"WHITE MARY 'GIN TO SING."
"What is it--what did you see?" was whispered by more than one in the
midst of the intense excitement; and just then German, who had been
collecting dry fuel ready to use for the smouldering embers in the
morning, did what might have proved fatal to the emigrants.
He threw half an armful of dry brushwood on the fire, with the result
that there was a loud crackling sound, and a burst of brilliant flame
which lit up a large circle round, throwing up the figures of the little
party clearly against the darkness, ready for the spears of the blacks
who might be about to attack them.
"Ah!" shouted Uncle Jack, and seizing a blanket which had been spread
over the grass, where the girls had been seated, he threw it right over
the fire, and in an instant all was darkness.
But the light had spread out long enough for the object which had
startled Hetty to be plainly seen. For there, twenty yards away in
front of a great gum-tree, stood a tall black figure with its gleaming
eyes fixed upon the group, and beneath those flaming eyes a set of white
teeth glistened, as if savagely, in the glow made by the blaze.
"Why, it's Ashantee," cried Norman, excitedly; and he made a rush at the
spot where he had seen the strange-looking figure, and came upon it
where it stood motionless with one foot against the opposite leg, and
the tall stick or spear planted firmly upon the ground.
_Click_, _click_! came from the captain's gun, as he ran forward
shouting, "Quick, all of you, into the tent!"
"What are you doing here?" cried Norman, as he grasped the black's arm.
"Tickpence. Got tickpence," was the reply.
Norman burst into a roar of laughter, and dragged the black forward.
"Hi! father. I've taken a prisoner," he cried.--"But I say, uncle, that
blanket's burning. What a smell!"
"No, no, don't take it off," said the captain; "let it burn now."
Uncle Munday stirred the burning blanket about with a stick, and it
blazed up furiously, the whole glade being lit up again, and the
trembling women tried hard to suppress the hysterical sobs which
struggled for utterance in cries.
"Why, you ugly scoundrel!" cried the captain fiercely, as hanging back
in a half-bashful manner the black allowed himself to be dragged right
up to the light, "what do you mean? How dare you come here?"
"Tick pence," said the black. "You gib tickpence."
"Gib tickpence, you sable-looking unclothed rascal!" cried the captain,
whose stern face relaxed. "Thank your stars that I didn't give you a
charge of heavy shot."
"Tickpence. Look!"
"Why, it's like a conjuring trick," cried Norman, as the native joined
them. "Look at him."
To produce a little silver coin out of one's pockets is an easy feat;
but Ashantee brought out his sixpence apparently from nowhere, held it
out between his black finger and thumb in the light for a minute, so
that all could see, and then in an instant it had disappeared again, and
he clapped his foot with quite a smack up against his leg again, and
showed his teeth as he went on.
"White Mary 'gin to sing. Wee-eak!" he cried, with a perfect imitation
of the cry the poor girl had uttered. "Pipum crow 'gin to sing morrow
mornum."
He let his spear fall into the hollow of his arm, and placing both hands
to his mouth, produced a peculiarly deep, sweet-toned whistle, which
sounded as if somebody were incorrectly running up the notes of a chord.
"Why, I heard some one whistling like that this morning early," cried
Tim.
"Pipum crow," said the black again, and he repeated the notes, but
changed directly with another imitation, that of a peculiarly harsh
braying laugh, which sounded weird and strange in the still night air.
"Most accomplished being!" said Uncle Munday, sarcastically.
"Laughum Jackamarass," said the black; and he uttered the absurd cry
again.
"Why, I heard that this morning!" cried Rifle. "It was you that made
the row?"
"Laughum Jackamarass," said the black importantly. "Sung in um bush.
You gib Shanter tickpence. You gib damper?"
"What does he mean?" said Uncle Jack. "Hang him, he gave us a damper."
"Hey? Damper?" cried the black, and he smacked his lips and began to
rub the lower part of his chest in a satisfied way.
"He wants a piece of bread," said the captain.--"Here, aunt, cut him a
lump and let's get rid of him. There is no cause for alarm. I suppose
he followed us to beg, but I don't want any of his tribe."
"Oh, my dear Edward, no," cried Aunt Georgie. "I don't want to see any
more of the dreadful black creatures.--Here, chimney-sweep, come here."
As she spoke, she opened the lid of a basket, and drew from its sheath a
broad-bladed kitchen knife hung to a thin leather belt, which bore a
clasped bag on the other side.
"Hi crikey!" shouted the black in alarm, his _repertoire_ of English
words being apparently stored with choice selections taught him by the
settlers. "Big white Mary going killancookaneatum."
"What does the creature mean?" said Aunt Georgie, who had not caught the
black's last compound word.
"No, no," said Norman, laughing. "She's going to cut you some damper,
Shanter."
"Ho! mind a knife--mind a knife," said the black; and he approached
warily.
"He thought you were going to kill and cook him, aunt," said the boy,
who was in high glee at the lady's disgust.
"I thought as much," cried Aunt Georgie; "then the wretch is a cannibal,
or he would never have had such nasty ideas.--Ob, Edward, what were you
thinking about to bring us into such a country!"
"Bio white Mary gib damper?" asked the black insinuatingly.
"Not a bit," said Aunt Georgie, making a menacing chop with the knife,
which made the black leap back into a picturesque attitude, with his
rough spear poised as if he were about to hurl it.
"Quick, Edward!--John!" cried Aunt Georgie, sheltering her face with her
arms. "Shoot the wretch; he's going to spear me."
"Nonsense! Cut him some bread and let him go. You threatened him first
with the knife."
The whole party were roaring with laughter now at the puzzled faces of
Aunt Georgina and the black, who now lowered his spear.
"Big white Mary want to kill Shanter?" he said to Rifle.
"No; what nonsense!" cried Aunt Georgie indignantly; "but I will not cut
him a bit if he dares to call me big white Mary. Such impudence!"
"My dear aunt!" said the captain, wiping his eyes, "you are too absurd."
"And you laughing too?" she cried indignantly. "I came out into this
heathen land out of pure affection for you all, thinking I might be
useful, and help to protect the girls, and you let that wretch insult
and threaten me. Big white Mary, indeed! I believe you'd be happy if
you saw him thrust that horrid, great skewer through me, and I lay
weltering in my gore."
"Stuff, auntie!" cried Uncle Jack.
"Why, he threatened me."
"Big white Mary got a lot o' hot damper. Gib Shanter bit."
"There he goes again!" cried the old lady.
"He doesn't mean any harm. The blacks call all the women who come white
Marys."
"And their wives too?"
"Oh no; they call them their gins. Come, cut him a big piece of bread,
and I'll start him off. I want for us to get to rest."
"Am I to cut it in slices and butter it?"
"No, no. Cut him one great lump."
Aunt Georgie sighed, opened a white napkin, took out a large loaf, and
cut off about a third, which she impaled on the point of the knife, and
held out at arm's length, while another roar of laughter rose at the
scene which ensued.
For the black looked at the bread, then at Aunt Georgie, then at the
bread again suspiciously. There was the gleaming point of that knife
hidden within the soft crumb; and as his mental capacity was nearly as
dark as his skin, and his faith in the whites, unfortunately--from the
class he had encountered and from whom he had received more than one
piece of cruel ill-usage--far from perfect, he saw in imagination that
sharp point suddenly thrust right through and into his black flesh as
soon as he tried to take the piece of loaf.
The boys literally shrieked as the black stretched out a hand, made a
feint to take it, and snatched it back again.
"Take it, you stupid!" cried Aunt Georgie, with a menacing gesture.
"Hetty--Ida--look!" whispered Tim, as the black advanced a hand again,
but more cautiously.
"Mind!" shouted Rifle; and the black bounded back, turned to look at the
boy, and then showed his white teeth.
"Are you going to take this bread?" cried Aunt Georgie, authoritatively.
"No tick a knifum in Shanter?" said the black in reply.
"Nonsense! No."
"Shanter all soff in frontum."
"Take the bread."
Every one was laughing and watching the little scone with intense
enjoyment as, full of doubt and suspicion, the black advanced his hand
again very cautiously, and nearly touched the bread, when Aunt Georgie
uttered a contemptuous "pish!" whose effect was to make the man bound
back a couple of yards, to the lady's great disgust.
"I've a great mind to throw it at his stupid, cowardly head," she cried
angrily.
"Don't do that," said the captain, wiping his eyes. "Poor fellow! he
has been tricked before. A burned child fears the fire.--Hi! Ashantee,
take the bread," said the captain, and he wiped his eyes again.
"Make um all cry," said the black, apostrophising Aunt Georgie; then,
turning to the captain, "Big white Mary won't tick knifum in poor
Shanter?"
"No, no, she will not.--Here, auntie, give him the bread with your
hand."
"I won't," said Aunt Georgie, emphatically. "I will not encourage his
nasty, suspicious thoughts. He must be taught better. As if I, an
English lady, would do such a thing as behave like a murderous bravo of
Venice.--Come here, sir, directly, and take that bread off the point of
the knife," and she accompanied her words with an unmistakable piece of
pantomime, holding the bread out, and pointing with one finger.
"Don't, pray, don't stop the fun, uncle," whispered Tim.
"No; let 'em alone," growled Uncle Jack, whose face was puckered up into
a broad laugh.
"Do you hear me, sir?"
"No tick a knifum in?"
"No; of course not. No--No."
"All right," said the black; and he stretched out his hand again, and
with his eyes fixed upon Aunt Georgie, he slowly approached till he
nearly touched the bread.
"That's right; take it," said the old lady, giving it a sharp push
forward at the same moment, and the black leaped back once more with a
look of disgust upon his face which gave way to another grin.
"What shame!" he cried in a tone of remonstrance. "'Tick knife in, make
um bleed. Damper no good no more."
"Well, of all the horrible creatures!" cried Aunt Georgie, who stood
there full in the firelight in happy unconsciousness of the fact that
the scene was double, for the shadows of the two performers were thrown
grotesquely but distinctly upon the wall of verdure by their side.
Just then a happy thought struck the black, who advanced again nearly
within reach of the bread, planted his spear behind him as a support,
holding it with both hands, and then, grinning mightily at his own
cunning in keeping his body leaning back out of reach, he lifted one
leg, and with his long elastic foot working, stretched it out and tried
to take the piece of bread with his toes.
A perfect shriek of laughter arose from the boys at this, and the black
turned sharply to give them a self-satisfied nod, as if to say, "She
can't get at me now," while the mirth increased as Aunt Georgie snatched
the bread back.
"That you don't, sir," she cried. "Such impudence! You take that bread
properly, or not a bit do you have."
As she spoke she shook the knife at him, and the black again leaped
back, looked serious, and then scratched his head as if for a fresh
thought.
The idea came as Aunt Georgie stretched out the bread again.
"Now, sir," she cried, "come and take it this instant."
The black hesitated, then, slowly lowering the spear, he brought the
point down to the bread and made a sudden poke at it; but the
fire-hardened point glanced off the crust, and two more attempts failed.
"No," said Aunt Georgie; "you don't have it like that, sir. I could
turn the crumb round and let you get it, but you shall take it properly
in your hand. Now then, take it correctly."
She made another menacing gesture, which caused the black to shrink; but
he was evidently hungry, and returned to get the bread; so this time he
advanced with lowered spear, and as he drew near he laid the weapon on
the bread, and slowly advanced nearer and nearer, the spear passing over
the bread till, as the black's left hand touched the loaf, the point of
the spear was within an inch of Aunt Georgie's breast. But the old lady
did not shrink. She stood her ground bravely, her eyes fixed on the
black's and her lips going all the time.
"Oh, you suspicious wretch!" she cried. "How dare you doubt me! Yes;
you had better! Why, if you so much as scratched me with the point of
your nasty stick, they would shoot you dead. There, take it."
The captain felt startled, for just then she made a sharp gesture when
the black was in the act of snatching the bread. But the alarm was
needless; the savage's idea was to protect himself, not to resist her,
and as the quick movement she made caused the bread to drop from the
point of the knife, he bobbed down, secured it almost as it touched the
ground, caught it up, and darted back.
"Shanter got a damper," he cried; and tearing off a piece, he thrust it
into his mouth. "Hah, nice, good. Soff damper. No tick knifum in
Shanter dis once."
"There," said the captain, advancing, "you have your damper, and there's
another sixpence for you. Now go."
The black ceased eating, and looked at the little piece of silver.
"What for tickpence?" he said.
"For you--for your gin."
"Hey, Shanter no got gin. Gin not have tickpence." He shook his head,
and went on eating.
"Very well then; good-night. Now go."
"Go 'long?"
"Yes. Be off!"
The black nodded and laughed.
"Got tickpence--got damper. No couldn't tick a knifum in Shanter. Go
'long--be off!"
He turned sharply, made a terrible grimace at Aunt Georgie, shook his
spear, struck an attitude, as if about to throw his spear at her, raised
it again, and then threw the bread high up, caught it as it came down on
the point, shouldered his weapon, and marched away into the darkness,
which seemed to swallow him up directly.
"There, good people," said the captain merrily, "now time for bed."
Ten minutes later the embers had been raked together, watch set, and for
the most part the little party dropped asleep at once, to be awakened by
the chiming notes of birds, the peculiar whistle of the piping crows,
and the shrieks of a flock of gloriously painted parrots that were busy
over the fruit in a neighbouring tree.