BRISBANE.
True to her time, the _Maranoa_ reached Moreton Bay, and entered for the
mouth of the Brisbane river. Here the scenery was of an uncommon and
striking description, but as they neared the town the river dwindled to
a mere mud-hole, similar to that at Launceston. After some delay she was
made fast alongside the _Buninyong_, which had maintained, during its
voyage, the two hours' start it had had. Hilda had visited Brisbane
before, and knew her way about, so the girls had perfected all their
plans during the voyage, and on landing, immediately crossed over to the
Grand Hotel, and engaged a room.
"We cannot say how long we shall stay, but should we go, our luggage can
remain here until we call or send for it," said Hil to the maid who
showed them their room, which they entered and locked the door.
"Now then, May, we'll try on our new rig-out."
"Shall we dress now?"
"Rather--you try on that," answered Hil, as she drew from her
portmanteau a man's suit of tweed.
Amid a good deal of laughter, they dressed themselves in their new garb.
Hil had neglected nothing, and had even provided two pairs of
specially-made corsets which enabled the waist to appear even with the
hips, instead of tapering. Loose flannel shirts, with collars attached,
obviated all differences of appearance about the bust. Padded boots, two
sizes too large for them, met the difficulty of small feet.
"Now for the finishing touch," said Hil, as she fixed a small downy
moustache on May's upper lip and handed her a pair of eye-glasses. She
wore herself a similar appendage, somewhat heavier, and carefully
darkened her chin. The result was most satisfactory. Then producing two
long macintoshes, which completely enveloped their figures, and fixing
veils round the tweed caps they wore, they repacked their portmanteaus,
watched a favourable opportunity, and slipped out of the hotel and
proceeded to a quiet bye-street near the wharf. Here their macintoshes
and veils disappeared into the river, and two spick and span young
gentlemen emerged into the main thoroughfare again. The feeling was
peculiar at first, but as no one appeared to take particular notice of
them, they soon felt complete confidence in their disguise.
"Let's get a smoke, Hil," said May, stopping at a tobacconist's, "it
will heighten the illusion." And quite in the regulation manner they
strolled along, puffing cigarettes.
Their confidence became so great that they returned to the hotel and
enquired if two ladies had arrived. The porter answered in the
affirmative, but said they were out at that moment. They continued their
way, and entered the saloon of the "Royal."
"What are you drinking?" asked Hil.
"Brandy and soda, please," said May, as she squeezed the barmaid's hand
on the sly.
"Let's sit down," said Hil, "and fix on our names. Mine is Percy."
"And mine is Jack," promptly answered her companion.
They sat at the table smoking and sipping the drinks before them,
occasionally ogling the barmaid, when both were rather startled at the
entrance of Hal and Reg. A covert kick from Hil made both extremely
cautious.
"What will you try, Hal?" said Reg, with a casual glance round the room
and a critical one at the ladies behind the bar.
"Ale, thanks. I wonder if there is an English boat in."
"That's meant for us: new chums," whispered Hil to May, and picking up
the _Evening Observer_, she glanced over the contents.
"They seem to be pretty friendly," said May, pointing to the boys, who
were monopolising the barmaid's time and attention.
"What'll you have, Jack," said Hil, aloud. "I say, miss, when you are at
leisure--"
"I beg your pardon, sir," answered the barmaid, coming forward.
"Same again, miss, please."
"Very little brandy," put in May, for she noticed the spittoon by her
side was nearly full and would not carry much more.
Reg picked up the paper which Hil had laid down, and looking down the
columns gave a start at something that met his eye. Calling Hal aside,
he shewed it him. Hal merely nodded his head and, shortly after, they
left. As soon as they had gone, Hil took up the paper again, and looking
at the column Reg had pointed to, turned to May, and said:
"I was wondering what had startled those two and I believe it must be
this."
May looked at the column she indicated and read:
"W--k, come to-morrow. All safe, S--l."
"Nothing in that, Percy," answered May. "That girl's name is Sal, she's
in it," she added, in a lower voice.
"They look like detectives, those two," said Hil sharply, out loud,
turning round to watch the effect of her announcement.
The lady, who wore her name conspicuously engraved upon her ring,
coloured and seemed disconcerted, and shortly after quitted the saloon.
"Come for a stroll as far as the Post Office," said Hil, as she saw Sal
return with a letter in her hand.
"Are you gentlemen going to the Post Office?" she asked, sweetly.
"Yes, we're going to try our luck again."
"Would you mind taking this letter, and handing it in to the Telegraph
Department. Here is a shilling to pay for it."
"I'll take the letter, my dear, with pleasure, but not the shilling,"
said Hil, patting the girl affectionately on the cheek.
"You'll see it's sent off at once, for it concerns a young lady whose
mother is ill."
"I'll go as fast as I can carry it. Come on, Jack," answered Hil,
leaving the saloon hurriedly, followed by May.
Outside, she turned to her companion, and asked:
"Do you know what I have got here?"
"Wyck's address."
"I think so, we'll see," and she tore the letter open hurriedly, as if
the action hardly commended itself to her. Taking out the enclosure, she
read:
"V. Wyckliffe, Royal Hotel, Toowoomba. Two men enquiring for you.
Go to back country.--Sal."
"Where's Toowoomba, Hil?"
"It's on the overland road to Sydney, about five hours' journey. Have
you a guide?"
"Yes, here we are. Express leaves at 6.30."
"Good! Come, we will have to change our rig. He'll strike off for the
back country, the wire shews that. We shall want moleskin trousers and
rougher clothes."
"Why? Won't these do?" asked May, not liking the idea.
"Not for the bush, May. Of course, we will go in these and take the
others with us in case of emergency. Come on, time is precious," and she
led the way to an outfitter's.
The boys left the hotel for the purpose of consulting freely together
outside. As they paced the street, Reg said:
"That certainly seems strange. W--k may stand for Wyck, and S--l for
Sal, for that is the barmaid's name. If it is so, he is still in
Brisbane."
"Yes, I suppose so," answered Hal, thoughtfully.
"Would it not be as well to question that girl about it?"
"Why, of course, of course. What are we thinking of?" and Hal turned
back and once more entered the hotel.
"Do you know where Wyck is now, miss?" he asked in a familiar manner.
"No, I don't," answered she in a flurried way, blushing to the roots of
her hair.
"Yes you do, miss," said Reg, laughing. "He is a friend of ours and we
want to see him badly."
"I don't know who you mean," she answered, becoming very red and angry.
And the boys seeing there was no chance of finding out anything went out
again.
As they passed the Post Office they called in on the chance of finding
something, and were gratified at having a telegram handed to them, which
read as follows:
"Morris and Winter, Brisbane. Wyck at Toowoomba. Saw wire Dick.
Says going bush. Terence O'Flynn."
"What's the guide say, Reg?"
"Express 6.30. It's now 4.30."
"What's he making for the bush for? He thinks he will escape us that
way. If he does he's mistaken, for he's tumbling right into my arms,"
remarked Hal with a grim smile.
"I must say he is a bit smarter than I gave him credit for," said Reg.
"This is not a bad place, Reg, is it?"
"No. It's a bit warm. What are the people like--same as down South?"
"No, my boy. They are like the climate--warm--and they make it so if
anything displeases them. They are the most independent and democratic
lot in the colonies and, when the great smash comes, I shall be much
mistaken if the voice of Queensland is not the first to cry 'Australia
for the Australians.' But now to business. If we are going in for bush
work we must have a bush outfit, so come on," and they walked towards
the same outfitter's at which ten minutes previously the girls had
rigged themselves out.
They were hardly out of sight of the Post Office when a hansom-cab drew
up at the door, and a young man, looking furtively round, hastily alit
and hurried into the office to enquire for letters. One was handed to
him with the letters O.H.M.S. upon it, which he opened, signed the
certificate enclosed and received from the savings-bank clerk a sum of
money in gold. Pocketing the money, he hurried into his cab and drove
away. The man was Villiers Wyckliffe, and there was anything but a
pleasant look on his face, for at heart he was an arrant coward.
"Confound those fellows," he muttered to himself, "they may get here at
any time. I had to come back here for money, but I'll go back to
Toowoomba again, as it is a handy place to make for the open country at
a moment's notice. Who in the deuce would have thought that a fellow
would make so much fuss over a girl as that fellow Morris is doing. He
and his friend mean mischief, for Dick told me of their carryings-on at
Melbourne. If they track me I'll shoot them down like the dogs they are.
If I could only get away I'd go back to England, for people are not so
particular there. Damn Australia, I say! I wish I had never seen it."
His face had grown black with anger, and falling back, he fell to
commiserating his lot. "There are so many pretty girls here," he
murmured. "And these confounded fellows are spoiling all my fun." Here
any further reflections were disturbed by his arrival at the "George."
"Call for me in time to catch the 6.30 express," he shouted to the
cabby, as he hurried inside.
"Let's come in here for a drink," said Hal, leading the way into the
saloon of the "George," some ten minutes later.
Calling for drinks, they were surprised to see the two new chums that
they had noticed before, sitting there.
"We meet again," whispered Hil to May.
"Well, here's luck, old chap," said Hal to Reg. "I wonder how old Goody
and his daughter are getting on."
A kick passed between the new chums, who sat as if they noticed nothing.
"Yes, I wonder. She and her cousin are going on the detective business
as well, eh? That's a good joke; but she's a jolly girl," answered Reg.
"I'd like to meet that cousin of hers," replied Hal. "From all accounts,
she is a bit of a star."
"I think we ought to wire them that we have left Sydney. They'll be
wondering what has come to us."
"Yes, I should like to let them know. To tell the truth, I thought they
wanted to join us, or something of that kind, and, much as I like women,
I could not stand that," said Hal, smiling.
"It's time to go, old chap. Ta-ta, miss," and they left to get ready for
their journey.
As soon as they were gone, the two new chums looked at each other and
burst out laughing.
"So, you're a jolly girl, May!"
"And you're a bit of a star."
"Come, let's get ahead of them at any rate. We'll see if girls are so
much in the way, Mr. Hal. I consider it a gross piece of impertinence,"
said Hil, leading the way with an air of injured dignity.
"A nobbler of brandy please, miss, and let me have a flask too," said
Wyck, hurriedly entering the saloon, for his cab was waiting to take him
to the station.
The 6.30 express started for Toowoomba, taking five people, divided into
three parties, each party quite unaware of the presence of the others. A
lady had shadowed the boys to the station, and seeing them enter the
train, left hastily for the Post Office, whence she despatched the
following telegram:
Wyckliffe, Toowoomba. They left by to-night's express for
Toowoomba. Danger. Sal.