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

Volume 2 Chapter 71 (Finding The Buried Treasure) Pg 169

Something To Drink Likewise, Or Else We'd Have Fits, And Like As Not

Kill Each Other. No, No, We Can't Stand A Siege And Hope To Escape, And

I Think What I Have Proposed Is The Very Best Plan."

 

We Hardly Knew What Reply To Make Our Acquaintance, Who Seemed

Determined To Run His Head Into The Lion's Den, But The Thought Suddenly

Struck Mr. Brown That If The Shepherd Meant To Thus Expose His Life He

Deserved To Get Large Pay For It, And As My Friend Was One Of Those Kind

Of Men Who Liked To Have Every Thing Understood, He Considered That It

Was His Duty To Touch On That Particular Point, And Find Out What His

Views Really Were.

 

"We Could Afford To Pay Something For The Risk That's Run, In Case You

Undertook The Task, But We Are Not Rich By Any Means, Although You May

Think So By Our Appearance," My Friend Said, With A Complaisant Glance

At His Person, Which He Imagined Was Dignified, Forgetful That He Had

Dismissed The Uniform Of An Inspector, And Wore Nothing But A Flannel

Shirt And Duck Trousers.

 

"Humph," Muttered The Ghost. "I Should Almost Be Ashamed To Change

Places With Either Of You. As For Reward, First Wait Till I Ask For One.

I Will Promise Not To Claim Any Thing More Expensive Than A Bottle Of

Brandy, And A Few Pipes Of 'Bacca, And Those I Shan't Ask For Unless You

Come This Way Again, Which Isn't Likely."

 

"If We Don't Come We Can Send," Cried Mr. Brown, Eagerly, "And I Promise

That You Shall Have A Gallon Of As Good Brandy, And Half A Dozen Pounds

As Good Tobacco As Can Be Found In Ballarat, If You Can Get Those D----D

Bushrangers Clear Of This Part Of The Country So That We Can Escape.

There They Go Again, With Their Eternal _Co-Hoo-Pe._ What In The Devil's

Name Do They Mean By That, I Wonder?"

 

"It Is The Signal For Them To Extend, And Keep A Sharp Lookout," I

Replied, Recollecting The Signal Perfectly Well, Having Heard It Many

Times.

 

"Then I Have No Time To Waste, As The Funeral Undertaker Said, When Told

That The Body In The House Would Come To Life If Left Unburied," Cried

The Ghost, Beginning To Strip Off His Sheepskins With Nervous Haste.

"I'm To Have The Liquor And 'Bacca, Mind."

 

I Joined Mr. Brown In Assuring Him That We Would Freely Keep Our Word;

And After Day Had Drained The Last Drop Of Liquor That We Had With Us,

He Boldly Started On His Dangerous Undertaking, And We Watched His Form

As He Walked Over The Peninsula, And Reached The Main Land, With More

Than Ordinary Interest.

 

Suddenly He Stopped, Before Reaching The Woods, And Applying His Hands

To His Mouth, He Uttered A Word That Is Well Known To Stockmen Of

Australia.

 

"Co-Hee," He Shouted, And It Seemed As Though The Sound Could Be Heard

For Miles, So Sharp And Shrill Was It.

 

Volume 2 Chapter 71 (Finding The Buried Treasure) Pg 170

In An Instant The Various Cries Which The Bushrangers Had Uttered Were

Hushed, And The Robbers Seemed Surprised At The Sudden Call, Which They

Knew Did Not Belong To Their Party.

 

Once More The Shepherd Placed His Hands To His Mouth, And Gave The

Shrill Cry Of--"Co-Hee."

 

I Never Heard A Yell That Sounded So Distinct, And Which Seemed To

Travel Such A Distance. I Venture To Say, That If A Person Had Been Upon

The Summit Of Mount Tarrengower, He Could Have Recognized The Call, And

Had He Answered, We Should Have Heard It.

 

Day, Apparently Satisfied With What He Had Done, Rested Upon His Honors,

And Waited For The Finale Of His Adventures, And He Was Not Long Kept In

Suspense, For The Bushrangers, After A Brief Reconnoitre From Behind

Trees And Bushes, Suddenly Debouched Into The Open Plain, And Advanced

Towards The Seemingly Unconscious Shepherd At A Rapid Rate, And Foremost

In The Group, I Recognized The Dark Features Of Sam Tyrell, The Leader.

 

"Who Are You, That Answers Our Calls Like A Man Lost On The Plains?"

Demanded Sam, Throwing His Gun Into The Hollow Of His Arm, As Though He

Meant Mischief If Provoked.

 

"That's A Pretty Question For You Coveys To Ask, After Eating My Mutton

As Long As You Have," Replied Day. "I'm A Shepherd, And Belong To This

Station, And Am Now Looking After My Pet Ram That Got Away From The

Flock Some Time During The Night, And I'm Afeard He's Missed. You Coveys

Ain't Seen Him, Have You?"

 

The Leader Shook His Head In A Negative Manner, And Seemed To Entertain

No Suspicion In Regard To Day's Doings The Night Before.

 

"I Want To Find The Ram, 'Cos He's A Valuable One, And Cost The Owner Of

The Stock Considerable Money, But I'll Be Blamed If I Stay Round Here

Long, Ram Or No Ram."

 

"Suppose We Refuse To Let You Leave Us?" Asked Sam, Rather Gruffly.

 

"I Don't Care About, Leaving, As Long As You Stay," Replied Day, With

Perfect Assurance, And Here He Looked Over His Shoulder, As Though He

Feared To See Something At His Elbow That Would Prove Disagreable, "But

I Don't Visit This Spot Often, And When I Do Come, 'Tain't In The Night

Time, You Had Better Believe."

 

This Confession Seemed To Awaken An Interest In The Bushrangers, For

They Crowded Round Day As Though Desirous Of An Explanation; And From

The Point Of Our Observation, Carefully Concealed By Rank Grass And

Rough Rocks, We Could Observe The Gang Whisper To Each Other, And Look

At The Shepherd, As Though He Could Give An Explanation If He Was

Disposed To.

 

"What Do You Mean By Your Hints And Frightened Looks?" Demanded The

Leader, In A Tone That Was Intended To Act As A Warning, In Case Day

Should Attempt To Deceive.

Volume 2 Chapter 71 (Finding The Buried Treasure) Pg 171

 

"O, What Is The Bloody Use Of My Telling You Coveys Any Thing?" The

Shepherd Answered. "You Fellers Who Don't Care For The Devil, Wouldn't

Believe Me, And I Should Only Get Laughed At. Have You Seen My Ram?"

 

"Blast Your Ram," Cried Sam, With An Impatient Air. "We Want To Know

What You Mean By Saying That You Have Seen Strange Sights?"

 

"Did I Say That I Had?" Inquired Day, Casting A Rapid Glance Towards The

Woods, As Though He Feared The Appearance Of A Horrid Spectre.

 

"We Are Not To Be Trifled With, Shepherd," And As The Leader Spoke, He

Made A Motion With His Gun That Was Very Significant, And Day Understood

It, Although He Manifested No Signs Of Disquietude.

 

"Is It Possible," Our Friend Asked, "That You Have Never Heard Of The

Hunter Of Mount Tarrengower? A Huge Spectre That Rides On A White Horse

Sometimes, And Who Threatens With Death All Who Invade His Sacred

Retreats. I Have Never Seen The Ghost, But One Of My Brother Stockmen

Has, And He Told Me That He Would Not Look Upon The Like Again For The

Station, Stock And All."

 

"Why Does He Frequent This Spot In Preference To Others?" Demanded The

Leader Of The Gang, Who Seemed To Be Interested In The Story In Spite Of

His Assumed Indifference.

 

"O, An Old Stockman Once Told Me That A Shepherd Was Roasted Near These

Diggings By A Gang Of Bushrangers, Who Wanted Him To Give Up Some Money

That He Had. The Covey Was Stuffy, And Refused, Or Else He Hadn't Got

Any, I Don't Know Which Is The Right Story, But This I Am Positive Of,

I'd Sooner Give Up All I Was Worth Than Be Burned At The Stake."

 

"Perhaps The Reason Is, You Are Worth Nothing," Suggested Sam, After A

Brief Survey Of The Speaker.

 

"You Have Hit The Nail Of The Coffin On Its Head This Time," Chuckled

Day. "I Don't See A Sovereign From One Year's End To T'other, And Don't

'Spect To Till My Time Has Expired, So That I Can Work For Myself."

 

"You Are A Ticket Of Leave Man, Then?" Demanded Sam, With More Feeling

Than He Had Shown During The Interview.

 

"Well, If I Wasn't I Shouldn't Be Here, Working For Thirty Pounds A

Year, When There's Gold To Be Dug For The Mere Paying Of A License. No,

No, Just Wait Till I Can Call Myself My Own Master, And Then The Sheep

And Stock May Go To The Devil, For All That I Care."

 

"Can't You Tell Us Something More About The Ghost?" Asked One Of The

Men, Who Seemed To Take An Especial Interest In Day's Narrative.

 

"Well, I Don't Like To Talk About The Matter, 'Cos 'Tis Said That The

Old Feller Visits Those Who Are Too Intimate With His Name. My Comrade,

Who Is At The Other End Of The Station, Told Me Once That He Saw The

Hunter When He Was All In A Blaze, And That When He Spoke The Ghost And

Volume 2 Chapter 71 (Finding The Buried Treasure) Pg 172

Flames Disappeared. I Don't Believe Half What He Tells Me Though, 'Cos I

'Spose He Tries To Frighten Me, But I've Got As Much Courage As He Has,

Any Day."

 

There Was A Breathless Silence For A Few Moments, And The Robbers Seemed

To Be Digesting The Story Which They Had Listened To. We Could See Them

Whispering Together, And Apparently Were Disposed To Believe What The

Shepherd Had Said.

 

"Here Are The Prints Of Horses Feet," Sam Exclaimed, Pointing To The

Ground. "Have You Seen Horsemen In This Vicinity Lately?"

 

"Heaven Forbid," Cried Day. "The Only Horse That Visits These Parts Is

Rode By The Hunter."

 

"Then We Will Give Him Fire To Light Him On His Way," Exclaimed Sam,

With A Forced Laugh, And Calling His Men He Turned And Walked Towards

His Late Encampment, And Was Soon Lost To View.

 

His Gang Followed Close At