EXPEDITION TO OBTAIN VEGETABLES--CRESTED COCKATOOS--WE BECOME BETTER
ACQUAINTED WITH PULLINGO AND HIS FAMILY--TOMMY TAKES MR. AND MRS.
PULLINGO'S PORTRAITS--A SPORTING EXPEDITION--SEE AN EMU--KILL TWO
KANGAROOS--MEET BUSHRANGERS--GO OUT FISHING--HURRIED RETURN--BUSHRANGERS
HAVE VISITED THE VILLAGE--FIND THE MEN BOUND--PURSUE BUSHRANGERS--THEY
ESCAPE--EDITH AND PIERCE MISSING--MY MOTHER'S ALARM--SEARCH IN THE BOAT
ALONG THE COAST--DISCOVER THE BODY OF A BUSHRANGER UNDER THE CLIFF--
RETURN WITHOUT FINDING THE MISSING ONES.
A week had passed away since the boat left us, and we were all feeling
ourselves, as it were, at home. As may be supposed, my mother begged
that we would not take Edith again beyond the mouth of the river;
indeed, she herself had no wish to go. Occasionally we pulled up the
stream, for although we knew that there were natives in the
neighbourhood, we did not fear that they would molest us, as we had not
seen any of their canoes; and by keeping on the opposite side of the
river to that on which they might appear, we knew that we could easily
avoid them.
When we went to the place where Mudge had been attacked by the snake, we
looked around very carefully to ascertain that none of its companions
were lurking in the neighbourhood; but we never saw another of the same
size--or, indeed, of any description whatever. Paddy Doyle, to account
for this, declared that the big fellow must have eaten up all the others
before he got killed himself, and that was the reason why he had grown
to such a size.
We thus went up and down the river, and over the downs in various
directions, without the slightest fear. Occasionally we crossed to the
opposite bank in search of game, as also to look for fruit, and some
vegetables which might be cooked for dinner. We greatly felt the want
of them; indeed, my father was afraid that without green food we might
be attacked by scurvy. We had dug a garden and put in seeds, but these,
of course, would take some time to come up.
One day Mudge, Harry, and I, accompanied by Paddy Doyle, with our guns,
went across to the southern side. Harry had heard my father say how
much he wished to have fresh greens of some sort; and as we were walking
along we saw several trees of the palm species.
"Stay," said Harry, "while I climb to the top of one of these trees; we
shall there find just what the captain wants."
Harry was the best climber among us, having been compelled, when living
with the Indians, to swarm up the highest trees to cut cocoa-nuts for
them. We all carried long sheath-knives in our belts, which were useful
for a variety of purposes. Putting down his gun, Harry was quickly at
the top of the tree, and, using his knife, threw down what resembled a
large cabbage. Ascending tree after tree, he threw down from each a
similar bunch of leaves, till we had as many as we could carry. Going
on, we reached some sand-hills, where we found a kind of bean growing on
a stalk which crept along the ground. Mudge thought these also would be
good to eat; and as they were fit for picking, we filled our satchels
with them. We were fortunate also in shooting several pigeons and a
number of parrots. Indeed, we all returned fully laden to the boat; and
I know that I was very glad to get rid of my burden, which literally
made my shoulders ache.
Just before shoving off, I saw, coming towards us through the air, a
large flight of birds, their snowy plumage tinged with pink shining in
the rays of the setting sun. Before long they pitched in a group of
trees on the borders of the river, where they commenced an earnest
conversation rather than a concert, all having apparently some
interesting matter to communicate to one another. They were crested or
pink cockatoos, the most beautiful birds we had yet seen. They did not
appear to be at all alarmed at our presence, but remained on the boughs
where they had settled, apparently intending to make these their
resting-places for the night. We were thus able to examine them without
difficulty.
The general colour of the bird was white, with a slight pinkish flush;
but the neck, breast, and hind part of the tail were deeply stained with
crimson. Its most remarkable feature, however, was its beautiful crest,
which it raised like a fan over its head, or depressed at the back of
its neck. The feathers of the crest were long, and barred with crimson,
gold, yellow, and white, which added greatly to its beauty. The bird
was between thirteen and sixteen inches in length. We might have shot
any number we liked, but having already a supply of food, we did not
like to do so. I wished very much, however, to catch one alive, to
carry to Edith; and Harry said he thought he could manage to trap one,
though, unless we could get a young bird, it would be difficult to tame.
"You are magnificent fellows," observed Mudge; "but notwithstanding
that, we shall be under the necessity of plucking off your fine feathers
and cooking you some day, if we are in want of game."
As the evening was drawing on, we did not remain longer to admire the
birds, but pushing off with our store of provisions, crossed the river.
"You have indeed brought us a seasonable supply of green food," said my
father when we landed. "While nature affords us such wholesome
vegetables as those you have found, and while our powder lasts, we need
have no fear of starving; and if such can be obtained all the way to the
southward, we may set forth on our journey with the hope of being able
to find ample food, on the way, to supply our wants."
We had been constantly expecting another visit from our native
acquaintance Pullingo; but as he did not make his appearance, we began
to fancy that he had been merely travelling from one part of the country
to another, and discovering us on his way, had been tempted by curiosity
to approach our camp.
Some days had gone by, when one morning, as Paddy Doyle was on the
watch, he sang out, "Here comes my old friend with his wife and
family.--The top of the morning to ye, Mr Pullingo! and the same to the
misthress and the darling little ones; and, to be sure, one of them is a
big sthrapping fellow, of whom ye may be proud, Mr Pullingo."
On looking out, we saw the native who had before paid us a visit,
accompanied by a youth the very picture of himself, and followed by a
woman, or "gin," as the natives call their wives, with two children, a
boy and a girl, trotting by her side. The lad might have been his son,
certainly, but not that of the woman, who was apparently much too young
to be the mother of so big a fellow.
The woman and children stopped at some distance off, while the man and
lad approached cautiously, holding a bundle of lances in their left
hand. Paddy made signs to them to come on, and, to give them
confidence, put down his musket on the ground. As he did so they laid
down their lances and came much nearer. On this Paddy advanced towards
them. The savages seemed to understand him, and put out their hands,
which he took and shook heartily, apparently much to their astonishment.
The Irishman and the elder native then talked away, each in his own
language; Paddy every now and then bursting into a fit of laughter at
the strange words uttered by the savage.
Knowing that it was important to gain the good-will of the natives, I
thought that it would be a good opportunity to make Pullingo a present.
So I went into the cottage and asked my father, who had only just risen,
for some beads and a looking-glass, and other trinkets, which he had
brought to trade with the South Sea Islanders. I got things enough for
each of the party, including the two children, and going up to the
savage, I presented them to him, and tried to make him understand for
whom they were each intended. Though he took them he looked at them
with indifference, considering, as it seemed, that they were of no value
to him; nor, indeed, were they so in reality.
"Perhaps he would rather have some roast parrot," observed Doyle, who
had just before placed several birds on spits before the fire to cook
for breakfast. As we had many more than we absolutely required, we
could easily spare them. Doyle and I therefore got each a couple, and
carried them on the spits to the savage, whose eyes brightened when he
saw them; and he and his son almost snatched them from our hands when we
offered them, and, without any gesture of thankfulness, hurried off to
where the woman and children were sitting.
"Arrah, Mr Pullingo, do you call that good manners?" exclaimed Paddy.
"However, it's the way of the country, I suppose; though I can't say
it's a good way. Just give the little ones their share, though, and
I'll not be after finding fault with you."
As we watched the natives, we observed that they at once tore the birds
to pieces, and before they themselves had eaten they gave each of the
children a joint.
"Come, I have hopes of you, since you look after the childher," cried
Paddy, when he saw this. "We shall find that Mr Pullingo is a decent
sort of fellow when he learns some more of our ways."
It appeared that Pullingo was as pleased with us as Paddy was with him,
for we saw him shortly afterwards employed, with his wife and son, in
building a hut, at a spot some way up the river, under the cliff. It
was not a very dignified structure: it consisted simply of a number of
long thin sticks stuck in a circle in the ground, their tops being bent
over and secured together by grass rope; the whole was then covered with
sheets of rough bark, fastened on by the same sort of rope. The first
hut was intended for Pullingo and his wife; they afterwards put up a
smaller one for their big son and the younger children.
These structures, rude as they were, were superior to those we
afterwards met with built by the natives, and showed us that Pullingo
was more advanced in civilisation than the generality of his countrymen.
Whether or not the rest of his tribe were in the neighbourhood, we
could not ascertain; at all events, it was satisfactory to have gained
his friendship, as he would give a favourable report of us to other
natives, and prevent them, we hoped, from molesting us.
I forgot to say that Tommy Peck, though a harum-scarum fellow, possessed
considerable artistic talent; superior, at all events, to any of the
rest of us. He used to amuse Edith by making drawings and figures in
her sketch-book--which had, with her small library, been brought on
shore--she herself being only able to draw landscapes.
"Shouldn't you like, Miss Edith, to have a portrait of Prince Pullingo
and his beautiful bride?" he asked. "I don't think I can do it from
memory, but perhaps I can get them to sit for their likeness."
"By all means," answered Edith; "though I very much doubt that you will
succeed in inducing them to sit quiet while you make your sketch."
"Trust me for that," said Tom. "Lend me your book and pencil, and a
piece of india-rubber, and I'd try;" and, armed with his apparatus, he
walked slowly towards Pullingo's encampment. Harry and I followed at a
distance, so that we might not interrupt him. On arrival, he made them
a bow and announced his object, showing them his book, in which were the
portraits of several of our party,--Harry and I, and Popo,--by no means
flattering likenesses.
I don't know whether Pullingo understood the meaning of the strokes he
saw on the paper; but his wife did so, it seemed, and, turning to him,
expressed her wish to have her likeness taken. Tommy at once made them
stand up before him, and began sketching away. They stood watching him
intently, so that he had plenty of time. He put on rather more clothing
than they possessed, as he said, for decency's sake; it was also, he
remarked, a gentle hint to them, by which he hoped they might profit
when they came into civilised society.
He finished the portraits then and there, put in all the requisite
shades, and showed them to the lady and gentleman. The former was
delighted, pointing now at her portrait, now at herself, then at her
husband, and then at his portrait. He did not appear quite so well
satisfied; fearing, perhaps, that it might be used for some magical
purpose. The lady was somewhat disappointed when Tommy shut up his book
and she found that she was not to possess it; he therefore tried to make
her understand that he would make a copy and give it her; a promise he
faithfully fulfilled--though Edith kept the original, which I stuck in
my journal.
The tents being found very hot at night, as soon as the first cottage
was finished we put up two others for the accommodation of the rest of
the party, and one in which to stow our goods; for though we hoped to
get away in a couple of months, it was possible that we might be
detained very much longer, and that our stores might run a risk of being
damaged by remaining so long exposed to the weather. While we were at
work, Pullingo and his son came and watched us with intense interest.
All hands, however, were not employed in housebuilding, as it was
necessary that some of the party should go in search of game, in order
that we might not exhaust the provisions we had brought on shore.
Mudge, Harry, Paddy Doyle, and I were the chief sportsmen; and when
Pullingo saw us setting off he followed at a respectful distance.
Whether he also intended to hunt or not, we could not tell; his only
weapons were a bundle of lances, and a piece of hard wood shaped
something like a scimitar--called, we found, a boomerang--which he
carried in his belt.
We had never failed to shoot as many birds as we required, but we were
anxious to kill some of the curious animals which Captain Cook called
kangaroos. They may be said to be the principal creatures of the
country. Their heads are something like those of deer, and their coats
are of the same colour. They are of all sizes, some being as high as a
man. They do not run, like other animals, for their front legs, which
they use as arms, are too short for the purpose; but they have very long
hind legs, and powerful tails, which enable them to bound over the
ground at an immense rate. It is wonderful what a succession of leaps
they can take.
We saw some animals like opossums, and flying squirrels, which we took
to be bats; and we occasionally caught sight of wild dogs or dingos,--
hideous, savage-looking creatures, though they always ran away from us
when we moved towards them or shouted.
We could not tell whether Pullingo understood our object; had we been
able to exchange ideas with him, he might have greatly assisted us by
showing us where game was to be found. He had conceived, I fancy, a
great respect for our firearms, and followed us for the sake of seeing
their effect.
We had gone farther into the interior than we had ever before been, in
the hope of finding some kangaroos, and found ourselves in an open
country free of trees, with low hills and rocks beyond. We were about
to turn back, believing that, as there was no shelter, we should be
unable to approach any game unperceived, when Doyle exclaimed,--"Arrah,
see that big bird which has just started up on its legs! Quick, quick!
or he'll be off. His meat would make a hundred parrot-pies, and some to
spare besides."
On turning round as Paddy spoke, I saw, about a hundred yards off, a
bird of enormous size--so it appeared to me; a bird certainly, for it
had two legs, was shaped like a bird, and was covered with feathers. It
could scarcely have been less than seven feet in height; was of a
lightish brown colour, with a long neck, a small head, and very long
powerful legs; but was destitute of wings, so far as I could see. The
creature looked at us with an inquisitive air, as if wondering what sort
of curious animals we were; and then advanced a few paces, as if to view
us more closely. It might have come nearer, had not Paddy, unable to
resist the temptation of trying to kill it, fired. On hearing the
report, it turned round and set off, running with the speed of a
racehorse across the country, while we stood gazing after it, and, as
Paddy observed, looking very foolish.
The creature was an emu; of the same family as the African ostrich, the
rhea of America, and the cassowary of the Indian archipelago.
On our way back, soon afterwards, and while passing through a forest,
the trees of which grew rather thicker than usual, we saw in an open
glade beyond it three of the kangaroos so coveted by us. We crept
forward, keeping as much as possible concealed by the trees, lest we
should be discovered before we could get within shot of them. Mudge and
I went first, Harry and Paddy followed, all having our guns ready to
fire. At length Mudge took aim at one of them; I imitated his example.
We waited to let Harry and Paddy come up, however, and then all fired at
the same moment. One of the creatures fell dead, shot through the head
by Mudge; another bounded away at a great rate, apparently uninjured;
and a third, after making two or three springs, sank to the ground,
unable to move. We rushed forward to seize it, forgetting in our
eagerness to reload our pieces. While we were stopping to examine the
creature Mudge had killed, Paddy ran towards the wounded animal, which
at that moment sprang up and attempted to bound off again.
"Arrah, stop, ye baste," cried Paddy, attempting to seize it; when at
that instant it struck out with its hinder claws, one of which tore a
large rent in the Irishman's trousers, giving him at the same time a
severe scratch, which, had he not sprung back, might have been serious.
In a moment his knife was in his hand, and before the kangaroo could
repeat the blow he had plunged it into its heart.
We had now an over-abundant supply of meat; the difficulty was to carry
it. We agreed that we would take the best portions, and give Pullingo
as much as he could carry; while we fastened the remainder up to the
bough of a tree, out of the reach of the wild dogs.
We were all thus busily engaged, when I fancied I heard the sound of
horses' feet; and what was my astonishment, on looking up, to see two
horsemen approaching us! They looked at us with as much astonishment as
we looked at them. Their steeds were in tolerably good condition, but
they themselves were thin and haggard, their clothes torn almost to
tatters. Each of them had a gun slung over his shoulders, a huge pair
of holsters with a brace of pistols in them, large saddle-bags and
leathern cases strapped on at their cruppers.
"Hallo, strangers, where do you come from?" exclaimed one of the men,
with an oath. "I didn't think there were any whites hereabouts."
"Nor did we expect to see any one at this distance from Sydney," said
Mudge, eyeing the horsemen with a suspicious glance. "Where do you come
from, my friends?"
"As to that, I don't think it much concerns you," answered the man;
"but, as I take it you are Englishmen, you'll give us a share of these
kangaroos; for there's one thing I can tell you,--we're pretty sharp
set."
"So I should think, from your appearance," observed Mudge; "you must
have had a rough and long journey up from Sydney."
"I didn't say we were from Sydney,--though I'll allow we have been
there," answered the man; "but it's a good many months since we left it,
and we've been leading a pretty rough life since then. However, what we
want just now is a slice of that kangaroo; and we'll talk about other
matters when we've set it before the fire to roast."
"You're welcome to as much of the meat as you want," answered Mudge,
"though we haven't got a fire to roast it at."
"We'll soon have one, master," answered the man. He and his companion
then getting off their horses, tethered them, and speedily collecting
some dry wood, of which there was an abundance scattered about, piled it
up; and one of them producing a tinder-box, quickly lighted the heap--
first taking care, however, to cut the dry grass all around. They then
helped themselves pretty freely to the flesh, which, cutting into thin
slices, they held at the end of sticks before the fire. Before it was
half done through, however, they began eagerly gnawing away at it,
unable longer to restrain their appetite. The smell made us hungry; so
cutting off some thin slices, we roasted them in the same manner, but
far more thoroughly than the strangers had done.
Pullingo, who had been watching us, now stole up, and by his gestures
begged for a share,--which, of course, we gave him. The strangers eyed
him narrowly; and though the desire to get the food had induced him to
come up, he evidently regarded them with suspicion. After exchanging a
few words with each other, one of them spoke to him in a jargon which he
seemed to understand, though we could not. He replied with hesitation.
For some time they continued asking him questions, and then talking to
each other in a slang which was as incomprehensible to us as was the
language they spoke to the native.
"I say, master, there are a few little things we want, and would be
obliged to you if you'd supply us with," said one of the men. "In the
first place, we should be glad of some tobacco, and maybe you've got
some about you; and we want some powder and shot, and a couple of
knives; and a suit of clothes wouldn't come amiss."
Mudge had a couple of cigars, and Paddy a small quantity of tobacco,
which, without hesitation, they gave to the strangers.
"As for powder, we can spare you but a small quantity," said Mudge; "and
for the other things, you must come to our camp to obtain them. I
suppose Captain Rayner will be willing to give you what you require for
your necessities."
"You'll not play us a scurvy trick, and detain us, if we come?" said one
of the men.
"We are not likely to do that," answered Mudge, somewhat surprised at
the remark. "You can repay us by giving us a description of the country
between Sydney and this."
"Well, we'll come by-and-by, and you'll have the things ready for us,"
said the man, in a tone which still further surprised us.
Having satisfied our hunger, we divided the kangaroo into portions, each
forming such a load as we could carry. Mudge and Paddy took the
heaviest, leaving Tommy and me somewhat lighter ones. The strangers,
without making any apology, loaded their horses with the larger portion
of the other animal Pullingo seemed highly delighted when we gave him
the remainder. The strangers declined accompanying us, but said they
would follow by-and-by. Just as we were setting off, they again begged
that we would spare them a little powder and shot, acknowledging that
their own was expended, and that they could neither obtain food nor
defend themselves against the natives. They looked so miserable that we
could not help feeling compassion for them, and each of us gave them a
portion of powder from our flasks and some shot from our belts.
As it was time to return, we set off, leaving them still seated at the
fire cooking some of the kangaroo. Pullingo having obtained his share,
immediately trotted off with it across the country, without offering to
guide us.
We had gone some distance when Mudge observed to me,--"I don't quite
like the look of these fellows. I have heard that the worst class of
convicts, who are worked in the road-gangs, often make their escape and
live a wild life in the bush, taking by force from the settlers whatever
they can get hold of. They go by the name of bushrangers; and I can't
help thinking that those fellows we have left there are of that
description."
"I've little doubt about that same," observed Paddy; "and it's a pity we
gave them the powther, though I wouldn't grudge them the mate and the
'baccy."
"They would scarcely make use of the powder to injure us," I observed.
"I wouldn't trust them for that, if they are the gentry I take them
for," said Mudge. "However, we must keep a watch, and take care that
they don't surprise us."
We were pretty well tired by the time we reached our settlement, as we
called it. As may be supposed, the supply of kangaroo which we brought
was very welcome, and a portion was served out to the men for supper
that evening. As a fire had been seen burning at Pullingo's camp long
before our arrival, there could be little doubt that he had reached home
much sooner than we did.
The next morning one of the strangers made his appearance at the
settlement on foot. He said that he had left his companion on the high
ground to look after the horses, and that he had come to claim the
articles we had promised. My father had agreed that Mudge was correct
in his opinion of the strangers, but that it would be better to supply
them with what they wanted to enable them to support their miserable
existence, and to try to obtain from them the information about the
country so important for us to gain.
The man looked a little less starved-like than he did the previous day,
but his ragged clothes and dirty appearance made us unwilling to ask him
into the house. We got a table and chair out for him, however, in the
shade; and gave him an ample meal and a glass of ale, which made him
open his heart somewhat. He acknowledged that he and his companion were
leading a terrible life in the bush, but that he saw no way out of it.
He described somewhat minutely the country we should have to pass over:
a large portion was open and easily traversed, but other parts were
mountainous, rocky, and wild in the extreme, with no water to be found
for miles. Whether or not he was giving us a true description, it was
difficult to determine,--though, at all events, he must have come
through the sort of country he described. Perhaps it might be avoided
by keeping further into the interior or closer to the sea-coast.
The man might have been a bushranger, but he did not appear to be at all
afraid of us. As soon as he had satisfied his hunger he rose, and
turning to Mudge, "Now, master, I'll thank you to fulfil your promise,"
he said. "We want as much powder as you can spare, for it's bread and
meat to us; and I'll thank you for the knives and the clothes, and some
needles and thread. Here, just get a pencil and put down what we want."
"Suppose we refuse to give it?" said my father, astounded at the man's
impudence.
The stranger's countenance assumed a ferocious expression. "You would
find you had made a bad bargain," he answered with the greatest
effrontery. "When a gentleman makes a promise to me, I expect him to
fulfil it. I came here as a friend, and a friend I wish to remain. Not
that I want to trouble you with my society; I prefer living by myself.
But if you do me a kindness, I can return it; if you venture to treat me
ill, I'll have my revenge--you may depend on that."
"But suppose we were to seize you, and keep you a prisoner till we could
hand you over to the authorities at Sydney?" said my father.
The man laughed long and loud. "You would find that a hard job," he
said; "and I didn't come here without taking means to secure my safety.
So you see, captain, we are quite equal. Now, let me have the things,
and I'll be off."
My father felt that as Mudge had promised the clothes and other
articles, it was right that they should be given to the man. A bundle
was therefore made up of all the articles he had asked for; and as soon
as he had received it, with very slight thanks, he fixed it on his
shoulders, and took his way up the cliff. We were in hopes that we had
seen the last of him and his companion, being thoroughly convinced that
they were bushrangers, and desperate ruffians.
We observed that as the stranger approached our camp the black and his
family made their escape from it, and hid behind a rock watching him
till he had disappeared over the top of the cliff.
Pullingo shortly afterwards came to our settlement, which he now
frequently did, without hesitation, never being allowed to go away
without some article or other which we thought would please him, or food
for himself and his family. Nothing we had came amiss to him except
beer or spirits, and when one day some was offered him he spat it out
with evident disgust. We tried to make him understand that we wished to
know his opinion of the strangers. After a considerable time he
understood us, and making his countenance assume an expression of hatred
and disgust, he shook his head, and then, as it appeared, advised us to
shoot them on the first opportunity.
As we were now convinced of his good feelings towards us, he was allowed
to roam about our village at pleasure. One day he appeared, bringing a
basket containing some of the many magnificent flowers which flourished
in the forest, several fruits, and some emu's eggs. Supposing that he
had brought them as a present to my mother or father, we did not
interfere with him, but allowed him to take his own way of offering
them.
I watched him from a distance, when I saw him enter Mudge's room, the
door of which was open. Wondering what he was about, I at length
approached and looked in; when I saw him on his knees, with the contents
of his basket spread out on the ground, bending low before Mudge's gun,
which stood leaning against a table in the corner. He was uttering some
strange gibberish, and addressing the gun, evidently supposing it to be
a being possessed of supernatural powers. He had watched day after day
its to him wonderful performances, and had made up his mind to endeavour
to propitiate it.
I did not like to interrupt him, or in any way to ridicule him; and I
was very glad that neither Paddy Doyle nor Tommy saw him, for I was very
sure that they would not have refrained from doing so. I therefore
crept away without letting the poor savage know that I had seen him. He
at length came out of the hut, and sauntered about the village as usual,
spending some time watching the carpenter at work.
When I told Harry, he said he thought that it was very natural, and that
when he first came on board the _Heroine_ he was inclined to pay the
same sort of respect to the compass, the quadrants, the spy-glasses, the
big guns and muskets, and various other things, which Popo told him were
the white men's fetishes.
Pullingo had from the first looked upon Paddy Doyle as his chief friend,
and they soon managed to understand each other in a wonderful way.
Mudge suggested, indeed, that they were nearer akin than the rest of us.
We got Paddy to ask him if he could tell what had become of the
bushrangers, and Paddy understood him to say that they had gone away to
a distance; so, concluding that this was the case, we ceased to think
much about them.
Believing ourselves secure from any attack on the part of the natives,
we no longer took the precautions we had adopted on our arrival,--with
the exception of keeping watch at night, which was more for the purpose
of maintaining naval discipline than from any apprehensions we had of an
attack. We used to wander about by the side of the river under the
cliff without our arms, and sometimes for some distance over the open
downs on the top. Even my mother and Edith lost all apprehension, and
frequently took walks with only Pierce or Harry. Sometimes I went with
them; but I was generally employed in shooting or fishing. In
consequence of this, the younger ones fancied that they might go
wherever they liked by themselves.
One day my mother, being unwell, was confined to the house, and Harry
came out fishing with Ned Burton and me in the boat. My father, Mudge,
and Tommy, accompanied by Paddy Doyle and one of the other men, had gone
on a shooting expedition, attended by Pullingo and his son, leaving only
Dicky Popo in attendance on my mother, and two men to guard the camp.
As we were not far off, a musket-shot would bring us quickly back if we
were required.
We pulled down to the mouth of the river. The fish soon began to bite,
and we hauled up more than we had ever before caught. I observed that
the tide was unusually low, as numerous rocks which I had never before
seen were uncovered, and remained so for some time. At last the tide
began to rise, and we caught the fish even faster than at first. We
were so eagerly engaged that we did not remark how rapidly the time went
by. We were well-pleased, because we should not only have fish for all
hands, but be able to present our black friends with a welcome supply.
We found, I may remark, that they prized us not so much for our
knowledge of the arts and sciences, as in proportion to our power of
obtaining such food as they valued.
Burton suggested that we might salt some fish, and proposed looking for
salt along the shore. I agreed with him that it would be important if
we could succeed in doing so, as we might then carry some salted fish on
our journey.
As the fish continued to bite, we remained to catch them, and we were
still eagerly hauling them in when the sound of a musket fired at the
camp reached our ears. We at once hauled in our lines, got up our
anchor, and pulled away as hard as we could up the river.
"What can be the matter?" I asked.
"I suppose they wish to remind us that it is supper-time, and so fired
the shot to call us back," answered Burton.
"I hope that no strange blacks have come to the camp, or that those bad
men whom we met the other day have not returned," said Harry.
"It may be; but we'll soon show them that we're not going to stand any
of their tricks," observed Burton.
This last suggestion of Harry made me feel very anxious, as I had often
heard of the atrocities of which bushrangers had been guilty.
As we neared the camp we could see no one. Just as we pulled up to the
landing-place, however, we heard a voice cry out,--"Help! help!--bear a
hand, or they'll be away." We eagerly leaped on shore, when the
spectacle which met our eyes made us very anxious. One of our men lay
on the ground, apparently dead; and not far off was the other, bound to
the trunk of a tree so that he could move neither hands nor feet.
"There! there!" he cried. "Stop them!"
Too anxious about my mother and Edith and Pierce to attend to him, or to
understand clearly what he said, I rushed to the door of our cottage.
It was closed. I knocked loudly. "Mother! mother!--let me in; we've
come to your assistance," I exclaimed. She did not reply; but I heard
some one moving, and presently the door opened and Dicky Popo appeared.
"O massa! so glad you come, or dey murder us all," he exclaimed.
"But my mother--where is she?" I asked.
"She in her room, I tink; but no speakee," answered Popo.
"Mother! mother!--where are you?" I cried out.
The door of her room was also closed; but rushing against it, with the
aid of Dicky I burst it open. My mother lay on the ground. A horrible
feeling came over me,--I thought she was shot. On bending down I could
discover no wound, and I found that she still breathed, so I trusted
that she had only fainted. I sprinkled her face with water, and she
shortly after heaved a sigh and opened her eyes. On seeing me she
revived, and with Popo's assistance I lifted her up and placed her in a
chair.
"Is it a hideous dream?" she asked; "or have the bushrangers really been
here? And where are Edith and Pierce?"
"There is nothing now to be alarmed about, mother," I answered. "The
bushrangers have gone away, and Edith and Pierce are probably hiding
somewhere."
"Oh! go and look for them," she said, "and bring them here at once. I
am afraid that those terrible men have carried them off."
"Not at all likely, mother," I said. "I have no doubt, however, that
Burton and Harry have already set off to follow the men."
As she again urged me to go, assuring me that she was quite recovered, I
took my gun, and telling Popo to remain and attend on her, hurried out.
I found that Burton and Harry had released the man who had been bound to
the tree, while the other, who had been only stunned, had recovered; and
all four, with guns in their hands, were making their way towards the
foot of the cliffs in pursuit of the bushrangers. I followed, shouting
for Edith and Pierce; for I could not help thinking it possible that the
bushrangers might have carried them off. As the robbers were heavily
laden with their spoil, they had got only a part of the way up the cliff
when we caught sight of them. With intense thankfulness I saw that they
were alone, and that they had not carried off the children.
"Stop, you villains!" cried Burton, when he got near enough to make them
hear.
They did not reply, but continued making their way up the cliff.
Burton, who was leading, was about to pursue, when one of them turned
round and levelled his rifle at his head.
"If you advance another step I'll fire!" shouted the man.
"Two can play at that game, friend," exclaimed Burton, lifting his
musket and letting fly at the bushranger. We imitated his example; but
when the smoke cleared off we found that the men were still making their
upward way, springing with wonderful agility from rock to rock.
We had to stop to reload; then, notwithstanding their threats, we again
began to climb after them. They had, however, a long start of us, and
had already gained the easier part of the ascent; still, laden as they
were, one of them might slip and give us a chance of overtaking him, and
we continued our ascent. They were now, however, hidden from sight by
the trees and rocks above our heads.
Burton still kept ahead of us, and was the first to gain the summit of
the cliff. He lifted his musket and fired. Directly afterwards the
rest of us joined him, when we saw the two bushrangers galloping away to
the southward, at no great distance from the cliffs, where, the ground
being level, they could make better play than more to the right, where
it was undulating and somewhat soft in the bottom. They were already
too far off for our bullets to reach them.
"Missed again!" exclaimed Ned. "I believe the fellows must bear charmed
lives; or my musket has taken to shooting crooked."
As we could not hope to overtake the robbers, I told Burton how anxious
I was to return and look for Edith and Pierce,--although I hoped that,
frightened by the appearance of the bushrangers, they had hidden
themselves.
"I think not, sir," said Tom Nokes, one of our men. "Soon after you
went off in the boat, I saw the young people starting away together
along the shore; but thinking their mother had given them leave to go, I
didn't look after them."
This intelligence was so far satisfactory, that it made me believe they
could not have been seen by the bushrangers--who, indeed, could scarcely
have been such ruffians as to injure them. I therefore hurried back to
my mother; but she, having been asleep all the morning, did not even
know that the children had gone away. She expressed her anxiety on
hearing what Nokes had said, as at all events they ought by this time to
have returned. Not wishing to alarm her more, I expressed my belief
that they would soon appear. On leaving her, however, I proposed to
Burton and Harry to take the boat and pull along the shore, while Nokes
volunteered to go on foot in the same direction.
Having landed our fish, we at once pulled away; but no signs did we see
of Edith or Pierce. The sun was setting as we rowed down the river. As
the bar was smooth, we crossed it without hesitation, and continued our
course along the shore, as close in as the coral reefs would allow us to
get. Every now and then I stood up to examine the shore, but nowhere
were the children to be seen. The tide had risen, too, and in several
places washed the very base of the cliffs. This alarmed me much, for I
dreaded lest the tide might have entrapped them as they were making
their way back.
"We needn't fear that, Master Godfrey; for they both have got sense, and
will have managed, I hope, to reach some place of safety," observed
Burton.
Again we pulled on, when just under the highest part of the cliff I
caught sight of an object in the water which attracted my attention. At
first I thought it was a rock, covered with seaweed moved by the surging
water. We paddled in as close as we could venture without running the
risk of knocking the bottom of the boat against the coral, and then I
made out a horse and a human figure lying together half in the water.
The man was motionless, and apparently dead; but the horse was still
faintly struggling, trying to keep its head above the surface.
"That must be one of the bushrangers," I exclaimed.
"No doubt about it," said Burton; "but how he came to fall over the
cliff it is hard to say."
"Can we not reach him and see if he is still alive?" I asked.
"No man could have fallen from that height and kept the breath in his
body," said Ned; "nor, indeed, escape breaking all his bones, unless he
had come down on the top of his horse. Depend on it, he's dead; and so
will the poor horse be in another moment--see! its head has already sunk
under the water. If we hadn't to look for the children we might try to
get at him; but it would lose much time, and we might chance also to
injure the boat."
"By all means then let us pull on, and continue our search for Edith and
Pierce," I answered; and we again took to our oars.
Evening was now drawing rapidly on. In vain we searched the coast as
far as our eyes could reach. As we pulled under the cliffs I shouted my
brother and sister's names, but only the echo of my voice came back
faintly to our ears. I became more and more alarmed, and it seemed to
me as if their doom was pronounced, when Burton declared that we must
pull back, as it was not likely they could have got so far. Harry
showed that he was as unhappy as I was, and joined his voice with mine
in shouting out their names as we made our way towards the mouth of the
river.
There was scarcely sufficient daylight to enable us to distinguish the
entrance. We got safely over the bar, however, and as fast as we could
move our oars we pulled up to the encampment. My father and his party
had just returned. He was, of course, very much alarmed at the
disappearance of my brother and sister. Nokes had discovered no traces
of them, still he affirmed that he had seen them go in that direction.
One thing was certain,--that it would be useless to attempt continuing
our search during the hours of darkness.
That was indeed a miserable night. My father did his utmost to comfort
my poor mother, but she could not fail to dread the worst. Our anxiety
about them made us scarcely think of the visit of the bushrangers. On
examining our stores, however, it was seen that they had carried off a
considerable quantity of powder and shot, and numerous other articles
which were likely to prove useful to them in their wandering life. They
had not forgotten, either, to supply themselves with several bottles of
spirits: perhaps the liquor, to which they had been so long
unaccustomed, was the cause of the death of the unhappy wretch whose
body we had seen beneath the cliff. However, that was only conjecture,
and will probably for ever remain so.
I had no inclination to go to bed, but my father insisted on my turning
in, saying that he would sit up with my mother; and in spite of my grief
and anxiety I at length fell fast asleep.