DEPARTURE FROM MELBOURNE.--FIGHT WITH THE NATIVES.
During the following week we were busy, visiting; dining with one, and
supping with another, yet we were obliged to decline many pressing
invitations, and offered as an excuse, our speedy departure for the
mines.
Through the kindness of Murden, we were enabled to purchase three
excellent horses, saddles, &c., which belonged to the police department.
The animals were just what we wanted, for they were quick in their
actions, and had been taught to stand motionless while firing guns or
pistols from their backs. We were enabled to buy them, owing to a
surplus of horses which the department owned, and had no use for.
Our hardest task was when, on the evening of the seventh day after Fred
had met the officer in mortal combat, Smith yoked his oxen, attached
them to a moderately filled cart, and declared he was ready for a start.
Murden, Wattles, Merriam, Doctor O'Haraty, and a dozen others, whose
acquaintance we had cultivated during our brief residence in Melbourne,
were assembled at "Smith's villa," and came to say farewell.
"You heard the word, gentlemen," said Fred; "our leader says that he is
ready, and we must not detain him. We wish to place twenty-five miles
between us and Melbourne before morning, and to do so requires an early
start. The next time we meet, I hope that our days will not be limited.
In the mean time, if any one present should visit Ballarat, don't fail
to make our tent his home."
"Ballarat be blessed!" growled O'Haraty; "the idea of two dacent,
sinsible people digging for gold, when there's so much can be had
without work."
"I have only my left hand to offer you," said Wattles, presenting it to
Fred, "but my grasp is as friendly and sincere as though both were
free."
"Your arm is improving?" inquired Fred, who had not seen his adversary
before, since the morning of the meeting.
"Thanks to the doctor, and your kindness in not aiming at a more
vulnerable part, I shall soon be well. Do we separate as friends?"
"I say yes, with all my heart," cried Fred, eagerly.
Some one locked the door of "Smith's villa," and handed him the key, and
then once more bidding good-by, the oxen were started, and in company
with Murden, we soon reached the outskirts of the city.
It was past dusk when our friend, the police lieutenant, drew rein, and
decided to return to the city. We allowed Smith to continue on, while we
stopped and chatted for a few moments.
Murden appeared sad at parting, and more than once he declared that he
wished he was to accompany us, for now that we were to leave him, he
should have no one who would enter into his adventures with the same
degree of interest which we had shown.
"There is one question which we wish to ask, Murden," I said, a few
minutes before he left us.
"Name it," he replied.
"How many of the bushrangers whom we captured have been condemned to
death?"
"Why do you ask?" he inquired.
"Because you know that we have not been able to obtain any information
on the subject. A select few were admitted to see them; but they had no
formal trial, that I am aware of."
"You are right, they had no formal trial, and they did not deserve one.
The examination was secret, and even now not more than fifty people in
Melbourne know that the bushrangers are dangling by their necks in the
prison yard.
"All?" I cried, surprised at the secrecy which had been maintained.
"Not a man is now alive. They rightly merited their fate, for their
careers were stained with cruel crimes; and may God forgive them, for
man would not."
Murden wrung our hands, and the next instant he was galloping swiftly
towards Melbourne.
We resumed our journey, feeling somewhat saddened by the intelligence
which we had received; yet we felt that we had only done our duty in
assisting in the arrest of the robbers, and with this conviction, we
tried to banish the thoughts of their death.
We soon overtook Smith, who was mounted like ourselves, and through the
night we jogged along by his side, relieving the loneliness of the
journey with stories and reminiscences of our other expeditions.
It was just about daylight, on the morning of the fifth day from
Melbourne, and we were pressing the oxen to their utmost to reach a
camping ground before sunrise, when Rover, who had been jogging far in
advance of us, stopped suddenly before a thick clump of bushes, which
extended some ways along the roadside, and with an angry howl, remained
regarding some object which was concealed from our sight.
I called the animal, but he refused to move, and I began to suspect that
some kind of beast was concealed among the brush, and that he was too
formidable for the dog to attack alone. With this view, Fred and myself
unslung our rifles and examined the caps, and rode slowly forward. We
were not more than ten rods from the hound when we saw a spear whiz past
him, and enter the bushes on the other side of the road. We then knew
what was concealed; but whether the purpose was hostile or friendly, we
did not have an opportunity to ask, for we had barely time to call the
dog from such a dangerous locality, when another spear passed near our
heads.
"Turn back!" shouted Smith, who was jogging on with the cattle, a few
rods distant, and saw the whole transaction. "Turn back," he continued,
"or you are dead men."
We wheeled our horses and galloped from a place where nothing but spear
heads were to be seen, for we did not like the idea of fighting people
who ran no risk.
When we joined Smith, we found that he had turned his oxen, and was
driving them at full speed towards an open plain half a mile distant.
"Are you going back to Melbourne?" asked Fred.
"I am going to gain yonder plain as fast as possible," the stockman
cried, casting an uneasy glance over his shoulder, as though fearful of
pursuit.
"For what reason?" we asked.
"Because I've no idea of risking my life by running an ambush, where, no
doubt, twenty or thirty natives are stationed, determined to kill the
first one who passes."
"I thought they were harmless," I replied.
"So they are, when they choose to be; but it's very probable that miners
have been committing outrages upon their women, and now they are
determined to revenge their injuries upon us. Keep your eyes upon the
bushes, and don't mind me if you see signs of their following. Escape to
the open plain, and trust to me to join you. Once there, we can hold
fifty of them at bay."
"Do you think we are so cowardly as to desert a comrade?" demanded Fred.
"Let them attack us if they will, but we will stick to you and the team
as long as life remains."
"I expected the answer," cried Smith, applying his long whip to the
sides of the reeking cattle, and starting them into a run. "But if you
will not save yourselves, at least take care of the oxen and let me
cover the retreat."
"Do you think they will dare to follow us?" I asked.
"Here is your answer," cried the stockman; and as he spoke a slim poled
spear whistled within an inch of my head, and passed out of sight, far
to the other side of the road.
"And here goes my reply," exclaimed Fred, who held his rifle in his hand
ready for use.
He raised it, and hardly took time to sight a naked, black body, which
was visible for a moment before he fired.
A yell of bodily pain followed the explosion, and for a moment we could
hear a great commotion among the bushes, and then all was still.
"Help me to urge the cattle forward," shouted Smith. "Now is our time to
escape, while the devils are with the wounded imp."
We were about to comply, when a club, about three feet long, flew over
our heads, touched the ground in advance of the cattle, bounded from the
earth, and came towards us with undiminished velocity.
"Look out for their boomerangs," shouted Smith, and we dodged our heads
in time to save them from a blow that would have unhorsed us.
That was the first time we made the acquaintance of the most skilful
weapon in use by the natives. They throw the boomerang with unerring
precision, and had we not heard of the manner of its working, and been
apprised of the necessity of avoiding its flight, by the warning voice
of Smith, one of us would have made a meal for an Australian native that
morning.
The boomerang is a piece of hard wood about three feet long, slightly
curved in the form of a bow; and when a native wishes to strike an
object, he does not throw his weapon directly at it, but from it, and by
some unexplained principle of retrogradation, the boomerang touches the
ground, and then flies with great force directly at whatever it is
aimed. I have seen the natives exhibit their proficiency a hundred
different times--and the more I saw of the game, the more I became
bewildered at the science displayed.
We did not stop to fight an unseen enemy, but continued our headlong
course, and at length had the pleasure of reaching an open space where
we could wait the approach of those disposed to attack us, although
whether they would venture to make a demonstration on the plain was
uncertain.
Smith, however, was determined to be prepared for the worst. He unyoked
his cattle, but instead of turning them loose, when they soon would have
fallen a prey to the rapacious appetites of the natives, he grouped them
around the cart, and chained them, to prevent their flight in case of an
attack. By this method they served as a shield to us, and did not
interfere with our rifle practice.
We had no sooner got our arrangements completed, than a dozen or twenty
of the filthy-looking wretches--naked, with the exception of a mat
around their hips--appeared at the edge of the bushes, and seemed to
survey our disposition of the order of battle. Two or three of them,
self-elected leaders, apparently wished for an immediate assault; but we
could see that the proposition met with no approval from the mass, and
the motions were made towards the men, as though to wait until night
time.
"We shall have a sleepless night, and must be prepared for the black
devils' mischief," Smith said, surveying the force and comprehending
their meaning.
"Do they often attack teams?" we asked of Smith, who, now that his
cattle were safe, had regained all of his cuteness and colloquial
powers.
"During all my freighting to the mines, this is only the second time the
scamps have manifested hostility. Once I got clear by giving them an ox,
and thought I got off quite cheap at that. But this time they appear to
be serious; and if we get clear with a whole skin, may think ourselves
lucky. Some team ahead of us must have trespassed on their rights in an
outrageous manner to render them as rebellious as they are."
"I have a great mind to try the range of my rifle," Fred said. "I think
that I can send a ball into their midst, and make them scatter to the
bushes, instead of standing there and quarrelling among themselves."
Smith measured the distance with his eye and shook his head.
"It's over a half mile," he said, "and I never yet saw the shooting iron
that could do damage at such a distance."
"Then look at one for the first time;" and as Fred spoke, he sighted a
native, who appeared desirous of making an immediate attack, for he was
gesticulating in the most absurd manner, and shaking his long spear at
us as though trying to get at close quarters, where he could do instant
execution.
The act of Fred was observed, and a yell of defiance greeted his hostile
attitude. Before it had died away, the sharp report of the rifle drowned
their shrill screams, and then the conspicuous native, who had
flourished his spear so threateningly, threw up his arms, and with a
most unearthly yell, fell to the ground.
In an instant not a native, with the exception of the wounded one, was
to be seen, and a stranger would hardly have supposed that the clump of
bushes near us contained a couple of dozen human beings, who were
watching every motion which we made, and speculating as to the best mode
of putting us to death, and sharing the goods and provisions loaded upon
the cart.
"An American rifle forever," shouted Smith, who suspended his work of
getting out a water keg, containing eighteen or twenty gallons, which he
had taken the precaution to fill with water and place upon the cart, so
that his animals and companions need not suffer with thirst during the
long stretch across the prairies.
"A few more such shots as that and the black devils will retire in
disgust, and we shall have the road free," Smith continued, with an
admiring look at his American friend.
"There is no use in wasting our powder by firing at random, and until
the natives show themselves I shall rest, so as to be able to keep my
eyes open to-night."
Under the shadow of the cart Fred spread his blanket, and after
assisting Smith to water the cattle, and taking a good drink myself, I
joined him, and left Rover and the stockman to keep guard.
We slept until dark, and, upon awakening, found that Smith had joined
us, and left the whole responsibility of giving warning, if the natives
approached, to the dog. The latter, however, was worth a dozen men for
such a purpose, and we commended Smith for his sagacity in securing rest
before the time arrived when we knew that demonstration would be made
against our encampment.
We gathered some dried grass and made a fire, sufficient to boil a
teakettle, and then deliberately prepared a dish of coffee, not knowing
but that it would be our last. After we had concluded our supper we
examined our rifles and revolvers, found them in good order, and then
carefully reviewing the animals so that it was impossible for them to
get loose without cutting their fastenings, we took up our positions at
an equal distance apart, and in a circle outside of the cattle.
Rover placed himself by my side, and looked into my face as much as to
say that he understood all that was going on, and hoped that he was to
be trusted with any important business which might come before us.
The night wore slowly away. Sleep we did not, for the insects were so
troublesome that it seemed as though we inhaled them at every breath.
They filled the air and dashed their dry wings in our faces while
flitting over our heads, and their eternal buzzing was like the
murmuring of a distant waterfall.
I judged that it was near two o'clock, and at the period when sleep is
the strongest, that my attention became riveted upon the singular
movements of some animal which appeared to be feeding upon the withered
grass which covered the plain. Sometimes it moved near enough to allow
me to almost discern what it was, and then it would recede and be lost
from sight for a few minutes, to again appear and approach nearer than
at first.
Rover appeared to be as deeply interested in the animal as myself, for
his eyes glowed like balls of fire as he watched the movements of the
strange nondescript, and appeared to wonder why I did not tell him to
investigate the matter instead of sitting there with staring eyes.
Presently a second and then a third animal came in sight, and their
movements were like that of the first. Slowly and in an irregular line
they approached me, halting every two or three seconds as though feeding
upon the grass, which was rank and tasteless, and at length I came to
the conclusion that they were animals peculiar to Australia, and such as
I had not seen before.
"Smith," I said, calling to that worthy man, who, I thought, was nodding
in a mysterious manner.
"Well," he answered, rubbing his eyes and trying to appear as though he
had not thought of sleeping on his post.
"What kind of animals are these within a rod of the camp, feeding so
quietly?"
When I spoke and pointed to them, I was astonished to find that, during
the short time my attention was occupied, half a dozen others were in
sight, but they were no longer feeding--they appeared to be surprised at
the sound of a human voice, and were listening attentively.
"Why, hang it, man, do you mean to say that you don't know a kangaroo
when you see one?" and Smith laughed at my greenness.
"Do you mean to say that those are kangaroos?" I demanded.
"Of course they are; see that fellow sitting on his tail near you. He is
almost as large as a native, and were it not for showing the black
devils our position I would knock him over, and we would have fresh
steaks for breakfast."
"But I supposed that the kangaroo was a very wild animal," Fred said,
joining in the conversation.
"So they are; but in the night time I have known them to mingle with
horses and not leave until daylight. They appear to have a remarkable
attachment for horses; and a man riding over a prairie can approach them
within a few rods without exciting suspicions."
I was listening attentively to Smith, but still I kept an eye on our
visitors, and noticed that they gradually lessened their distance
between us, and were so near that they could not fail to note our
positions.
"Do kangaroos usually carry spears in their paws?" I asked of Smith, in
a whisper.
"What do you mean?" he demanded.
"I mean that instead of animals we have natives to deal with, and in
another moment our throats would have been cut by the sly scamps."
I snatched up my rifle, and hardly waiting to place it at my shoulder,
fired.
The kangaroo, alias a native sewed up in a skin, sprang towards me, but
with a yell of agony fell dead at my feet.
I seized my revolver, but before I could use it Fred's rifle and Smith's
double-barrelled gun answered my lead, and two more natives were
bleeding upon the field.
The smoke slowly drifted past, but no more live kangaroos were to be
seen.
I looked for Rover, but he had disappeared during the firing, and he did
not return for ten minutes, when by his panting I knew that he had
pursued the natives to the bushes, but what other damage he had done the
latter only knew.
"We shall rest in peace for the remainder of the night," Smith said,
"that is, provided any one can get rest with so many blasted bugs
buzzing in the air. The natives will not make a second attack upon us,
you may be assured."
Smith's words were found to be correct, for, when daylight appeared, a
flag of truce was sent to our camp, and an old native demanded
permission to remove the bodies of his fallen friends. We gave a willing
consent on condition that we were allowed to pass on our way without
further molestation; and after accepting our terms, we detained the old
fellow as a hostage until we were safe from their ambush, when we
dismissed him with a number of presents, and he returned to his camp
apparently delighted at his treatment.
We urged our cattle to their utmost exertions, and at sundown we were in
sight of the old convict's hut, and in close proximity to the buried
gold.