold archers of Sherwood were toattempt their troublesome frolics in these days, the police would soonarrest their course, and we should see Robin Hood and his merry menplaced on the treadmill."
"There's no time to talk about treadmills, Mr. Arthur," said Wilkins."T' boats is safe; and what say ye if we be off? They'll not be back yeta bit; for they'll have to gather up them black fellows and talk 'emower wi' lots of lies; but if we were out of this queer hole and justfree-like on t' water, we'd manage to distance yon awkward scamps yet.But we ought to start off-hand."
"My good man," said Mr. Mayburn, "I feel in greater safety here than ifI were wandering through the labyrinths of these mountains, where wemight any moment be surprised and captured."
"We must send out a scout," said Arthur. "Who will be the safest? Iobject to no one but Gerald, who would inevitably rush into the camp ofthe enemy."
Gerald bowed to the compliment, and Wilkins said, "I've a sort ofnotion, Mr. Arthur, as how Baldabella would suit better nor ony of us.Ye see, these j
ins are used to spying work."
When Baldabella fully understood the important service required of her,she started up, ready at once to undertake it, and as soon as the heavybarrier was moved, glided through the aperture, and fled lightly on hererrand. During her absence, the rest made ready all their burdens againfor recommencing their pilgrimage; and the time seemed incredibly shorttill the woman returned with a bright countenance, saying,--"Bad men gomuch far; smoke for black fellows come. White man go away now; veryhush; no see he be gone."
Reassured by her words, the family emerged from their stronghold. Themen pulled down the stones they had piled to conceal the canoes, broughtthem out, and then, heavily laden, commenced their march. But at themoment of departure a loud clucking of the escaped fowls arrested theweeping Ruth, who summoned, by calls and scattered grains, the smallremainder of her charge,--two fowls; which she placed once more in theircoop, and with a lightened heart, disregarded this addition to herburden, and followed the procession, which was now led by Baldabella,who had discovered the shortest road through the windings of themountains to the banks of the river. When the welcome stream was seenbefore them, the boats were once more launched and laden, and on thesmooth but rapid river they were quickly carried from the scene ofdanger.
"That rogue who argued with you, Arthur," said Gerald, "was the veryfellow that threatened to burn me alive, and sure enough, if we hadsurrendered to them, we should all have been piled up for a bonfire.Don't you think so, Wilkins?"
"Why, Master Gerald," answered he, "I'll not say that, 'cause as howthey could have made nought of our dead bones. Money's what they lookto: they'd sell us, plunder us, strip us of every rag we have, but,barrin' we went again 'em, and wrought 'em up, mad-like, they'd hardlytrouble to burn us. But I'll not say how it might be if they turned usower to them hungry black fellows; they'd likely enough roast and eatus, but white chaps has no stomach for meat of that sort."
"Whither can we flee to avoid these desperate cannibals?" said Mr.Mayburn. "Do you conceive, Wilkins, that the river is really the safestcourse?"
"Safe enough, master," answered the man, "so long as we stick to ourboats, and can keep our jaws at work. But we'se want meat, and themblack fellows gets thicker farther south. We'se fall in with mony anill-looking lot on 'em as we run down; and likely enough, we'se have torattle a shot at 'em nows and thens."
"God forbid that we should be compelled to shed more blood," said Mr.Mayburn. "I feel my heart oppressed with sorrow when I behold the sinand ignorance of these people, and, alas! I know not how to alleviateit: I can only pray for them."
"We will trust that our prayers may avail with a merciful God," saidMargaret; "and if we should be permitted to reach the estate of EdwardDeverell, we will all labor, papa, to diffuse instruction around us; andin His own good time, I trust, God will spread the light of His truth tothe remotest corner of these yet barbarous regions. I feel already as ifI saw Daisy Grange plainly before us."
"There's mony a hundred mile atween us and them ye talk on," saidWilkins, morosely; "and I'se be cast away sure enough when ye turn inamong them squatters. They're all sharp enough to put their claws on anidle vagabond like me, and send him back to chains and hard commons."
"That shall never be, Wilkins," replied Hugh. "It is settled that youand I are never to part; and if Edward Deverell should refuse to receiveyou, we will squat by ourselves; like Robinson Crusoe and his manFriday, build a hut, and shoot kangaroos."
Arthur laughed at the plan of a separate establishment, and assuredWilkins of certain protection in that home they pined to reach; and acalm and pleasant hope now filled every heart, as hours and days passedeasily while they sailed down the broad river undisturbed by cares ordread, till the failure of provisions and a great change in the sceneryroused them from their pleasant dream.
"This is a melancholy and desert-like heath," said Arthur, as he lookedbeyond the low banks upon a wide extent grown over with the lowentangled brush; "but we must make a foraging party to replenish ourbaskets. I can see on some marshy patches a scattering of wild oats, andwe may hope to find some of the feathered gluttons that feed on them."
"And please to bring some tea-leaves, if you can find them, Mr. Arthur,"said Jenny; "I get on badly without a drop of tea, such as it is."
"Now, boys," said Arthur, "get out the axes. We must clear a place amongthe reeds for Margaret and my father; then we will moor the canoessafely, and leave a guard to watch them, while we go off on ourexploring expedition."