CHAPTER XXXI.
The Sentinels in the Trees.--The End of Bill the Convict.--TheBush-rangers deceived.--A strange New Animal.--A Bloody Conflict.--TheMountain-pass.--The Fruit of the Acacia.--The Travellers inCustody.--The Court of Justice.
Every moment increased the anxiety of the young sentinels, who werescarcely able to speak for agitation. At last Hugh said,--
"Isn't it a capital chance for us, Arthur, that the great drove ofcattle are before the keen-eyed rangers? They will trample down ourtrail effectually."
This was certainly an advantage to the fugitives, especially as theyremarked the cattle followed the exact track they had made. They werenow able to distinguish the powerful figure of Black Peter, who wasaccompanied by the three strange bush-rangers whom Jack had met withhim, and followed by about fifty of the natives whom they had seen withBill the convict. These men were painted white, as if for battle, andwere armed with spears and boomerangs; but Bill was not with them,--acircumstance that gave great satisfaction to Arthur, for the sake ofpoor David.
The whole body drew up beneath the very trees in which the young menwere hidden; and whilst the cattle plunged into the river with greatenjoyment, Peter was examining the trail which led to the water, and hadbeen purposely made to mislead them. He then pointed out to hiscompanions the broken reeds on the opposite bank, and after pouring outa volley of curses, he said,--
"They've crossed here, and not very long sin', that's clear. We're closeat their heels, and we mustn't bide long dawdling here; and, Jem, see yekeep that brandy out of t' way of them black and white bugaboos, orwe'se have 'em, when their blood's up, knocking out our brains, and wehaven't a gun left to learn 'em manners with. Let me lay hold on my gunagain, and t' first job I'll put it to will be to shoot every soul ofthem sneaking, preaching thieves but t' girl, and I'll set her up as abush-ranger's jin. She's mine by right, sure enough, now that I've putan end to t' palavering of that sneaking fool Bill."
"But, Peter, man," was the answer of one of the men, "I fancy them blackfellows didn't half like yer putting a knife into their leader; and downt' country folks would call it a murder."
"It saved Government a good rope," said Peter, "for that was his due. Hewas a bigger rogue than me, and that's saying a deal."
The fearful oaths that these abandoned men mingled with theirconversation perfectly appalled the listening boys, and they felt greatrelief when they rose; and each drinking a cup of brandy, Peter said,--
"Now come on, and let's get our work done. Them fools will be forced toslacken their pace soon, for the beasts will never hold out over yonscrub; and when we've got our guns and horses, and made an end of thelot of thieves, we'll push on and see if we can't do a stroke ofbusiness among any new squatters."
Then the man made a speech to his black troop, in their own language,which seemed to give them pleasure, for they danced and clashed theirspears, and started up to continue their route. Thankfully the watcherssaw the wretches cross the river, and fall into the snare of continuingover the scrub; but they did not venture to descend for half an hour,when they had lost sight of the rangers, and concluded they must beseparated by a distance which rendered them safe.
"What rascals!" exclaimed Gerald. "It was well I had not one of theguns, Arthur; I don't think I could have helped shooting Black Peter,when he boasted that he had murdered Bill. I think I had a right."
"No you hadn't, Gerald," said Hugh. "It would not have been Englishjustice. The worst criminal has a right to a trial by jury. What do yousay, Arthur?"
"We should have some trouble in summoning a jury here, Hugh," answeredArthur; "nevertheless, I should not have liked to take on myself theoffice of executioner. Besides, you must remember, such an act wouldhave brought destruction on ourselves, and on all who depend on us. Godwill bring the villain to justice."
The boys made their way through the thick wood till they reached thelittle glade where their anxious friends were watching for them.
"All right!" cried Gerald; "we need not call over the roll. Now you mustall be content to form the rear-guard of the bush-rangers. I suppose,Arthur, there is no need to hurry; we are not particularly desirous toovertake the rogues."
"But, my dear boys!" exclaimed Mr. Mayburn; "Arthur, do you speak. Is itsafe to venture from this quiet retreat yet? Consider these lawless menmight, at any moment, turn round; and it seems they would not scrupleto commit murder."
"Was Bill with 'em, sir?" asked David, looking very much ashamed.
With much kindness and consideration, Arthur gently broke to the poorlad the melancholy fate of his vile brother; and David shed many tearsfor the unhappy convict.
"I were auld enough to have known better, sir," said he; "he couldn'thave gettin' me into bad ways, if I'd thought on my prayers and turnedagain' him; and if I'd held out, things mightn't have turned out so badwi' him. Them that lets themselves be 'ticed to do bad deeds, is worsenor them that 'tices 'em. God forgive me for niver speaking out like aman to poor Bill!"
Margaret spoke kindly to the sorrowful man, showing him the fearfulwarning sent in this sad catastrophe, and beseeching him never to forgetit; but to pray continually that he might be kept strictly in the rightpath.
Wilkins was much shocked at the violent death of the convict; but,nevertheless, he whispered to Jenny, "He's well ta'en out of t' way; forhe were a bigger scoundrel nor Peter hisself, for all his grandrigmarole talk."
As the lame horse was unfit for work yet, it was led after the rest; andArthur, who chose to walk, selected David for his companion, and tookthe opportunity, while he consoled him under his heavy affliction, todirect his softened heart to good and holy aspirations. They continuedtheir journey along the right bank of the rivulet; the country beingmore fertile, and the grassy plains more favorable for the horses thanamong the brushwood.
For three days they proceeded undisturbed, and with revived hopes. Thenthe scenery became still more beautiful; the ground was covered withlofty trees, on which already the young buds were forming. These treeswere tenanted by thousands of lovely birds; and their cheerful notesenlivened the solitude. In the distance before them rose a pile ofscattered rocky mountains, which, as they drew nearer, they saw werecovered with brushwood, and might have formed a barrier to their path,but they seemed to be pierced by innumerable narrow winding gorges.
"We must proceed with great caution and watchfulness here," said Arthur;"for it is not improbable that we may have fallen unhappily upon thetrack of our enemies, and we must have gained ground on them, now thatwe are all mounted again. We must be careful to avoid an encounter amongthese perplexing mountains."
"We have two guns," said Gerald, "and we should have no difficulty inkeeping one of these narrow passes against the whole undisciplined gang;then we could have our bowmen hid in the brushwood above, to shower downdestruction on the foe. It is a grand spot for a skirmish!"
"God forbid that we should be called on to make this lovely solitude afield of blood!" said Mr. Mayburn. "How dare proud and disobedient manprofane the sanctity of Nature, and desecrate her grand and marvellousworks. Does not the contemplation of these mighty mountains, spreadingas far as the eye can reach, broken into fantastic forms, and apparentlyinaccessible and impassable, startle and humiliate the presuming prideof fallen man?"
"There is a voiceless eloquence in earth Telling of him who gave her wonders birth."
"Keep in the rear, papa," said Arthur; "we must reconnoitre secretly,before we venture into these mazes."
"Choose a narrow pass, Arthur," cried Gerald. "It will suit best for ourmanoeuvres, if we come to a battle. Halloo! what wild beast can thatbe I hear roaring. No Australian animal that we have met with yet hassuch a sonorous voice."
"Oh, Jack!" cried Ruth, clinging to her brother, behind whom she wasmounted. "Jack, honey, stop a bit, hear ye; yon's a bear, and I'sefeared of my life; it's a bear like them 'at dances about at t' fairs!"
"A bear growls," said Hugh; "but that is decidedly a roar; it is morelike
the voice of the royal lion, and we shall have some sport at last.To arms! to arms!"
Jack and Ruth were some yards in advance of the rest, when suddenly froma thicket just before them, a wild bull rushed furiously upon theirpath, tossing his head, as if enraged that his solitude had beeninvaded, or probably expecting to encounter the powerful opponent whichhad banished him in disgrace from his own herd. He was a huge, dark-redanimal, with short sharp horns and broad forehead, and his fierce andfiery eye, and loud threatening bellow, denoted him to be a dangerousantagonist.
He stopped for a moment and eyed the horse, then tore round and round,throwing up the earth with his horns, and uttering continually a deepsullen roar. Jack was turning round to avoid the unpleasant meeting,when suddenly the infuriated animal arrested his whirling course, andbefore Jack could extricate himself from Ruth's arms, to use his spear,the beast had rushed impetuously on the horse, and gored it frightfully.The terrified horse immediately reared, and flung both his riders off.
Jack, though considerably bruised, sprang up, dragged the senseless Ruthout of the path of the mad creature, and placed her under the bushes,and then returned with his spear ready to defend himself; but he foundto his great grief his poor horse thrown down, trampled on, and gored bythe frenzied animal, which continued to repeat its merciless attacks,regardless of the many wounds inflicted by Wilkins and Hugh, who hadgalloped up in haste to aid Jack.
At length, tired with goring the horse, the bull turned on Jack, whofaced him with his uplifted spear; but before he could strike, Arthurcalled out to them all to draw back, and, riding up himself, he shot thebeast through the head. It fell heavily, and Wilkins dismounted, drewout his knife, and went up to finish the execution; but he was tooearly, for the powerful animal rose again to his legs, caught the man onhis strong brow, and flung him over his head to a considerable distance.
A second shot, however, despatched the bull, and then all went up toWilkins, whom they found insensible; but, though much bruised andstunned by the fall, he was providentially unwounded by the horns of theformidable animal. The exertions of his distressed friends soon restoredthe poor man to his senses, and he was able to take little Nakinna, tolook at the "big dingo," which astonished her so much, and evenBaldabella deigned to express some interest at the sight of an animal somuch larger than any she had ever beheld. Wilkins declared it was ashame to leave so much good meat lying to waste on the high road; butthey were now in a land of plenty; besides, the dark coarse flesh of thebull was not of a tempting quality, and it was agreed that it might aswell be abandoned.
But the question arose, "Where did this bull come from?" It wascertainly not an Australian animal; and should it have wandered from anysettlement, they might hope that they were not so very far fromcivilization; and as they discussed the probability, and continued theirjourney, they looked out carefully lest they should encounter any morewild cattle.
A very narrow passage, between two high wood-covered rocky walls,offered a convenient pass, and even suitable to the warlike plan ofO'Brien; and Arthur taking the lead, with Gerald behind him, theyventured to leave the rest at the entrance of the pass, till they hadfirst ascertained the safety and direction of the road.
"Arthur," said Gerald, in a suppressed voice, "I am certain that I heara rustling in the bushes over our heads. Do stop a moment, and let mesend an arrow into the bush."
"Pray forbear, my boy," answered Arthur; "if it should be another wildbull, your arrow would only irritate it; and if, as it is probable, thebush-ranger should be some harmless pigeon or parrot, let it live, weare well provided with food. Let us rather turn our thoughts to theseperplexing passages, which strike out on all sides of us, and which willbewilder us till we shall never find our way back to our friends, if wego much further. Now, which of these roads shall we take? After all,Gerald, I think we had better turn back for the rest, and take ourchance altogether. Which of these puzzling alleys did we come through?"
"Not that dismal hole, Arthur," answered he, laughing. "We came alonghere, I remember this beautiful overhanging acacia."
Just as he spoke, some stones fell from above on them; and Gerald,seizing the pendent branch of the acacia, leaped from his horse, andbefore Arthur could interfere was swinging and climbing up the rock.
"Gerald, you rash fellow," cried Arthur, "what has induced you to such awild frolic? what are you about to do? Do come down."
"Not before I make out the meaning of the acacia showering down stoneson my head, instead of fruit," answered Gerald; and then Arthur heardhim say in a tone of astonishment, "Halloo! my friend, what will youplease to be looking after?"
In utter amazement and alarm at hearing the boy address any being inthat strange solitude, Arthur tied the horses to the tree, and, armedwith his gun, climbed the rock so expeditiously, that he arrestedGerald's spear, as he was about to strike a tall, rough-looking man,with whom he was struggling, and who turned round as Arthur appeared,saying, "How many more on ye may there be? We can match ye all, roguesas ye are. Have ye fetched our beast back?"
"My good man," said Arthur, "it seems to me that we have been bothmistaken. You take us for bush-rangers, and we thought you belonged tothe same thievish community. Now, we are poor travellers, robbed bythose rangers, who have, with difficulty, made our escape from theplunderers, destitute of all property."
"Ye'll surelie, not have a face to tell me that, young fellow," answeredthe man, "when I seed ye mysel' atop of one of our horses."
"That certainly is a suspicious circumstance," answered Arthur,laughing; "and I must tell the truth; we did borrow the horses from ourjailers, that we might have the means of making our escape."
"That's likely all flam," said the man. "Howsomever, ye mun come aforeour master, and make out yer story. I'se not soft enough to let ye offthis like."
"We shall be very glad indeed to see your master," replied Arthur;"especially if he is of our country, and near at hand. Who is he? andwhere is he?"
"He's a squatter," grumbled the man, "and he's down yonder, seeking outa road to get through these in-and-out walls fit to puzzle a conjuror."
"If you will show us an easier mode of descent than that by which wereached you," said Arthur, "we will not only willingly accompany you;but we will take with us the whole of our party, and the stolen horsesinto the bargain."
The man looked very suspiciously at the free and easy strangers, but,anxious to recover his master's property, he led them by an easy descentto the pass, and then suffered O'Brien to go and bring up the rest ofthe party, retaining Arthur as a hostage. But the astonishment of thestranger was very great, when he saw the long line of the travellersfilling up the narrow pass; and struck by the venerable appearance ofMr. Mayburn, who rode first, his hard features relaxed, he touched hiscap with respect, and rode before the travellers, to be the first toannounce to his master this wonderful encounter.
Keeping their guide in sight, they followed him through many narrow andintricate paths, gradually ascending, till they came on a wide and levelgrass-covered spot, still surrounded by high mountainous walls. A numberof horses were feeding on the grass, and at the foot of a majestic andalmost perpendicular cliff, clothed with a thick forest, were reposing aparty of men, eating their repast, which was spread out upon the grass.One of the party looked round, and, with a cry of joy, the wanderersrecognized their friend Edward Deverell.
"Arthur! Hugh!" he exclaimed, "my dear and reverend friend Mr. Mayburn!Margaret too! What pleasure! and what miracle can have brought ustogether once more in these strange and wild mountains?"
"Your man has brought us up before your worship on a charge ofstealing," said Arthur, laughing; "and he certainly did not exceed hisduty; he had good grounds for apprehending us, for it seems we areactually travelling on your horses."
"I am glad they are in such good hands," answered Deverell; "but howeverdid my shepherd meet with you?"
"Why, sir," said the man, "ye see, I heared summut like a shot, and offI set, for I was curious like to
see what it might be; and I clomb andcrambled about, till all at once I hears talking, and I peers through t'bushes, and there I sees one of these here young gents atop of ourSallydun, and says I to myself, 'Them's rangers, they are;' and whenyoung master there clomb up, and defied me like, I thought it werenat'ral that they were rangers, and I laid hands on 'em."
As soon as the man had finished his narrative, repeated and joyfulgreetings passed between the friends, and Edward Deverell explained thathis appearance at such a distance from his home originated in his desireto pursue and capture the audacious bush-rangers who had robbed him ofso much property.
"I have brought with me three of my own stock-keepers to identify thecattle," he said; "the rest, as you may see from their complexion anduniform, are of that useful body, the native police."
These dark-complexioned officials were of very striking appearance;their dress was light and scanty, bristling with pistols and sabres;their feet bare, and their hair long and flowing. Their keen, glitteringeyes ran over the strangers in a most professional manner, veryembarrassing to Wilkins and David, who both held down their heads beforethe searching glances. David seemed afraid to appear before his injuredmaster, who looked much surprised to see him attached to Mr. Mayburn'sparty; but discreetly deferred any investigation into the affair, tillhe should be informed what strange chance had brought the voyagers toIndia into the very heart of Australia.
"Don't you remember, Edward Deverell," said Hugh, "that Gerald and Ialways wished to be here, instead of broiling among the Hindoos, andbeing carried about in palanquins? And I believe Arthur and Margaretlonged for it in their hearts, only they conceived it was papa's duty tofulfil his engagement. Yet, after all, it is not our own will, but ahappy ordination of Providence, that has at length united us; and now, Isuppose, we must follow your example and _squat_ in Australia."
"But consider the risk, my dear Hugh," said Mr. Mayburn. "Even ourexperienced friend Deverell has not escaped being plundered by thesesavages, who are too frequently in union with unscrupulous murderers. Ishould live in continual dread in these wild regions."
"Why, papa," said Gerald, "there are robbers and murderers even in happyand civilized Britain."
"Doubtless there are, Gerald," said Edward Deverell. "No civilizationcan eradicate the black spot of our fallen nature; it is only the graceand mercy of God that can keep the evil spirit in subjection. But haveno fears, my dear Mr. Mayburn; we must not alarm Margaret when we hopeto persuade her to visit our lonely retreat. We have an excellent policestaff; and when our servants are properly drilled, and our fences madesecure, we shall be as safe as we should be in Europe. Now give thehorses to the servants; sit down and eat; and then let me hear yourstrange adventures."