"I saw the rascals," he answered. "They are up to mischief very likely,
and think it prudent to keep at a distance from us. I'll soon make them
vanish."
Lifting his rifle, he uttered a loud whoop, when in an instant every
black disappeared, either having dropped to the ground, or got behind
the stems of trees.
"I don't suppose they'll come near us again, but it will be as well to
be on our guard when passing any thick scrub. We must either give it a
wide berth so that their spears cannot reach us, or gallop quickly by."
During the day-time, however, there was not much probability that the
blacks would venture to attack us; but we agreed that we must be very
careful during the night, lest they should spear our horses,--a trick
they are apt frequently to play when they think that they can do so and
make their escape without the risk of a bullet through their bodies.
Though we looked out for them on every side, not another black did we
see; but Bracewell remarked, that we must not consequently fancy that
they had taken themselves off.
However, as the day wore on, and they did not again reappear, we began
to hope that we had distanced them, and that they would not trouble us
during the night. At length we reached the water-hole, near which grew
several magnificent trees, where there was abundance of grass for the
horses, so that they would not be tempted to stray away.
Choosing a spot with a water-hole on one side, and three or four fine
trees of large girth on the other, we unsaddled our horses and made up
our fire. We had provisions enough for the evening, but should have to
go on short commons the next day, unless we could shoot a paddy-melon or
some birds.
Bracewell offered, as there was still sufficient light, to try to do so;
but Guy and I advised him to remain in camp while we endeavoured to
shoot a few parrots or cockatoos, so many of which were flitting about
among the boughs that we felt confident of shooting as many as we
required.
No sooner, however, did we fire, than having each brought down a parrot,
the remainder of the noisy birds flew away. We followed, expecting to
get some more shots, but the sound of our guns having alarmed them, as
soon as we approached they again took to flight.
By some means or other, I, having hurried on, lost sight of Guy, though
I concluded that he was following me. At last I saw a large cockatoo
nodding his head as if not aware of my presence. I fired, and brought
him down, when directly afterwards I heard the report of Guy's gun, much
further off than I had expected.
The thought just then occurred to me, that should the blacks be in the
neighbourhood, they might discover our whereabouts by the reports; so I
felt that it would be wise to be satisfied with the birds we had killed,
and return to camp.
I was therefore making my way back, when, turning my head, I caught
sight of a black figure stealthily approaching with a lance in his hand.
Suspecting that his intentions were hostile, I quickly reloaded,
ramming down a ball. As he approached from behind the trunk of a tree,
I levelled my rifle. He vanished in an instant, though when I moved on
again, I felt pretty sure that he was following me. I therefore every
now and then turned suddenly round and pointed my rifle towards my
pursuer. At last, having gone on for some distance, I began to fear
that I had lost my way, for I could not see either our camp-fire or the
smoke rising from it. To ascertain if I was near it, I gave a loud
cooey, expecting that Guy and Bracewell would hear me and reply.
No answer came. I began to feel rather uncomfortable, for although with
my rifle in my hand, I was a match for two or three blacks, I should be
in an awkward predicament should I be followed by a whole mob. It would
not do to stop, so on I pushed.
Again I cooeyed, and this time I heard my friends cooey in return.
Still the distance was apparently considerable, and at any moment the
blacks might overtake me. I ran on as fast as the nature of the ground
would allow, endeavouring to keep a straight course.
Once more I turned round when to my dismay I beheld a score or more of
blacks armed with spears and shields. For a moment I faced them as
before, presenting my rifle. I might bring down one of the fellows, I
knew; but then, unarmed, I should be at their mercy; I therefore
contented myself with threatening them. The instant I raised my weapon,
they all vanished as before. Directly afterwards I caught sight of the
glare of the fire: I dashed forward, when to my surprise I found my
brother and Bracewell coolly seated on the ground, engaged in preparing
a couple of parrots which the former had shot.
"Up, up!" I exclaimed: "the blacks are upon us--there is not a moment
to lose if we intend to save our lives."
"Oh, nonsense!" cried Bracewell. "You've seen a big `boomer,' or the
stump of a tree, which you have mistaken for a black fellow."
I loudly protested that I was not mistaken, and advised them to load
their rifles with ball.
While I was speaking, a spear quivered in the tree close to where they
were sitting. They jumped to their feet in an instant.
"If we don't take care, we shall have the horses wounded," I exclaimed,
and I ran to where they were feeding, leaving Guy and Bracewell to keep
watch for the appearance of our enemies.
Just as I had brought the horses up, and was tethering them behind the
clump of trees, the mob of blacks came in sight, shrieking and dancing
and brandishing their spears.
Bracewell, on this, exclaimed, "We'll show them that we're not to be
trifled with; or they will become bolder, and make a rush upon us with
their waddies. Guy, do you pick off that fellow on the right; I'll take
the fellow in the centre who is nourishing his weapon--he intends to
hurl it at us as soon as he gets near enough. Maurice, you must keep
them in check while we are reloading, but don't fire unless they
advance."
As he spoke, he and Guy pulled their triggers. As the smoke cleared off
I saw two blacks on the ground--my companions were rapidly reloading
while I kept my rifle pointed at the advancing mob. I had my eye upon
one of them, who appeared to be leader. We were tolerably well
sheltered by the roots of the trees, so that we could take aim without
exposing ourselves.
The determined front we exhibited did not however deter the blacks from
advancing, and as they did so, they sent a whole shower of spears, which
stuck quivering in the trunk of the tree forming our chief protection.
Several, however, passed and fell into the ground close to the horses,
fortunately none of which were injured.
I fired and brought down the man at whom I had aimed; I then sprang
behind shelter and reloaded, while my brother and Bracewell knocked over
two more.
It was dreadful work, having thus to kill our fellow-creatures; but at
that moment all we thought about was that they intended to kill us, and
that it was our business to defend our lives. Whether or not we should
do so successfully seemed very doubtful; for as far as we could judge,
while they flitted in and out among the trees, there were a hundred or
more of them yelling and shrieking and hurling their sharp-pointed
spears towards us. A hundred opposed to three were fearful odds.
Probably they were not aware of the smallness of our number, or they
might have made a rush at our camp, and knocked us all over with their
waddies. Every moment we expected that they would do so. Should one of
us be killed or wounded so as to be unable to fire, the other two must
inevitably become their victims.
As yet we had happily escaped injury, and the blacks did not appear
inclined to venture closer than at first. We had been firing away as
rapidly as we could reload, but though we had killed several, we had
frequently missed, for as they kept springing in and out behind the
trees in the thickening gloom, it was very difficult to hit them.
Suddenly they vanished, and I was afraid were coming round to get on our
flank; the width of the water-hole, and the marshy ground on the further
side was, however, too great to allow them to hurl their spears across
it. My gun was loaded, but when I put my hand into my bullet-pouch, to
my dismay, I found that I had not another shot left. I told my
companions. "Neither have I, and have just loaded with small shot,"
said Bracewell.
"So have I," said Guy; "but it will do to pepper them with if they come
nearer."
"But small shot will not go through their shields," I remarked.
"Then we must aim at their legs," answered Bracewell, calmly.
"Don't you think it would be prudent to mount the horses and gallop off
before they again attack us?" asked Guy.
"They will probably be on the look-out should we make the attempt, and
surround us before we get to any distance," said Bracewell. "Better try
and hold our own here, where we have the shelter of the trees, only
don't throw a shot away."
This discussion was cut short by a loud yell uttered by our savage
enemies, who, the next instant, again came into view, and advanced with
their spears poised. We had barely time to spring behind the trees,
when a shower of spears flew through the air, some passing close to us,
others sticking in the opposite side of the trunks. We immediately
replied, but could not see whether our shots took effect. The spears
now fell so thickly, that we could scarcely venture to show ourselves
even for a moment to fire in return. By the sound of the savages'
voices we judged they were getting nearer, and now we all felt that we
should have to sell our lives dearly, unless we could manage to mount
our horses and gallop away; but it would take some time to saddle them,
and the natives were not likely to allow us many moments to do so.
Bracewell, however, desperate as was our condition, tried to keep up our
spirits.
As far as we could judge, the savages showed no intention of abandoning
their object. Just as we expected that they would make their final
rush, a loud cooey was heard, and I caught the sound of the trampling of
horses' feet. We cooeyed in return again and again. The savages must
have heard us, as well as the cooeys in the distance; for after vainly
hurling another shower of spears, they turned and scampered off as fast
as their legs could carry them, their flight hastened by the peppering
we gave their backs with small shot. Almost immediately afterwards
Hector and the dominie, accompanied by half a dozen troopers, came
galloping up along the path close to the water-hole. As they appeared,
without waiting to exchange words, we threw our saddles on our horses'
backs and mounted ready to join them in the pursuit of our foes.