OUTWITTED
Dennis waited a short time to see if Rodney Shaw's men would return with
him to Wanabeen, and as they did not appear he took his departure.
As he rode back he thought of the strange change that had taken place in
Rodney Shaw.
'I suppose living in England has done it,' thought Jim; 'but I had no
idea it would make such an alteration in a man. He looks so much older,
and speaks differently. There's something about him I can't make out. He
has such a shifty look, and might have done some great wrong, he has
that half-frightened glance as though he feared detection. It is quite
evident he does not mean us to be on our old footing. That will not
trouble me, I'm as good as he any day. Strange how a few years can alter
a man. He never was a friendly fellow, but he seems a regular bear now.'
'If he prefers such men as Machinson, he's welcome to him. I'll get even
with the sergeant one of these days. They say he is none too straight,
and is not above accepting a tip now and again. If he lets me alone
I'll let him alone, but I'm hanged if he shall meddle in my affairs
without any cause. Doonan ought to be in his place, he's a man anyway.'
The rain was still coming down, but it did not interfere with Jim's
meditations. He wished it would keep on for a fortnight, but there were
already signs of a break in the sky.
The reins hung loosely on the mare's neck, for he knew he could trust
her not to stumble over any of the numerous rabbit holes, and she would
make straight for Wanabeen.
In due course he arrived home.
'Two men have been here,' said Sal.
'What did they come for? Who were they?'
'I have not seen them before, but they said they had come for the horse
they had lost a few days ago, and that had been seen on your run,' said
Sal.
Jim stared; he could hardly believe what she said. Then it dawned upon
him that the men who had stolen Mr Shaw's horse must have lost him again
and tracked him on to Wanabeen; they were clever at such work, and only
one set of men could do it, Abe Dalton's gang.
'Did they take it away?'
'Yes, and it went quietly enough,' said Sal. 'I think you took it all
out of him.'
Jim smiled. He thought it very probable such was the case.
'How long have they been gone?'
'A couple of hours, or more.'
'I must go after them,' said Jim.
'Be careful, dad,' said Willie; 'they may belong to Dalton's gang.'
'I have something here that will settle half-a-dozen of Dalton's men,'
he said, as he took a six-chambered revolver out of a cupboard and
loaded it, putting more cartridges in his pouch. It was an old-fashioned
weapon, or would be considered so now, but it was apt to be dangerous
when handled by Jim Dennis. He kissed the boy and went out, saying he
would return as speedily as possible.
'Poor old dad, he's always in trouble over something,' said Willie. 'I
wonder why it is, when he is so good to you, and me, and everybody.'
'There's men about here as hate him 'cause he's honest,' said Sal; 'but
don't you be feared for him, Willie, he's a good man and he'll come to
no harm.'
'I wish I were a man,' said the lad. 'You'd see what I'd do.'
'What would you do?' she asked, smiling.
'Stick up for him. Back Dr Tom up when he stuck up for him, and Fred
Doonan too. They're fond of dad, aren't they, Sal?'
'Yes, very fond of him.'
'And Fred Doonan's fond of someone else here,' said the lad.
'You, Willie? He's very fond of you,' she said.
'And he's fond of you, Sal. He said you are a real good sort, a regular
white woman, even if you had dark blood in you. Oh, yes, he's fond of
you, Sal.'
The half-caste's eyes gleamed with pleasurable pride, and her whole face
changed. She was a comely woman, a very comely woman, with a heart and
nature that would love fiercely, half savagely, if such a sentiment were
roused within her.
'He said that about me?' she asked in a low voice. She could hardly
believe it, so few, very few men had been kind to her, and none of her
own sex. The black gins had hated her because of their ugliness and her
good looks--they were not so very unlike their white sisters after all.
Even in this almost deserted land there was love and hate, sorrow and
joy, comedy and tragedy.
'Yes, he said that and more.'
'More! More, Willie?'
'He said you were like a mother to me, and you have been, Sal. I never
had a real mother that I knew of; dad says she died when I was a baby.'
The woman stroked the child's hair and said,--
'I will always be your mother. I love you, and your father has been
kinder to me than any man in the world.'
'Good-bye,' shouted Jim, and they sent him an answering cry.
'Two hours' start or more. Which way must I go?' thought Jim. 'If it is
Dalton's men who have taken him, I know their ropes as well as they do
themselves. They'll make for Barker's Creek. I'll chance it.'
Barker's Creek was a small hamlet consisting of half-a-dozen shanties,
all occupied by the members of the gang of which Abe Dalton was the
head. They were a lawless, licentious lot, blacks and whites living
together, regardless of law or order. There were about two dozen white
men, and double that number of gins,--old and young,--and black fellows,
camped around the wooden structures in humpies.
These blacks were part of King Charlie's tribe, but the old chief had
cast them off; savage that he was, he had an instinctive feeling that
his people were better than Dalton's men. He cursed them as they threw
in their lot with the white men, and his sentence of excommunication was
heard by those of the tribe who remained with him, and they carried the
tidings into many places far distant. Even these blacks, uncouth and
savage, had their laws, and rendered obedience to their old king.
It was a dangerous place was Barker's Creek, and its tenants ought to
have been rooted out, but Abe Dalton was a cunning man and had contrived
to keep Sergeant Machinson from meddling in his affairs.
Jim Dennis had no intention of riding alone into Barker's Creek. He
wanted to catch his men before they arrived there.
He had a fresh horse under him, and he made the most of his mount.
He rode over the plain at a great pace, from time to time pulling up and
dismounting to look for tracks. His practised eye soon found them, and
sure enough there were three horses going in the direction of Barker's
Creek.
'It's all right,' he muttered. 'I only hope I shall come up with them. I
feel in a fighting humour, and they will have to stand and deliver,
"hands up"; they are used to the sounds, they will know what they mean.
It will put me in a bit of a hole if they reach Barker's Creek first.
Machinson will swear I had a hand in sending the horse there, and that
my ride over to Cudgegong was a ruse to deceive them and get the horse
away; any cock-and-bull story would serve his purpose so long as it got
me into a hole.'
He galloped on at a fast pace, and towards evening saw his men in the
distance. They were in no hurry, and evidently did not fear pursuit. The
horse was with them and going quietly.
'I have tamed him at anyrate,' said Jim. 'I'll tame them before I have
done with them.'
He rode away to the left, for he knew a track by which he thought he
could get ahead, and there wait until they came past.
The country near Barker's Creek was covered with scrub, and there was a
considerable amount of shelter, much of it never having been cleared or
touched in any way, but just left in its wild condition. He knew it
would be a near thing between them, as the round would take him several
miles out of his way. It was, however, the only course to pursue, so he
sent his horse along at his best pace and hoped for success.
There is scarcely any twilight in the colonies, the sun goes down
quickly, and day turns into night rapidly.
When Jim Dennis reached the spot he had ridden for he saw it would be
almost dark in an hour, but that would serve his purpose.
If he could get hold of the stallion he knew the horse would gallop
readily enough alongside his own.
He waited with the best patience he could muster, for he did not know
whether they had passed the place. As the time went by he began to be
afraid they had beaten him after all, and he had had his ride for
nothing.
Presently, however, his quick ears caught the sound of horses' hoofs,
and then he knew he had a chance of success. As they drew nearer he made
ready to ride straight at them. Peering through the bushes that
concealed him, he saw the two men coming along at a careless pace,
evidently unaware there was any danger at hand.
When they were about fifty yards away he rushed up at them, and before
they could prepare to meet him he covered one man with his revolver and
said,--
'Now, you Dalton fellows, give up that horse. There are six shots here,
so you have no chance.'
They knew him, and a volley of oaths came from them.
'He's not your horse,' said one of the men.
'That's my business. He is not yours, and you took him out of my yard.
Hand him over.'
'You'll suffer for this, Jim Dennis. Abe Dalton is not the man to forget
it.'
'You tell Abe Dalton and the whole of your dirty gang that I am not
afraid of any of you. Now hand over the horse.'
He rode forward, still keeping his revolver handy.
The horse was handed over, and the man who had spoken before said,--
'We'll be even with you for this.'
'You are a set of cowards,' said Jim. 'There is not a fair fight in you.
I am not afraid of half-a-dozen such as you.'
Then he thought, if they have revolvers it may be awkward, but he knew,
after a moment's consideration, that had such been the case they would
have risked it and used them.
It was Abe Dalton's plan to often send his men out unarmed, so that
there was no danger of any shooting, for he knew when it come to murder
it was a serious matter.
Jim rode away with his capture, and a volley of abusive language was
sent after him.
He was undecided whether to take the horse to Wanabeen, or go to
Cudgegong. He could reach the latter place early in the morning, so he
made up his mind to go there. He could wait about until some of the
hands were out, and as they were generally up early there would not be a
long delay.
He reached Cudgegong about two o'clock, and as there was no one to be
seen he tied the horse securely and, having hitched up his own some
distance away from the other, he went to see if there was a chair on the
verandah he could rest in.
It was no uncommon thing for a stranger to sleep on the verandah at one
of the stations, and in the morning be provided with a breakfast and
then sent on his way.
He stepped quietly along the boards and soon found a comfortable seat.
He was tired, for he had been in the saddle many hours, and, although he
was a man who could do with but little sleep, he commenced to feel
drowsy.
How long he had been asleep he did not know, but he awoke with a start
and listened.
There was a peculiar sound inside the room near which he sat.
He thought it was a man moaning, but was not sure. Then he heard someone
moving about, and footsteps approached the window of the room which led
on to the verandah.
He remained perfectly quiet and waited expectantly for some explanation
of what he had heard.