It had been decided that they should make for the farthest part known to
them south and west, where the wildest country lay, and they had been
twice before, Griggs having paid double that number of visits in search
of game. There the cultivation ceased entirely, for the rich soil gave
place to sage-brush and a far-stretching tract of salt or alkali desert,
Griggs proposing that they should cross this, for after a good deal of
questioning the settlers in that direction, he elicited the information
that one of the settlers upon the verge of the good lands had seen a
strange-looking tramp, as he called him, pass his lonely shanty one
evening, but feeling no desire for any such company he had stood back
among the trees, and his place had certainly not been seen by the
stranger.
"That shows we should be a bit nearer where he came from," said Griggs,
"and it would be a fair day's journey for a beginning. We could find a
spot to camp out for the night, and start early the next morning to see
if we could not cross the bad land before dark."
"How far would it be?" asked Bourne.
"Ah, that we must find out from the man who lives nearest to the edge,"
replied Griggs. "He's pretty sure to have been some distance into the
desert shooting, and even if he doesn't know he'll be able to tell us
where we can find water, for that's what we must always go by. When
it's too far off for a day's journey we must take our bottles and the
little casks full."
The mules soon steadied down; the day was hot, but not unpleasantly so,
and after crossing a very wild patch some miles in extent they picked up
a track and followed it, to come upon cultivated land again, and the
track led them to a shanty built upon the bank of a river also dried
into a series of pools; but as they approached the house and obtained a
near inspection of the cultivated ground it became very plain that no
hoe had been between the rows of fruit-trees that year, and on riding up
to the shingled wood house, they found no sign of living creature--no
ducks paddling in the pool, or fowls pecking about near the enclosed
yard; all was still and silent. They had come upon another sign of
failure, for, as far as they could see, the place had been deserted for
quite a year.
"A sign that we are not alone in giving up," said the doctor; "but it
will make a capital place for our first halt. Go and see what the water
is like in that farthest pool, Chris. This one is nearly all mud."
Chris urged his mustang forward towards where there was a glint of water
through some trees four or five hundred yards ahead, but he had not gone
one-fourth of the distance before he was overtaken by Ned, who was as
eager as he to see what the place was like.
They soon knew--a carefully-tended Far West estate, given up and allowed
to go back to a state of nature. Fruit-trees had been planted in
abundance, but as the boys got farther from the house the wild vines and
weeds were gradually mastering the useful trees, and in another year or
two the plantations would have lost all trace of the hand of man and be
wild jungle once more.
"I dare say there'll be fish enough," said Chris. "This is a deeper
pool than we generally see. I say, how sandy the ground is here!"
The next minute they realised why it was so sandy, for instead of its
being a cleared track it proved to be the dried-up bed of a little sandy
river, one that linked the pools together when the wet season came on.
"It looks as if no water had been along here for a twelvemonth," said
Chris. "Look there."
His cob had seen the object at which he pointed first, and stopped short
with its ears pricked forward to where, grey and glistening, a snake lay
basking in the hot sunshine amongst some stones, but now, alarmed by the
snort given by Chris's mustang, it began to glide away, passing amongst
some dried-up reeds and leaves, giving forth its strange soft rattling
sound with its tail the while.
"Well, we don't want to waste powder and shot on him," said Chris.
"Come on," and they rode on to the edge of what proved to be a shallow
lagoon some acres in extent, from which they startled a few waterfowl
into flight, the ducks, as they splashed along the surface before
rising, starting off other occupants of the pool in turn, a little shoal
of fish darting off and raising a wave which marked their course towards
the middle, where, the water growing deeper, they disappeared.
"Well," said Chris, "we know all we want to know now.--There are
rattlers about, and if it wasn't for them it wouldn't be a bad place for
a long halt."
"We can take care to avoid the snakes," said the doctor, "and as there
is plenty of good water we'll stay here till the morning; but as we are
in such good time two or three of us will ride on to see what the
country's like further on. Perhaps the next plantation may have some
one to give us a little information."
Camp was formed then as far as was necessary, the fairly-well-built
house offering plenty of shelter, and the place round, ample
grazing-ground for the beasts.
A hasty meal was made, and then Wilton and Griggs were appointed scouts,
riding off and returning at sundown with the information that the
plantation they were on was the farthest to be seen--all beyond was
wilderness, but with nothing in the shape of high ground beyond, save in
one spot where a hill or two rose faintly blue against the sky.
"Isn't it jolly!" said Ned, after they had partaken of an exceedingly
muddly meal, the water being fetched from the lagoon, and the fire for
boiling their coffee having been made of wood that was indisposed to
burn, while no matter where they arranged the provisions it was only to
have them attacked by insects, which came from under planks or stones,
dropped from the rough ceiling of the decaying shanty, came flying,
crawling, hopping, or with sharp raps as if they had formed part of the
charge of a gun.
But it was a change. Everything was fresh, and this first start had
ended the monotonous drudgery of their unsatisfactory life at the
plantation.
So Ned had given his opinion that it was jolly, an idea which, now he
had shaken off the feeling of depression at leaving what had for years
been his home, Chris fully shared.
For the boys' spirits had risen as they rode through the bright sunny
day, and they only found disappointment in one thing--the fact of being
compelled to regulate the pace of their mustangs by that of the
heavily-laden mules, whose rate of progress was about equal to that of
an ordinary British donkey driven in from a common.
Over and over again they longed to give their sturdy, well-chosen little
nags a touch with the heel to send them racing along through the
dusty-looking sage-brush; but they had to be contented with plodding
steadily along behind the train, save when Chris found that there was
something he wanted to ask Griggs, who kept on by the leading mule and
its bell, and then the question seemed to be so important and weighty
that it took two boys to carry it.
The first few times the doctor had taken no notice, but after Chris had
cantered forward four times to rein up on one side of the American, with
Ned on the other, his father said dryly when he overtook him--
"There's a good old saying that has to do with thoughtfulness, Chris.
It is this: Let your head save your heels. To apply it in this case, it
should be, Save your pony's heels."
"I don't understand you, father," said the boy.
"Don't you? I only meant, the next time you want to ask about something
that has been left behind, keep it in your head till you think of the
next thing, and the next. You might collect half-a-dozen, and then you
could go and ask them altogether. Do you see?"
"Yes, father," said Chris, who turned rather red.
"Be patient, my boy, and you'll have plenty of hard riding, perhaps more
than you anticipate."
There seemed to be no necessity for the precaution so near home, but the
doctor said that they had better begin as they would have to go on "when
in the enemy's country," as he put it, with a smile.
"Before long we may be where there will be risk of our animals
stampeding, or being stolen. Later on, when we are in the Indians'
country, we shall have to guard against attack, so we will divide the
night into watches."
This was before settling down for the night in and about the deserted
fruit-farm.
"Oh," cried Wilton; "but surely this is being too particular. Every one
is tired. We have had a very wearing day, beginning so early as we did
with the packing and getting off."
"Yes," said the doctor coldly, "but the success or failure of the
expedition depends upon our being punctilious. A stitch in time saves
nine, my dear boy."
"But--" began Wilton, in a tone of protest.
"One moment," said the doctor. "Let me make a suggestion. We want to
start early every morning for Unknownia, if you will let me coin a name
for the place of our search."
"Of course," said Bourne.
"We must always break the neck of our journey by getting over a good
many miles before the heat of the day sets in."
"That's good advice," cried Griggs.
"Very well, then," continued the doctor; "we don't want to waste time in
lighting fires and hunting up horses and mules that have strayed no one
knows where in the course of the night, do we?"
"No, of course not. I see," said Wilton. "I give in."
"The man who takes the morning watch will have breakfast ready before
daybreak, and then there will be nothing to do but load up the mules and
start off the moment it is light enough."
There were no dissenters from the leader's practical proposals, and he
elected to take the first half of the night's watch himself, Griggs to
take the second, and soon afterwards the animals were hobbled and left
to graze, one of the barn-like buildings was chosen for resting-place,
and those who were free from duty lay down to sleep. The two boys
naturally enough made up their bed of dry sage-brush on the decaying
floor of the building, and then, in response to the doctor's orders to
get off to sleep at once so as to be well rested and fresh for the next
day's work, they lay wide awake, talking in whispers.
To do them justice, this was no fault of theirs. They were tired
enough, but their eyelids felt as if they were furnished with springs
which held them wide open, to stare through the open side of the barn at
the glittering stars, while their ears were all on the strain to listen
to the different sounds that came from all around.
At first there was the cropping of the horses and mules, as they feasted
on the fresh shoots of the abundant growth, owing to the moisture
beneath the little dry river-bed having kept the coarse grasses pretty
succulent. There was the hum of mosquitoes and the boom of big beetles,
and every now and then the cry and answering cry of some animal unknown
from out in the sage-brush. But for a time the lads lay silent, till a
peculiar mournful shout, as it seemed to be, came from the direction of
the lagoon, sounding so mournful and human that it was too much for Ned,
who whispered--
"Awake, Chris?"
"Of course. Who's to go to sleep with millions of things getting up
your legs and arms and down your neck? I wish I'd taken off my clothes.
Isn't it hot!"
"Yes, yes; but did you hear that?"
"Yes."
"What was it?"
"Owl," said Chris shortly.
"I know it was a howl," said Ned, "but it was more like a shout or
hail."
"Owl, owl, hunting about over the brush for young hares or rats and
mice."
"Oh, of course. I never thought of that," said Ned, and he settled down
quietly for a few minutes, before saying in a whisper: "I say, isn't it
queer that one seems to hear hundreds of things now that one never
noticed at home?"
"I don't know. Perhaps we should have heard some of these ticks and
squeaks and rustlings if we had lain awake. I say, Ned, I believe all
the wild things from round about are coming to see what we want here."
"Very likely. What's that?"
"What?"
"That flash of light. Is it a storm coming?"
"Pooh! No. Father threw some bits of dry stuff on the fire."
"To be sure. But I say, Chris, that's why all these insects and things
come creeping up. It's the light that attracts them."
"Of course it is. I wish you'd go to sleep."
"I will as soon as I can, but you needn't be so disagreeable."
"Enough to make me. I'm tired, and you keep on talking like an old
woman. Not frightened, are you?"
"Nonsense! No. Ugh!"
Ned started up, his action following the ejaculation belying his words,
for all of a sudden from near at hand came a dull thud as if a heavy
blow had been struck, followed by what sounded in Ned's ears like a
shriek of agony. "What's that?" he gasped.
"One mule tried to bite another in the back, had a kick for his pains,
and called `Murder!' in mulese," said Chris sourly. "I say, I shall
have a bed-room to myself to-morrow night if you're going on like this."
Ned was silent, for his companion's words rankled.
"Perhaps I ought to have known," he said, "but it's all so strange lying
out here in the darkness."
He turned over on the other side, determined to sleep now, and he tried
hard for quite a quarter of an hour, the effort seeming to make him more
wakeful than ever, for his senses were all upon the strain, while as the
night progressed fresh noises, some of them quite peculiar, seemed to
arise. Once he started, for there was a heavy splash which in the clear
air sounded quite near, but which was evidently from the lagoon; and it
put to flight an idea he had been nursing up of going down to the sheet
of water and ridding himself of his hot tickling clothes so as to have a
good swim before breakfast. That was all over now, for that splash told
of alligators swimming in the lagoon to his heated imagination. He had
never heard of the reptiles existing in that part of the country, but he
knew that there were plenty in the swamps farther to the south, and
there was no reason why there might not be some in the wild districts
into which they were plunging.
Another splashing noise succeeded, and he felt that it might have been
made by a fish, and others which succeeded have been caused by
waterfowl. But all idea of bathing was dismissed.
At last, after a long hot lapse of time, during which he had given many
a vicious rub to the unclothed parts of his body, and turned again,
feeling as if there were far too many buttons on his clothes, which
instead of confining themselves to their proper duty of holding the said
garments in their places, felt as if they had become animate and were
engaged in treating his flesh as if it was wax and they were seals.
"Hah!" he sighed, at last, as the sounds grew apparently more dull and
distant, Chris's breathing heavy and regular, and a feeling of restful
ease began to pervade his being.
"Old Chris is fast asleep, and I'm going off at last. Oh, how tired,
how sleepy I do--Ugh!"
He did not rub now, he dared not, and that ejaculation was like a husky
sigh--very low; but it was loud enough to rouse Chris into wakefulness.
"What's the matter?" he whispered.
There was no reply for a few moments, and Chris repeated the question,
adding, "Did you speak?"
"I must have been dropping off and dreamed it," thought Chris, but the
next moment his name was uttered in a strange whisper.
"Yes? All right! What is it?"
"There's something on me," came back faintly.
"Well, knock it off."
"I daren't. I can't move."
"What, is it so heavy?" said Chris mockingly.
"N-no. I'm afraid it'll bite."
"A skeeter?"
"No," said Ned, more faintly. "Call to your father for help."
"What for? Here, shall I strike a light?"
"N-no. It might make it angry."
"It? It?" said Chris, with all the petulance of one who had been
previously disturbed by his bed-fellow's alarms. "What is _it_?"
"Down by the pool--the hot sand--you know--amongst the stones."
"What! A snake?" whispered Chris, alarmed in turn now, and feeling the
cold perspiration breaking out on his temples.
"Yes--a rattler."
"Look here, you boys," said a stern voice, in a whisper from close at
hand, "I begged you to--"
"A light, father! Be careful!" gasped Chris, and the next moment there
was a sharp scratching sound, a flash, and a pale light played over the
recumbent figures.
"Now then, what is it?"
"Oh, it's gone now," groaned Ned. "I felt it glide off when you struck
the match, sir."
"Leap off, you mean," said the doctor. "Rats don't glide."
"Oh, it wasn't a rat, sir," said the boy faintly. "It was a rattler."
"Nonsense! Not here."
"Yes, sir; they swarm. Chris and I saw a big one down in the river-bed
this afternoon."
"Pooh!" cried the doctor. "But this is your bed, not the river's. It
is not likely that one would be here. If there were any about, they'd
be a deal more likely to favour me by the fire. You've been dreaming,
my boy."
"Oh no, sir. It was too horribly real."
"Real enough, but some little animal--a mouse, more likely," said the
doctor, putting out the second match he had lit most carefully. "Look
here, have you boys got matches?"
"Yes, father."
"Be careful how you use them, then. This place is as dry as tinder.
Now then, go to sleep."
He backed out of the place, and the boys lay listening to the rustle and
crackle of his departing steps.
"Think it was--not a snake, Chris?" said Ned, at last.
"Yes. If it had been a rattler father wouldn't have gone off like that.
You didn't feel it crawl, did you?"
"Yes, right up in my chest, and I bore it till I felt it touch my neck,
and then--Oh, it was a horrid sensation!"
"Yes," said Chris slowly, "a horrid sensation, but it wasn't a rattler.
I say, think you can go to sleep now?"
"I'm going to try. But, I say, I never thought that sleeping out in the
wilds--"
"We haven't got to the wilds yet," said Chris.
"No, no; but this is bad enough."
"Pooh! We shall get used to it, and think nothing of sleeping anywhere.
I say, I was asleep, and you woke me out of a beautiful dream--such a
lovely one."
"Did I?" said Ned, rather uneasily. "What was it?"
"I dreamed that we had found the place just as it is on the map, and you
couldn't put your foot down anywhere without treading upon gold; and
then your rattlesnake came and spoiled it. Here, I'm going to sleep
again to finish that dream. Can't you go now?"
"I'll try," said Ned, who felt horribly ashamed about his false alarm.
But it took no trying. Five minutes later both boys were sleeping
soundly after this initiation in what they would have to encounter
during their wild journey.