Mr Ramsay praised Rudge and Tom Wells for the way that they had behaved
in defending the hut, and old Mat also for having stuck by his sheep,
instead of running away. After listening to the account Troloo had to
give, he was sure that they had been set on by others. He determined
therefore to ride on and speak to them with some of his men.
Mr Harlow was about to offer to accompany him, when Sarah's cry of,
"Oh, my children--my children, what are to become of them?" made him
turn to her, and promise to set out at once in search of them.
Joseph wished to go, but his friends would not let him.
"No," said Mr Harlow, "you must stay and take care of your wife and
daughter. We will take Sam and Wells, and two of my men, and Troloo.
He will be of more help than all the rest of us, I suspect. If the
blacks have found them, which I don't think they have, he will get them
back; and if they have wandered off into the woods, he will trace them
out."
Troloo at once understood what was required of him, and the two parties
without delay set out, while Joseph and Sarah remained behind.
Troloo was the only person on foot, and he went hunting about like a
pointer ranging a field, looking out for the tracks of the children. He
soon found them, and quickly ran along the edge of the creek till he
came to the place where they had crossed. He then went on, pointing out
to Mr Harlow the hill which they intended to go round. It did not,
however, take the turn they had expected, but ran off from the creek,
and this it was that had thrown them out. Troloo now led on quickly
till he found the spot where they had slept. He showed how they had got
up in the morning, and how the eldest girl had knelt down just outside
the hut with the little ones near her, and how they had then set off
running. Soon the youngest had got tired and gone slower and slower.
For several hours they went on, and then the eldest girl lifted up the
youngest and carried her, and then they all sat down. Next, the boy got
up and ran about in all directions and climbed a tree to try and find
out the way they should take. He thought that he had found it, for he
did not sit down again, but they all went on together quickly--sometimes
he, and sometimes his sister, carrying the youngest, and sometimes she
ran, they holding her hands. All this the black discovered as easily as
if it had passed before his eyes, from the look of the grass and shrubs.
Were they getting nearer? No. All this time they were going farther
and farther from home, and what seemed strange, going upwards towards
some high hills in the distance. This is said to be always the case,
when people lose themselves in the woods. If there is high land they
are certain to go towards it.
They came after some time to a marshy spot where some rushes grew. The
children had picked some of these and drank a little water from a pool
which they had dug with their hands. They had had nothing to eat.
Indeed, in few countries does a stranger find it more difficult to exist
in the woods than in Australia, though the natives can nearly always
obtain a meal from roots, or insects, or slugs, or birds, or small
animals which they trap. At length they reached a spot where Troloo
said that the children had spent their second night out. Bill had begun
to build a hut as before, but he had got tired, and they had all slept
close together with only a few boughs over them. The weather was fine,
as it is in that country for the greater part of the year, but it was
chilly at night. Again the children had started off by daylight,
running at first, but soon growing tired, and sturdy Bill had carried
little Mary for a long time on his back.
Before Mr Harlow's party could reach another of the children's camping
places, it grew dark, and they were obliged to camp themselves. There
was no longer much fear of their having fallen into the hands of the
savages. There was much talk that night round the camp-fire about the
poor children, and few of the party expected, after they had been lost
so long, to find them alive.
"One thing is certain, my friends, that we must push on as fast as we
can go, and Troloo can lead us. Without the help of the black we could
not have found our way at all, and after this let none of us abuse the
natives as stupid fellows. They make good use of the talents they
possess. I wish that we could say the same of all white people."
So eager was Mr Harlow to push on, that he breakfasted before daybreak,
and as soon as Troloo could make out the tracks of the children, the
party moved on. It was wonderful how persevering the little creatures
had been, and how they had held out. On and on they had gone, stopping
to rest only for a short time. Little Mary now was too weak to walk
alone. The other two held her up between them or carried her on their
backs. Troloo had gone on without faltering as yet, but now they
reached some hard, stony ground, and after going backwards and forwards
several times he shook his head and said that he could not find the
track of the children. They must go across it. Perhaps it might be
found on the other side. Mr Harlow and his party went across the stony
ground, but they looked up and down in vain. All the day was spent,
night came on, and still Troloo was unsuccessful. They had again to
camp.
"We must try again in the morning," said Mr Harlow, "I will never give
up till I find them."
"Yes, Troloo find to-morrow," said the black, "Troloo lub Rudge."
The rest of the party said also that nothing would make them give in.
They scarcely slept, so eager were they to be off, knowing that every
minute might make a difference whether the lives of the children were
saved or not. The instant they could see, after breakfast, they were on
the move, looking in all directions for the tracks. Two hours or more
passed, when Troloo was seen capering in the distance, and beckoning
them to come on. He had found the tracks, and they were very clear.
Now they pushed on faster than ever. The little creatures had toiled
on, but they had become very weak, still the elder ones had carried the
youngest. Once Bill had fallen, but had got up; Nancy had taken Mary
from him, and they had gone on. It was near the evening when Troloo,
who kept ahead, was seen to move on fast and beckon to the rest. Mr
Harlow followed him fast. He stopped and pointed to a bank overhung by
trees. There lay the three children. Were they alive? Mr Harlow's
heart sunk within him. He leaped from his horse as he reached the spot,
and leaned over the young children. They seemed to be sleeping.
"Father, are you come for us?" said a low voice. "We couldn't help it,
we tried to get home."
It was Nancy who spoke; she had taken off her own outer petticoat and
shawl to wrap up little Mary, who lay asleep in her arms by her side.
Bill opened his eyes and said, "Father," and then closed them again.
"Thank God they are alive," exclaimed Mr Harlow, instantly mixing a
little brandy-and-water and pouring it on their lips. Nancy was at once
able to swallow a few drops--so could Bill after a little time. Mr
Harlow had with forethought put some oranges in his pocket. A few drops
helped little Mary to revive. He wisely fed the children very slowly;
at first with only a few crumbs of biscuit at a time moistened with
water. It seemed probable that they would not have lived another hour
had they not been discovered; and certainly, had they been fed as Troloo
would have liked to feed them, they would have died immediately. In a
short time Nancy recovered enough to give an account of their
adventures. It was then proved that Troloo had found out as he followed
up their track exactly what had happened.
Mr Harlow now had a litter made on which the three children were
carried towards his house. Having gone some distance, they camped, and
a hut was built in which they were placed, and he and Sam and Tom Wells
sat up all night by turns watching them and giving them food as they
required it. It made Sam's heart leap with joy when little Mary looked
up, and said, "Is dat oo Sam? Tank oo," and then went off to sleep
calmly. The next day they reached Mr Harlow's station, where the young
ladies took them in charge, and soon, under God's blessing, they were
restored to health.