AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.
For two days longer they travelled on before they got amongst the low
bush-covered hills that formed the spurs of the great mountain range.
The time had not appeared long or dull to them, for they had been too
fully occupied in surmounting the difficulties of the journey for the
hours to hang heavily on their hands. Sometimes a series of intricate
and winding creeks and gullies would intercept their path, and in
leading their horses up and down the steep sides, and in making a
crossing for them over otherwise impassable places, hours would be
spent. At other times a long line of _mulga_ scrub would stop them,
through which, with the greatest damage to their skin and clothes, they
had to force a way. In passing these difficult pieces of scrub they
always made Murri come last in the line, that he might have the benefit
of the opening made by the other riders, and so save his naked body
from many scratches and painful little wounds.
It certainly was not easy travelling, but they all were accustomed to
the bush, and none of them were afraid of a little hard work, though
they may have _liked_ it no better than other people. One or other
of the lads would perhaps indulge in a boyish growl at the heat, or the
thorns, or the weight of the rocks they had sometimes to move aside for
their horses to pass along these narrow gullies, but the other would
cheer him on by reminding him of the object for which he was working,
and the grumble would end in a laugh.
They rested one night at the edge of the great dim forest that clothed
the lower hills, and next morning began the labour of climbing among
these giant mountains. The work would be continuous until they reached
the Whanga valley, which Murri said was in the very heart of the range,
over the first great spur that lay, a gigantic barrier, before them.
In the early light of the coming day, when the shades of night still
seemed struggling with the dream of dawn that crept so palely along the
valleys and among the rocks, the mountains looked doubly grand and
majestic. So black, so unconquerable and vast they loomed against the
scarcely lighter sky, that to Geordie's impressionable nature they
almost seemed an effectual bar to their progress. Although it was still
too dark to see to catch their horses, the boys and Murri were astir,
for they had a long climb and a hard day's work before them.
"If I did not well know, Alec, that you and I will let _nothing_ stop
us, I should almost have said that those dim awful mountains might have
been too much for us."
The boy spoke in a hushed, low voice, for in that great stillness
before daybreak, when as yet all birds and living things are mute, and
when the very air, before the breath of morning stirs it, appears to
sleep, it seems a sacrilege to break the solemn silence that, like a
mantle, lies about the earth.
"Nothing that man can conquer shall stop us, mountain or river," said
Alec, resolutely; who sometimes, as now, failed to read his brother's
finer meaning.
"Oh, no, I know that. I don't think you quite understand. Of course we
shall get over. I'd dig the mountains down with my own hands before I
let them beat me. It isn't that; it was only a feeling. And now it is
gone," said he, suddenly, as a warm flush of rosy light flooded the
eastern sky, and was reflected on the white crags of the higher
summits. A flute-voiced organ magpie burst into glorious song the
moment that the daylight came, and its cheerful music banished the last
trace of mystery and awe from George's mind.
A few minutes before they started, just at sunrise, Murri said that
they had better take some food with them besides their own dried
provisions, as they might be unable to catch anything on the higher
parts of the mountains they would have to cross.
"Bail kangaroo, bail wallaby, up along o' there," said Murri, pointing
to the mountains. "Mine go catch um bird, bail chewt um, Missa Law;
_boomerang_ plenty much kill."
Leaving their horses hobbled for a moment or two, the boys followed
Murri to the edge of the little pool to which the emus had led them the
night before.
The little pond, which the rain had filled with clear brown water, was
in the centre of an open space, which, after heavy rains, would be a
good-sized pool. It was, except for the little sunken place in the
middle, quite dry. Round the edges of this brown space of dry mud trees
grew thickly. Murri was only armed with his curiously curved black wood
_boomerang_. All three of them hid themselves among the bushes and
waited patiently a few minutes for a flock of birds to visit the pool
for their morning drink and bath.
They had not to wait very long, for presently a great flock of loudly
chattering and squealing white cockatoos came flying in a fluttering
crowd to the pool.
Many perched on the little trees that grew around the open space. When
a great number of birds had arrived there Murri darted, with a loud
cry, from his hiding-place. The startled birds rising in a flock flew
wildly over the pool. Gaining an impetus by the run, and raising his
arm high above his head, Murri threw his _boomerang_ with all his
force. It travelled some distance almost on a level with the ground,
and then, with extraordinary swiftness, it darted upwards amongst the
flock of birds. As the _boomerang_ does not fly in a straight line, but
whirls about in the most eccentric and sudden manner, the cockatoos
could not escape it, and before it fell, not very far from Murri's
feet, three birds had been brought fluttering to the ground.
By the time that Murri had picked up his spoils and the party was
mounted it was broad day, and they could see in all their grandeur and
beauty the mountains they had to cross. The lower spurs were of the
colour of dull gold, from the withered grass that covered them, whilst
others that were dark with the everlasting bush looked blue in contrast
with them. The more distant mountains, which lay fold upon fold behind
one another, were of a pure deep azure, whilst the nearer summits,
which were bathed in the morning sunshine, and which seemed to pierce
the very sky, were of bare rock as white as driven snow.
The colours of the near landscape were bright and varied, the tints of
some of the wild grasses were reddish and rich warm browns, and the
pure green of the graceful mimosas glowed in the early sunlight against
a background of dark mysterious bush. The air, after the rain, was
fresh and exhilarating, and with happy hearts, forgetful of dangers
past, and bravely facing difficulties to come, and singing from pure
good spirits as they rode, the boys passed through the cool, grey
morning shadows, as gay at heart and happy minded as young
knights-errant in the youth time of the world.
Although they would not have to ascend to the greatest heights of the
mountains to reach the pass by which Murri was to lead them to the
Whanga valley, they had still a most difficult climb to accomplish.
Their horses vastly increased the difficulty of their labours, though
it must be owned that at times they scrambled like dogs up places that
no horse but a colonial bred one would think of attempting. Had the
boys been without them they could have reached the pass in half the
time, and with less than half the labour that it took them with the
horses. Of course they did not ride them--that would have been
impossible--and to choose a suitable route for horses over a mountain
that is covered with rocks and crags and full of ravines and great
gullies is a work of not only great anxiety but of great labour.
"I wonder how Yesslett would have liked this," sang out George to his
brother, who was in front, at one place, about half-way up to the pass,
where they had to clear a road for the horses.
"Much better than you think, Master George. Just because we have seen
him a bit nervous at times we are apt to underrate him. I have studied
him, and there is much more in him than you give him credit for.
There's real pluck in him at bottom, I know. It has never had a chance
of coming out yet, but it will be there when the time for it comes."
"Oh, I wasn't doubting dear old Yess's courage. He is three times the
man he was when he came. I was only thinking that bringing horses up
such a place as this would rather surprise that young Englisher."
"And you, you stuck-up young monkey, are taking all the glory of it to
yourself instead of praising the strength and spring of our Australian
horses."
"If you are going to argue with me over every word I say," said George,
with a laugh, "I shall go on ahead and ride with Murri; he, at least,
won't be able to differ from me. That is the advantage of talking with
him: one has it all one's own way, and he doesn't understand half one
says."
"And that, I can well understand, leads to unanimity of opinion."
As they climbed higher and higher towards the pass which lay between
two gigantic glittering peaks that towered above them, like vast
sentinels to guard the entrance to the unknown land beyond them, the
scenery became still wilder. The rich vegetation of the lower slopes
ceased, and a wilderness of crags and rocks took its place. Still there
was room for the horses to pass between them, and in places the very
roughness of the ground was the means of their getting along at all;
had it been smooth the horses could not have kept their feet.