ARRIVAL AT THE OLD STOCKMAN'S HUT.--MYSTERIOUS INTERRUPTIONS DURING THE
HUNT.
As we drew near the hut which had withstood so hot an assault from the
gang of Jim Gulpin, we saw that its proprietor was seated before his
door, busily engaged in reading a book, in which he appeared deeply
interested, for he never raised his eyes until Rover, who recognized
him, thrust his cold nose on his hand and demanded a welcome.
The old man looked surprised, dropped his book, and then apparently
comprehended that we must be near, for he glanced eagerly round, and
when his eyes fell upon Smith, he started towards us at a brisk pace,
and in a few minutes the two were shaking hands like friends who had
been separated for months and years.
"But where are your companions? Where are the two generous Americans
who fought so bravely when I revenged my daughter's injuries? demanded
the old man, who did not recognize us, dressed as we were in a
respectable-looking thin suit of clothes, and with our beards shaven
off.
"O," answered Smith, carelessly, "they became infatuated with the
pleasures of Melbourne, and have remained behind."
"And our pardons?" asked the stockman, after a moment's silence, during
which we could see that he was struggling for fortitude and composure.
"Here," exclaimed Fred, "a free and unconditional pardon is granted to
convict No. 2921, subject only to the approval of the Home office, for
distinguishing himself in an encounter with a gang of desperate
bushrangers."
The old man knew his voice, and tears, which he had before suppressed,
now flowed freely. He grasped Fred's hands and pressed them
convulsively, and then fell upon me and nearly smothered me with his
embrace.
"Read it again," he cried, handing the pardon to Fred. "Let me once more
be assured that I am a free man."
Fred complied with his request, and was about to inquire concerning his
daughter, when she made her appearance at the door of the hut, and
appeared to be slightly astonished at seeing her father conversing with
strangers.
"Come here, Becky," he cried, "I have news for you--great news."
Followed by the hound, who had sought her out a few moments before, she
came to meet us; and being a more acute observer than her parent, she
readily recognized us in spite of our change of costume.
"Here, Becky," cried the old man, with childish eagerness, "read that
document that his excellency the governor has sent me. I am a free man,
Becky--a free man, and can travel to any part of the island, and not a
soldier or police officer can harm me, or lay the weight of his hand
upon me, and ask why I leave my flocks without permission. I shall yet
be rich, and instead of tending sheep I will own them, and have
shepherds who will look to me for orders. I'll not be known as the
shepherd convict, but the rich landed proprietor. O, I will show you,
Becky, if it pleases God, how I will work, and you shall be a lady, and
no longer dress in cheap stuff, but wear silks, and be waited upon. I
know a thing or two which you little suspect."
"I am contented as I am, if I can but be near you, father," she
answered, trying to check the old man's sudden energy.
"I know, I know; but we must bide our time, and remain poor for the
present, Becky--only for the present."
"Perhaps our visitors would like supper," the young woman suggested, in
hopes of turning the conversation.
"By all means; they shall have the best that we can give," replied the
stockman, emerging from his deep reverie, and playing the host to
perfection. "Cook them the hind quarter of the lamb I killed to-day, and
add whatever else you may have in the house."
"But we object to that," said Fred. "We did not come here to rob you of
your provisions, and while we have a full supply will not trespass upon
your store. It is you whom we invite to share our supper. Recollect we
are just from Melbourne, and have a rare quality of tea in our cart
which we want you and your daughter to test."
"There surely can be no harm in accepting of your offer," replied the
old man, musingly. "When I am rich, it will of course be a different
thing--then you can partake of my hospitality."
"If we proposed to you to help us to wealth, what answer should you
return?" Fred asked of the convict.
"The answer of a grateful, honest man. Show me that the means to get the
wealth are honest, and I will work without complaining, for months, and
when you are satisfied with your share of worldly goods, I will seek to
get mine," returned the old man, promptly.
"Then we ask your aid for the space of a few days. In yonder forest, a
treasure is buried, and we expect that some work is required to find it.
Will you aid us?"
"With all my heart," replied the stockman, without a moment's
hesitation. "I am under too great an obligation to you, gentlemen, to
refuse assistance in so small a matter. When shall we start?"
"To-morrow morning, at daylight. Time is precious to us until we find
the treasure."
"I hope you will not be disappointed in your search," returned the old
man, apparently restored to his usual clear-headedness with the prospect
of something to do. "A secret like Gulpin's must have been known or
suspected by others beside his band. For a few days past I have seen
strange men wandering around the edge of the wood, although they did not
appear to be regular bushrangers. They may have the same object in view
as yourselves, but without your knowledge of the locality of the gold.
"If they are bushrangers we will fight them, but if honest people in
search of the treasure, we will laugh at them for their pains, and
ridicule them for their trouble," the old man continued. "I see that
Smith and my daughter have managed to get something to eat. Suppose we
have supper first, and discuss the best means of accomplishing your ends
afterwards?"
"By the way, we forget to tell you that your share of money, for the
capture of bushrangers, is awaiting your order," Fred said, during
supper, speaking to the stockman.
"I feel content with the paper which contains my pardon, and think that
I am amply rewarded. I desire nothing more from government."
Finding that the subject was distasteful to the old man, we said no
more, but after the table was cleared away, we lighted our pipes and
planned the business which was to occupy us early the next morning. Our
arrangements were soon completed and agreed upon. We readily came to the
conclusion to unload all of our baggage excepting what we should want
while absent; and instead of taking eight oxen, we concluded to take
only four, as that number could be provided for much easier than all of
them. We also concluded to leave our horses, and let the old man's
daughter keep her eyes on them during the day, and confine them in the
enclosure which was used for herding sheep during the night.
With this idea, we began making our preparations for an early start. Our
shovels and pickaxes were articles which we should want in digging, and
three days' provisions were also placed upon the cart, together with our
bedding and mosquito bars to prevent the insects from eating us alive
during our sleeping hours.
Our rifles were also examined, and at length satisfied that we were
ready for an early start, we bid our host and daughter good night and
retired to our usual sleeping place, under the cart, with Rover at our
feet, ready to give notice of the slightest appearance of danger.
It was still dark when the stockman aroused us, but a pale light in the
eastern heavens showed that day would soon break. Although we were tired
with our long journey, yet we did not stand a second call, and in an
hour's time after being aroused, we had despatched our hastily cooked
breakfast, and were on the road and urging the cattle towards the dark
and sombre appearing woods where the gang of Black Darnley had been
signally defeated.
It was about eight o'clock when we reached the place where we had
entered formerly. Every thing appeared as we had left it. The forest
path seemed to have been untrodden since the day when we had made a
funeral pile of the remains of the bushrangers, yet there was one
peculiarity that struck me as rather odd--the entire absence of parrots,
whose croakings used to attract our attention, and whose plumage, gaudy
and varied, commanded our admiration.
While Smith unyoked the cattle and chained them to a tree, under which a
good supply of grass was to be had, I took my rifle, and calling to
Rover, started towards the bushrangers' camp, or rather where it had
stood before we had given it to the flames.
I had not walked ten rods before I thought I saw the figure of a man
glide from behind a tree and disappear in a thicket of brush. I stopped,
and with rifle on the cock, waited for his re-appearance; but as I heard
nothing from him, I concluded that I would beat up his quarters before
the rest of my party came along.
I examined the thicket, and to my surprise, found that it was composed
of a species of brier, with long, needle-like thorns upon every twig,
and that the idea of a man's passing through it, unless dressed in
armor, was impossible, as he would have been punctured in every pore,
and would have shed blood at every step. I did not like to think that I
had been subjected to an optical delusion, and so I continued on for a
short distance, but could find no trail, although I observed that Rover
snuffled around in an unusual manner, and appeared uneasy.
"Hullo," cried Fred, who had now entered the woods with the rest of the
party, "what are you doing away from the path?"
I returned a trivial answer, and joined them in their walk towards the
clearing; yet I felt as though I had not done my duty, and examined the
mysterious disappearance of the shadow which I saw, with sufficient
attention. A fear of ridicule and a dread of wasting time alone
prevented me from speaking.
"The woods are unusually quiet," the stockman said, as we moved along in
Indian file. "I never visited here without being provoked at the
ceaseless chatter of the parrots, and yet to-day but few are to be heard
and none seen. They have become shy, and an explanation would be
satisfactory to account for the fact."
As no surmise was made by either of the party, the conversation
dropped, and it was not until we were standing over the half charred
bones of the bushrangers, which had been pawed around by the fox-like
animals of the woods, that we again spoke.
The ashes of the burned hut were still visible, so that its location was
defined without trouble, but the great question to be solved was where
the treasure lay buried. To determine this we had purchased an excellent
pocket compass in Melbourne, and upon taking the bearings we found that
the bushrangers were exactly in a south-west direction from where the
hut stood.
"Now," said the old stockman, "repeat the exact words of Gulpin, when
telling you of the buried money."
"Ten paces in a south--," I replied, promptly.
"Nothing more?" he demanded.
"Not a syllable."
"Then let us set the compass and pace off the distance in a south-west
line, and begin digging."
The ten paces were gravely gone through with, and I found that the grass
where they terminated bore no indications of having been disturbed. I
shook my head and expressed a decided opinion that no ground had been
broken there for a year, at the least calculation. Fred was of my
opinion, and began to have serious doubts of the truth of the story of
Gulpin.
I was still hopeful, and glanced over the opening to see if I could
discover signs of the earth having been recently disturbed. While I was
thus occupied, Rover was scratching among the bones which were
plentifully strewed around, and a sudden thought occurred to me. I
consulted the compass, and was glad to find that my surmises were not
contrary to the dying confession of Gulpin.
I paced off ten paces in a south-east direction, and the last step
brought me exactly in the midst of the bones and ashes of the
bushrangers.
I seized a spade and struck it into the ground, and was about to call my
companions' attention to the spot, when a sharp report was heard near at
hand, in the bushes, and a musket ball whizzed within two inches of my
head.
We were all too much accustomed to life in the bush to remain in open
ground when an unseen enemy was disposed to exercise his skill on one of
us, so that in less than half a second's time we were under cover, and
watching with tolerably sharp eyes for the first movement of the man who
had attempted to riddle my carcass with his confounded bullet.
For half an hour we waited, and not a leaf stirred. The dog had ranged
through the forest, and once, by his peculiar howl, we thought some
mishap had befallen him, but beyond a few spots of blood on his nose, he
appeared to be quite unharmed, and seemed anxious to again go in search
of our enemy.
Fearful that his life would be endangered, I kept him near me, and for
another half hour we waited, motionless, in anticipation of an attack,
yet none came.
Presently I heard a slight noise behind me, and turning suddenly, with
my rifle presented, I found that the muzzle was lodged against the head
of the stockman, who had been reconnoitring in the vicinity, and yet so
quietly that I was not aware that he had left the bush under which he
sought shelter.
"I have examined the bushes carefully, and no signs of a bushranger are
to be seen," the old man said, laying the long gun which he was
accustomed to use by his side, and brushing off a few specks of dust
which had collected on the barrel.
"It is a mystery to me how he disappeared so soon after discharging his
gun," I said.
The old man shook his head, and, laying one finger on my arm,
whispered,--"Do you believe in spirits?"
"Do you mean this kind?" I asked, drawing a flask of excellent whiskey
from my pocket and offering him a drink.
"No, I didn't mean this kind," the stockman said, slowly raising it to
his mouth, and I could hear the liquor coursing down his throat in a
stream.
"No," he repeated, removing the bottle from his mouth, and drawing a
long breath, "I didn't mean these kinds of spirits, because there's no
harm in them, and the more a man gets the better he is off. I meant the
kind of spirits which wander about the earth, and play tricks upon
living men."
"Ah, a sort of ghost, I suppose you mean," I answered.
"Precisely," replied the stockman, mechanically taking the bottle from
my hand and again applying it to his lips; "ghosts are the fellows--they
do every thing without being seen; and why should not the spirit of
Gulpin hover around this spot, and repel all attempts to get at his
money?"
"I know of but two reasons," I replied, gently taking the bottle from my
friend's hands, for fear that my share of its contents would be very
meagre; "in the first place, ghosts usually don't care about money, as
they have no use for it in the country in which they spend a large
portion of their time."
"That's true," replied the man, making a dive to get the bottle in his
possession, but I prevented this, by applying it to my own lips.
"In the next place," I continued, pausing to take breath, "fire, but not
fire-arms is furnished to refractory spirits; and if I am any judge of
worldly matters, it was a piece of lead that whizzed past my head half
an hour ago."
"Then you don't believe that the sound which we considered the report of
a gun was produced by evil spirits, who are set here to guard the
treasure of Gulpin?"
"It is more likely a bushranger was secreted in the bushes, or behind
the trees, and that when he aimed, he intended to make short work of one
of us, in hope of frightening the remainder."
"Then give me another drink, and if the scamp wants a muss he can have
one, for I'm not going to remain here, broiling under the hot sun, all
day."
The old man snatched the flask from my hand, and before I could stop
him, had nearly drained it of its contents. I discovered, for the first
time, that day, that the stockman was no longer under self-control when
he had tasted liquor, and from that period until our acquaintance ceased
I never again offered it to him.
I sought to restrain him, but in vain; with a fanatical yell he plunged
into the clearing, and waving his long gun over his head, he dared
spirit, ghost, or bushranger to meet him on even ground.
There was no response to his challenge, and considering that it was
cowardly to let him remain there alone, the rest of us quickly gathered
around, and requested him to lie down for a short time.
He repelled us with scorn, at the imputation that he was drunk; and
finding that it was impossible to reason with him, we left him digging
away as though for life, and throwing the dirt in the form of a parapet.
We separated and scoured the woods within a radius of half a mile, but
not a sign of a bushranger could we detect, and somewhat reassured by
our search, we returned to the stockman, who was working most
industriously, and leaving Smith to remain concealed, and give us
warning of the approach of danger, we joined labor with the old man,
although not in the same place in which he was at work.
I had reasoned on the subject, and came to the conclusion that if Gulpin
had buried his money, he would like to destroy all evidence of its
concealment. He and his gang were on friendly terms with Darnley, and
the former had piled up the dead bodies, with the evident intention of
consuming them with fire, as we had afterwards done, on our second
visit.
Now, it struck me as being likely that the spot where the gold was
buried would be chosen by a man who was inclined to be superstitious,
for the finale of the grand tragedy, and perhaps impressed with the
thought that the dead men would guard his treasure securely.
With this conviction, Fred and myself broke ground amidst a heap of
ashes, without a thought or care of the invisible guard, and in a few
minutes we had excavated a moderate sized hole, and would have continued
working, had not Smith interrupted us by pointing to the sun, and
advising a respite, owing to the danger of a sun-stroke.
As our hands were somewhat blistered, and we had as yet not discovered
the first sign of gold, we readily took his advice, and upon repairing
to the spot where the stockman was supposed to be at work, we found that
the bottle had proved too much for him. He was lying on his back in the
place which he had excavated, with his face exposed to the sun, the
shovel clasped tightly in his arms, and his snoring sounded like distant
thunder.
It was with some difficulty that we at length aroused him, and got him
to the cart, where he was allowed to rest and sleep as long as he
pleased, and while he was thus employed, we made another discovery,
which set us to wondering.