CHAPTER EIGHT.
EXPEDITION TO OBTAIN VEGETABLES--CRESTED COCKATOOS--WE BECOME BETTERACQUAINTED WITH PULLINGO AND HIS FAMILY--TOMMY TAKES MR. AND MRS.PULLINGO'S PORTRAITS--A SPORTING EXPEDITION--SEE AN EMU--KILL TWOKANGAROOS--MEET BUSHRANGERS--GO OUT FISHING--HURRIED RETURN--BUSHRANGERSHAVE VISITED THE VILLAGE--FIND THE MEN BOUND--PURSUE BUSHRANGERS--THEYESCAPE--EDITH AND PIERCE MISSING--MY MOTHER'S ALARM--SEARCH IN THE BOATALONG THE COAST--DISCOVER THE BODY OF A BUSHRANGER UNDER THE CLIFF--RETURN WITHOUT FINDING THE MISSING ONES.
A week had passed away since the boat left us, and we were all feelingourselves, as it were, at home. As may be supposed, my mother beggedthat we would not take Edith again beyond the mouth of the river;indeed, she herself had no wish to go. Occasionally we pulled up thestream, for although we knew that there were natives in theneighbourhood, we did not fear that they would molest us, as we had notseen any of their canoes; and by keeping on the opposite side of theriver to that on which they might appear, we knew that we could easilyavoid them.
When we went to the place where Mudge had been attacked by the snake, welooked around very carefully to ascertain that none of its companionswere lurking in the neighbourhood; but we never saw another of the samesize--or, indeed, of any description whatever. Paddy Doyle, to accountfor this, declared that the big fellow must have eaten up all the othersbefore he got killed himself, and that was the reason why he had grownto such a size.
We thus went up and down the river, and over the downs in variousdirections, without the slightest fear. Occasionally we crossed to theopposite bank in search of game, as also to look for fruit, and somevegetables which might be cooked for dinner. We greatly felt the wantof them; indeed, my father was afraid that without green food we mightbe attacked by scurvy. We had dug a garden and put in seeds, but these,of course, would take some time to come up.
One day Mudge, Harry, and I, accompanied by Paddy Doyle, with our guns,went across to the southern side. Harry had heard my father say howmuch he wished to have fresh greens of some sort; and as we were walkingalong we saw several trees of the palm species.
"Stay," said Harry, "while I climb to the top of one of these trees; weshall there find just what the captain wants."
Harry was the best climber among us, having been compelled, when livingwith the Indians, to swarm up the highest trees to cut cocoa-nuts forthem. We all carried long sheath-knives in our belts, which were usefulfor a variety of purposes. Putting down his gun, Harry was quickly atthe top of the tree, and, using his knife, threw down what resembled alarge cabbage. Ascending tree after tree, he threw down from each asimilar bunch of leaves, till we had as many as we could carry. Goingon, we reached some sand-hills, where we found a kind of bean growing ona stalk which crept along the ground. Mudge thought these also would begood to eat; and as they were fit for picking, we filled our satchelswith them. We were fortunate also in shooting several pigeons and anumber of parrots. Indeed, we all returned fully laden to the boat; andI know that I was very glad to get rid of my burden, which literallymade my shoulders ache.
Just before shoving off, I saw, coming towards us through the air, alarge flight of birds, their snowy plumage tinged with pink shining inthe rays of the setting sun. Before long they pitched in a group oftrees on the borders of the river, where they commenced an earnestconversation rather than a concert, all having apparently someinteresting matter to communicate to one another. They were crested orpink cockatoos, the most beautiful birds we had yet seen. They did notappear to be at all alarmed at our presence, but remained on the boughswhere they had settled, apparently intending to make these theirresting-places for the night. We were thus able to examine them withoutdifficulty.
The general colour of the bird was white, with a slight pinkish flush;but the neck, breast, and hind part of the tail were deeply stained withcrimson. Its most remarkable feature, however, was its beautiful crest,which it raised like a fan over its head, or depressed at the back ofits neck. The feathers of the crest were long, and barred with crimson,gold, yellow, and white, which added greatly to its beauty. The birdwas between thirteen and sixteen inches in length. We might have shotany number we liked, but having already a supply of food, we did notlike to do so. I wished very much, however, to catch one alive, tocarry to Edith; and Harry said he thought he could manage to trap one,though, unless we could get a young bird, it would be difficult to tame.
"You are magnificent fellows," observed Mudge; "but notwithstandingthat, we shall be under the necessity of plucking off your fine feathersand cooking you some day, if we are in want of game."
As the evening was drawing on, we did not remain longer to admire thebirds, but pushing off with our store of provisions, crossed the river.
"You have indeed brought us a seasonable supply of green food," said myfather when we landed. "While nature affords us such wholesomevegetables as those you have found, and while our powder lasts, we needhave no fear of starving; and if such can be obtained all the way to thesouthward, we may set forth on our journey with the hope of being ableto find ample food, on the way, to supply our wants."
We had been constantly expecting another visit from our nativeacquaintance Pullingo; but as he did not make his appearance, we beganto fancy that he had been merely travelling from one part of the countryto another, and discovering us on his way, had been tempted by curiosityto approach our camp.
Some days had gone by, when one morning, as Paddy Doyle was on thewatch, he sang out, "Here comes my old friend with his wife andfamily.--The top of the morning to ye, Mr Pullingo! and the same to themisthress and the darling little ones; and, to be sure, one of them is abig sthrapping fellow, of whom ye may be proud, Mr Pullingo."
On looking out, we saw the native who had before paid us a visit,accompanied by a youth the very picture of himself, and followed by awoman, or "gin," as the natives call their wives, with two children, aboy and a girl, trotting by her side. The lad might have been his son,certainly, but not that of the woman, who was apparently much too youngto be the mother of so big a fellow.
The woman and children stopped at some distance off, while the man andlad approached cautiously, holding a bundle of lances in their lefthand. Paddy made signs to them to come on, and, to give themconfidence, put down his musket on the ground. As he did so they laiddown their lances and came much nearer. On this Paddy advanced towardsthem. The savages seemed to understand him, and put out their hands,which he took and shook heartily, apparently much to their astonishment.The Irishman and the elder native then talked away, each in his ownlanguage; Paddy every now and then bursting into a fit of laughter atthe strange words uttered by the savage.
Knowing that it was important to gain the good-will of the natives, Ithought that it would be a good opportunity to make Pullingo a present.So I went into the cottage and asked my father, who had only just risen,for some beads and a looking-glass, and other trinkets, which he hadbrought to trade with the South Sea Islanders. I got things enough foreach of the party, including the two children, and going up to thesavage, I presented them to him, and tried to make him understand forwhom they were each intended. Though he took them he looked at themwith indifference, considering, as it seemed, that they were of no valueto him; nor, indeed, were they so in reality.
"Perhaps he would rather have some roast parrot," observed Doyle, whohad just before placed several birds on spits before the fire to cookfor breakfast. As we had many more than we absolutely required, wecould easily spare them. Doyle and I therefore got each a couple, andcarried them on the spits to the savage, whose eyes brightened when hesaw them; and he and his son almost snatched them from our hands when weoffered them, and, without any gesture of thankfulness, hurried off towhere the woman and children were sitting.
"Arrah, Mr Pullingo, do you call that good manners?" exclaimed Paddy."However, it's the way of the country, I suppose; though I can't sayit's a good way. Just give the little ones their share, though, andI'll not be after finding fault with
you."
As we watched the natives, we observed that they at once tore the birdsto pieces, and before they themselves had eaten they gave each of thechildren a joint.
"Come, I have hopes of you, since you look after the childher," criedPaddy, when he saw this. "We shall find that Mr Pullingo is a decentsort of fellow when he learns some more of our ways."
It appeared that Pullingo was as pleased with us as Paddy was with him,for we saw him shortly afterwards employed, with his wife and son, inbuilding a hut, at a spot some way up the river, under the cliff. Itwas not a very dignified structure: it consisted simply of a number oflong thin sticks stuck in a circle in the ground, their tops being bentover and secured together by grass rope; the whole was then covered withsheets of rough bark, fastened on by the same sort of rope. The firsthut was intended for Pullingo and his wife; they afterwards put up asmaller one for their big son and the younger children.
These structures, rude as they were, were superior to those weafterwards met with built by the natives, and showed us that Pullingowas more advanced in civilisation than the generality of his countrymen.Whether or not the rest of his tribe were in the neighbourhood, wecould not ascertain; at all events, it was satisfactory to have gainedhis friendship, as he would give a favourable report of us to othernatives, and prevent them, we hoped, from molesting us.
I forgot to say that Tommy Peck, though a harum-scarum fellow, possessedconsiderable artistic talent; superior, at all events, to any of therest of us. He used to amuse Edith by making drawings and figures inher sketch-book--which had, with her small library, been brought onshore--she herself being only able to draw landscapes.
"Shouldn't you like, Miss Edith, to have a portrait of Prince Pullingoand his beautiful bride?" he asked. "I don't think I can do it frommemory, but perhaps I can get them to sit for their likeness."
"By all means," answered Edith; "though I very much doubt that you willsucceed in inducing them to sit quiet while you make your sketch."
"Trust me for that," said Tom. "Lend me your book and pencil, and apiece of india-rubber, and I'd try;" and, armed with his apparatus, hewalked slowly towards Pullingo's encampment. Harry and I followed at adistance, so that we might not interrupt him. On arrival, he made thema bow and announced his object, showing them his book, in which were theportraits of several of our party,--Harry and I, and Popo,--by no meansflattering likenesses.
I don't know whether Pullingo understood the meaning of the strokes hesaw on the paper; but his wife did so, it seemed, and, turning to him,expressed her wish to have her likeness taken. Tommy at once made themstand up before him, and began sketching away. They stood watching himintently, so that he had plenty of time. He put on rather more clothingthan they possessed, as he said, for decency's sake; it was also, heremarked, a gentle hint to them, by which he hoped they might profitwhen they came into civilised society.
He finished the portraits then and there, put in all the requisiteshades, and showed them to the lady and gentleman. The former wasdelighted, pointing now at her portrait, now at herself, then at herhusband, and then at his portrait. He did not appear quite so wellsatisfied; fearing, perhaps, that it might be used for some magicalpurpose. The lady was somewhat disappointed when Tommy shut up his bookand she found that she was not to possess it; he therefore tried to makeher understand that he would make a copy and give it her; a promise hefaithfully fulfilled--though Edith kept the original, which I stuck inmy journal.
The tents being found very hot at night, as soon as the first cottagewas finished we put up two others for the accommodation of the rest ofthe party, and one in which to stow our goods; for though we hoped toget away in a couple of months, it was possible that we might bedetained very much longer, and that our stores might run a risk of beingdamaged by remaining so long exposed to the weather. While we were atwork, Pullingo and his son came and watched us with intense interest.
All hands, however, were not employed in housebuilding, as it wasnecessary that some of the party should go in search of game, in orderthat we might not exhaust the provisions we had brought on shore.Mudge, Harry, Paddy Doyle, and I were the chief sportsmen; and whenPullingo saw us setting off he followed at a respectful distance.Whether he also intended to hunt or not, we could not tell; his onlyweapons were a bundle of lances, and a piece of hard wood shapedsomething like a scimitar--called, we found, a boomerang--which hecarried in his belt.
We had never failed to shoot as many birds as we required, but we wereanxious to kill some of the curious animals which Captain Cook calledkangaroos. They may be said to be the principal creatures of thecountry. Their heads are something like those of deer, and their coatsare of the same colour. They are of all sizes, some being as high as aman. They do not run, like other animals, for their front legs, whichthey use as arms, are too short for the purpose; but they have very longhind legs, and powerful tails, which enable them to bound over theground at an immense rate. It is wonderful what a succession of leapsthey can take.
We saw some animals like opossums, and flying squirrels, which we tookto be bats; and we occasionally caught sight of wild dogs or dingos,--hideous, savage-looking creatures, though they always ran away from uswhen we moved towards them or shouted.
We could not tell whether Pullingo understood our object; had we beenable to exchange ideas with him, he might have greatly assisted us byshowing us where game was to be found. He had conceived, I fancy, agreat respect for our firearms, and followed us for the sake of seeingtheir effect.
We had gone farther into the interior than we had ever before been, inthe hope of finding some kangaroos, and found ourselves in an opencountry free of trees, with low hills and rocks beyond. We were aboutto turn back, believing that, as there was no shelter, we should beunable to approach any game unperceived, when Doyle exclaimed,--"Arrah,see that big bird which has just started up on its legs! Quick, quick!or he'll be off. His meat would make a hundred parrot-pies, and some tospare besides."
On turning round as Paddy spoke, I saw, about a hundred yards off, abird of enormous size--so it appeared to me; a bird certainly, for ithad two legs, was shaped like a bird, and was covered with feathers. Itcould scarcely have been less than seven feet in height; was of alightish brown colour, with a long neck, a small head, and very longpowerful legs; but was destitute of wings, so far as I could see. Thecreature looked at us with an inquisitive air, as if wondering what sortof curious animals we were; and then advanced a few paces, as if to viewus more closely. It might have come nearer, had not Paddy, unable toresist the temptation of trying to kill it, fired. On hearing thereport, it turned round and set off, running with the speed of aracehorse across the country, while we stood gazing after it, and, asPaddy observed, looking very foolish.
The creature was an emu; of the same family as the African ostrich, therhea of America, and the cassowary of the Indian archipelago.
On our way back, soon afterwards, and while passing through a forest,the trees of which grew rather thicker than usual, we saw in an openglade beyond it three of the kangaroos so coveted by us. We creptforward, keeping as much as possible concealed by the trees, lest weshould be discovered before we could get within shot of them. Mudge andI went first, Harry and Paddy followed, all having our guns ready tofire. At length Mudge took aim at one of them; I imitated his example.We waited to let Harry and Paddy come up, however, and then all fired atthe same moment. One of the creatures fell dead, shot through the headby Mudge; another bounded away at a great rate, apparently uninjured;and a third, after making two or three springs, sank to the ground,unable to move. We rushed forward to seize it, forgetting in oureagerness to reload our pieces. While we were stopping to examine thecreature Mudge had killed, Paddy ran towards the wounded animal, whichat that moment sprang up and attempted to bound off again.
"Arrah, stop, ye baste," cried Paddy, attempting to seize it; when atthat instant it struck out with its hinder claws, one of which tore alarge rent in the Irishman's trousers
, giving him at the same time asevere scratch, which, had he not sprung back, might have been serious.In a moment his knife was in his hand, and before the kangaroo couldrepeat the blow he had plunged it into its heart.
We had now an over-abundant supply of meat; the difficulty was to carryit. We agreed that we would take the best portions, and give Pullingoas much as he could carry; while we fastened the remainder up to thebough of a tree, out of the reach of the wild dogs.
We were all thus busily engaged, when I fancied I heard the sound ofhorses' feet; and what was my astonishment, on looking up, to see twohorsemen approaching us! They looked at us with as much astonishment aswe looked at them. Their steeds were in tolerably good condition, butthey themselves were thin and haggard, their clothes torn almost totatters. Each of them had a gun slung over his shoulders, a huge pairof holsters with a brace of pistols in them, large saddle-bags andleathern cases strapped on at their cruppers.
"Hallo, strangers, where do you come from?" exclaimed one of the men,with an oath. "I didn't think there were any whites hereabouts."
"Nor did we expect to see any one at this distance from Sydney," saidMudge, eyeing the horsemen with a suspicious glance. "Where do you comefrom, my friends?"
"As to that, I don't think it much concerns you," answered the man;"but, as I take it you are Englishmen, you'll give us a share of thesekangaroos; for there's one thing I can tell you,--we're pretty sharpset."
"So I should think, from your appearance," observed Mudge; "you musthave had a rough and long journey up from Sydney."
"I didn't say we were from Sydney,--though I'll allow we have beenthere," answered the man; "but it's a good many months since we left it,and we've been leading a pretty rough life since then. However, what wewant just now is a slice of that kangaroo; and we'll talk about othermatters when we've set it before the fire to roast."
"You're welcome to as much of the meat as you want," answered Mudge,"though we haven't got a fire to roast it at."
"We'll soon have one, master," answered the man. He and his companionthen getting off their horses, tethered them, and speedily collectingsome dry wood, of which there was an abundance scattered about, piled itup; and one of them producing a tinder-box, quickly lighted the heap--first taking care, however, to cut the dry grass all around. They thenhelped themselves pretty freely to the flesh, which, cutting into thinslices, they held at the end of sticks before the fire. Before it washalf done through, however, they began eagerly gnawing away at it,unable longer to restrain their appetite. The smell made us hungry; socutting off some thin slices, we roasted them in the same manner, butfar more thoroughly than the strangers had done.
Pullingo, who had been watching us, now stole up, and by his gesturesbegged for a share,--which, of course, we gave him. The strangers eyedhim narrowly; and though the desire to get the food had induced him tocome up, he evidently regarded them with suspicion. After exchanging afew words with each other, one of them spoke to him in a jargon which heseemed to understand, though we could not. He replied with hesitation.For some time they continued asking him questions, and then talking toeach other in a slang which was as incomprehensible to us as was thelanguage they spoke to the native.
"I say, master, there are a few little things we want, and would beobliged to you if you'd supply us with," said one of the men. "In thefirst place, we should be glad of some tobacco, and maybe you've gotsome about you; and we want some powder and shot, and a couple ofknives; and a suit of clothes wouldn't come amiss."
Mudge had a couple of cigars, and Paddy a small quantity of tobacco,which, without hesitation, they gave to the strangers.
"As for powder, we can spare you but a small quantity," said Mudge; "andfor the other things, you must come to our camp to obtain them. Isuppose Captain Rayner will be willing to give you what you require foryour necessities."
"You'll not play us a scurvy trick, and detain us, if we come?" said oneof the men.
"We are not likely to do that," answered Mudge, somewhat surprised atthe remark. "You can repay us by giving us a description of the countrybetween Sydney and this."
"Well, we'll come by-and-by, and you'll have the things ready for us,"said the man, in a tone which still further surprised us.
Having satisfied our hunger, we divided the kangaroo into portions, eachforming such a load as we could carry. Mudge and Paddy took theheaviest, leaving Tommy and me somewhat lighter ones. The strangers,without making any apology, loaded their horses with the larger portionof the other animal Pullingo seemed highly delighted when we gave himthe remainder. The strangers declined accompanying us, but said theywould follow by-and-by. Just as we were setting off, they again beggedthat we would spare them a little powder and shot, acknowledging thattheir own was expended, and that they could neither obtain food nordefend themselves against the natives. They looked so miserable that wecould not help feeling compassion for them, and each of us gave them aportion of powder from our flasks and some shot from our belts.
As it was time to return, we set off, leaving them still seated at thefire cooking some of the kangaroo. Pullingo having obtained his share,immediately trotted off with it across the country, without offering toguide us.
We had gone some distance when Mudge observed to me,--"I don't quitelike the look of these fellows. I have heard that the worst class ofconvicts, who are worked in the road-gangs, often make their escape andlive a wild life in the bush, taking by force from the settlers whateverthey can get hold of. They go by the name of bushrangers; and I can'thelp thinking that those fellows we have left there are of thatdescription."
"I've little doubt about that same," observed Paddy; "and it's a pity wegave them the powther, though I wouldn't grudge them the mate and the'baccy."
"They would scarcely make use of the powder to injure us," I observed.
"I wouldn't trust them for that, if they are the gentry I take themfor," said Mudge. "However, we must keep a watch, and take care thatthey don't surprise us."
We were pretty well tired by the time we reached our settlement, as wecalled it. As may be supposed, the supply of kangaroo which we broughtwas very welcome, and a portion was served out to the men for supperthat evening. As a fire had been seen burning at Pullingo's camp longbefore our arrival, there could be little doubt that he had reached homemuch sooner than we did.
The next morning one of the strangers made his appearance at thesettlement on foot. He said that he had left his companion on the highground to look after the horses, and that he had come to claim thearticles we had promised. My father had agreed that Mudge was correctin his opinion of the strangers, but that it would be better to supplythem with what they wanted to enable them to support their miserableexistence, and to try to obtain from them the information about thecountry so important for us to gain.
The man looked a little less starved-like than he did the previous day,but his ragged clothes and dirty appearance made us unwilling to ask himinto the house. We got a table and chair out for him, however, in theshade; and gave him an ample meal and a glass of ale, which made himopen his heart somewhat. He acknowledged that he and his companion wereleading a terrible life in the bush, but that he saw no way out of it.He described somewhat minutely the country we should have to pass over:a large portion was open and easily traversed, but other parts weremountainous, rocky, and wild in the extreme, with no water to be foundfor miles. Whether or not he was giving us a true description, it wasdifficult to determine,--though, at all events, he must have comethrough the sort of country he described. Perhaps it might be avoidedby keeping further into the interior or closer to the sea-coast.
The man might have been a bushranger, but he did not appear to be at allafraid of us. As soon as he had satisfied his hunger he rose, andturning to Mudge, "Now, master, I'll thank you to fulfil your promise,"he said. "We want as much powder as you can spare, for it's bread andmeat to us; and I'll thank you for the knives and the clothes, and someneedles and thread. Here, just
get a pencil and put down what we want."
"Suppose we refuse to give it?" said my father, astounded at the man'simpudence.
The stranger's countenance assumed a ferocious expression. "You wouldfind you had made a bad bargain," he answered with the greatesteffrontery. "When a gentleman makes a promise to me, I expect him tofulfil it. I came here as a friend, and a friend I wish to remain. Notthat I want to trouble you with my society; I prefer living by myself.But if you do me a kindness, I can return it; if you venture to treat meill, I'll have my revenge--you may depend on that."
"But suppose we were to seize you, and keep you a prisoner till we couldhand you over to the authorities at Sydney?" said my father.
The man laughed long and loud. "You would find that a hard job," hesaid; "and I didn't come here without taking means to secure my safety.So you see, captain, we are quite equal. Now, let me have the things,and I'll be off."
My father felt that as Mudge had promised the clothes and otherarticles, it was right that they should be given to the man. A bundlewas therefore made up of all the articles he had asked for; and as soonas he had received it, with very slight thanks, he fixed it on hisshoulders, and took his way up the cliff. We were in hopes that we hadseen the last of him and his companion, being thoroughly convinced thatthey were bushrangers, and desperate ruffians.
We observed that as the stranger approached our camp the black and hisfamily made their escape from it, and hid behind a rock watching himtill he had disappeared over the top of the cliff.
Pullingo shortly afterwards came to our settlement, which he nowfrequently did, without hesitation, never being allowed to go awaywithout some article or other which we thought would please him, or foodfor himself and his family. Nothing we had came amiss to him exceptbeer or spirits, and when one day some was offered him he spat it outwith evident disgust. We tried to make him understand that we wished toknow his opinion of the strangers. After a considerable time heunderstood us, and making his countenance assume an expression of hatredand disgust, he shook his head, and then, as it appeared, advised us toshoot them on the first opportunity.
As we were now convinced of his good feelings towards us, he was allowedto roam about our village at pleasure. One day he appeared, bringing abasket containing some of the many magnificent flowers which flourishedin the forest, several fruits, and some emu's eggs. Supposing that hehad brought them as a present to my mother or father, we did notinterfere with him, but allowed him to take his own way of offeringthem.
I watched him from a distance, when I saw him enter Mudge's room, thedoor of which was open. Wondering what he was about, I at lengthapproached and looked in; when I saw him on his knees, with the contentsof his basket spread out on the ground, bending low before Mudge's gun,which stood leaning against a table in the corner. He was uttering somestrange gibberish, and addressing the gun, evidently supposing it to bea being possessed of supernatural powers. He had watched day after dayits to him wonderful performances, and had made up his mind to endeavourto propitiate it.
I did not like to interrupt him, or in any way to ridicule him; and Iwas very glad that neither Paddy Doyle nor Tommy saw him, for I was verysure that they would not have refrained from doing so. I thereforecrept away without letting the poor savage know that I had seen him. Heat length came out of the hut, and sauntered about the village as usual,spending some time watching the carpenter at work.
When I told Harry, he said he thought that it was very natural, and thatwhen he first came on board the _Heroine_ he was inclined to pay thesame sort of respect to the compass, the quadrants, the spy-glasses, thebig guns and muskets, and various other things, which Popo told him werethe white men's fetishes.
Pullingo had from the first looked upon Paddy Doyle as his chief friend,and they soon managed to understand each other in a wonderful way.Mudge suggested, indeed, that they were nearer akin than the rest of us.We got Paddy to ask him if he could tell what had become of thebushrangers, and Paddy understood him to say that they had gone away toa distance; so, concluding that this was the case, we ceased to thinkmuch about them.
Believing ourselves secure from any attack on the part of the natives,we no longer took the precautions we had adopted on our arrival,--withthe exception of keeping watch at night, which was more for the purposeof maintaining naval discipline than from any apprehensions we had of anattack. We used to wander about by the side of the river under thecliff without our arms, and sometimes for some distance over the opendowns on the top. Even my mother and Edith lost all apprehension, andfrequently took walks with only Pierce or Harry. Sometimes I went withthem; but I was generally employed in shooting or fishing. Inconsequence of this, the younger ones fancied that they might gowherever they liked by themselves.
One day my mother, being unwell, was confined to the house, and Harrycame out fishing with Ned Burton and me in the boat. My father, Mudge,and Tommy, accompanied by Paddy Doyle and one of the other men, had goneon a shooting expedition, attended by Pullingo and his son, leaving onlyDicky Popo in attendance on my mother, and two men to guard the camp.As we were not far off, a musket-shot would bring us quickly back if wewere required.
We pulled down to the mouth of the river. The fish soon began to bite,and we hauled up more than we had ever before caught. I observed thatthe tide was unusually low, as numerous rocks which I had never beforeseen were uncovered, and remained so for some time. At last the tidebegan to rise, and we caught the fish even faster than at first. Wewere so eagerly engaged that we did not remark how rapidly the time wentby. We were well-pleased, because we should not only have fish for allhands, but be able to present our black friends with a welcome supply.We found, I may remark, that they prized us not so much for ourknowledge of the arts and sciences, as in proportion to our power ofobtaining such food as they valued.
Burton suggested that we might salt some fish, and proposed looking forsalt along the shore. I agreed with him that it would be important ifwe could succeed in doing so, as we might then carry some salted fish onour journey.
As the fish continued to bite, we remained to catch them, and we werestill eagerly hauling them in when the sound of a musket fired at thecamp reached our ears. We at once hauled in our lines, got up ouranchor, and pulled away as hard as we could up the river.
"What can be the matter?" I asked.
"I suppose they wish to remind us that it is supper-time, and so firedthe shot to call us back," answered Burton.
"I hope that no strange blacks have come to the camp, or that those badmen whom we met the other day have not returned," said Harry.
"It may be; but we'll soon show them that we're not going to stand anyof their tricks," observed Burton.
This last suggestion of Harry made me feel very anxious, as I had oftenheard of the atrocities of which bushrangers had been guilty.
As we neared the camp we could see no one. Just as we pulled up to thelanding-place, however, we heard a voice cry out,--"Help! help!--bear ahand, or they'll be away." We eagerly leaped on shore, when thespectacle which met our eyes made us very anxious. One of our men layon the ground, apparently dead; and not far off was the other, bound tothe trunk of a tree so that he could move neither hands nor feet."There! there!" he cried. "Stop them!"
Too anxious about my mother and Edith and Pierce to attend to him, or tounderstand clearly what he said, I rushed to the door of our cottage.It was closed. I knocked loudly. "Mother! mother!--let me in; we'vecome to your assistance," I exclaimed. She did not reply; but I heardsome one moving, and presently the door opened and Dicky Popo appeared.
"O massa! so glad you come, or dey murder us all," he exclaimed.
"But my mother--where is she?" I asked.
"She in her room, I tink; but no speakee," answered Popo.
"Mother! mother!--where are you?" I cried out.
The door of her room was also closed; but rushing against it, with theaid of Dicky I burst it open. My mother lay on the ground. A horr
iblefeeling came over me,--I thought she was shot. On bending down I coulddiscover no wound, and I found that she still breathed, so I trustedthat she had only fainted. I sprinkled her face with water, and sheshortly after heaved a sigh and opened her eyes. On seeing me sherevived, and with Popo's assistance I lifted her up and placed her in achair.
"Is it a hideous dream?" she asked; "or have the bushrangers really beenhere? And where are Edith and Pierce?"
"There is nothing now to be alarmed about, mother," I answered. "Thebushrangers have gone away, and Edith and Pierce are probably hidingsomewhere."
"Oh! go and look for them," she said, "and bring them here at once. Iam afraid that those terrible men have carried them off."
"Not at all likely, mother," I said. "I have no doubt, however, thatBurton and Harry have already set off to follow the men."
As she again urged me to go, assuring me that she was quite recovered, Itook my gun, and telling Popo to remain and attend on her, hurried out.I found that Burton and Harry had released the man who had been bound tothe tree, while the other, who had been only stunned, had recovered; andall four, with guns in their hands, were making their way towards thefoot of the cliffs in pursuit of the bushrangers. I followed, shoutingfor Edith and Pierce; for I could not help thinking it possible that thebushrangers might have carried them off. As the robbers were heavilyladen with their spoil, they had got only a part of the way up the cliffwhen we caught sight of them. With intense thankfulness I saw that theywere alone, and that they had not carried off the children.
"Stop, you villains!" cried Burton, when he got near enough to make themhear.
They did not reply, but continued making their way up the cliff.Burton, who was leading, was about to pursue, when one of them turnedround and levelled his rifle at his head.
"If you advance another step I'll fire!" shouted the man.
"Two can play at that game, friend," exclaimed Burton, lifting hismusket and letting fly at the bushranger. We imitated his example; butwhen the smoke cleared off we found that the men were still making theirupward way, springing with wonderful agility from rock to rock.
We had to stop to reload; then, notwithstanding their threats, we againbegan to climb after them. They had, however, a long start of us, andhad already gained the easier part of the ascent; still, laden as theywere, one of them might slip and give us a chance of overtaking him, andwe continued our ascent. They were now, however, hidden from sight bythe trees and rocks above our heads.
Burton still kept ahead of us, and was the first to gain the summit ofthe cliff. He lifted his musket and fired. Directly afterwards therest of us joined him, when we saw the two bushrangers galloping away tothe southward, at no great distance from the cliffs, where, the groundbeing level, they could make better play than more to the right, whereit was undulating and somewhat soft in the bottom. They were alreadytoo far off for our bullets to reach them.
"Missed again!" exclaimed Ned. "I believe the fellows must bear charmedlives; or my musket has taken to shooting crooked."
As we could not hope to overtake the robbers, I told Burton how anxiousI was to return and look for Edith and Pierce,--although I hoped that,frightened by the appearance of the bushrangers, they had hiddenthemselves.
"I think not, sir," said Tom Nokes, one of our men. "Soon after youwent off in the boat, I saw the young people starting away togetheralong the shore; but thinking their mother had given them leave to go, Ididn't look after them."
This intelligence was so far satisfactory, that it made me believe theycould not have been seen by the bushrangers--who, indeed, could scarcelyhave been such ruffians as to injure them. I therefore hurried back tomy mother; but she, having been asleep all the morning, did not evenknow that the children had gone away. She expressed her anxiety onhearing what Nokes had said, as at all events they ought by this time tohave returned. Not wishing to alarm her more, I expressed my beliefthat they would soon appear. On leaving her, however, I proposed toBurton and Harry to take the boat and pull along the shore, while Nokesvolunteered to go on foot in the same direction.
Having landed our fish, we at once pulled away; but no signs did we seeof Edith or Pierce. The sun was setting as we rowed down the river. Asthe bar was smooth, we crossed it without hesitation, and continued ourcourse along the shore, as close in as the coral reefs would allow us toget. Every now and then I stood up to examine the shore, but nowherewere the children to be seen. The tide had risen, too, and in severalplaces washed the very base of the cliffs. This alarmed me much, for Idreaded lest the tide might have entrapped them as they were makingtheir way back.
"We needn't fear that, Master Godfrey; for they both have got sense, andwill have managed, I hope, to reach some place of safety," observedBurton.
Again we pulled on, when just under the highest part of the cliff Icaught sight of an object in the water which attracted my attention. Atfirst I thought it was a rock, covered with seaweed moved by the surgingwater. We paddled in as close as we could venture without running therisk of knocking the bottom of the boat against the coral, and then Imade out a horse and a human figure lying together half in the water.The man was motionless, and apparently dead; but the horse was stillfaintly struggling, trying to keep its head above the surface.
"That must be one of the bushrangers," I exclaimed.
"No doubt about it," said Burton; "but how he came to fall over thecliff it is hard to say."
"Can we not reach him and see if he is still alive?" I asked.
"No man could have fallen from that height and kept the breath in hisbody," said Ned; "nor, indeed, escape breaking all his bones, unless hehad come down on the top of his horse. Depend on it, he's dead; and sowill the poor horse be in another moment--see! its head has already sunkunder the water. If we hadn't to look for the children we might try toget at him; but it would lose much time, and we might chance also toinjure the boat."
"By all means then let us pull on, and continue our search for Edith andPierce," I answered; and we again took to our oars.
Evening was now drawing rapidly on. In vain we searched the coast asfar as our eyes could reach. As we pulled under the cliffs I shouted mybrother and sister's names, but only the echo of my voice came backfaintly to our ears. I became more and more alarmed, and it seemed tome as if their doom was pronounced, when Burton declared that we mustpull back, as it was not likely they could have got so far. Harryshowed that he was as unhappy as I was, and joined his voice with minein shouting out their names as we made our way towards the mouth of theriver.
There was scarcely sufficient daylight to enable us to distinguish theentrance. We got safely over the bar, however, and as fast as we couldmove our oars we pulled up to the encampment. My father and his partyhad just returned. He was, of course, very much alarmed at thedisappearance of my brother and sister. Nokes had discovered no tracesof them, still he affirmed that he had seen them go in that direction.One thing was certain,--that it would be useless to attempt continuingour search during the hours of darkness.
That was indeed a miserable night. My father did his utmost to comfortmy poor mother, but she could not fail to dread the worst. Our anxietyabout them made us scarcely think of the visit of the bushrangers. Onexamining our stores, however, it was seen that they had carried off aconsiderable quantity of powder and shot, and numerous other articleswhich were likely to prove useful to them in their wandering life. Theyhad not forgotten, either, to supply themselves with several bottles ofspirits: perhaps the liquor, to which they had been so longunaccustomed, was the cause of the death of the unhappy wretch whosebody we had seen beneath the cliff. However, that was only conjecture,and will probably for ever remain so.
I had no inclination to go to bed, but my father insisted on my turningin, saying that he would sit up with my mother; and in spite of my griefand anxiety I at length fell fast asleep.