BACK FROM THE WILD
Four men were riding together through the low, burnt-up scrub, and
in front of them, holding their horses at a smart amble to be even
with his jog trot, a naked aboriginal was leading the way on his
own bare feet.
[Illustration: Four men were riding together through the low
burnt-up scrub]
"Blurry big warrigal 'e bin run here!" said the black-fellow
suddenly, as he stooped to examine a footprint in the trail they
were following. He counted the different footprints, and announced
to the horsemen that seven dingoes had followed the trail they were
following at that moment. "Five and two," the black-fellow called
it, ticking the number off on the fingers of one hand. He explained
that these dingoes, led by the "blurry big warrigal" aforesaid,
must have been terribly badly in want of food; and that he did not
think much of the chances of the man they had followed.
One of the riders--it was Jeff--nodded his head dolefully over
this.
"I reckon all the plaguy warrigals in this country must 'a' gone
crazy," he said. "You know I told you there was half a dozen on my
track. But we're goin' right; you can be dead sure o' that, for
that was his swag we found all right, and you could see the dingoes
had been at that. My oath! To think o' them brutes scratching up a
fortune that way, an' leaving it there!"
"You wouldn't expect 'em to take it into town an' bank it, would
you?" said one of the other men, with a grin. "Hurry on,
Jacky!"--This to the black-fellow--"What time he make dem tracks,
eh? He's fresh, you think?"
The black-fellow snorted contemptuously, as he explained over one
shoulder that the tracks were of the previous day's making.
"Still," said the rider; "he may not have got far. He can't have
got very far."
And again Jeff nodded, with sombre meaning. He was always a
pessimistically inclined man; and, in his rough way, he had
conceived a good deal of affection and respect for his prospecting
mate.
Another three miles were covered, and then, suddenly, the
black-fellow halted, with one hand raised over his head, which was
turned sideways, in a listening attitude. He explained, a moment
later, that he could hear howling, such as a "blurry big warrigal"
might produce. The party pushed on, and two or three minutes later
they were all able to make out the sound the black-fellow had heard.
But the black-fellow shook his head now, and informed them that no
warrigal ever made a howl like that; that that must be "white
feller dog."
"Well, that's queer," said Jeff; "for Jock was killed the night
before we parted. But, say, whatever it is, that's a most ungodly
sort o' howl, sure enough!"
Five or six minutes later the black-fellow gave a whoop of
astonishment as he topped a little ridge and came into view of the
Master, lying prone upon the ground, with Finn sitting erect beside
his head. One of the riders pulled out a revolver when he caught
sight of Finn's shaggy head.
"Well, may I be teetotally jiggered!" he growled. "What sort of a
beast do ye call that?"
The riders galloped down the slope and flung themselves hurriedly
from their horses. The leading man waved his whip at Finn to drive
him off. And then it was seen that Finn's assiduous licking had
been sufficient to restore the man to consciousness. The Master
raised his head feebly, and said--
"For God's sake don't hurt the dog! He saved my life. Killed six
dingoes in front of me. God's sake don't touch the----"
And with that he lapsed again into unconsciousness, while Jeff
propped up his head and another man produced a spirit-flask, and
the black-fellow gazed admiringly round upon the dead dingoes, and
the huge Wolfhound who sat there, with hackles raised and lips a
little curled by reason of the proximity of the men-folk. But Finn
was perfectly conscious that the Master was being helped, and he
showed no inclination to interfere. He was watchful, however, and
would not retreat for more than a few paces.
The party had brandy, and water, and food in plenty with them; and
it was not long before the Master was sitting up and munching
soaked bread, and sipping brandy and water, while one of the men
cleansed and bandaged his arms where the dingoes had torn them.
Another of the men tossed a big crust of bread to Finn, and, seeing
the way the Wolfhound bolted this, realized that the hound was as
near to starving as the man. After that, Finn had food and drink in
modest quantities; and, presently, the Master called to him, and
placed one arm weakly over his bony shoulders, while telling the
men, in as few words as might be, something of the manner in which
Finn had fought for him, and the origin of their relationship.
Exactly a week later, Finn lay on the balcony of a country town
hotel, with his nose just resting lightly on the Master's knee. The
Master was still weak. He lay on a cane lounge, with one hand on
Firm's shoulder. Beside him, in a basket chair, was the Mistress of
the Kennels, and now and again her hand was passed caressingly over
Finn's head. There was still a good deal of gauntness about the
great Wolfhound; but he was strong as a lion now, and his dark eyes
gleamed as brightly as ever through their overhanging eaves of
iron-grey hair.
[Illustration: The Wolfhound raised his bearded muzzle, and softly
licked the Master's thin brown hand.]
"Well," said the Master, looking across at his companion, over
Finn's head. "I'm not very certain about most things. It takes some
time to get used to being rich, doesn't it? I suppose we may be
called rich. They say the claim is good enough for half a dozen
fortunes yet; and sixty odd pounds of gem opal is no trifle, of
itself." (As a matter of fact, the Master's swag brought him an
average price of just over L20 to the ounce, or L21,250 for the
lot, apart from his share in a very rich claim.)
"One thing I am dead sure about, however, and that is that, come
rain or shine, there isn't money enough in all Australia to tempt
us into parting with Finn boy again. Finn, boy!"
The Wolfhound raised his bearded muzzle, and softly licked the
Master's thin brown hand. It was his weakness, no doubt, that
produced a kind of wetness about the man's eyes.
"It's 'Sussex by the sea' for us, Finn, boy, in another month or
so; and, God willing, that's where you shall end your days!"
As he responded, after his own fashion, to the Master's assurance,
there was small trace in the great Wolfhound's eyes of his
relationship with the wild kindred of the bush.
THE END