The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) - William H. Thomes (large screen ebook reader txt) 📗

The Occasion."

 

The Remark Did Not Meet The Approval Of Mr. Brown, Who Was Disposed To

Argue The Matter, But I Cut The Discussion Short By Recommending

Silence, For Fear Of A Party Of Scouts Overhearing Our Conversation,

When Not Even The Spectral Appearance Of The Shepherd Could Have Saved

Us From A Speedy Death.

 

"You Are Right," Replied The Ghost, With A Grave Shake Of His Horny

Head; "We Can't Be Too Cautious Now, For We Don't Know Who Is Near Us."

 

By The Time We Reached The Main Land, The Ghost Whispered That He Would

Lead The Way, And Strike Terror Into The Hearts Of All Who Dared To Look

Upon Him; And I Think That He Was As Good As His Word, For No Sooner

Did The Horses Got A Glimpse Of His White Form Than There Was A

Desperate Attempt At A Stampede; Had Not Our Animals Been Securely

Fastened To Palm Trees By Stout Ropes We Probably Never Should Have Seen

Or Heard Of Them Again.

 

"Keep Back," Cried Mr. Brown, Who Was Endeavoring To Restrain His Gray

Horse From Breaking Away. "Don't Come Near The Animals, Or They Will

Make More Noise Than A Hundred Bushrangers."

 

The Shepherd Obeyed The Order With A Chuckle Of Delight, Looking Upon

The Fright Of The Horses As The Greatest Compliment That Could Be Paid

Him, On The Ground That Animals Were Far Better Judges Of Supernatural

Characters Than Men.

 

After We Had Tamed The Brutes, We Quickly Gathered Up Our Blankets And

Volume 2 Chapter 69 (The Ghost And The Bushrangers) Pg 155

Provisions, And Then Replaced The Pack Upon The Horse And Started

Towards The Island. We Were Hastened Somewhat In Our Movement By A Sound

Which My Experience Told Me Was A Signal Much Used By Bushrangers When

Desirous Of Calling In Or Extending Their Scouts. I Had Heard It Before,

When First On My Way To The Mines From Melbourne, And I Could Not Help,

In Spite Of All The Trials And Difficulties That Surrounded Me, From

Recalling Those Days, And Wondering How We Escaped Being Cut Off To A

Man By Black Darnley And His Gang.

 

"Drive On The Horses As Fast As Possible," Whispered The Shepherd.

 

"Them 'Ere Parrot Crawings Means, Is The Coast Clear?"

 

I Needed No Urging, Knowing As I Did That The Pretended Squaking Of

Parrots Was Produced By Human Beings, But Hardly Had The Shepherd

Spoken, When Away Off To Our Left The Cry Was Taken Up.

 

"That's An Answer," Cried Day, Listening Attentively. "They Report All

Right As Yet."

 

By This Time We Had Reached The Bridge, And Sought To Urge Our Animals

To Cross, But They Had Some Experience With The Bogs Of Australia, And

Stoutly Refused To Trust Themselves On Such A Narrow Strip Of Earth. We

Were Almost In Despair Of Saving The Brutes, And To Add To Our Anxiety,

We Could Hear The Bushrangers' Signals From All Parts Of The Forest, As

The Scouts Gradually Closed In To Join The Main Body, Who Were, I

Doubted Not, Feasting On Mutton, For The Perfume Of Boiled Meat Greeted

Us, Wafted Towards The Island By A Light Breeze Which Was Hardly Strong

Enough To Dispel The Clouds Of Mosquitoes Hovering Over Us, Ferocious

For Blood, And Tantalizing Enough To Drive Men Frantic With Agony.

 

"You Won't Get The Horses To Cross Until You Cover Their Eyes," The

Ghost Said. "They Have Probably Been Mired Some Time Or Other, And Know

A Bog As Well As You. Don't Waste Precious Time By Fooling With The

Animals."

 

We Thought The Advice Was Good, And We Adopted It Without Delay, By

Tying Our Pocket Handkerchiefs Over The Eyes Of The Animals, And In This

Condition I Led My Horse Over The Bridge, Followed By Mr. Brown With The

Packed Animal The Ghost, Having Removed His Head Gear, Held The Gray

While We Were So Employed.

 

We Were Obliged To Proceed With Great Caution, For Fear Of A Mis-Step On

The Part Of The Animals, But Fortunately We Reached The Island Without

An Accident, But As We Did So We Heard A Shrill Croak From Beneath The

Very Palms Where We Had Encamped. The Call Was Repeated In A Dozen

Different Directions, And Then All Was Quiet, And Not The Rustling Of A

Leaf Could Be Heard To Show That A Large Body Of Men Were All Tending To

One Point To Investigate The Cause Of The Alarm, And Study Over The

Mysteries Of Our Encampment.

 

We Secured Our Animals In A Small Valley At The Further End Of The

Island, And Then Returned Cautiously To The Bridge For The Purpose Of

Relieving The Ghost Of His Distress, But, To Our Surprise, Mr. Brown's

Volume 2 Chapter 69 (The Ghost And The Bushrangers) Pg 156

Gray Horse And The Supernatural Gentleman Were Not To Be Seen.

 

"If The D----D Humbug Has Not Run Off With My Horse!" Muttered My

Friend, Indignant At His Loss.

 

"I Don't Believe It," I Replied; "He Has Probably Retired To The Shade

Of Those Palm Trees, Seeing That No Chance Presented Itself For Getting

The Animal To Us."

 

"I Hope So," Mr. Brown Said, "But Fear The Fellow Is A Horse Thief, And

Having Accomplished His Object, Will Never Return To This Locality."

 

I Didn't Think So, But There Was No Use Attempting To Convince Mr. Brown

Of His Error, And While We Were Discussing The Matter, We Had The

Supreme Dissatisfaction Of Seeing Ten Well-Armed Men _Debouch_ From The

Group Of Palm Trees, And, With Heads Bent To The Ground, Follow The

Tracks Of Our Horses Towards The Bridge.

 

"We Are In A Pretty Condition For A Siege," Muttered My Friend As He

Thought Of The Bushrangers Attempting To Starve Us Into A Surrender,

Knowing Very Well That They Would Never Attack Us In Our Almost

Invulnerable Position.

 

"Be Quiet, And Let Us Watch Their Motions," I Replied.

 

We Were Not So Far From The Main Land But We Could Hear Every Word If

Spoken In An Ordinary Tone, For, As I Said Before, The Night Was

Unusually Calm And Quiet.

 

"D----N It, Don't I Know A Horse's Track From A Bullock's?" We Heard One

Of The Bushrangers Say, As Though He Was Remonstrating With His

Companions. "I Tell You Here's The Prints Of Three Horses' Feet, And

I'll Leave It To Any Native In Australia. I've Taken Lessons From 'Em In

My Lifetime, I Have."

 

If The Fellow's Story Was Correct, He Could Not Have Learned From A More

Patient Race, For The Australians Can Track A Man Through A Wilderness,

And Can See Signs Of Footprints That A European Would Never Discover. If

A Blade Of Grass Is Turned, The Native Stops And Examines It, And Can

Tell Within A Few Hours The Length Of Time That Has Expired Since It Was

Trodden On. If Half A Dozen Grains Of Sand Are Displaced From The

Burning Prairies, The Native Sets Himself At Work, And Can Tell What

Kind Of An Animal Has Passed That Way, And Whether Fat Or Lean, Alarmed

Or Unconcerned. They Can Find Their Way Through A Wilderness, And Resist

Hunger And Thirst With Marvellous Fortitude; And While Others Sink Under

The Influence Of Burning Heat, The Native Australian, With Head Bare,

Seems To Court The Rays Of The Sun, And Moves Along With A Steady Step,

And Without A Word Of Complaint.

 

I No Longer Wondered At The Assurance Of The Bushranger When He

Proclaimed Himself A Disciple Of Australian Barbarians.

 

"Will Any Man In His Senses Believe That The Horses Have Crossed That

Narrow Strip?" Demanded One Of The Fellows, Pointing To The Bridge; "I

Know The Horses Of This Country Too Well To Believe That They Like Bogs

So Well As To Venture There."

 

"I Tell You That Two Of The Horses Have Crossed To That Island!" Cried

The First Speaker, After Stooping Down And Examining The Ground; "Here,

See For Yourself!"

 

The Robbers Gathered Around The Spot Indicated, And We Could Hear Them

Converse In Low Tones For A Few Minutes, And Look Suspiciously Towards

The Island, Where We Were Hid From Observation By A Number Of Large

Rocks.

 

"If Two Of The Horses Has Gone To The Island, Whar Is The Other?" Cried

A Voice, More Gruff And Savage Than The Others.

 

No One Seemed Disposed To Answer That Question, And For A Few Seconds

There Was A Profound Silence.

 

"I Tell You What It Is, Coveys, I Don't Care About Staying In This

Neighborhood Long, 'Cos I Heard A Brother Pal Say Once, That Ever Since

Old Buckerly Was Knocked On The Head He Has Wandered Round Here With A

Sheet Of Flame In One Hand, A Spear In The Other, And A Pair Of Horns On

His Head, To Show That He Was In The Cattle Trade When Finished."

 

There Was A Faint Laugh At The Suspicious Man's Story, But I Noticed

That Their Expressions Of Mirth Were Not Overflowing.

 

"Pooh! You Don't Believe Such D----D Lies, Do You?" One Fellow Asked.

 

"Never You Mind What I Believe," Said The Story Teller, With A

Dogmatical Emphasis.

 

"Well, We Had Better Be Doing Something, Or Else Return To The Camp And

Get A Bit To Eat; I'm Tired Of Tramping All Day And Getting No Plunder,"

Cried One, Who Didn't Seem To Be In A Good Humor.

 

"Hullo! One Horse Went Off In This Direction!" Cried The Fellow Who Was

Following Up The Trail.

 

The Gang Gathered Round The Speaker, And Satisfied Themselves That Such

Was The Case, And Then We Could See Them Gazing With Some Degree Of

Apprehension Upon The Dark Palms.

 

"Who's Going There To Make A Search?" One Asked.

 

"Not I," Said One.

 

"Nor I."

 

"Nor I."

 

"Fools, Are You Afraid Of Your Own Shadows?" Demanded One Robber, More

Bold Than The Others.

 

"I Don't Fear Any Man, If He Comes At Me Single, But I Don't Like

Fighting With The Devil And His Imps!" Exclaimed The Superstitious

Bushranger, And I Judged That A Majority Of His Comrades Sided With His

Idea, And Seemed Much More Disposed To Return To Camp Than To Weary

Themselves With A Search For Unknown Foes.

 

"You Know What The Cap'n Will Say If We Go Back Without A Good Report.

It's Easier For Us To Work Now, Than To Scout Over The Whole Ground

Again," We Heard The Man Who Had Followed The Trail Say.

 

"Yes, But Why Don't He Take Some Work And Do It?" Demanded Another, Who

Was Disposed To Grumble At The Order Of Things.

 

"You Had Better Ask Him," Some One Answered, Dryly.

 

"Not I," Was The Response; "I Value My Head Too Dearly."

 

The Others Laughed, And For A Few Minutes Held A Whispered Conversation,

The Burden Of Which Seemed To Be That There Was Something Concealed

Beneath The Branches Of The Palm Trees, And That It Was Advisable To

Make An Examination As Soon As Possible, But No One Was Disposed To Lead

The Way, For Reasons--First, If An Enemy, And Well Armed, He Could

Easily Kill Two Or Three Of His Assailants Before Discovery, And Second,

The Robbers Were Not Sure But That There Was Truth In The Story Of Their

Comrade Concerning The Ghost Of Buckerly, And If There Was, They Did Not

Care About An Encounter With A Spirit From The Other World, Who Was

Proof Against Powder, Steel, And Lead.

 

While They Were Still