"I had forgotten your burnt feet. Do they feel very bad?"
"Oh, pretty tidy, sir, but I don't mind. I should like to have a pop at
one of them as held me to that fire."
"Naturally," said Mr Raydon.
"But I'm afraid I can't do much marching."
"You will be posted in one of the block-houses."
"That'll do," cried Esau. "Come along, Mayne Gordon."
"You have never used a rifle."
"Why, Mr Gunson there showed us all about it. Don't you be afraid;
I'll try."
"Oh, Esau!" cried Mrs Dean.
"And mother shall nurse me when I'm wounded."
"Oh, my boy--my boy!"
"Silence, sir! Mrs Dean, he is only tormenting you. It is not likely
that he will be hurt, but out here in the wilderness we do sometimes
have to fight to protect the women and children. There, do not be
uneasy; I see your son will do you credit."
Esau gave a gulp, and turned red in the face, while I suffered a twinge
of jealousy on finding that the lad, whom I blamed as the cause of all
the trouble, should be spoken to in this way while I was treated with a
coldness that, in my sensitive state, seemed to freeze all the better
nature within me.
"A pretty mess this, sir," said Barker, as we joined him out in the
enclosure. "Those stupid donkeys have let loose a nice gang. They'll
be as savage as possible against everybody, and be coming down upon us
just when we don't expect it."
"But have they arms and ammunition?"
"Plenty, sir. They stripped our men, and if we don't look out they'll
strip us. Why, the little valley will never be safe again while they
are about."
"No," said Mr Raydon. "It's a bad look-out, but we must take every
precaution. You may rely on my helping you, as I promised, and if I am
the unlucky one attacked first, I look for help from you."
"And you shall have it, sir. I answer for the lads up the valley. What
do you propose doing first?"
"Nothing," said Mr Raydon.
The man stared at him aghast, and Mr Raydon smiled.
"But--but hadn't we better get a party together, and hunt them down,
sir?"
"An excellent plan," said Mr Raydon, "but impossible in this wild
country. They would lead us a terrible dance, weary us out, and perhaps
take advantage of our absence to plunder our places. The better way
will be to keep a sharp look-out, and punish them if they attack us."
"But if they take us by surprise, sir?"
"They must not," said Mr Raydon, quietly. "My advice to you is, that
you go back and make arrangements for mutual support, so that all can
hurry at once to the place attacked. You will make it one man's duty to
act as messenger, and come directly to give warning here, and another to
give notice up the valley at Gunson's claim."
"And the two men there will come and help us? Yes: that's good."
"There will be four of my men stationed there," said Mr Raydon. "That
is a very likely place for the first attack, if they can find their way
over the mountains and through the dense forest. The trouble began by
their trying to seize that claim."
"Why not let them go to it again, and attack them when they are settled
down?" said Barker.
"No, my man, it is not our line to attack; let that come from the enemy.
Besides, I particularly wish Mr Gunson's claim to be reserved for him
till he has recovered. So if the enemy find their way there you will go
up to my men's help. If there is anything you want from the Fort here
at your camp, you can send up, and I will supply you if I can."
"Thankye, sir, thankye. That's very neighbourly," said Barker. "I
think the more of it because there's a report about that you were dead
against the claims being taken up."
I stared at Mr Raydon wonderingly, for his behaviour was inexplicable
to me; but I had no time given me for thought. As soon as Barker and
the two men who came up with him had gone, Mr Raydon chose two of his
little garrison, and sent them, well armed, and with as big loads of
supplies as they could carry, by the near cut over the mountains, that
is by the track taken when he and his men came to our help.
Directly after, in a sharp military way, he led us to his little
armoury, and gave us each a rifle and pistol, with a few words of
instruction as to where the weapons were to be kept in readiness for
use; and, in addition, what we were to do in the places of the two men
who had gone.
I was glad of this, for it took up my time, and gave me something else
to think about. It was pleasant too--the duty of having to help in the
defence of the Fort where my friends were gathered.
"Some day he'll be sorry for it all," I said to myself; and I was
brooding over the past again, when Esau uttered a low chuckle, which
made me turn to him wonderingly.
"Only think of it, Mayne Gordon," he said. "What a game!"
"What is a game?"
"You always being so dead on to me about going for a soldier, and here
we are both of us good as soldiers after all. Why, if he'd let us
tackle one of those guns," he continued, pointing to a little cannon
mounted in the block-house, "it would be like joining the Ryle
Artilleree."