First in the Field: A Story of New South Wales

  CHAPTER NINE.

  NIC'S EXPERIENCES.

  "Now, Nic," said the doctor, as they stood ready to make a fresh start,"we shall go on, so as to reach another water-hole and camp for thenight."

  As he spoke the doctor rammed down the last wad and examined the primingof the new gun Nic had brought out. Then, finding the pan full ofpowder, he tried whether the flint was well screwed up in the hammer.

  "Put these on," he said, and he handed the boy his shot-belt andpowder-flask.

  "Are we going to shoot anybody, father?" asked Nic eagerly.

  "I hope not, boy; but it is a custom out here to go armed when you aretravelling, and we are getting some distance out now away from the town.Up with your and try and mount a little better. Take hold of yourreins and the mane there tightly, up with your left foot into thestirrup, and lay your hand on the cantle of the saddle; don't pull it,only support yourself by it. Now draw your off rein a little, so thatthe horse cannot sidle away, spring up lightly, and throw your leg over.Mount."

  Nic obeyed, as he thought, to the letter, and got into the saddlesomehow, making his horse fidget and wag its tail uneasily.

  "Bad--very bad," cried the doctor, laughing. "I said throw your legover. You tried to throw yourself over. Never mind; you'll soon learn.Look at me. One moment: take your gun."

  Nic took the gun handed to him, and was shown how to carry it across hisrein arm, and then he enviously watched his father take hold of a wispof the horse's mane, place a foot in the stirrup, and lightly swinghimself into the saddle, while his horse hung toward him a little,otherwise remained perfectly still.

  "You'll soon do it, Nic. Legs feel stiff?"

  "A bit cramped," replied the boy.

  "Forward, then, at a walk. I shall not hold your rein now. Your nagwill not leave his companion."

  "Hadn't you better, father, till I get more used to it?" asked Nicuneasily.

  "No," said the doctor decisively. "It was quite right this morning overyour first lesson. You have learned a little already, and I don't wantyou, as it were, to learn to swim with corks. Come along. Steady, lad,steady."

  This was to Nic's steed, which began to amble, keeping up a nice gentlemotion, which would have been very pleasant if the boy had not felt abit nervous. But as it found its stable companion continued to pace,Sour Sorrel followed its example and dropped into a walk.

  The waggon was already a quarter of a mile onward, and the dogs werehanging back watching them, barking furiously till they were overtaken,and having a few encouraging words delivered to them as father and sonrode on.

  "I should like to set them free," said the doctor, "but I dare not yet."

  The afternoon ride was almost a repetition of that in the morning, andfrom time to time they passed water-holes, showing that they werekeeping along the course of the river, though it was not until it waspointed out to him that Nic knew he was for some distance travellingalong the dry bed and was crossing it, the depression seeming littledifferent from the surrounding country.

  Weariness had something to do with it, for to Nic the country did notseem so beautiful as in the morning. He had been many hours in thesaddle, and though the pace had only been a walk, the unaccustomedposition told upon his muscles, and, in spite of a hint or two from hisfather, the boy's attitude was far from upright. He had ceased, too,for some time to keep a keen look-out for birds and kangaroos. Earlierin the afternoon he had seen some reddish, dun-coloured animals in thedistance; but these had, upon nearer approach, turned out to be cattle,and a feeling of disappointment began to make itself evident as theyrode on and on, till toward sunset, when the waggon was quite half amile ahead, Nic noticed that the bright greyish white tilt was glowingand turning ruddier against the dark lines of a clump of trees, and aminute later it still seemed to be in the same position.

  Nic felt disposed to draw his father's attention to the fact that thewaggon was not moving, but his feeling of disinclination even to speakwas growing upon him, and he was riding bent forward in silence,noticing what appeared to be a bed of whitish mist spreading among thetrees, when his father startled him out of his thoughtful musings bysaying laconically:

  "Camp."

  Nic turned and looked at him inquiringly.

  "Camp, Nic," he said. "Don't you see that they've lit a fire?"

  "Oh!" cried the boy, raising himself up. "I thought it was mist."

  "No, Nic, smoke. That's the first thing we do out here when we halt forthe night: light a fire and put on the billy."

  Nic gave another inquiring look, and his father smiled.

  "You'll soon learn all our colonial terms, boy," he said. "A billy is alarge cross-handled saucepan to boil water in and make our tea. I'llshow you how that is done--when we get there."

  "I know how to make tea," said Nic.

  "Yes, but not our way."

  Nic looked wonderingly at his father.

  "You are on the other side of the world now," said the doctor. "Nowthen, what do you say to a trot for the rest of the way?"

  The boy winced, but he mastered his shrinking sensation.

  "Very well, father," he said.

  "No," said the doctor. "I'll let you off till to-morrow. You've doneenough for one day."

  Ten minutes after they were dismounting in just such a spot as thatchosen for their mid-day halt. The cattle were unyoked, and had gone oftheir own accord to a water-hole about fifty yards away; the fire wasburning brightly, and the kettle giving forth a few preliminary snorts,suggestive of rising steam; and the waggon was drawn close up under ahuge, wide-spreading tree, among whose branches the soft cooing ofpigeons could be heard. The horses were hobbled, unsaddled, and rubbeddown, and when they were led off to drink, the travellers went a fewyards away for a refreshing wash.

  "Now, Nic," said the doctor after their return and when the provisionshad been taken from the waggon, "you shall see our colonial mode ofmaking tea."

  As he spoke he poured a goodly portion into the lid of the canister,waited till the water in the billy was well on the boil, when he tossedin the whole of the tea, gave it a rapid stir round to send all the dryleaf beneath the surface, and then lifted it off the fire, let it standfor a very short time, filled the big tin mugs with which they wereprovided, then those of the men, after which they sat down to theirevening meal.

  The cattle and horses were grazing all around, and in the calm silencethe _crop, crop_ as they bit off the grass sounded peculiarly loud,while from a distance came the loud wailing cry of the curlew, a strangetrumpet-like tone, and a note from close at hand which made Nic turninquiring eyes upon his father.

  "Curlew, crane, and the mopoke," said the doctor. "More pork thesettlers call it."

  "Mopoke?"

  "Yes. There goes one;" and he pointed to where a dark, swift-wingedbird was hovering about a tree evidently in quest of moths.

  "Why it flies like the goat-sucker does at home," said Nic, pausing towatch the bird.

  "To be sure it does. It is a relative, only bigger. You'll find plentyof birds that bear a resemblance to our own."

  "And animals?"

  "No. Birds are most plentiful, and in great variety; quadrupeds arescarce, and very peculiar. This, you know, is the land of the kangaroo,and we have varieties of that curious beast, from tiny ones we callrats, right up to the giants which stand up taller than the biggestman."

  The sun had set, the great stars were shining out through the clear air,and night was coming on fast, with the cries of the birds soundingstrange and even awful in that loneliness.

  "Tired out, Nic?" said his father; and the boy started and stared.

  "Why, you were asleep, Nic. Don't you understand me?"

  "Eh? Yes. What say, father? Was I asleep?"

  "Soundly, my boy. Come along; you can creep in under the tilt and go tosleep on the boxes. There are two blankets rolled up ready for you."

  "But what are you going to do?" asked Nic.

  "Look round for a
bit, and take my turn at watching."

  "But I must too," said Nic, shaking off his drowsiness.

  "When I tell you, my boy. Now go to sleep, and get rested forto-morrow's work. The dogs will give warning if any one comes near."

  Nic obeyed, and as he went to say "good night" to the dogs--towardswhich he felt no animosity for the ducking they had given him--he sawthat the two men were making their bed under the waggon, while the blackwas sidling slowly up to the fire. There the Australian curled himselfup like a great dog, while the doctor stood about a dozen yards away,searching the dimly seen landscape with a little pocket-glass.

  Then Nic climbed in under the tilt, opened one blanket and doubled it,made a pillow of the other, and then--

  "Yes, father--directly."

  For the dawn was beginning to break, and a bright light shone up amongthe branches of the trees, out of which came a series of piercing birdscreams.

  "Look sharp: kettle nearly boils."

  Nic scrambled from under the tilt, feeling now that he must be called tohelp keep watch, for he was convinced that he had only just lain down.