"BUNYIP! BUNYIP!"
That same afternoon, soon after dinner, the captain and his
fellow-wielders of the axe again went down to carry on their
wood-cutting. The boys were not back, nor expected, and in the course
of the afternoon the girls proposed that Mrs Bedford and Aunt George
should go with them for a walk, and to take some refreshment to the
wood-cutters.
They refused, of course, and then gave way, and soon after the little
party left the house, and strolled slowly away toward the creek, all
enjoying the delightfully fresh breeze which came across the plains and
sent the blood dancing in the young girls' veins.
Hardly had they walked a couple of hundred yards away, when one of the
cows in the fenced-in paddock raised her head from grazing, and uttered
a deep-toned bellow. She ceased munching the rich grass, and whisked
her tail about, as if trying to tie it in knots, for she saw a black
approaching the paddock, and that black was one she did not know.
The black came cautiously on, crawling from tree to bush, and from bush
to tree, and always getting nearer to the house. Finally, he reached
the fence, and along by this he crept like a great black slug, till he
was at the end, and within a dozen yards of the store.
Fifty yards away a couple of dozen of his fellows, all spear and club
armed, lay hidden among the shrubs and trees which the captain and Uncle
Jack were unwilling to cut down, and these men watched intently every
movement of their companion, and in perfect silence, till they saw him
raise himself very slightly, and then almost run on all fours across the
space which divided him from the storehouse, the movement being upon his
hands and toes.
Then a low murmur of satisfaction ran through them, and they turned to
look in the other direction, where the ladies were all making their way,
basket-laden, toward where the captain and Uncle Jack were continuing
their attack upon the great tree.
No fear of interruption in that direction; no fear of any one coming in
the other, for the boys had been seen to ride right off over the hills,
as if on a long expedition.
The black fellow disappeared from his companions' sight; and as soon as
he was well inside, he rose up, detached a bark bag from his
'possum-skin waistband, and grinned with satisfaction as he ran his eyes
round among the casks, packages, and tins upon the rough shelves.
Then he stopped short, and stared at the cask before him, for there was
something suspicious about it. That was not the cask from which he had
filled his meal-bag last time, and carried off such a glorious haul. It
looked wider and bigger, and he hesitated, and passing his right hand
behind him, carefully drew out his club, ready for that tub if it should
be dangerous.
But the tub stood there perfectly innocent-looking, and the head had
evidently lately been moved by floury fingers, which had left their
marks. In addition, there was a dusting of flour on the top, and a tiny
sprinkle of the same on the rough boards in front.
All this reassured him, and tucking his nulla-nulla back in his band, he
gave the bag a shake, took a cautious look round, and then advanced to
the tub, and with one quick movement, thrust the head off, so that it
fell behind upon the floor.
Then, bag in one hand, his other resting on the edge of the barrel, he
stood perfectly still, as if turned to stone. His eyes were starting,
his mouth open, and his lips drawn back in a ghastly grin, as he stood
gazing at a hideous-looking face rising slowly out of the flour, red, as
if covered with blood, and dashed with patches of white meal. Nearer
and nearer this object approached him, till, with a yell of horror, he
dragged himself away, and dashed out of the storehouse, shouting
"Bunyip! bunyip!" as he ran to where his companions were waiting for his
spoil.
Then a low whispering followed, and the result was that six of the party
crawled in the same manner as that in which the first black had
approached.
An observer would have said that they were evidently doubtful of the
truth of their companion's statement, and had agreed to go together and
test it.
Their advance was exactly in every respect like that of the first man;
and they reached the shelter of the fence, and paused till the last man
was close up, when all went through the same manoeuvre together, running
on their hands and feet, with their bodies close to the ground.
At the door they paused again listening, and no doubt the slightest
sound would have started them off in full retreat. But all was
perfectly still, and taking courage, they gathered themselves up, and
club in hand leaped into the storehouse, to stand gazing wildly round.
Nothing was there to startle them--no sign of danger. The bag their
companion had dropped lay upon the floor, but the flour-barrel was
covered; and after a couple of them had exchanged a whisper, all stood
with their nulla-nullas ready to strike, but no one attempted to move
the cask head.
At last two who appeared to be the leaders extended a hand each, gazed
in each other's eyes, and at a signal gave the lid a thrust, and it fell
off behind with a loud clatter, which made all bound out of the
storehouse. But the last man looked back as his comrades were taking to
flight, and uttered a few words loudly.
They were sufficient to arrest the flight and all stood in a stooping
position, gazing wildly at the tub, which stood looking harmless enough,
and after a little jabbering, they advanced once more, as if they all
formed units of a large machine, so exactly were their steps taken
together, till they reached and once more entered the open door of the
store.
Then, as if strung up, ready to meet anything, they bounded into the
place, when, as if worked by a spring, the horrible figure in the tub
started upright like a monstrous jack-in-the-box.
The black fellows literally tumbled over one another in their hurry to
escape from the terrible-looking object which, in their eyes--imbued as
they were with superstitious notions--was a fearful demon of the most
unsparing nature, and a minute later, they were back in the clump of
trees and bushes, spreading news which made the whole mob of blacks take
flight.
"Baal come teal flour. Mine make black fellow frightenum," said the
jack-in-the-box, leaping lightly out, and then rolling the empty cask
aside, he replaced it by the flour-tub.
Then, going round to the back, application was made to a bucket of
water, from which a cooliman or native bark bowl was filled, and in a
few moments Shanter's good-humoured, clean, black countenance was drying
in the sun. For his scheme to defeat the flour-thieves had been very
successful, and that evening he related it proudly to the boys.
"You did that?" said Norman.
"Yohi. All yan. Baal black fellow now."
"What?" cried the captain, when Norman called him aside, and told him.
"I don't like that, my boy."
"But they must be a poor, cowardly lot, father," said Norman, "or they
would not be so easily frightened by a bogey."
"A lesson to us," said the captain, thoughtfully. "There must be a camp
of the black fellows somewhere near, and while they are about, we had
better keep about the place."
"But they will not come again after such a fright, will they?" said
Norman.
"I don't know, my boy. It is impossible to say. Perhaps, as soon as
the scare is over, they may be taking each other to task for being such
cowards. We are all alone here, and far from help, so it is as well to
be upon our guard. Don't let them know indoors."
The order came too late, for, as soon as they entered the house, Mrs
Bedford began anxiously: "Edward, is it a fact that there have been
myall blacks trying to rob the place?"
"Pooh! What have you heard?"
"Rifle has been telling us of the black's trick to frighten them."
"Oh yes, a few wandering rascals tried to steal the flour."
"And I'm very, very glad to find that I misjudged that poor fellow,
Shanter," said Aunt Georgie. "I certainly thought it was he."
"Yes; and to clear himself of the suspicion," said Uncle Jack, cheerily,
"he hid and frightened them away. Come, people, don't look so
anxious.--Why, Hetty--Ida--surely you are not going to be scared at a
little adventure like this."
"Of course they are not," said the captain, quickly. "There is nothing
to be alarmed about."
"Father says there's nothing to be alarmed about," whispered Rifle that
night, when the boys retired to the part of the house they called the
barracks.
"Yes, I heard him," said Norman, softly. "Talk low, Tim's asleep."
"No, I'm not," said that individual. "I'm awake as you are. You're
going to talk about uncles' whispering together, and then going and
loading the guns and pistols."
Norman was silent for a few moments.
"Yes," he said at last. "It means that they are very uneasy about the
black fellows."
"And a fight," said Rifle.
"I hope not, boys. One doesn't want to kill."
"But one doesn't want the myall blacks to kill us," said Rifle. "Well,
they will not come to-night, will they?"
"If they do," replied Norman, "father will soon wake us up, if it's only
to load the guns for them. They're sure to sit up and watch in turns
with Sourkrout. Shall we dress again, and go and offer to help?"
"No," said Tim. "Uncle would not like us to interfere without being
asked, but I shall lie and listen all night. I couldn't go to sleep
fancying that black fellows were crawling up to attack us."
"No," said Rifle, softly; "one feels all of a fidget, and ready to fancy
all sorts of things."
"Nonsense!" said Norman. "It's because it's so hot to-night. That's
all."
"Man don't mean it," said Tim, quietly. "He's as fidgety as we are."
"Yes, of course I am, but it's only the heat."
"Call it what you like," said Rifle; "but you don't feel as if you could
sleep to-night."
"Well, I don't feel sleepy yet," said Norman, carelessly.
But a long day on horseback and the quiet of their quarters, joined to
the knowledge that their elders would be on guard, sufficed to nullify
all their declarations, and half an hour had not elapsed before the
regular, steady breathing of three healthy lads told that they were
passing the night in the most satisfactory way.