The account we brought of the direction the supposed bushrangers were
riding convinced Mr Strong that such was their character, and that
pressed for food and ammunition, probably for both, they were going to
some other station to supply their wants by force. We, however, heard
nothing of them, nor had they, we found, visited Captain Mason's
station, and in what direction they had gone we could not ascertain.
Some days after the events I have described, a stockman who had been
engaged by Mr Strong's agent arrived. He had stopped at Bracewell's,
and brought the sad intelligence that our friend was ill, and that he
had expressed a strong wish that either Guy or I should come and stay
with him. He also greatly wanted medical advice. No doctor was to be
found within sixty miles of the station. Guy and I were eager to go to
the assistance of our friend, and Mr Strong gave both of us leave.
Hector having some business to transact for his father at the chief
town, and the dominie, who we found had a considerable amount of medical
knowledge, offered to go if he could be spared for a few days. To this
Mr Strong did not object, and before daylight the next morning we set
off carrying huge saddle-bags in which the articles we required were
stowed. Those of the dominie contained his medicine chest--not a very
large one, but well suited for the bush, where Morrison's pills are more
in request than drugs in general. We were accompanied by two dogs, one
of which had from my first arrival especially attached himself to me,
and Hector, to whom he belonged, had made me a present of him.
Though anxious about our friend we were all in high spirits at the
prospect of a gallop across the country, which few people in good health
could fail to enjoy. Even the dominie forgot his fears of bushrangers
and mials, or wild blacks.
Our road lay through a lightly timbered country, and here and there
patches of scrub consisting of a sweet-scented wattle. We saw pigeons
in abundance, and at times a kangaroo hopped away before us. The grass,
owing to the heat of the weather, was rather yellow than green, but we
knew that a few showers would soon change its hue. After traversing
this country for several miles, we saw some trees evidently much larger
than those round us. As we drew near, the vegetation below us looked
green, a sign that we were approaching a creek or water-hole. Just then
we caught sight of three kangaroos leisurely cropping the grass.
Before, however, we could unsling our rifles, they winded us and bounded
away at a rate which would have made it hopeless to follow them unless
we had been accompanied by native dogs and were prepared for a long
chase. We accordingly unsaddled at the hole, which was full of
unusually clear water, a luxury not often obtained in the bush. The
grass, also, beneath the trees being shaded was closer and greener than
that elsewhere; they were mostly tea-trees and gum-trees, many of them
growing to a good size. Among the boughs we saw numbers of white
cockatoos, parrots, laughing-jackasses, and many other birds, who
received us, as we prepared to camp for our noon-day meal, with a loud
chorus of varied cries.
Having allowed our horses some time to feed, we again mounted and rode
forward. We camped again at night at another water-hole, and were at an
early hour the next morning once more in our saddles.
We had proceeded some little distance, when I observed that Guy's horse
had gone lame, and presently it made a fearful stumble from which he
could with difficulty recover it.
"I am afraid that I must get off and walk, and give the horse a chance
of recovering himself," said Guy.
We pulled up, and Hector examined the animal's hoofs. A sharp thorn had
run into his right fore-foot, and though Hector extracted it, the animal
still remained as lame as before. We should not, under ordinary
circumstances, have minded the delay, but knowing how ill Bracewell was
we were much annoyed.
At last Hector offered to remain with Guy, if the dominie and I would
ride on. To this proposal I was very glad to accede.
The dominie at first looked a little uncomfortable at having to proceed
with a single companion.
"Suppose we were to fall in with bushrangers," he observed. "What
should we do?"
"Shoot them through the head if they offer to interfere with you," said
Hector. "You are always thinking of those fellows. The chances are
they cleared out of our district long ago when they found that we were
prepared for them."
"You may do our friend Bracewell a great deal of good," I observed, "for
you at all events know more about doctoring than any of us. You can
discover what is the matter with him."
"I certainly will not decline doing what you say," he answered, and
seeing to our saddle-girths we prepared for a gallop which would bring
us up to Bracewell's station before nightfall, Hector and Guy promising
to follow as fast as they could, although they would have to camp out
another night. We started off. The dominie had lately improved in his
horsemanship, and we made good play over the ground. I felt sure that I
knew the way, as the track between the two stations was tolerably well
defined. There were only two places, of no great extent, passing
through which we should have to pull rein. At the first the ground was
unusually rough and rocky, with thick underwood. We got over it,
however, and soon afterwards had to pass through a gorge in the only
range of hills we had to cross. The path was narrow, so that we could
not conveniently ride side by side. I therefore, as guide, took the
lead, and had unintentionally got some way ahead of the dominie, when I
heard him cry out, and turning round to see what was the matter I found
my right arm seized by a fellow who had sprung out from behind a rock
while another grasped my horse's rein, and the next instant I was
dragged to the ground.
"Stuck up at last, young master," cried a voice which I recognised as
that of the tall bushranger Guy and I had before encountered and driven
off. "Do not be a fool and show fight, or I'll blow your brains out.
Here, hand out what you've got about you. You may think yourself
fortunate if we leave you the clothes on your back, but we don't want
them. Do as I tell you, down on your knees and stay there, while I feel
your pockets."
As may be supposed I did not carry much money in the bush, but on
leaving home I had put a couple of sovereigns in my pocket. My rifle,
of course, I expected to lose.
While the bushranger was performing the operation of cleaning me out, a
savage bull-dog approached, and I thought was going to fly at me, but I
found his eyes were directed towards some object at my back, which
proved to be my faithful Carlo, who, however ready to do battle in my
cause, thought it prudent, in the presence of a superior force, to yield
to circumstances.
All this time I could not see what was happening to the dominie, but I
concluded that he would wisely not attempt to make any resistance, and
that he was being cleaned out as I was. I did not again hear his voice,
and as the bushranger swore that he would shoot me through the head
should I move, I thought it as well not to look round lest he should put
his threat into execution. The fellow who had taken my horse now picked
up my gun and carried it off to a short distance. Two of them then
produced a rope, intending, I concluded, to treat the dominie and me as
they had Bracewell.
As the man who stood over me returned his pistol to his belt, I took a
glance round to try and ascertain what had become of my companion, but
he was nowhere to be seen, and I feared, therefore, that they intended
to bind him to a tree at such a distance that we could hold no
communication with each other. My dog Carlo was also not to be seen; I
felt, however, nearly sure that the bushrangers had not carried him off.
I had often remarked his peculiar sagacity, and hoped that, finding he
could do me no good, he had kept out of the way to avoid the risk of
being either killed or captured. I soon found that my anticipations
were correct. The bushranger now holding a pistol to my head made me
get up and walk to a tree some distance from the track, so that should
any travellers pass by I should not be discovered. I might have acted a
more heroic part had I struggled desperately, seized a pistol, and
attempted to blow out the brains of one of the ruffians; but as I felt
that it was more than likely I should lose my own life, I considered it
wiser to yield with calmness and dignity.
The villains were well up to their work, and having secured my hands
behind me, they fastened me in so effectual a way to a tree, that I
could not possibly set myself at liberty.
Without speaking another word to me, the big bushranger led off my
horse, carrying with him my gun and articles he had taken from me, and
disappeared among the trees. I saw two other persons leading a horse,
going in the same direction, one of whom I felt sure, from his figure,
was Vinson, though I did not see his countenance. Indeed, I suspect
that he had unintentionally avoided coming near me.
As soon as the bushrangers had gone, I looked round in search of the
dominie, but could nowhere discover him. I could scarcely hope that he
had escaped, or, if he had, that he had got off on horseback. I felt
nearly sure that the horse I had just seen led away by the robbers was
his. I was thus left in doubt how they had treated him, whether they
had bound him as they had me, or used greater violence. As soon as I
fancied that they had gone off to a sufficient distance not to hear me,
I shouted to the dominie, hoping to hear a reply. Not a sound reached
my ears, and I began seriously to apprehend that they had knocked him on
the head or stabbed him. I remembered the dread he had always expressed
of the bushrangers, and I thought it possible that he might have had
some especial reason for fearing them. Perhaps he had known one of
them, or might have attempted at some time or other to betray them into
the hands of the police.
After shouting in vain for some minutes, I began to lose all hope of
receiving a reply. What had become of Carlo, I could not tell; I feared
that the bushrangers must have killed him, as I felt nearly sure that he
would not have deserted me, either to make his escape from the scene of
danger, or to follow them. I should have been glad to have him by my
side for the sake of companionship; it also struck me that should he
come, he might possibly be able to bite through the thongs if I could
show him what I wanted done. I called to him several times, but he did
not appear. At last I arrived at the conclusion that the bushrangers
had killed him. I now began to think of my own dangerous position,
while thus utterly unable to defend myself. If discovered by hostile
blacks, they would make me a target for their spears, or a pack of
dingoes might attack me. I never had heard of their assaulting a living
man, but I saw no reason why they should not do so, should they discover
that I had no means of defending myself. A snake or scorpion might bite
me, and mosquitoes or other stinging insects were sure to find me out
and annoy me; while I had the prospect of remaining without water or
food for hours, or perhaps days to come, when I might at last perish
from hunger and thirst. Such and other gloomy thoughts passed through
my mind. I had not from the first struggled, for I felt sure that I
should thus tighten the thongs which bound me. Now, however, I set to
work calmly to try and release myself, by drawing up one of my hands,
hoping that if I could but get my head low enough to reach the thong
round my arm, I might in time gnaw it through; but after making a
variety of efforts I found that the attempt was vain, and giving it up,
I resigned myself to my fate, whatever that might be.
Still it must be understood that I did not altogether lose hope. There
was the possible chance of the dominie having escaped, and that some
traveller might be coming by and release me, as Guy and I had released
Bracewell. Still many hours might pass before then, and I was already
suffering from thirst, though I was not troubled by hunger. Being out
of the path, I could only hope to attract attention from passers-by by
shouting as I heard the sound of their horses' footsteps. This I could
do as long as I retained my senses, but I might, I feared, drop off into
a state of stupor, and those who might have released me might be close
at hand without my knowing it.
Suddenly I thought I would make one more attempt to ascertain if the
dominie was within hearing. I shouted as loud as I could bawl, and then
gave a cooey, which would reach further than any other sound. I
listened; a faint cry came from a distance. It was the dominie's voice,
I thought, but could not make out what he said. The tones were
melancholy in the extreme. It might be some consolation to him, poor
fellow, to know that I was alive, and I no longer doubted that the
bushrangers had treated him in the same manner that they had me, though
I suspected that he had been either stunned or so frightened that he had
not before heard my shouts or been able to reply. I intended every now
and then to give him a hail, when it occurred to me that our voices
might attract any blacks passing at a distance, and that we should thus
increase the risk of being killed by them.
I could scare sly tell how the hours went by. At length darkness came
on, and I began to doze. It was the best thing I could do, as it
prevented me from feeling either hunger or thirst. I was, however,
quickly awakened by the thongs cutting my limbs as I bent forward. I
then tried to lean against the tree with my feet out, and in that
position I escaped the pressure on my limbs, and was at last able to
drop off to sleep. My slumbers, as may be supposed, were far from
pleasant, indeed I was conscious all the time that something
disagreeable had happened; but still, by thus snatching a few intervals
of sleep, I found that the night passed away faster than I should have
supposed possible. Strange sounds occasionally reached my ears. I
fancied that I heard in the distance the yelping and barking of a pack
of dingoes, and as the brutes often hunt together in considerable
numbers, I dreaded that they might find out the dominie and me, and tear
us to pieces. With intense relief I saw the streaks of dawn appear in
the sky. The laughing-jackass uttered his cheerful notes, and parrots
and other birds began to chirp and screech and chatter. The sound
tended somewhat to raise my spirits, though the pangs of hunger and
thirst which now oppressed me soon became insupportable. As in daylight
the blacks might be passing, I was afraid of attracting their attention
by crying out, so that I was unable to ascertain how it fared with the
poor dominie. When the sun rose, the heat became oppressive, and the
insects began to buzz about my face, while I had no power to drive them
off.
This annoyance was trying in the extreme. I spluttered and spat, and
winked my eyes, and shook my head, to very little effect; and although
the creatures did not often bite me, their buzzing and tickling almost
drove me mad. At last a sound struck my ear. It was the bay of a
hound, then came a bark, and the next instant the faithful Carlo bounded
up to me, and licking my face, soon drove off the flies. Then, having
exhibited his delight, away he went barking cheerfully. Presently the
sound of the tramping of horses' hoofs reached my ears, but on a sudden,
the sound ceased, and I feared that I had been deceived; but then it
occurred to me that the rider had discovered the dominie, and was
stopping to set him at liberty. In a few seconds I caught sight of a
horseman. It was my brother Guy, who came galloping up to me. Throwing
himself from his saddle, without stopping to ask questions he cut the
thongs which bound me to the tree.
"You looked so pale that I thought that was the first thing to do," said
Guy, as he supported me in his arms, and gradually let me sink down on
the ground, for I could not stand. "Hector is looking after the
dominie, he is even in a worse condition than you are."
"I am fearfully thirsty," I said.
"I knew you must be," he replied, applying a water-bottle to my mouth.
The draught, which was tolerably cool, had an almost instantaneous
effect, and I was at once able to get up on my feet.
"We thought something had happened when Carlo, rushing back, came
barking and pulling at our trousers; and as soon as we could catch our
horses, in spite of the lameness of mine, we started off. We could not
travel fast at night, but immediately day broke we galloped on; and I am
thankful indeed, my dear Maurice, to find you uninjured--but how did you
get into this plight?"