"I AM SATISFIED."
Norman sprang up rested and refreshed, and then glanced round uneasily,
expecting to see his father come and order the black to be off.
But the captain was busy examining the cattle, the horses and their
harness, and the loading of the wagons; helping German to tighten a rope
here, and rearrange packages where they had broken loose, and seeing
generally to the many little matters that have so much to do with the
success of an overland journey with a caravan.
Then breakfast was announced just after the boys had returned from the
river, where they had had to content themselves with a wash, while
Shanter looked on, and then followed them back, apparently supremely
proud and happy to be in their company.
Breakfast over, and the provisions repacked, Shanter not having been
forgotten by big white Mary, as he insisted upon calling Aunt Georgie,
the horses and drawing bullocks were put to, a last glance cast round to
see that nothing had been left, and then, prior to giving the word to
advance, the captain mounted with his little field-glass to the top of
the highest load, where he carefully scanned the country, and made
remarks to his brother as to the direction to take that day.
"Yes," he said at last; "the river evidently makes a vast bend here, and
curves round to the north. We will go straight across from here to that
hill--mountain I ought to call it.--Do you see, German?"
"Yes, sir, I see," said the gardener, shading his eyes.
"There can be no mistake as to your course; the plain is perfectly level
and treeless, and we ought easily to get there for our mid-day halt.
How far do you think it is--eight miles?"
"Twenty," said Uncle Jack, sturdily.
"Nonsense!"
"Yes, twenty. The air is so clear that places look closer than they
are."
"Well, we will not argue," said the captain, lowering himself down.
"There's your mark, German; make straight for that."
"No," shouted a voice; and all turned with a look of wonder to Shanter,
who had evidently been listening intently, and who was now in a great
state of excitement, gesticulating and flourishing his nulla-nulla
wildly.
"What do you say?" cried the captain, frowning.
"No go 'long," cried Shanter, pointing across the plain. "No--no.
Horse fellow--bull-cow fellow, all go puff-puff."
And he went down on all fours, with his eyes wide and staring, mouth
open, and tongue lolling out, breathing hoarsely and heavily, snuffling
about the while at the ground. Then he threw up his head, and whinnied
like a horse in trouble, snuffled about again, and lowed like an ox, and
finally seemed to grow weaker and weaker till he fell over on his side,
struggled up again, fell on his side, stretched out his head and legs,
and finally gave a wonderful imitation of a horse or ox dying.
"All go bong (dead)," he cried. "No go along. No water drink. Big
fellow horse, can't pull along."
He pointed again and again, out over the plain, and shook his head
violently.
"White fellow come 'long," he continued, as he leaped up, shouldered his
spear, and started, pointing before him to the tree-spread track nearer
the river. "Bull-cow fellow eat."
He made believe to snatch a mouthful of grass, and went on munching it
as he walked slowly on as if pulling a load.
"Much water, drinkum, drunkum," he continued, pointing in the direction
of the river.
"He seems to be right, Ned," said Uncle Jack, as the boys looked on
eagerly.
"Yes; I suppose he is. Perhaps it is sandy and waterless all across
there."
"And if we keep by the river, we shall get grass, shelter, and water."
"Yes; but I do not like to have my plans overset by a savage."
"Not when the savage knows better?" said Uncle Jack, drily.
"How do I know that he does?" said the captain. "How can I tell that he
is not going to lead us into some ambush, where his tribe will murder us
and seize upon our goods and stores?"
"Humph I hope not," said Uncle Jack. "I'll shoot him dead if he does,
but I think I'd trust him."
"I want to get rid of the fellow," said the captain; "and he is always
coming back."
"He'll soon be tired," said his brother. "These people seem to be very
childlike and simple. It is a novelty for him to be with us. One of
these days he will be missing. I shouldn't worry about him."
"Gee-hup, horse fellow!" shouted the black, just then. "All along.
Shanter know. Baal that way."
He pointed over the plain and shook his head. Then shouldering his
spear, he stepped off nearly due west, and the caravan started.
Day succeeded day, and the two halts were regularly made in pleasant
places, but the captain was never satisfied. They were good, but he
always found some drawback. The progress was very slow, for it was hot,
but the land was dry, and the difficulties they had with the wagons were
very few, and their few miles were got over steadily day after day, with
no adventure to signify; and to make up for the slow progress, their
cattle were fresh and in good condition at each morning's start, while
the whole process seemed like a pleasant excursion of the most enjoyable
kind.
At last one day, the hottest on their journey, the draught cattle had a
laborious pull, for the ground had been rising slightly during the past
forty-eight hours, and next morning had suddenly grown steep. The river
was still close at hand, though it was now more broken and torrent-like,
but beautifully wooded in places, and the soil for miles on either side
looked wonderfully rich. To their right were plains; but in front, and
to their left, hills and mountains hemmed them in; and when utterly
exhausted, the cattle slowly drew their loads into the shade cast by
some magnificent trees, just behind which a cascade of sparkling water
dashed down from the mountains beyond, while the river-glade was
glorious with ferns and verdant growth of kinds that they had not seen
in the earlier part of their journey, every one seemed to be imbued with
the same idea, and no one was the least surprised when the captain
looked round with his face lit up with satisfaction.
"There," he cried, "was it not worth the long journey to find a place
like this. No flood can touch us here. The land is rich; the place
beautiful. Wife, girls, boys, what do you say to this for Home, sweet
home?"
The answer was a hearty cheer from the boys; and, as if he comprehended
everything, Shanter burst into a wild triumphal dance round the spear he
had stuck into the ground.
"Hurray!" he shouted. "Make gunyah. All corbon budgery. Plenty
budgery. Bull-cow eat. Plenty sheep eat. Hurray!"
There was not a dissentient voice. Uncle Jack smiled, Sam German began
to look round for a slope for a kitchen garden, while the captain, Mrs
Bedford, and the girls began to talk about a site for a house; and,
tying a handkerchief over her grey hair and pinning up her dress, Aunt
Georgie beckoned severely to Shanter, who came to her like a shaggy
black dog.
"Get some wood, sir, and make a fire."
"Makum fire, makum damper, pot a kettle tea?" he asked.
"Yes; dampers and roast mutton to-day," she said.
"Make big fire, roast mutton," shouted Shanter, excitedly, and rushing
to the side of one of the wagons, he threw down spear, boomerang, and
waddy, snatched an axe from where it was stuck in the side, and five
minutes later he was chopping wood with all his might.
That afternoon and evening were indeed restful, though little rest was
taken, for all were in a state of intense excitement, and examining in
every direction the site of their new home. It was fancy, of course,
but to the boys it seemed that the cattle had all taken to the place,
and settled down to a hearty feed of the rich grass.
But there was work to be done that evening, though not much. The tent
had to be set up, and as the boys drove in the pegs, it was with a
heartier will, for they knew that they would not be withdrawn for some
time to come.
The position for the house was soon decided, for nature herself had
planned it; a charming spot, sheltered to the north by a range from the
scorching north wind; and in addition there was a grove of magnificent
gum-trees, just far enough apart to have allowed them to grow to their
greatest perfection, while dotted here and there were other trees with
prickly leaves and pyramidal growth, their lower boughs touching the
ground, every one a perfect specimen that it would have been a sin to
cut down.
From this chosen spot the land sloped gradually down to the sparkling
river, with its beautiful falls and pools, while away on the other side,
beyond the bed of the stream, stretched out a grand expanse of land all
on a gentle slope. On the hillier side an equally beautiful expanse,
extending for miles, sloped upward toward the mountains, offering
pasture that would have satisfied the most exacting.
"We are the first settlers here," cried the captain, "and as I have a
right, Jack, to-morrow we will ride in different directions, and blaze
trees for our boundaries. Then there will only be the plan and
description to send to the crown offices in the city, and we take up a
grand estate that will in due time be our own."
"Our own!" cried Norman, excitedly. "But you will have a bit of the
river too?"
"I shall take up land on both sides--a large estate. There is plenty
for all Englishmen, but those who are enterprising enough to do as we
have done, of course, get the first choice."
"I'm very glad you are satisfied, my dear," said Mrs Bedford,
affectionately, as they all lingered in the glorious sunset light over
their evening meal, the whole place seeming a perfect paradise.
"I am satisfied," said the captain, "for here there is ample reward for
those who like to work, and we can see our boys have a grand future
before them in the new land."
"I'm glad too," said Aunt Georgie, in her matter-of-fact way. "You may
quite rely upon us all setting to work to make the best of things, when
you men and boys have built us a house to keep off the rain--for I
suppose it does rain here sometimes, though we have not seen any."
"Rain, aunt? Tremendously."
"Well then, of course you will begin a house soon?"
"To-morrow," said the captain. "Plenty of work for us, boys."
"Of course," said Aunt Georgie. "Well then, we shall soon begin to make
things comfortable, and we shall all be very happy and content."
"Thank you," said the captain. "I hope every one will take the
advantages for what they are worth, and will excuse the inconveniences."
"I know that Marian will," said Aunt Georgie; "and as for the girls, we
shall be too busy to think of little things. I should have liked for it
not to have been quite so lonely."
"We are too many to feel lonely," cried the captain, cheerily.
"But I meant about neighbours. How far do you think we are from the
nearest neighbours, Edward?"
"Don't ask me," he said, merrily. "So far that we cannot quarrel with
them.--There, girls, you will have to help and make the house snug as
fast as we get it up. To-morrow we will mark it out, and then set up a
shed to act as an additional shelter for our stores, which must be
unpacked from the wagons. Every one must take his or her department,
and as we have that black with us, and he evidently does not mean to go,
he will have to work too. By the way, I have not seen him for the last
hour or two."
"He had such a dinner," said Tim. "Aunt feeds him so."
"That, I'm sure, I do not, my dear," said Aunt Georgie, shortly.
"Well, aunt, he always goes and lies down to sleep after you've given
him anything," said Rifle.
"And that's what he has gone to do now," added Norman. "He'll come out
of the woods somewhere soon. But I say, father, shan't we have time to
fish and shoot?"
"Plenty, and ride too, boys. But there, we've done a good day's work,
and now I suppose we shall have to do a little sentry business. The
blacks are evidently very, very scarce in the country, not a sign of one
in all these many days' journey. But it would be wise to keep to a
little vigilance, though I doubt whether they will trouble us much
here.--Jack," he continued, rising, "we'll take the guns and have a walk
round, to look at the cattle before going to roost for the night, while
the girls get the place clear.--Coming, any of you boys?"
They all three sprang up eagerly.
"That's right. Come along. Hallo!" he added, "here comes Tam o'
Shanter."
For at that moment the black darted out from among the trees, and ran
across the intervening space to where they were, carrying his
nulla-nulla and boomerang in one hand, his spear at the trail in the
other.
He had evidently been running fast, and was out of breath as he came up
to cry in a low, hoarse voice:
"Now then all along--come quick, black fellow metancoly, come along
mumkull white."
"What!" cried the captain, "a number of black fellows coming to kill
us?"
"Hum. You shoot fast, mumkull black fellow, all go bong."