UNWELCOME VISITORS.
Hearing this cry, the boys turned and leaped down from the rocks, and
joined Murri, who, panting for breath, and half frightened to death,
was standing by the stream, down which a little water still was
draining. He told them, in his queer English, that he had been
following a wounded kangaroo rat, just on the other side of the
_quandang_ trees, when he had looked up suddenly, and found that the
ravine was peopled with _myalls_, not a quarter of a mile from him.
They had seen him, he said, for as he turned to run a great many men
had started in pursuit. He could not say how many, for an Australian
cannot count above four, but he told them, "Plenty much black fellow
run kill Murri, bail cotch him."
Without wasting time on useless speech, the boys turned, and whistling
to Como, who was lying in the shade of a great rock, they ran towards
the humpie. It was bitter, very bitter, thus to have the cup dashed
from their lips just when it was raised to them; it was hard that, just
when success seemed secured, they were not able to reap the fruits of
all their toil. But neither Alec nor George was of the sort to rail at
Fortune, and without a backward glance or an angry word they hurried
away.
It is to be feared that this extremely sensible behaviour was not
prompted by a feeling of what was right and dignified; the two lads
were far too frank and human to feel anything but angry and provoked at
the evil turn things had taken. They were very natural fellows, and not
at all angelic, and therefore they felt this sudden check very keenly,
but they were possessed with the common sense that, in a time of
danger, springs from self-reliance and courage, and they knew that
their only chance lay in getting to their arms before they were cut off
by the enemy. There was no time to think of the gold, for their very
lives might be at stake, and the boys, very wisely, considered their
lives of far more value to them than tons of any metal, however
precious it might be.
Racing madly along, over rocks and sandy shingle, quite regardless that
the mid-day sun was pouring down its burning rays upon them, and that
the air of the close gully was quivering in the heat, they reached the
shelter of the humpie at last. It was only just in time, for as they
darted through the opening in the low stone wall that barricaded the
house eight or nine great black fellows came within spear-shot. One of
them threw a slender spear at them just as Alec sprang into shelter; it
struck the fire-log, just beyond the humpie, raising a little shower of
sparks. The instant that they were inside the humpie the boys seized
their guns, which were always loaded, and put a heap of cartridges on
to the floor near to them both. They had their guns at full cock, and
had covered the _myalls_ in much less time than it takes to tell of it,
but they did not fire. Alec spoke, without lifting his head or raising
his eye from the sight of his gun.
"Don't fire, Geordie. I can't bear killing these poor beggars. I can't
forget those we shot before, and that time it was in self-defence."
"So is this."
"No, not yet. They may be friendly, and mean us no harm whatever."
Whilst the boys were thus hurriedly speaking the _myalls_ had stopped
in their advance, and stood talking together. It was just as Alec had
hoped--they were perfectly friendly, and wished them no harm; in fact,
they had not known that there were any white men present till they saw
Alec and George rush past them, and they were overwhelmed with
curiosity to examine them and their wondrous clothes and property. It
is the coast aboriginals, and those that are near the English runs,
that so hate the white man. He it is who has settled on their land
without their permission; driven away the kangaroo and emu by
introducing cattle, which not only deprive the black men of their food,
but trample and pollute their springs and water-holes into morasses of
mud and filth; and in return has brought the poor savage what he calls
civilisation, but which is really extermination.
No wonder that the poor childish native retaliates, and endeavours
vainly to stem or drive back the irresistible wave which advances upon
him, and which must inevitably sweep him and his whole race away. It is
different with the quite wild _myall_, who has not yet learned what is
the fate that follows so closely on the white man's heels. He, poor
creature, after the first shock of terror has subsided, often receives
the pale stranger well, or, at least, without animosity, and shows him
where water is to be found, and which is the best road for him to
follow.
Just so it was with this tribe of Wyobree warriors; they had seen Murri
run away from the mere sight of them, and had instinctively started in
pursuit. We are all alike in that--a remnant of our former savagery,
perhaps. Let anything start away and run from us, and instantly we feel
the desire to follow and catch, a natural instinct that all these
generations of our so-called civilisation have failed to stamp out.
It seemed to the boys an age whilst the Wyobree men (as they afterwards
learned they were called) stood thus talking. They still kept them
covered with their guns, and the fact that the blacks stood so calmly
there--out of spear range, the _myalls_ knew--told the boys that they
were ignorant of the deadly power of fire-arms. Murri, with all the
hatred of the partly civilised savage for the totally wild, kept urging
Alec and George to fire upon the blacks.
"Chewt um, Alec, chewt um, Missa Law. What for you bail kill um?
_Myall_ kill white fellow plenty much time. What for yo bail chewt um
black fellow dead bong?"
But notwithstanding these pressing invitations to slaughter a few of
his countrymen, the boys reserved their fire. They knew it would be
useless to try to make Murri understand their reasons for so doing, so
they did not attempt to enlighten him, thus giving the poor fellow
another incomprehensible mystery to puzzle over. After some moments
longer of keen suspense the boys saw the foremost man of the party lay
down his spears, _nullah-nullah_, and throwing stick, and, advancing a
pace or two, he addressed them at a very rapid rate, apparently saying
the same thing over and over again.
The boys, who knew but very little even of the language of the tribe
near their own run, were quite unable to follow what he said; but Murri
seemed to understand him.
"_Myall_ say um bail go kill um white fellow. _Myall_ say um plenty big
_corroborree_" (night dance and singing), "along o' Parwango gully. Um
say yo go."
"What's that? A big _corroborree_ at Parwango, and will we go with them
to it? Shall we, Alec?"
"No, no, let us stay here, collect the gold, and get home as quickly as
possible. We have run enough risks already. Lie down, Como!"
Alec told Murri to go to the entrance of the humpie and tell the men
that they could not go with them; and he did so, calmly enough now that
he saw the _myalls_ were friendly. But the black men did not seem
inclined to take a refusal; they spoke angrily when they understood
Murri's message, and their speaker returned to the rest of the party
and snatched up his weapons from the ground. Just then more savages
came upon the scene, and matters presenting rather a dangerous
appearance, the boys began to think whether it would not be safer for
them to agree to their demand and go with them than to enrage them
further with a refusal.
Alec asked Murri if he knew how far the Parwango gully was from there,
and was told--
"Um Parwango bail long way. Plenty much near Whanga. Along o' there,"
added he, pointing his lank, black arm to the north-west. "Mine
_pitnee_" (I think) "um black fellow go _bora_."
"Oh, let's go, Alec, if they are going to hold a _bora_. No Englishman
has ever been present at one."
"That is to say, has ever come away from one."
"Well, we may just as well chance it as stay here and be prodded to
death with those nasty spears, and battered to a jelly afterwards. They
are getting angry, but they mean well as yet, so here goes." Without
another word, and disregarding Alec's call, Geordie laid down his gun
and stepped out into the sunshine, followed closely by his great dog.
He quietly walked up to the _myalls_, who received him in the
friendliest way; indeed in too friendly a style, for they wished to
examine him and all that he had on in the most curious manner. Murri,
who had followed close upon George's heels, was plied with a
multiplicity of questions which he answered as well as he could.
It seemed that George had been right in his opinion of the friendliness
of the _myalls_, for from the moment he joined them they showed no
sign of ill-feeling or treachery. They were inquisitive and curious,
but were otherwise entirely amicable. Without further argument the two
boys and Murri accompanied them to the Parwango valley, which was at
the distance of about two hours' journey, and there they stayed, in the
little camp the Wyobrees had made for themselves, till after dark. They
witnessed one or two little _corroborrees_ (dances) amongst the men,
and then without let or hindrance they returned to the Whanga. The
_bora_ (a mysterious native ceremony) and the big _corroborree_ were
not to take place till the following night.
When they left the Parwango valley the night was rather dark, for the
moon was in its first quarter, but Murri could find the way easily
enough, and they were back in their own valley after a walk of less
than two hours. Everything was as they had left it, and, as by this
time they were all thoroughly tired, they turned into the humpie, and,
flinging themselves down on the heaps of fern and leaves that they had
collected for their beds, they slept soundly till nearly sunrise.