CHAPTER TWO.
The night passed as Bracewell had predicted, without a visit from thenatives; and as he assured us that they were not at all likely to attackfour armed men in the day-time, we, being anxious to become betteracquainted with them, agreed before setting off to pay a visit to theircamp. They were sure indeed to find ours out; so that it would be aswell to show that we had no fear of them, and to gain their friendship.On examining the birds we had cooked the previous evening we found theyhad been nearly devoured by the white ants, a large nest of which wediscovered a short distance from the camp. We had therefore to look outfor some fresh provisions. Bracewell was a much better shot than eitherof us; and, taking my gun, in a few minutes he killed a small kangaroowhich he found as it was about to spring out of the bush where it hadspent the night, scarcely a hundred yards from the camp. Having skinnedit in the most scientific fashion, the joints were put on to roast. Wehad now an abundance for our noon-day meal; for, as the animal was aboutfour feet long, including the tail which was nearly half its length, itafforded us a good supply of meat. We should have preferred starting atday-break, but without food we none of us felt inclined to commence ourjourney. Toby indeed gave us to understand that he could not think ofleaving while so much good meat remained to be eaten. Having given himas much as we all three consumed, we packed up the remainder in oursaddle-bags and then--I insisting that Bracewell should mount my horsewhile I walked--we set off for the native village which we caught sightof a short distance to the north of our camp. The inhabitants werelying about in front of it, evidently enjoying the _otium cumdignitate_. The men mostly stretched on the ground surrounded by theirdogs, while the women were squatting outside their leafy bowers. Thehuts, if so they can be called, were placed in a semi-circle, and wereformed by thick boughs stuck in the ground joining at the top on whichother boughs were lightly thrown. They were scarcely more than fourfeet in height and might be described rather as screens than huts, astheir only object appeared to be to keep off the wind from theinhabitants and the small fires which burnt before them. On the outsidewere stuck their spears ready for instant use. Except some pieces ofopossum skin round their loins, the men wore no garments, though severalof them had fillets bound round their brows. Two or three were smokingshort clay pipes obtained from shepherds or hut-keepers with whom theyhad come in contact. Several of the men started up, and seizing theirspears advanced as they saw us approach, but the greater number laygorged with food on the ground, not apparently noticing us. Bracewell,who could speak Toby's lingo, told him to say to the black fellows, thatwe wished to be their friends; that their corroborree had afforded us agood deal of amusement; and that if we could kill a kangaroo we wouldgive it to them to make another feast the next night.
As soon as Toby had translated what had been said, the blacks beganchattering away in the most extraordinary fashion.
As they ceased Toby informed us that they were highly pleased with ouroffer. They wished to remain friends with the white men, and if wechose to stop with them we should be welcome. Of course, we had noinclination to do this, but we asked if two or three of them wouldaccompany us to carry home any game we might kill. They howeverdeclined the invitation, saying that they were well filled already, ofwhich fact their distended condition was sufficient evidence.
"Well then, as we cannot turn back, you will have to go without akangaroo, even though we may shoot one," said Bracewell, and tellingToby to wish them a friendly farewell we rode on.
As I was very active and had been accustomed to running at school, Ieasily kept up with the horses. At length however, as the sun grewhotter, I should have been glad enough to remount. Bracewell, observingthat I was becoming fatigued, insisted on getting off his horse, but ofthis I would not hear. He however dismounted, when Guy made him get onagain and put me on his own horse. Before long, however, my brother wasnearly knocked up, and seeing this I proposed that he should remount,and that I should ride Toby's horse. Toby made a wry face, for,although better able to run than any of us, he considered that it wasmore dignified to ride.
As we rode along we kept a look-out for kangaroos, as we should havebeen glad to kill one for ourselves, although our black friends were notlikely to benefit by it.
We had gone some way when we caught sight of a dark object appearingjust above a thick mass of leaves some two hundred yards away. Standingup in my stirrups I saw that it was the head of a kangaroo who wasengaged in pulling off the foliage. I called to Bracewell and mybrother, hoping that if we could get nearer before the creature movedaway, we might shoot it.
Throwing the halter of the baggage-horse, which I had been leading, toToby, I rode towards the spot, unslinging my rifle and as I did soramming down a ball. The creature was more wide-awake than I hadsupposed. I had just got near enough to fire, when it broke from itscover in fine style and, after taking a few jumps to see in whatdirection to go, it started forward over the open ground withoutapparent effort.
"That's a large _boomer_, an old one!" shouted Bracewell, "he'll give usa long run. If we had dogs we should soon however catch him."
In the excitement of the chase, forgetting that we ran great risk ofknocking up our horses, away we started. Although the animal had onlytwo legs to run on and had an enormous tail to carry, which does not, Ireally believe, help it, though it serves to balance itself in itsupright position, so far did it get ahead of us that it was uselessfiring. I had scarcely noticed the direction it was taking, but onlooking round I found that it was leading us back to the spot from whichwe had come. How far it had got I cannot say, when four or five blackfellows started up with spears in their hands uttering loud shouts andshrieks. The _boomer_ saw that it had no chance of escape in thatdirection, being perhaps better acquainted with its black enemies thanwith the strange creatures on four legs which had been pursuing it. Ittherefore stopped and gave us time to approach before it bounded roundand made off to the right. I had thrown myself from my horse, for I hadno notion at that time of firing from my saddle. I took a steady aimand pulled the trigger. My bullet must have hit it on the hinder leg,for it slackened its pace. In the meantime Bracewell and Guy dashedforward. The creature, instead of continuing its flight, again stopped,and facing the horsemen as they approached struck out with one of itshinder claws, and had not Bracewell suddenly turned his steed, sofuriously did it strike that he would have been severely wounded.Turning round however he dealt it so heavy a blow on the head with hisriding-whip that it staggered, and Guy firing brought it to the ground.The natives, whom we recognised as our friends of the morning, now cameup and claimed the prize. Bracewell gave them to understand that wemust first cut out as many steaks as we required. When this was done wehanded the body over to them. They appeared highly delighted andespecially struck by the moderate quantity we claimed. We had now toturn back to where we had left Toby in charge of the baggage animal. Ihad some secret apprehensions that, if not honest, he might bolt withour traps and be received with open arms as a wealthy man among some ofhis countrymen. I was not aware at the time that he belonged to a triberegarded as hereditary enemies by the people inhabiting the country wewere travelling through, and that he was as likely to lose his life attheir hands as any white man would be. We looked about in alldirections and at length, to our no small satisfaction, espied him stillstanding by the horses and wondering what had become of us. We had lostconsiderable time by our hunting, though we had obtained a good dinner,and of course had been delayed also by one of the party having toproceed on foot.
While we were seated round our camp-fire Bracewell said--
"I scarcely like to make the proposal I am about to do, and yet perhapsyou will not object. If you will consent to remain in camp here andallow me to take one of your horses, I will ride forward and bring acouple of fresh ones from my station. Should you not do this I mustinsist on walking, though I shall of necessity delay you. I confessalso, that I am anxious to give notice that the bushrangers are abroad,or t
hey may be visiting my hut or some of my neighbours, and carry offarms and ammunition, which is chiefly what they come after, for theydon't find much else than food in the shepherds' huts."
"Pray do as you think best," said Guy, "I am sure Maurice will agreewith me that we should not at all mind remaining stationary for a fewhours, nor will our other horses, which require rest."
I thought the plan a good one, and before the day had actually broken,Bracewell mounted my horse and away he rode at a rate which assured usthat we should not be long alone. As Toby had plenty of food, he didnot grumble at the delay, but sat himself down contentedly at the firewhich he promised to keep alight, while we took our guns and went toshoot some birds or a kangaroo if we could see one.
The great drawback to a traveller in a hot country is the impossibilityof preserving fresh meat, which exposed to the sun quickly becomesuneatable. What we killed one day was therefore unfit for food thenext, and we had each morning to shoot some more game, or contentourselves with damper and tea.
We had already become pretty skilful in baking damper, which consistssimply of flour and water, kneaded on a board, and baked in the form ofa large biscuit under the ashes.
We saw several kangaroos, but they bounded away before we could get nearenough to shoot them, and had to content ourselves as before with acouple of parrots and as many pigeons, which was an ample supply, foralthough the over-high kangaroo meat did not suit our palates, Toby hadno objection to it.
We had been shooting for some time, and were making our way back tocamp, when we caught sight in the distance of three horsemen, theirheads and those of their steeds, occasionally appearing above thebrushwood. They appeared to be coming towards us.
At first we thought that they must be Bracewell and two companions; butas we could make out no led horses, and they were not approaching fromthe direction he would appear, we concluded that they must be strangers.
"What if they should be bushrangers?" said Guy. "If they catch Tobyalone they are certain to carry off our baggage and horses, and willprobably shoot him to prevent him giving information."
"The sooner we get back to camp the better," I answered.
We hurried on, keeping ourselves concealed as much as possible. "Itwould be prudent to load our guns with ball," said Guy; "the fellowswon't know that we suspect them, and may think that they can stick us upwith perfect ease."
Fortunately our horses were close to the camp, and as soon as we reachedit we sent Toby to bring them in, not telling him that we suspected thecharacter of the strangers. As they approached we anxiously examinedtheir appearance, which was certainly not in their favour. They weresavage-looking fellows with long beards, their unkempt hair hanging overtheir shoulders. They pulled up suddenly when they saw us standing withour backs to a couple of large trees, our baggage and saddles piled onthe ground, and Toby holding our horses.
"What is your pleasure, friends?" asked Guy. The fellows examined uswithout answering.
"You look as if you'd know us again should we come across you," saidGuy. "Just take my advice. Ride on and leave us to cook our dinner."
"Who are you, young chaps, and where are you going?" inquired one of thehorsemen, who from his appearance we concluded was the leader of theparty.
"We are going our own way and are not inclined to give that informationto those who have no authority to ask it," replied Guy in a firm voice.
"Did you fall in with a young fellow who had been stuck up bybushrangers?" inquired the man.
The question convinced us that we were not mistaken as to the characterof our visitors.
"I have just told you that we are not going to answer any questions fromthose who have no right to put them," said Guy.
"Oh, oh, oh!" cried the man, making a movement as if he was about tounsling his gun.
"If you do that, I'll fire," shouted Guy. "Our rifles are loaded withball; now ride on, we do not wish to take your lives, but we have nointention of being stuck up."
During this conversation I was looking at the other two fellows, who hadnot spoken but seemed to be waiting until their chief gave a sign tothem to act. As my eye ranged over the countenance of one of them, itstruck me forcibly that I had seen the man before, but when or where, Icould not recollect. He was evidently very young, for while the facesof the others were covered with hair, he had but a small moustache onhis lips, but exposure to the hot sun had so tanned his complexion, thathad he been an intimate friend I might have failed to recognise him. Helooked at me and then at my brother, whose attention was occupied by theolder bushranger and did not notice him as I was doing.
"Oh, oh, oh!" exclaimed the man, after the warning Guy had given him;and, without saying another word, he and his companions turned theirhorses' heads and rode away in the direction from whence they had come.Probably they had been attracted by the smoke of our fire, and expectedto find some travellers unprepared for them; so we should have been hadwe not fallen in with Bracewell, and should certainly have lost ourbaggage and horses, and perhaps our lives.
"We have had a narrow escape, for there is no doubt about those fellowsbeing bushrangers," I observed to Guy.
"Not the slightest," replied my brother. "I felt that there was onlyone way to deal with them. Had we shown the slightest hesitation ornervousness, they would have attempted to frighten us into submission."
"Did you notice the countenance of one of the others?" I asked. "Icould not help fancying that I knew it well. If it were not so veryimprobable, I should say that it was that of a fellow I remember atschool when I first went there. I wish that you had observed him, foras you must have known him better than I did, you would have been moresure about the matter."
"What, do you mean the youngest of the three?" asked Guy. "The fact isI did note him. It struck me that he was wonderfully like a fellow Ialways stood clear of, though he especially tried to make friends withme. If you remember the name of the person you think he was, tell me,and I shall better be able to judge whether I am right."
"I am nearly certain then that it was Cyril Vinson."
"You are right," answered Guy. "He was a clever fellow without aparticle of principle; and I remember hearing it reported some timeafter he left school, that he had committed forgery, and that, althoughhe was not convicted, his friends had sent him out of the country."
We talked over the matter, and agreed that it was very strange we shouldso soon after our arrival in the country have fallen in, under suchextraordinary circumstances, with two old school-fellows.
The day passed by without another visit, either from the bushrangers orthe blacks. As may be supposed, we kept a remarkably bright look-outduring the night. Either Guy or I remained awake, walking up and downin the neighbourhood of our camp-fire. Directly the bells on the necksof our horses sounded faint, we sent out Toby to drive them in, that wemight run as little risk as possible of their being carried off.
Bracewell had told us that sometimes natives stole up and speared thehorses at night, or tried to drive them away from the camp, though theymight not venture to attack their owners. We had chiefly therefore tofear a trick of this sort being played us, but it was almost impossibleto guard against the horses being surprised during the darkness, shouldthey be at any distance from the camp.
As those we had fallen in with appeared to be friendly, we hoped that weshould escape so unpleasant a loss.
As the next day passed on we looked at our watches, anxiously expectingBracewell. With the chance of another visit from the bushrangers, wedid not like to go far from the camp; but we shot as many birds as wewanted, though Toby would have been happier had we brought him akangaroo, that he might gorge himself to his heart's content.
As I had been awake so much during the night, I felt very sleepy, andhad thrown myself on the ground to get some rest, when I heard Guy say--
"Here come a couple of horsemen, but whether they are Bracewell and acompanion, or the bushrangers returning, I cannot say. At all events wemust
be prepared for them."
I sprang to my feet, and Toby was sent to bring in the horses. Ourapprehensions of another visit from the bushrangers were soon set atrest when we recognised Bracewell, who was followed by another manleading a spare horse.
"I am sorry to have kept you so long," he exclaimed, as he threw himselffrom his steed. "Our horses had strayed, frightened by the blacks, whohave killed one of them. If we come across the fellows they must lookout for broken heads in consequence. However, Bob and I succeeded incatching three, and then lost no time in coming to you."
When we told him of the visit we had received from the bushrangers, heexclaimed:--
"We must run those fellows down. It is too bad that we should be unableto ride in security through the country without the risk of beingrobbed, perhaps murdered, by such villains."
We immediately saddled our horses, packed our traps on our baggageanimal, and prepared to go forward under Bracewell's guidance. Old Bob,his hut-keeper and factotum, dropped behind to drive on thebaggage-horse at a greater speed than Toby was inclined to move. Iheard him talking to the black in a lingo which was utterlyincomprehensible to me.
Bracewell was much astonished when Guy told him that we had recognisedCyril Vinson among the bushrangers. We were once more, on account ofthe slow pace of our baggage-horse, compelled to camp, but as Bracewellwished to get back to his hut that night, he rode forward, leaving oldBob to guide us in the morning. Old Bob undertook to keep watch, and ashe did not look like a man who would go to sleep while so engaged, wewere able to rest securely.
It was nearly evening the next day when we caught sight of the hutsforming our friend's station. He came forward to meet us.
"I expected you somewhat sooner," he said. "As Bob was away, I wasengaged in performing one of his duties--feeding the inhabitants of myfarm-yard. I have a curious lot, which I have caught and tamed atdifferent times. Here they are, come and have a look at them."
And he led the way to an enclosure with a hut on one side of it. As hestooped down, ducks and fowls rushed forward to obtain the food he heldin his hand, the pigs came grunting up, and several long-legged birds--storks I believe they were--stood by waiting for their share, numerousparrots and parroquets were perched on the railings, as tame as thebarn-door fowls, while a laughing-jackass looked on complacently from anoverhanging bough, every now and then uttering its strange notes.
Bracewell directed Bob to finish feeding the birds, and ushered us intothe hut. It was about thirty feet long and twelve wide, roughly builtwith a verandah in front, and contained a centre room and one on eitherside. The interior was far neater than I had expected from theappearance of the outside, and was furnished with tables and chairs, andseveral cupboards and some book-shelves; the walls were ornamented witha few pictures and native weapons, while two spare guns and some pistolswere against them. A couple of large Scotch deer hounds of abadger-like colour accompanied their master. They were intelligent,powerful-looking animals, and were used, he told us, for hunting thekangaroo. Before a fire in a smaller hut on one side of the mainbuilding, two joints of mutton were roasting.
"I can give you but bush fare," said our host, "mutton, damper, and tea;for of wine and spirits I have none, with the exception of a bottle ofbrandy, which I keep safely locked up for reasons which I will explainto you."
Besides the large hut I have described there were two smaller ones and ashed, which served as a stable and cowhouse. Near them was an enclosedfield and small kitchen-garden, such as is not often seen at anAustralian cattle or sheep station. To the west was a thick wood, whichafforded shelter from the winds blowing at times hot and sand-laden fromthe interior; while in front was a slight dip, at the bottom of whichwas the bed of a river, but through it a trickling stream alone atpresent found its way to the eastward. Here and there appeared grovesof acacias, while as far as the eye could reach in every other directionwere grassy downs, scattered over which we caught sight of aconsiderable herd of sheep wending their way homewards. Altogether,Bracewell's station presented a more civilised aspect than any we hadfallen in with on our journey.