The hands at Yanda marvelled greatly at the tale Edgar told of their
adventures, and they marvelled still more when the treasure they
brought with them was shown.
‘And to think that black fellow knew all about it, and kept the secret
so long,’ said Ben Brody. ‘I can hardly believe it is true. You must
have travelled thousands of miles. All I can say is you deserve what
you have got.’
After staying a few weeks at Yanda, where he received letters from
home, and from Wal Jessop, Edgar decided to go to Sydney and see Eva
again. Will Brown remained at Yanda, in order to gain more experience
of station life.
When Edgar arrived in Sydney, he at once went to Watson’s Bay. Wal
Jessop did not know Edgar had left Yanda. Eva had constantly inquired
for Edgar during his absence, and been comforted by the assurance he
would return to her.
Edgar walked up the steep path to the cottage, intending to give
the inmates a surprise, but Eva, who was looking out of the window,
recognised him, and gave a joyful cry that brought Mrs. Jessop to her.
Together they rushed out to greet Edgar, and he soon had little Eva
crowing delightedly in his arms, Mrs. Jessop looking on, her motherly
face beaming with satisfaction.
‘How you have grown, Eva!’ said Edgar, holding her up in his arms to
have a better look at her. ‘You have had a good home, and Mrs. Jessop
has taken great care of you.’
Eva began to prattle in her pretty childish way, and asked Edgar
numerous questions, some of which he found a difficulty in answering.
When Wal Jessop returned home and found Edgar installed in the cottage
he was delighted. He had been longing to see him again, and to hear
all about his adventures. These Edgar had to relate over and over
again, and little Eva, too, was interested in hearing about Yacka and
the blacks, and the White Spirit in the wonderful cave. When she saw
the precious stones and gold Edgar brought with him, she clapped her
hands with joy, and wanted to play with all the pretty things.
‘You’ll not be short of money for a time with such rubies as these to
sell,’ said Wal Jessop, as he took some of the stones in his hand.
‘They are the finest I ever saw. You’ll get more for them in London
than you will here.’
‘I shall keep the bulk of them,’ said Edgar; ‘but we must dispose of
some of them, Wal, in order to keep things going.’
‘Captain Fife will be able to do that for you,’ said Wal. ‘He knows the
best market for such things. What a wonderful chap that black must be!
There are not many like him here.’
‘You will see him before long,’ said Edgar. ‘He has promised to come to
Sydney when his wound has quite healed.’
‘A knife-thrust like that will take some time to get well,’ said Wal.
‘I wonder if he will ever take you back again to find more of the
treasure?’
‘I shall not go,’ said Edgar; ‘but I have no doubt there will be search
made for it, even if Yacka declines to lead the way.’
The evening of Edgar’s arrival at the cottage he had a walk on the
cliffs with Wal Jessop, and again looked down upon the terrible rocks
where the _Distant Shore_ was dashed to pieces, and himself and Eva
were so miraculously saved. As he looked into the depths below, the
scene came vividly to mind again, and he could not resist grasping Wal
Jessop by the hand, while the tears stood in his eyes.
Wal Jessop knew what he meant better than if he had spoken, and
returned the pressure of his hand. They walked back to the cottage, and
once more talked over the scenes of that awful night.
When Edgar saw Captain Fife that gentleman received him cordially, and
promised to dispose of some of the rubies to the best advantage.
‘They are wonderfully good stones,’ said Captain Fife, ‘and there will
be no difficulty in obtaining a stiff price for them. By the way,
what are you going to do with yourself now? Are you returning to the
station, or would you prefer to remain in Sydney?’
‘If I can obtain a suitable billet,’ said Edgar, ‘I should like to
remain here.’
Captain Fife had been on the look-out for a private secretary for some
time, and he offered Edgar the post, which he willingly accepted,
thinking himself fortunate, as indeed he was, to gain such a position.
Time flies quickly, and when Edgar Foster had been private secretary to
Captain Fife for over two years, he had become quite at home in Sydney,
and was recognised as one of the best of good fellows. Edgar was fond
of sports of all kinds, and he liked fun as well as any young fellow
of his age, but he shunned the fast sets in the city, and one of his
constant companions was Wal Jessop. Two or three times a week he went
to Wal’s cottage to see Eva, who was rapidly growing into a very pretty
girl. He heard regularly from home, and also had news from Yanda--for
Will Brown was still there. Yacka had tried Sydney life, but quickly
tired of it, and returned to the West.
Two or three expeditions had been fitted out to try and find the Cave
of Enooma, as it was called, for the adventures of Edgar Foster and
Will Brown had been related in the _Sydney Mail_, and naturally there
was a desire to obtain the wealth stated to be there. These expeditions
had, however, been failures, and nothing came of them. Yacka refused
to lead anyone into the Enooma country, and Edgar and Will, when
approached upon the subject, expressed their inability to do so. When
the second expedition failed in its object, people said the discovery
was a myth, but others knew better, and Edgar only smiled when he heard
disparaging remarks made.
Although Edgar stuck well to his work during the time he had been with
Captain Fife, he found ample opportunity to indulge in his favourite
pastime, cricket, and, much to his delight, had been selected captain
of the South Sydney team. In this capacity he not only proved himself
a good all-round cricketer, but a splendid leader, and no one, it was
generally acknowledged, placed his men to more advantage in the field.
He was selected to play for New South Wales against Victoria, but, like
many a good cricketer before him, he failed at his first attempt. There
was, however, no doubt about his ability, and he now stood an excellent
chance of being selected as one of the next Australian eleven. This is
the height of every cricketer’s ambition in the colonies, and Edgar
felt anxious as to whether his performances during the season would
warrant the selection committee including him in the team. So far he
had done fairly well. There remained one inter-Colonial match to play
against South Australia, and Edgar knew upon this match would depend
the final decision as to his being a member of the Australian eleven.
He had practised steadily, and felt confident, and was encouraged
by Wal Jessop and Captain Fife. Will Brown wrote from Yanda, saying
they were coming down in force to see him play, and Ben Brody added
a postscript to the effect that the honour of the Yanda boys was in
Edgar’s hands.
When the eventful day arrived Edgar’s feelings can be imagined. The
match took place on the Association ground at Sydney, and the South
Australians placed a formidable team on the field. Several men on
either side were on their best mettle and playing for a place in the
Australian eleven.
Ben Brody appeared on the ground resplendent in a new cabbage-tree
hat, which he had bought in honour of the occasion. He was as anxious
as anyone to see Edgar successful. Will Brown vowed if Edgar Foster
went home with the team, he should go by the same boat. Will Henton,
Harry Noke, and Jim Lee all came up from Yanda for the match, and
consequently there was a family party on the ground. In Wal Jessop Ben
Brody found a man after his own heart, and they got on well together.
Edgar felt encouraged by their presence to do his best, and something
seemed to tell him he would succeed.
The New South Wales captain won the toss and elected to bat. This gave
Edgar a chance to sit and chat with his friends. He hardly knew how
popular he had become in Sydney, owing to his numerous adventures and
his sterling character, until he saw the number of people who were only
too proud to recognise him.
‘You must be a favourite with the ladies,’ said Ben Brody. ‘All the
pretty girls are smiling at you. Lucky dog!’
It was true Edgar knew several nice girls, but he had not yet found one
he preferred to any of the others. He thought there was time enough for
that in another five or six years.
The home team commenced badly, and lost two wickets for thirty runs. At
the fall of the fourth wicket Edgar Foster went in, and his appearance
on the ground, from the pavilion, was the signal for a loud outburst
of applause. As he walked to the crease Edgar vowed he would do his
utmost to merit this reception. He was cool and collected, and had
seldom felt so confident. He commenced well by making a couple of
boundary hits in his first over. His partner, Frank Highdale, was well
set, and the pair looked like making a big stand.
Edgar roused the spectators by hitting a ball into the pavilion, and
Highdale had completely mastered the bowling. Runs came rapidly, and
the South Australian captain seemed puzzled to know how to effect a
separation.
Although Highdale had been batting some time before Edgar came in, the
latter was first to reach the coveted fifty. When this number of runs
appeared to Edgar’s name on the scoring-board, Ben Brody, to use his
own expression, ‘broke loose.’ He cheered in the most frantic manner,
and waved his huge hat in delight.
The New South Wales eleven were at the wickets all day, and when stumps
were drawn Edgar Foster was ‘not out, one hundred and nine’! He was
congratulated on all sides, and Captain Fife said, as he shook hands
with him:
‘Your place in the team is assured. I shall cable to your father as
soon as the selection is made. He will be mighty proud of his son.’
On the renewal of the match next day, Edgar added another fifty to his
score, and was clean bowled, after making one hundred and fifty-nine, a
magnificent innings.
The match ended in a win for the home colony by two hundred runs. In
the second innings Edgar Foster placed fifty-six to his credit; he also
bowled well during the match, and came out with a very good average.
Consequently, it was no surprise when he found his name amongst the
favoured thirteen cricketers picked to make up the Australian team. He
received a cablegram from his father congratulating him, and this gave
him more pleasure than anything else.
As usual, there was some grumbling about the composition of the team,
but no one had anything to say about Edgar Foster’s inclusion.
‘We are to go home in the _Cuzco_,’ said Edgar to Will Brown; ‘so you
had better book your passage.’
‘You bet!’ said Will; ‘and who do you think is going home for a trip
with us?’
‘Don’t know,’ said Edgar. ‘I wish we could take Yacka. He would create
a sensation there.’
‘Yacka is far happier camping out at Yanda,’ said Will. ‘Ben Brody is
going home with us. He says he has never had a holiday since he was a
lad, over forty years ago, and he thinks it is about time he took one
now.’
‘I am glad,’ said Edgar. ‘Ben Brody is a real good sort; he’s a rough
diamond, but I like him better than if he were polished.’
The hands on Yanda were in high glee about Ben leaving them for a
time. They fancied the mutton diet would be knocked off, but Ben said
he should leave strict injunctions behind about that.
The time passed quickly, and the morning the _Cuzco_ was to leave
Circular Quay a large crowd of people assembled to see the New
South Wales members of the team leave for London. There was so much
hand-shaking, and so many parting good-byes, that Edgar felt sure some
of them would be left behind.
Wal Jessop and his wife brought Eva down to see Edgar off, and the
child did not like to see him leave her in the big steamer.
‘I will come back for you, Eva,’ said Edgar; ‘I promise you I will come
back. Be a good girl while I am away, and I will bring you back the
best doll I can find in London.’
‘With brown hair, and blue eyes?’ said Eva.
‘Yes,’ said Edgar. ‘It shall have bonny blue eyes, and bright brown
hair like yours, Eva.’
He took her in his arms, and kissed her over and over again, and then
handed her to Mrs. Jessop. Just as the gangway was about to be raised
they saw a tall figure flying up it with long strides. It was Ben Brody.
‘You nearly missed us,’ said Edgar, laughing. ‘Where have you been? I
thought I saw you on board some time back.’
‘So I was,’ said Ben, gasping for breath; ‘but I left my ‘bacca behind
in a box at the hotel, and I’d sooner have gone back to Yanda than
been on board without my usual brand.’
The _Cuzco_ had now cast off, and as she left the wharf Edgar singled
out Eva, hoisted high on Wal Jessop’s shoulder, and waved her a hearty
farewell.