A few minutes after his conversation with Jim the party started,
following the broad track through the grass along the foot of the
hill. Reuben informed Mr. Blount of what Jim had told him.
"By Jove, I think he is right," the settler said. "The track is as
broad as it was, but it is nothing like so much trampled down; but
if your fellow says the main body have gone over the hill, why are
you following this track?"
Reuben gave his reasons, and said that his man had, before, had
suspicions that the trackers were in communication with the wild
blacks.
"He thinks that's why it is that they have so frequently failed,
here, to catch any of these fellows."
"I shouldn't be at all surprised," Mr. Blount said savagely. "The
best thing would be to put a bullet into each of the rascals'
heads."
"I think Jim's idea is best," Reuben said. "Now that we have once
got our eyes open, they won't be able to do us any more harm; and
my black fellow will see we follow the trail right. I don't want
them to see we have any suspicions of them, as that would put them
on their guard; and by keeping our eye upon them, we may be able to
turn the tables."
"That is so," Mr. Blount agreed. "What are you going to do, then?"
"I will call to them, in a minute or two, and tell them that it is
your opinion that only a small portion of the flock have come this
way. Then we will have a consultation and, no doubt, some of your
friends will notice that the ground is not much trampled. Then we
will decide to ride back to the point from which we started, and
will follow the other trail."
"Yes, that will do very well," the settler agreed.
Reuben at once called to the trackers, who were trotting on ahead,
and then ordered a halt. The two blacks came back.
"Joe," Reuben said, "Mr. Blount thinks that the main body of the
flock have not come this way. He says he thinks only a hundred or
two have come. The ground does not look to me anything like so much
trampled as it was before we halted."
"I tink most of dem hab come along here," the tracker said
sullenly.
"What do you think?" Reuben asked the other settlers, who had
gathered round.
"I did not notice it before," Dick Caister said; "but now Blount
has pointed it out, I agree with him entirely. There are nothing
like the full number of sheep have passed along here. I should say
that they have not gone along more than two or three deep."
There was a general chorus of assent.
"You can't have been keeping your eyes open," Reuben said to the
trackers, sharply. "If you don't look sharp in future, we shall
quarrel.
"Come, gentlemen, let us ride back to the halting place, and see if
we cannot find out which way the main body have gone."
Ten minutes' riding took them back to their starting place.
"They must have gone over the hill," Reuben said. "They certainly
have not kept along at the foot, or we should see their tracks in
this long grass."
The trackers had exchanged a few words in a low tone, and they now
moved up the hill, and began to examine the ground carefully.
"Some of dem have gone this way, captain."
"Of course they have," Mr. Blount said. "A blind man might see
that."
The marks of the sheep were indeed plain enough to all, when their
attention had once been drawn to the subject. On getting beyond the
crest the trackers turned to the left, and Reuben saw that they
felt it would be hopeless to attempt, further, to mislead a party
containing several settlers who were perfectly capable of following
the trail.
Jim had, since speaking to his master, remained in the rear of the
troop. After three miles' riding across the downs, they again came
down upon a flat country, thickly covered with brush. Here and
there pieces of wool sticking to thorns were visible, and the
trackers went steadily on for some little time. Then their pace
became slower, and finally they stopped.
"Trail ended, captain."
"What do you mean by the trail ended?" Reuben asked angrily. "Why,
I can see a piece of wool, on there ahead."
"Dat so, captain; but only a few sheep hab passed here."
Some of the settlers dismounted and, having examined the ground
carefully, declared that they were of the same opinion as the
trackers.
"Very well," Reuben said; "then in that case, we must go back again
to the foot of the hill. They were all together there, and we must
take up the trail afresh."
On reaching the foot of the hill, Jim and some of the settlers
joined the trackers, and penetrated the bush in all directions.
Each returned bringing in pieces of wool.
"It is plain enough," Reuben said, "what they have done. They have
broken up into small parties, and have scattered. The question is,
'What are we to do now?'
"What do you think, Mr. Blount? You have had more experience than
anyone here, and you are the most interested in our overtaking
these rascals. What do you recommend?"
"I don't know what to recommend," the settler said. "They have no
doubt done it to confuse us, in case we should follow so far, and
avoid being thrown off the scent the other side of the hill. The
band may really have scattered, and gone off in small parties to
different parts of the bush; or again, they may have scattered with
the understanding that they will meet again, at some given spot,
which may be ten and may be fifty miles ahead."
"The worst of it is," Reuben said, "I fear now that there is an end
of all chance of coming up with them, today; and now the question
of water comes in. If we could have caught them before nightfall,
the horses, having had a good drink at that stream, could have done
very well till we'd gone another thirty miles; but as that seems
hopeless, now, we must consider seriously what we had best do,
before we go any further. Does anyone here know anything of the
country ahead?"
There was a general silence.
"The horses can do very well, tomorrow, without water," Mr. Blount
said. "They will chew the leaves of this scrub; and can, if
pressed, hold on for even two or three days upon it."
"In that case," Reuben said, "let us go on. We will break up into
three parties. One shall go straight forward, the other two moving
to the right and left, each following the tracks as well as they
can. We will not go much beyond a walk. We have five more hours of
daylight yet, and the horses can manage another fifteen miles. I
will halt, an hour before it gets dark, and light a fire. The smoke
will be a guide to the other two parties, who should not be more
than a couple of miles to the right and left, and they will then
close in.
"If you can suggest any better plan than that, Mr. Blount, please
do so. Of course, I see the objection that the blacks may make out
the smoke, and will know that they are being followed."
"Yes, that is an objection," Mr. Blount said; "but the chances are
that they will know it without your telling them. It is more than
probable that some of them have remained behind, on the watch; and
that they will have signalled our coming, long ago."
"Dey have done that, sar," Jim, who was standing close to Reuben's
elbow, put in. "Jim saw smoke curl up from the top of de hill, just
when we turned, when we lost the trail."
"Why didn't you tell me before, Jim?" Reuben asked.
"De captain didn't ask Jim any question. Jim thought de captain see
it for sure."
"I didn't see it, Jim. I don't think any of us saw it. We were all
too much occupied looking for the trail. Another time, you tell me
what you see without my asking.
"Well in that case, Mr. Blount, there can be no harm in my making a
smoke, as they know already that they are pursued. Will you take
charge of the right hand party? Sergeant O'Connor will take command
of the left. Do you each take a tracker with you. I will take my
boy. Three constables will go with each of your parties, and four
with me.
"Will you gentlemen please to divide up, so as to make seven
altogether in each party, without the natives?"
"I need not tell you to keep a sharp lookout, Captain Whitney. We
know the blacks are a very strong party and, now they know that
they are pursued they may, as likely as not, make a stand."
"Yes, that is quite possible," Reuben agreed. "Will you please be
careful that neither of your parties get more than two miles, at
the outside, away from mine? We can hear the sound of rifles, at
that distance. If either party fires, the others will of course
hurry to their assistance. Now, let us move forward."
With Jim in advance, Reuben's party moved on, the black carefully
examining the ground and bushes as he went; and occasionally,
somewhat to Reuben's surprise, rising from the stooping position in
which he was walking, and looking back over his shoulder. The
motive was explained when Jim exclaimed:
"Dere, captain, dere are de signals again."
Reuben turned in the saddle. On the crest of the hill behind him
were three columns of smoke. Scarcely had he looked at them when
the smoke ceased to ascend, as if the fires had been suddenly put
out.
"That's to tell them that we have divided in three parties?" Reuben
asked the black.
Jim nodded, and proceeded on his way again.
"That's awkward," Reuben said, "I must warn the other two parties."
So saying, he at once ordered two of the constables to ride right
and left and warn the others, who were not as yet more than a
quarter of a mile on either hand, that the natives were aware that
they had broken up, and that the greatest caution must, therefore,
be observed. In ten minutes the two constables returned, having
performed their mission.
Although he had no reason to believe that the blacks were within
ten miles of him, Reuben now took the precaution of sending one
constable out on each flank, to a distance of fifty yards. A third
was directed to keep with Jim, fifty yards ahead of the main body;
consisting of Reuben himself, a constable, and two colonists.
Occasionally Reuben rode forward to question Jim.
"How many sheep do you think have gone along the track you are
following?"
"About thirty sheep, and three black fellow."
"How do you know there are three black fellows, Jim? I can see
marks, sometimes, of the sheep's feet; but I have not seen a man's
footprint at all."
"Jim see 'em, captain, plain enough. When dey all follow sheep, not
very plain to see; but sometimes, when de sheep want to scatter,
Jim see one footmark on one hand and one on the other, and sure to
be one man behind."
"How far are the sheep ahead, Jim, have you any idea?"
"Six, eight hours, sar, when dey pass here; but dere's no saying
how far they are, now. May be long way on, may be only little way.
Me tink dat they hab not gone so berry far; dat smoke berry thin,
not see him more than ten miles."
"I wish you had said that before, Jim," Reuben said. "We would have
kept together and have galloped on, and taken our chance of finding
them."
"Might have found four or five of dem," Jim replied, "but de others
all scattered. No good to find dem, till dey come together again."
"No, you are right there, Jim. We must catch them all together, if
we can. There are some twelve hundred sheep, somewhere ahead. Mr.
Blount said there were about fifteen hundred driven off. We have
come upon a hundred dead ones, and two or three hundred may have
taken that turn to the right. As you say, it would be no good
coming upon thirty."
For four hours the party continued their journey.
"It is six o'clock," Reuben said, looking at his watch. "We will
halt, now, and light that fire."
Two of the constables were told off to keep watch, some fifty yards
in front; and the others dismounted, and gathered together
materials for a fire. This was soon done, and the smoke mounted
straight and clear, a signal to the other two parties to close in.
Suddenly a cry was heard from one of the sentries. The men stooping
round the fire leaped to their feet, just in time to see one of the
constables struck from his horse by a boomerang, while a dozen
spears whizzed through the air at the other. He fell forward on his
horse, which carried him up to the fire; as he fell from the
saddle, as it stopped, he was caught by two of the others. Three
spears had pierced him.
"Stand to your arms. Steady, for your lives," Reuben shouted.
"Jim, throw the horses at once, and fasten their legs.
"We must defend ourselves here," he continued, turning to the
others, "until help comes."
Not a moment was lost. The little party threw themselves down in a
circle, each taking shelter behind a bush; and Jim speedily got the
eight horses down in the centre, for each party had with it three
of the spare animals. The whole time, from the first alarm until
all was ready to receive the natives, did not occupy two minutes.
The horses of the sentries had galloped wildly on, both having been
struck by spears; and Jim had no difficulty with the remainder,
which were all standing in a group when the alarm was given, the
owners not yet having removed their saddles.
All was done without flurry or excitement, although the yells of
the natives rose from the bush all round them. The bush was
fortunately not very thick at the point where they had halted,
Reuben having selected it for that very reason; but the bushes were
sufficiently near to each other to enable an enemy to creep up,
within thirty yards or so, without being seen.
"Don't throw away a shot," Reuben called out; "but pick off the
blacks, as they stand up to throw their spears.
"Ah!"
The exclamation was accompanied by a shot from his rifle, as a
native rose suddenly from the bush and hurled his spear. It missed
Reuben by an inch or two only; but, as his rifle flashed out, the
black threw up his hands and fell back in the bush.
"Here, sah, dis make good shelter;" and Jim propped up his saddle,
almost in front of him.
"That's a good idea, Jim; help the others in the same way."
[Illustration: A Fight with the Black Fellows.]
The five men were all engaged now. The spears whizzed fast over and
among them, but most of them were thrown almost at random; for the
blacks soon learned that to raise themselves above the bushes, to
take aim, was to court sudden death. Jim, after distributing the
saddles to their owners, had lain down by the side of his master;
and loaded his rifle as fast as he discharged it, Reuben using his
pistols as effectually as the rifle, in the intervals.
Fortunately all the party were provided with these weapons. Had it
not been so, each man would have been liable to be rushed by the
blacks every time he discharged his rifle. As far as possible they
fired by turns; so that each man, while loading, was covered by the
fire of those on his right and left.
For half an hour the fight continued. Many of the blacks had
fallen, but they continued the assault as vigorously as before, and
all the defenders had received more or less serious wounds from the
spears.
"The others ought to have been here, long before this," Reuben
said, "if they had followed my instructions. I only hope they have
not been attacked, too; but as we don't hear any firing, that can
hardly be so."
"I hope they will be up before dusk," Dick Caister said. "It will
be dark in another half an hour. These fellows are only waiting for
that to make a rush. If they do, it is all up with us."
"They will find it a tough job, even then," Reuben said; "but the
others must be here long before that. I told them to keep within
two miles of us. They have had time to ride double that distance,
since we made the smoke for them."
Another ten minutes elapsed.
"Hurrah!" Reuben exclaimed, "I can hear the trampling of horse's
hoofs. The moment they arrive, make a rush for your horses and
charge."
"I am afraid the horses are killed," Dick said ruefully.
"In that case," Reuben said, "we must get to our feet, and pick off
the blacks as they run. They will get up like a covey of partridge,
as the horsemen come among them."
A loud cheer was heard, and the little party, with an answering
shout, sprang to their feet and, rifle to shoulder, stood expecting
the blacks to rise; but the ears of the natives were sharper than
those of the whites, and they had begun to crawl away before the
latter heard the approaching horsemen.
Finding this to be the case, the party ran to their horses. Four
exclamations of wrath and grief were heard, for seven of the horses
were completely riddled with spears.
Tartar, however, at his master's voice, struggled to rise to his
feet. Reuben, aided by Jim, quickly threw off the hobbles; and
leaped on to its back as it rose to its feet, just as Mr. Blount,
with his party, rode up.
"Keep close together," Reuben exclaimed, as he dashed forward, "we
may find some of the scoundrels."
But the chase was in vain. It was already growing dusk, and there
was no saying in which direction the natives had crawled away in
the bush. After riding for a mile, Reuben reined in his horse.
"It is no use," he said; "we may as well get back to the fire.
"What made you so late, Mr. Blount? We were fighting for three
quarters of an hour, before you came up."
"I am very sorry," Mr. Blount replied; "somehow or other, we went
wrong altogether. There is nothing to guide one in this flat bush,
and the tracker who was leading the way said he was certain he was
going as you ordered him. Just before six o'clock we halted, and
looked in the direction in which we expected to see your smoke, but
there were no signs of it. Presently one of the constables
exclaimed:
"'There's the smoke, sir, right behind us.'
"I looked around and, sure enough, there was a column of smoke, and
a long way off it was.
"'What have you been doing, you rascal?' I said to the black.
'There's the smoke right behind us. You have been leading us wrong,
altogether.'
"The black insisted that he was right, and that the fire must have
been made by the black fellows. I didn't know what to make of it.
It was two or three minutes past six; and I noticed, when we halted
before, that your watch was exactly with mine. So I said to the
men:
"'We will wait five minutes longer and, if we see no other smoke,
you may be sure that that is made by Captain Whitney.'
"We waited the five minutes, and then I gave the word to start,
when one of the men exclaimed:
"'The black fellow's gone.'
"Sure enough, he had slipped away without being noticed, while we
were looking for the smoke. I felt sure, now, that something must
be wrong; and we galloped towards your smoke, as fast as the horses
could lay their feet to the ground. When we were about half way, we
heard the sound of firing, and I can tell you that we didn't lose a
moment on the way, after that. Have you had any losses?"
"Two of the constables are killed," Reuben said, "and we have all
got some more or less ugly scratches. My left arm is useless for a
time, I am afraid. A spear went right through it. I fear some of
the others have worse hurts."
"What can have become of the sergeant's party?" Mr. Blount said.
"They must have gone the wrong way, too," Reuben replied. "I told
you I suspected those trackers of being in league with the blacks,
and I have no doubt your fellow led you purposely astray, in order
to give them an opportunity of cutting us off before you could
arrive to our assistance. I suppose the other party has been misled
in the same way. It is fortunate, indeed, that you made up your
mind to ride for our smoke when you did. A quarter of an hour
later, and you would have found only our bodies, and would probably
have been ambushed in turn."
"Yes, it has been a close thing, indeed," Mr. Blount said. "I was
wrong, after what you told me, to trust that black scoundrel so
entirely; but I own it never entered my mind that he was leading us
astray."
By this time they had reached the fire, which was blazing high.
"How are you all?" Reuben asked. "Nobody badly hurt, I hope?"
"Nothing very bad, captain," Dick Caister replied cheerfully. "We
have all had our skin ripped up a bit, but nothing very deep. That
dodge of the saddles, of your black fellow, saved us. Mine was
knocked over half a dozen times by spears, each of which would have
done its business, if it hadn't been for it. I owe him my life so
completely, that I forgive him for making our horses a barricade,
to save yours."
Reuben laughed. He had noticed, when he ran for his horse, that Jim
had thrown him in the centre of the others: and their bodies
completely sheltered him from the spears of the natives.
"It was not fair, perhaps," he said; "but my horse would have been
killed, as well as yours, had he not done so; and Jim loves him
almost as well as he does me. He has watched over and guarded him
for the last three years."
"I am not angry with him," Dick said. "Nothing could have saved our
horses from being killed, and if one was to be saved, it is as well
it should be Tartar, and not one of the others, as yours was far
the most valuable of the five."
"Pile on the bushes," Reuben said to one of the constables. "Make
as big a blaze as you can. It will act as a beacon to the sergeant
and his party."
Half an hour later the trampling of horses' hoofs was heard and, a
few minutes later, the sergeant and his party rode up.
"I am sorry I am so late, sir," the sergeant said. "Somehow or
other we went wrong altogether, and saw nothing of your smoke. I
was afraid something was wrong, but did not know what to do; so we
halted till it came on dark, and presently made out a fire; but it
was miles away, and right in the direction from which we had come.
I did not think it could be you but, whether it was you or the
blacks, that was the place to ride to."
"Have you got the tracker with you, sergeant?"
"Yes, sir; at least, I saw him trotting ahead, ten minutes ago.
Why, where has he got to?"
The tracker was not to be seen.
"He has made off to join the blacks, I expect," Reuben said. "You
have been led astray purposely. We have been attacked, and Brown
and Simpson are killed."
An exclamation of rage broke from the men, who were in the act of
dismounting.
"I expect," Reuben said, turning to Mr. Blount, "that the fellows
noticed the talk I had with Jim, before we turned back from the
false trail, and concluded that we had some suspicion that they
were in league with the blacks; and so, when the party separated,
they determined to lead the two flanking columns astray, so as to
give their friends a chance of attacking us, and then to bolt."
"I expect that is it," Mr. Blount agreed. "And now, the first thing
is to get something to eat. When that is done, we will have a
consultation."
While the meat was cooking over the fire, Reuben told off a party
of eight men to bury the bodies of the two constables who had
fallen. The task was speedily completed, two holes being easily
scraped in the light, sandy soil.
After supper was over, the settlers gathered round Reuben.
"Now, captain, what do you mean to do?" Mr. Blount asked. "I have
given up all hope of seeing my sheep again, so don't let them
influence you, but just do as you think best. The blacks are in
strong force, that is evident; and it will be a serious business
pursuing them any further, in their own country."
"I am going to pursue them till I catch them," Reuben said; "that
is to say, as long as there is a sheep track to serve as a guide. I
don't ask you, gentlemen, to go further, for I know it is a serious
risk; but it is my duty to hunt those fellows down, and give them a
lesson, and I mean to do it. We shall never have safety in the
settlements, until those fellows come to understand that, whenever
they attack us, they will be hunted down."
"I think you are right," Dick Caister said, "and as long as you go
on, I go with you for one, whatever comes of it. But how I am to go
without my horse, I don't know."
"There are the spare horses," Reuben said; "Fortunately we have
still got six of them."
"So we have," Dick exclaimed joyfully. "I had forgotten all about
them. What luck, our bringing them with us!"
The other settlers all announced their intention of continuing the
chase, as long as Reuben was willing to push on.
"I will tell you what my idea is," Reuben said. "The horses are
already worn out and, by the end of another day, they will be half
mad with thirst. I propose that we take two days' supply for
ourselves, in our water bottles; and that we push forward on foot,
sending two of the constables back to the stream, with our horses.
I propose that we should push forward tonight. I expect the track
we are following is the true one, and the stars will do as a guide.
"At daybreak we will lie down in the bushes. The blacks will
probably leave some fellows behind, as scouts. They, seeing nothing
of us, will suppose we have given it up and gone home, and they
will make but a short journey. At night we will go on again, and
the chances are that, before morning, we shall catch sight of their
fires, and will fall upon them at daylight. What do you think of
the plan?"
"I think it is a good one," Mr. Blount said, warmly. "A capital
plan. Of course we don't much like leaving our horses, for in this
country one almost lives on horseback. Still, it will be the best
plan, certainly; for as you say, the poor brutes will be half mad,
by tomorrow night, with thirst."
"It will be a long tramp back again," a settler said dismally.
"We won't tramp all the way," Reuben said with a smile. "Directly
we have overtaken the blacks, and given them a lesson, I will send
Jim back again for the horses. He can cover the ground at a
wonderful pace, and coming back he will ride one of them, and help
the two constables to keep them together. They will have had two
days' rest, and plenty of food and water, and will meet us before
we get halfway back. There will be no fear of the blacks attacking
them."
All agreed that the plan was excellent, and half an hour later the
whole party--with the exception of the two constables, who were to
start at daybreak with the horses, for the river--set out on their
march. The sky was cloudless, and the stars would have been a
sufficient guide, even had they not had Jim with them. The black,
however, took his place at the head of the party, and strode along
as unhesitating as if it had been broad daylight.