_RUMOURS OF WAR._
As soon as Squire Broadbent read his son's letter he carefully folded
it up, and with a smile on his face handed it to Rupert. And
by-and-bye, when Captain Vesey returned, and settled into the family
circle with the rest, and had told them all he could remember about
Archie and Burley New Farm in Australia, the brother and sister,
followed by Bounder, slipped quietly out and told old Kate they were
going to the tower. Would she come? That she would. And so for
hours they all sat up there before the fire talking of Archie, and
all he had done and had been, and laying plans and dreaming dreams,
and building castles in the air, just in the same way that young
folks always have done in this world, and will, I daresay, continue
to do till the end of time.
But that letter bore fruit, as we shall see.
Things went on much as usual in the Bush. Winter passed away, spring
came round and lambing season, and the shepherds were busy once more.
Gentleman Craig made several visits to the home farm, and always
brought good news. It was a glorious time in every way; a more
prosperous spring among the sheep no one could wish to have.
On his last visit to the house Craig stayed a day or two, and Archie
went back with him, accompanied by a man on horseback, with medicines
and some extra stores--clothing and groceries, &c., I mean, for in
those days live stock was sometimes called stores.
They made Findlayson's the first night, though it was late. They
found that the honest Scot had been so busy all day he had scarcely
sat down to a meal. Archie and Craig were "in clipping-time"
therefore, for there was roast duck on the table, and delightful
potatoes all steaming hot, and, as usual, the black bottle of
mountain dew, a "wee drappie" of which he tried in vain to get either
Craig or Archie to swallow.
"Oh, by-the-bye, men," said Findlayson, in the course of the
evening--that is, about twelve o'clock--"I hear bad news up the hills
way."
"Indeed," said Craig.
"Aye, lad. You better ha'e your gun loaded. The blacks, they say,
are out in force. They've been killing sheep and bullocks too, and
picking the best."
"Well, I don't blame them either. Mind, we white men began the
trouble; but, nevertheless, I'll defend my flock."
Little more was said on the subject. But next morning another and an
uglier rumour came. A black fellow or two had been shot, and the
tribe had sworn vengeance and held a corroboree.
"There's a cloud rising," said Findlayson. "I hope it winna brak
o'er the district."
"I hope not, Findlayson. Anyhow, I know the black fellows well. I'm
not sure I won't ride over after I get back and try to get to the
bottom of the difference."
The out-station, under the immediate charge of Gentleman Craig, was
fully thirty miles more to the north and west than Findlayson's, and
on capital sheep-pasture land, being not very far from the hills--a
branch ridge that broke off from the main range, and lay almost due
east and west.
Many a splendidly-wooded glen and gully was here; but at the time of
our story these were still inhabited by blacks innumerable. Savage,
fierce, and vindictive they were in all conscience, but surely not so
brave as we sometimes hear them spoken of, else could they have swept
the country for miles of the intruding white man. In days gone by
they had indeed committed some appallingly-shocking massacres; but of
late years they had seemed contented to either retire before the
whites or to become their servants, and receive at their hands that
moral death--temptation to drink--which has worked such woe among
savages in every quarter of the inhabitable globe.
As Archie and his companion came upon the plain where--near the top
of the creek on a bit of table-land--Craig's "castle," as he called
it, was situated, the owner looked anxiously towards it. At first
they could see no signs of life; but as they rode farther on, and
nearer, the shepherd himself came out to meet them, Roup, the collie,
bounding joyfully on in front, and barking in the exuberance of his
glee.
"All right and safe, shepherd?"
"All right and safe, sir," the man returned; "but the blacks have
been here to-day."
"Then I'll go there to-morrow."
"I don't think that's a good plan."
"Oh! isn't it? Well, I'll chance it. Will you come, Mr. Broadbent?"
"I will with pleasure."
"Anything for dinner, George?"
"Yes, sir. I expected you; and I've got a grilled pheasant, and fish
besides."
"Ah, capital! But what made you expect me to-day?"
"The dog Roup, sir. He was constantly going to the door to look out,
so I could have sworn you would come."
The evening passed away quietly enough.
Dwelling in this remote region, and liable at any time to be
attacked, Gentleman Craig had thought it right to almost make a fort
of his little slab-hut. He had two black fellows who worked for him,
and with their assistance a rampart of stones, earth, and wood was
thrown up, although these men had often assured him that "he," Craig,
"was 'corton budgery,' and that there was no fear of the black
fellows 'mumkill' him."
"I'm not so very sure about it," thought Craig; "and it is best to be
on the safe side."
They retired to-night early, having seen to the sheep and set a black
to watch, for the dingoes were very destructive.
Both Craig and Archie slept in the same room, and they hardly
undressed, merely taking off their coats, and lying down on the rough
bed of sacking, with collie near the door to do sentry.
They had not long turned in when the dog began to growl low.
"Down charge, Roup," said Craig.
Instead of obeying, the dog sprang to the door, barking fiercely.
Both Archie and Craig were out of bed in a moment, and handling their
revolvers. Craig managed to quieten Roup, and then listened
attentively.
The wind was rising and moaning round the chimney, but above this
sound they could hear a long-prolonged "Coo--oo--ee!"
"That's a white man's voice," said Craig; "we're safe."
The door and fort was at once opened, and a minute after five
squatters entered.
"Sorry we came so late," they said; "but we've been and done it, and
it took some time."
"What have you done?" said Craig.
"Fired the woods all along the gullies among the hills."
"Is that fair to the blacks?"
"Curse them!" exclaimed the spokesman. "Why do they not keep back?
The law grumbles if we shoot the dogs, unless in what they please to
call self-defence, which means after they have speared our beasts and
shepherds, and are standing outside our doors with a nullah ready to
brain us."
Craig and Archie went to the door and looked towards the hills.
What a scene was there! The fire seemed to have taken possession of
the whole of the highlands from east to west, and was entwining wood
and forest, glen and ravine, in its snake-like embrace. The hills
themselves were cradled in flames and lurid smoke. The stems of the
giant gum trees alone seemed to defy the blaze, and though their
summits looked like steeples on fire, the trunks stood like pillars
of black marble against the golden gleam behind them. The noise was
deafening, and the smoke rolled away to leeward, laden with sparks
thick as the snow-flakes in a winter's fall. It was an appalling
sight, the description of which is beyond the power of any pen.
"Well, men," said Craig when he re-entered the hut, "I don't quite
see the force of what you have done. It is like a declaration of
war, and, depend upon it, the black fellows will accept the
challenge."
"It'll make the grass grow," said one of the men with a laugh.
"Yes," said another; "and that grass will grow over a black man's
grave or two ere long, if I don't much mistake."
"It wouldn't be worth while burying the fiends," said a third.
"We'll leave them to the rooks."
"Well," said Craig, "there's meat and damper there, men. Stir up the
fire, warm your tea, and be happy as long as you can. We're off to
bed."
Gentleman Craig was as good as his word next day. He rode away in
search of the tribe, and after a long ride found them encamped on a
tableland.
As it turned out they knew him, and he rode quietly into their midst.
They were all armed with spear, and nullah, and boomerang. They were
tattooed, nearly naked, and hideous enough in their horrid war-paint.
Craig showed no signs of fear. Indeed he felt none. He told the
chief, however, that he had not approved of the action of the white
men, his brothers, and had come, if possible, to make peace. Why
should they fight? There was room enough in the forest and scrub for
all. If they--the blacks--would leave the cattle and flocks of the
squatters alone, he--Craig--could assure them things would go on as
happily as before.
"And if not?" they asked.
"If not, for one black man there was in the country, there were a
thousand white. They would come upon them in troops, even like the
locusts; they would hunt them as they hunted the dingoes; they would
kill them as dingoes were killed, and before long all the black
fellows would be in the land of forgetfulness. What would it profit
them then that they had speared a few white fellows?"
Craig stayed for hours arguing with these wild men, and left at last
after having actually made peace with honour.
The cloud had rolled away, for a time at all events. In the course
of a few days Archie and his man left on his return journey.
Findlayson made up his mind to go on with him to Burley New Farm; for
this Scot was very fond of an occasional trip eastwards, and what he
called a "twa-handed crack" with Bob or Harry.
Everybody was glad to see him; for, truth to tell, no one had ever
seen Findlayson without a smile on his old-fashioned face, and so he
was well liked.
Bob came galloping out to meet them, and with him, greatly to
Archie's astonishment, was what he at first took for a black bear.
The black bear was Bounder.
Archie dismounted and threw his arms round the great honest dog's
neck, and almost burst into tears of joy.
For just half a minute Bounder was taken aback; then memory came
rushing over him; he gave a jump, and landed Archie on his back, and
covered his face and hair with his canine kisses. But this was not
enough. Bounder must blow off steam. He must get rid of the
exuberance of his delight before it killed him. So with a
half-hysterical but happy bark he went off at a tangent, and
commenced sweeping round and round in a circle so quickly that he
appeared but a black shape. This wild caper he kept up till nearly
exhausted, then returned once more to be embraced.
"So they've come." It was all that Archie could say.
Yes, they had come. Elsie had come, Rupert had come, Branson and
Bounder had come.
And oh, what a joyful meeting that was! Only those who have been
separated for many long years from all they love and hold dear, and
have met just thus, as Archie now met his sister and brother, can
have any appreciation of the amount of joy that filled their hearts.
The very first overflowing of this joy being expended, of course the
next thing for both Archie and the newcomers to say was, "How you've
changed!"
Yes, they had all changed. None more so than Elsie. She always gave
promise of beauty; but now that Archie held her at arms' length, to
look at and criticise, he could not help exclaiming right truthfully:
"Why, Elsie, you're almost as beautiful as Etheldene!"
"Oh, what a compliment!" cried Rupert. "I wouldn't have it, Elsie.
That '_almost_' spoils it."
"Just you wait till you see Etheldene, young man," said Archie,
nodding his head. "You'll fall in love at once. I only hope she
won't marry Gentleman Craig. And how is mother and father?"
Then questions came in streams. To write one half that was spoken
that night would take me weeks. They all sat out in the verandah of
the old house; for the night was sultry and warm, and it was very
late indeed before anyone ever thought of retiring.
Findlayson had been unusually quiet during the whole of the evening.
To be sure, it would not have been quite right for him to have put in
his oar too much, but, to tell the truth, something had happened
which appeared to account for his silence. Findlayson had fallen in
love--love at first sight. Oh, there are such things! I had a touch
of the complaint myself once, so my judgment is critical. Of course,
it is needless to say that Elsie was the bright particular star, that
had in one brief moment revolutionized the existence and life of the
ordinarily placid and very matter-of-fact Findlayson. So he sat
to-night in his corner and hardly spoke, but, I daresay, like Paddy's
parrot, he made up for it in thinking; and he looked all he could
also, without seeming positively rude.
Well, a whole fortnight was spent by Archie in showing his brother
and sister round the station, and initiating them into some of the
mysteries and contrarieties of life in the Australian Bush.
After this the three started off for Brisbane and Sydney, to complete
the purchase of furniture for Archie's house. Archie proved himself
exceedingly clever at this sort of thing, considering that he was
only a male person. But in proof of what I state, let me tell you,
that before leaving home he had even taken the measure of the rooms,
and of the windows and doors. And when he got to Sydney he showed
his taste in the decorative art by choosing "fixings" of an
altogether Oriental and semi-esthetic design.
At Sydney Elsie and Rupert were introduced to the Winslows, and, as
soon as he conveniently could, Archie took his brother's opinion
about Etheldene.
Very much to his astonishment, Rupert told him that Etheldene was
more sisterly than anything else, and he dare say she was rather a
nice girl--"as far as girls go."
Archie laughed outright at Rupert's coolness, but somehow or other he
felt relieved.
First impressions go a far way in a matter of this kind, and it was
pretty evident there was little chance of Rupert's falling in love
with Etheldene, for some time at least.
Yet this was the plan of campaign Archie had cut out: Rupert and
Etheldene should be very much struck with each other from the very
first; the young lady should frequently visit at Burley New Farm,
and, for the good of his health, Rupert should go often to Sydney.
Things would progress thus, off and on, for a few years, then the
marriage would follow, Rupert being by this time settled perhaps, and
in a fair way of doing well. I am afraid Archie had reckoned without
his host, or even his hostess.
He was not long in coming to this conclusion either; and about the
same time he made another discovery, very much to his own surprise;
namely, that he himself was in love with Etheldene, and that he had
probably been so for some considerable length of time, without
knowing it. He determined in his own mind therefore that he would
steel his heart towards Miss Winslow, and forget her.
Before Elsie and Rupert came to settle down finally at the farm, they
enjoyed, in company with Mr. Winslow and his daughter, many charming
trips to what I might call the show-places of Australia. Sydney, and
all its indescribably-beautiful surroundings, they visited first.
Then they went to Melbourne, and were much struck with all the wealth
and grandeur they saw around them, although they could not help
thinking the actual state of the streets was somewhat of a reproach
to the town. They sailed on the Yarra-Yarra; they went inland and
saw, only to marvel at, the grandeur of the scenery, the ferny
forests, the glens and hills, the waterfalls and tumbling streams and
lovely lakes. And all the time Rupert could not get rid of the
impression that it was a beautiful dream, from which he would
presently awake and find himself at Burley Old Farm.