The Gilpins no longer felt like newly arrived immigrants when they found
themselves on their way to Warragong, the station of which they had
undertaken charge. They were far, however, from being over-confident of
success, or of pleasing their employers; but they had resolved to make
up by diligence and perseverance for their want of experience, and Mr
Prentiss assured them that he had no doubt of their doing well. Sam
Green had thrown in his lot with them, and though receiving good wages
from Mr Prentiss, he begged that he might be allowed to accompany them
on the chance of their being able to give him permanent employment.
Knowing by this time the value of a thoroughly trustworthy servant in
Australia, they were very glad to accept his offer. They, as well as
Sam, had been furnished with excellent horses; and, much to his own
satisfaction as well as theirs, Larry Killock was sent with a light cart
to convey their luggage and various luxuries, which had been provided
through the kindness of Mrs Prentiss. A native black, partly
civilised, and able to speak broken English, accompanied them as guide,
and formed the fifth person of this party. He either travelled in the
cart or ran on foot beside it.
"I should think that very few settlers begin a life in the bush with so
many advantages as we possess," observed Arthur, as he rode on with his
brother, a little ahead of the cart; "we appear to have jumped over all
difficulties, and to have arrived at a point which many only reach after
years of toil."
"I am not quite certain that it will prove to our permanent advantage,"
answered James. "I would rather have begun as we proposed, and worked
our way upward; we should the better be able to encounter difficulties
or mishaps which may occur."
"Well, I vote we do not grumble with our good fortune," said Arthur,
laughing; "we shall have plenty to do, depend on that."
There was no great variety of scenery in that part of the country over
which they travelled, but for the want of it the beauty of the climate,
and the sense of present freedom which they enjoyed, made ample amends.
Without luggage they might have performed the journey in three days, but
with the cart, twenty or, at the most, thirty miles could not be got
over in the day. Even supposing that they could have found their way
alone, it would not have been altogether safe to leave the cart without
protection. Bushrangers were occasionally, though rarely, heard of, and
would probably, if they fell in with the cart, make no scruple of
running off with it, and perhaps murder the driver. Any wandering
blacks from the interior might also pillage the cart, and most probably
kill poor Larry.
Larry had been entertaining Sam Green with an account of the
depredations committed by such gentry in the bygone days of the colony,
when the Dick Turpins, who had obtained a short-lived celebrity on the
highway of Old England, laid the settlers in this new land under
contribution; and the white stockmen shot down the black natives with as
little compunction as they would kangaroos; the blacks, in retaliation,
murdering them or any white men they could meet with. Larry, observing
the wide-mouthed interest created by his narratives, went on till poor
Sam began to wish himself safe out of the country again. They were
crossing a wide plain, with a light soil thickly covered with grass. A
cloud of dust was seen to the right of the direction in which they were
travelling; it increased in extent, and rose higher and higher.
"Be them the niggers coming to murder us?" asked Sam, in a fright.
"If them are niggers, they're big ones, my boy, anyhow," answered Larry,
evasively.
A dull, regular, pounding sound was heard, and at length dark forms were
seen issuing from the cloud of dust--a few first, and then more and
more, resolving themselves into bullocks, black, white, and dun,
galloping on and bellowing with might and main. Horsemen appeared on
either side, like officers on a parade, and with their long whips, which
they kept on cracking like pistol-shots, they kept order among their
unruly charge. Shouting and shrieking, they galloped round from the
rear to the side to bring back any beast which showed an intention of
straying away, their dogs sagaciously rendering them assistance by
barking at the heels of the animals, and turning them back into the
herd. What with the thunder-like bellowing of the cattle and the tramp
of their feet, the shouting of the drivers, the cracking of their whips,
the barking of the dogs, the dust from the ground, and the steam from
the creatures' backs, as, lashing their long tails, they tore onwards,
jostling each other in their course, their sharp horns lowered for the
charge, the approaching herd appeared like some vast army of savage
monsters, rushing on to meet their foes in battle. To draw up out of
their way was impossible, and the travellers soon found themselves
surrounded by the herd; the creatures, however, turned their horns
aside, while the shape of their own heads and the width of their backs
prevented them from running them into their companions in front or on
either side, in spite of the seemingly confused way in which they were
hurrying on. The herd had passed, when two of the principal drivers,
who, in spite of their rough dress and hair-covered countenances,
appeared to be gentlemen, drew up and saluted the Gilpins with "Good
day, friends; whither bound?"
"To Warragong, to take charge of the station," said James.
"I wish you joy," remarked one of the strangers; "you will have no easy
task, I take it. A sad scoundrel has had the management of it for some
time, as we know to our cost, having once employed him. I am afraid,
also, from the sort of men he always gets about him, that you will have
no small trouble with them." The strangers informed them that they were
bound south to the Port Philip district, where there was a great demand
for cattle.
As the evening was approaching, the parties agreed to camp together.
Fires were lighted, the triangles erected, and the pots were soon
boiling, while the quickly made damper was placed under the ashes to
bake for the coming meal. None of the party, however, could keep their
seats by the fire long, without being often summoned to their feet, and
sometimes to their saddles, to drive in the straying bullocks. It
seemed as hard work to keep them together when resting as to drive them
forward, but neither master nor men were disconcerted; they rushed here
and there with shout and song and laughter, till they had brought back
the straying cattle, and then they sat down by the fire, or rolled
themselves up in their blankets, as if nothing had happened. The
Gilpins were sorry to part from their new friends, whose frank, hearty
manners had won their regard. The morning meal of tea, damper, and pork
having been discussed, they rode off in opposite directions.
"Not pleasant information this, our friends gave us last night," said
Arthur. "What can we do?"
"Wait events," answered his brother; "forewarned is forearmed. We will
keep our knowledge to ourselves, though it will be necessary to advise
Green not to trust to any of the men, so as to be led into mischief by
them. Perhaps the accounts of their misconduct may have been
exaggerated."
Travelling in Australia has its disagreeables as well as its agreeables:
there are heavy rains and fogs and sharp winds in winter; and in summer,
scorching blasts and stifling heat, and biting or stinging insects,
flying, and crawling, and hopping, and dust and smoke from bush fires
and the burning trees, and want, at times, of water; but,
notwithstanding these occasional drawbacks, so delightful is the perfect
freedom to be enjoyed, the pure, bright atmosphere, and the general
healthfulness of the climate, that in the opinion of most people the
advantages very greatly preponderate.
The brothers had expected to reach the station in the afternoon, but an
accident to the cart caused some delay, and the sun set before it
appeared in sight. Their black guide, however, assured them that the
intervening country was tolerably level and easy, and that as there were
certain woods he knew well, and a river on the other side, they could
not miss their way. Accordingly they pushed on, though it became so
dark that they began to wish that they had camped at the usual hour.
Suddenly, as they reached the confines of a wood, their horses snorted
and started, and refused to proceed--those in the cart very nearly
upsetting it by turning rapidly round; and, had not Sam caught their
heads, they would have galloped off in an opposite direction. Directly
afterwards, a bright light burst forth from the wood and a spectacle
appeared sufficient to make even a stout heart, with any tendency to
superstitious feelings, tremble. From among the trees, just beyond the
light, appeared, flitting in and out, some twenty or thirty blanched
skeletons, throwing their bony arms and legs with the greatest rapidity
into every conceivable attitude. Now they disappeared in the darkness,
now again they darted into light; round and round they went, now seeming
to sink into the ground, now leaping into the air, and often turning
head over heels. All the time not a sound proceeded from the
phantom-looking dancers. The Gilpins could scarcely help fancying
themselves under some delusion. They rubbed their eyes.
"What is it?" exclaimed Arthur. "Horrible! most horrible! Do you see
the skeletons?"
"Indeed I do," answered his brother; "but such things cannot be--are
not--at all events."
Sam Green had hitherto been engaged with the horses; he now came up to
the point where the hideous spectacle was visible, and no sooner did his
eyes rest on it than he exclaimed, "Run, squires, run! If it was mortal
foes I'd stick by ye; but that's more than any mortal man can dare to
face. Oh! this is a terrible country, where the people cannot lie quiet
in graves, but must needs go skipping about without any flesh on their
bones."
"The hoighth of ondacency!" cried out Larry, in a voice which showed
very little, if any, alarm. "Murra, go and tell your ugly countrymen
that they are frightening the horses, and that they must turn their
other sides to us till we have passed."
This order was given to the guide, who ran fearlessly up to the spot
where the skeleton dance was proceeding, and no sooner did he reach it
than the whole vanished like magic.
"It's only some black fellows dancing a Corroborry," said the Irishman,
laughing; "you needn't be in such a mighty tremble, Sam. We haven't the
shred of a ghost out here; there may be some in the old country, but
they're not fond of the salt sea, and couldn't cross it, not if they
were paid for it, except they came out at the expense of the Government,
like some other honest gintlemen I've heard spake of."
The horses, however, were still very unwilling to proceed, and it was
some time before they could be coaxed past the suspicious spot; they
then set off at increased speed to get away from the object of their
dread. The party pulled up for the black, who came running up. "No
good people," he said, in a low voice; "come here, do bad."
The Gilpins, hearing his remarks, endeavoured to discover the reason of
his supposing that the party of natives they had just passed were badly
disposed, but could elicit no further information from him. It was more
than an hour after this that a glimmering light appeared ahead, which
Murra, the guide, assured them must proceed from the station. It
appeared to be somewhat above them on the hillside, and they soon
afterwards found themselves ascending slightly towards it. They had not
got far, however, before several large dogs flew out, barking furiously,
towards them. They and Larry shouted loudly to the hut-keeper to call
the animals off, but no one appeared, and, the dogs contenting
themselves with barking, they proceeded on to the hut, from the window
of which the light gleamed out. The dogs, still loudly barking, at
length roused up a couple of rough-looking men, who staggered out of the
door, and, one of them holding a lamp, stared stupidly at the
travellers, at the same time that, with loud oaths, he shouted to the
dogs to be quiet.
"Oh! you are strangers," said the least tipsy; "well, you shall have a
stranger's welcome in the bush; and so you may just go and turn out your
horses, and then come and get what you can inside."
"We've come to take charge of the station," said James, rather nettled;
"so, my men, I rather think that it is your duty to see and make
yourselves useful to us."
"Ho! ho! Pretty sort of masters you'd make over us!" cried the man,
holding up the light in their faces. "To my mind, you'd better go back
to them that sent you."
This was even a worse reception than they had expected; but, perceiving
that the man was very drunk, they saw that it would not be wise to
irritate him.
"Well, my man," said James, calmly, "we have pushed on here in the hopes
of being welcomed, but all we will ask now is a supper and a night's
rest."
"As you speak us fair, we'll treat you fair, whoever you may be," said
the man. "Come in; the kettle is boiling, and there's a damper or two
ready under the ashes."
The cart having been placed close to the hut, the horses were
unharnessed and unsaddled and turned out to pick up their supper, and
the whole party were soon collected in the hut. The interior showed
evident signs of a late debauch. There was a rough table in the centre
covered with tobacco-ashes, a broken black cutty, or pipe, some battered
tin mugs, and a couple of empty spirit bottles on their sides, while
under it lay a couple of men fast asleep, and another in the corner.
Some kicks from the shoe of their more sober companion, who had brought
the newly arrived party in, roused them up; and he then proceeded to
eject them, telling them to go to Bateman's hut, where they would find
shelter. Grumbling, they staggered out, except two, who were too far
gone to move. The hut was, as might have been expected, in a very dirty
and untidy condition--so dirty, indeed, that the Gilpins were
contemplating camping outside, when Larry, going out, reported that a
storm was brewing, and proceeded forthwith to bring the contents of the
cart inside. A plentiful though roughly cooked supper was soon on the
table to which all hands did ample justice. The hut was a long, narrow
building, with the entrance door towards one end, where the mud-built
fireplace was formed and the table stood. In the further end were some
bunks, or standing bed-places, and the stores were piled up. Larry
placed the articles he had brought in the cart across the hut, so as
more effectually to screen off the inner end. He and the hut-keeper,
whom he addressed as Jonas Knoll, appeared to be old acquaintances, but
very few words passed between them. For the first time since they had
landed, the Gilpins lay down to rest with a feeling that they were not
as safe as they would have been in their own home in England.
Before Larry lay down, after the hut-keeper had gone to sleep, they
observed that he put fresh grease into the lamp and trimmed the wick.
More than once James awoke and looked around; everybody in the hut
appeared to be sleeping soundly. The two stockmen and the hut-keeper
especially were snoring loudly, and not a sound from the outside was
heard. "It is wrong to be giving way to fear," he said to himself.
"These coarse fellows have been indulging, according to their tastes, in
a debauch, and were annoyed at being interrupted. They would scarcely
dare to harm us even if they wished it. We must keep a tight rein on
them and a careful watch on their proceedings, without allowing them to
discover that they are especially observed, and we shall do well."
The next morning the hut-keepers and stockmen belonging to the
headquarters of the station made their appearance, sobered, and
tolerably respectful in their manner; though there was an expression in
their eyes and a tone in their voices which made the young managers
believe that it would take but little to make them break out into open
mutiny. They were, however, surprised at Larry's changed manner. There
was an impudent swagger in all he did, and when ordered to perform any
duty, he invariably replied in a way which made his companions laugh,
though he executed the order with promptness. He seemed to be on
familiar terms with all the people on the station, and to be a favourite
among them. The brothers at once saw that there was much to do, and
many alterations to be made in every direction about the station. The
huts were in a dilapidated condition--the one intended for their
residence was so dirty as to be scarcely habitable; the stock-yards
required repair; and, worse than all, the books were so badly kept that
it was almost impossible to ascertain the number and state of the stock,
either of cattle, sheep, or horses, or of the stores. The overseer was
absent--gone to a distant run--so they took possession of the books,
which had been left carelessly out, with the intention of verifying them
with the actual state of things. Having made the necessary extracts,
they locked them up and started on horseback, accompanied by Sam, whose
practised eye was likely to prove of great assistance in numbering the
flocks of sheep and herds of cattle which were to be inspected. They
had not made their intention known, and, just as they were starting,
they summoned the most civil-looking of the stockmen, and ordered him to
mount his horse and accompany them as a guide. As every flock is named,
they had no difficulty in indicating the flock they wished to visit; but
they did not tell him till they had got some way from the station, so
that he would have no opportunity of communicating with his companions
should he suspect their designs. Arrived at a run, they immediately
called the shepherd, and ordered him to make his flock pass before them,
when they took careful note of their numbers, appearance, and general
condition. Having done so, they put spurs to their horses and galloped
off to the next run. As they had a pocket compass and had been
furnished with a rough map of the country, they had no difficulty in
assuring themselves that their guide was conducting them aright. The
shepherds and stock-keepers looked puzzled, and as not a single remark
of approval or disapproval was uttered, they could not make up their
minds how to proceed. Several of them would have given much to peep
into the notebook which those quiet-looking young men held in their
hands. Refreshing themselves and their steeds at a stock-keeper's hut,
they returned home late in the evening, satisfied that a large amount of
rascality had been going forward, and that it would require great
judgment and determination on their part to put matters to right. The
next day and the following were employed in the same manner. Each day
confirmed them more and more in their opinion. For the present,
however, they could only watch the proceedings of the men under them.
They could not dismiss the whole of them, nor could they ascertain who
were the most guilty. That the overseer was a great scoundrel they had
no doubt, and they therefore agreed that he must at once be got rid of.
James had written an account of the state of things to Mr Prentiss, but
doubted whether to entrust it to Larry Killock, who had so completely
identified himself with the other men, that they thought it probable he
might give it to them to read, and so put them on their guard. They
were still in this state of doubt when the time arrived for Larry to
take his departure. They were sitting in the hut at supper, the work of
the day over, no one but Sam being near, when the Irishman put his head
in at the door. Looking round, and assuring himself that they were the
only occupants of the building, he approached them with his former civil
manner.
"It's all pretence, yer honours," he whispered, with his hand to his
nose. "They're big rascals, every mother's son of them; and I'd give my
right hand to be allowed to stop, if I thought that they'd be doing you
any mischief; but I don't think they'll dare to work you harm. The
worst of them hasn't come yet, and when he does, he'll try to make you
believe that he's the most honest man alive. But, whist, there's some
one coming. If you'd have the goodness to kick me out of the hut, and
call me an impudent thief of the world, it would keep up appearances."
The brothers heartily thanked the Irishman; but were not obliged to
fulfil his last request, as he managed to run out of the hut before any
one appeared. The following evening, while they were sitting as before,
at supper, a horse's hoofs were heard approaching, and soon afterwards a
man of middle age, dressed in the usual rough costume of the bush,
unceremoniously entered the hut, and, eyeing them with a scrutinising
glance, drew up a stool and seated himself at the table.
"The new managers, I presume, Mr --- I beg your pardon--I forget your
name," he began, in a supercilious tone. "You have stolen a march on
me, and I conclude that I am to be superseded."
"That probably will not rest with us," said James. "I suppose that if
the trustees of the property find that we can manage it to their
satisfaction without help, they will not consider themselves justified
in retaining your services."
The overseer, Mr Basham, as he was called, was very unlike the person
they expected to see. The shape of his features was remarkably good,
though the expression was unsatisfactory; his figure was light and wiry,
and capable of enduring considerable fatigue; and his manners were those
of a gentleman, marred somewhat by rough companions and the hard life he
had led. He saw at once that the young men with whom he had to deal,
though inferior to him in knowledge of the world, possessed an
uprightness and firmness of character with which he could not trifle.
He would much have liked to have entrapped them by offering them a share
of his profits, but that plan, it was evident, would not answer with
them. Still he trusted that some way might be found of securing what he
had obtained, if not for making more.
"Well, well, gentlemen, I have always been an unfortunate person, and so
we'll drop the subject, and discuss what is taking place in the great
world."
Without more ado he did turn the subject, and showed that he was a man
of considerable information, and had received a superior education.
This only made him the more difficult to deal with. Though he was now
free, they suspected strongly that he had been a convict. They could
scarcely believe that with his abilities he would not otherwise have
been employed in some higher position. After their inspection of the
runs, they had been engaged for a day in turning everything out of the
hut, and in having it thoroughly cleansed. They then re-arranged the
furniture and contents, according to their own taste. For several days
after Mr Basham's return they saw him hunting about the hut in search
of something, and at last he asked them if they had seen his books.
James at once replied that he had, according to the direction of the
trustees, taken possession of them, and should keep them till he
received directions to the contrary. He shrugged his shoulders as he
observed, "My hard fate again! And so, I suppose, if anything goes
wrong, those books are to be brought as evidence against me, though I
may be as innocent as the babe unborn." There was a sinister expression
in his countenance as he spoke, of which he was probably unaware, but
which convinced the young managers that they must be careful how they
dealt with him till they could receive authority from Sydney to dismiss
him.
In spite of all their vigilance and activity, things continued to go on
wrong. Sheep disappeared, carried off by dingoes, or by the native
blacks; the shepherds asserted that cattle strayed, and could not be
recovered; and two valuable horses, intended to be sent to Sydney, for
shipment to India, were missing. More than once the brothers were
inclined to wish that they had commenced as squatters on their own
account in a small way, with only a few honest men around them; yet,
having undertaken their present task, they were not the men to shrink
from it. They came to the determination, however, not to embark any of
their own small capital till they had got everything to rights, and men
under them in whom they could place confidence. At length the
looked-for authority arrived to dismiss, not only Mr Basham, but any of
the men who might behave ill, or be suspected of malpractices; it being
suggested that, as trustworthy men were difficult to procure, it would
be injudicious to proceed on light grounds, at the same time, as proof
positive would in many cases be impossible, it would not be necessary to
wait till it was found. This was throwing a large amount of
responsibility on their shoulders, but they determined to do their duty.
Mr Basham received his dismissal with great coolness; but again his
features assumed the expression the Gilpins had before observed. He
claimed as his own a couple of fine horses, and, placing his personal
property on one of these and bestriding the other, early the next
morning he rode off, the last glance of his cold, grey eye leaving an
impression which for many a day remained fixed on the minds of the
brothers.