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

Quite A Respectable Building, Two Stories High,

With Flat Roof, And Constructed Entirely Of Rough Logs, Yet Fitted

Together With Considerable Pretensions To Skill And Nicety.

 

On The Roof, To Keep Out The Rain, And To Prevent The Bushrangers Or

Natives From Setting Fire With Burning Arrows, Was Dirt About A Foot

Deep, And Sodded Over With Turf. The Body Of The Building, We Could See,

Was Full Of Loopholes, And Commanded Every Approach, And There Was No

Tree Or Outhouse Sufficiently Near To Interfere With This Arrangement,

Or Any Unequal Ground Which A Foe Could Take Advantage Of.

 

At Some Distance To The Left Of The Castle, As Mr. Brown Facetiously

Called It, Were Three Immense Pens, One Filled With Sheep, And The

Others With Horses And Other Animals, And I Judged There Were As Many

Dogs On The Outside Of The Pens As There Were Rams On The Inside, For

The Instant We Appeared In Sight We Were Greeted With Such Frightfully

Discordant Yelling And Barking That I Began To Fancy We Must Indeed

Present A Woeful Spectacle, Or We Never Should Be Saluted By Such

Vindictive Sounds. Still, Not A Shadow Of A Human Being Did We Discover,

And I Began To Think That The Bushrangers Had Made A Descent, Murdered

Those Connected With The Farm, And Then Escaped, When I Was Suddenly

Convinced Of My Error By Hearing The Report Of A Musket, And An Ounce

Ball Whizzed By My Head And Struck The Ground About Ten Rods In The Rear

Of Us.

 

"That Says, Stop Where You Are, Plain Enough," Remarked Day, Checking

His Horse; An Example Which We Were Not Slow In Following.

 

"But If We Remain Here We Shall Get No Supper," I Remarked.

 

"That Is The Truest Word That You Ever Uttered," Cried Mr. Brown, With A

Grin, At Our Predicament.

 

"Will You Go Forward, Day, And Let Mr. Wright Know That We Are Friends?"

I Asked; But The Shepherd Shook His Head, And Declined, And Manifested A

Willingness To Retreat From The Neighborhood Of The House, Although I

Will Do Him The Justice Of Stating That He Showed No Signs Of Fear.

 

"Look At The Cowards At The Windows Of The House," Cried Mr. Brown; And

Sure Enough, The Inmates Of The Building Had Thrown Open The Iron

Shutters, And Were Gazing At Us With Some Curiosity, Although I Noticed

That Each Man Held A Musket In His Hand For Fear Of Surprise.

 

"I Wouldn't Refuse To Speak With All The Bushrangers In Australia, If I

Had A Fortress Like That To Retreat Into," Muttered Mr. Brown, With A

Smile Of Contempt.

 

"Let Us Cross The Lodden, And Find The Hawkswood Station," Suggested

Day, "I'll Warrant That We Shall Get Something To Eat, And Perhaps A

Drink Of Rum There. I've Had A Taste Of The Hospitality Of That Place

More Than Once."

 

I Was Almost Resolved To Follow The Advice, But A Look At The Heavens

Volume 2 Chapter 73 (Arrival At Mr. Wright's Station.) Pg 185

Convinced Me That We Should Have Rain Before Many Hours, Owing,

Probably, To The Fire Which Was Raging At A Distance, As Fiercely As

Ever, And Night Was Nearly Upon Us. Besides, I Began To Feel Really

Exhausted For The Want Of Food And Rest, And I Was Fearful That If Day

Should Miss The Trail We Might Wander About Until Daylight, And Still Be

Some Distance From The Place We Were In Search Of.

 

With These Opinions I Combated Both Mr. Brown And Day, And Made An

Impression, For The Former Exclaimed Pettishly, That If I Was Desirous

Of Remaining, I Might Devise Some Way Of Giving Mr. Wright And His

Numerous Proteges Intelligence Of Our Honesty. The Task Was A Difficult

One, But I Scorned To Be At A Loss For Expedients.

 

In The Bosom Of My Shirt I Had A Handkerchief, Made Of India Silk, And

Of A Yellow Color, But At A Short Distance It Appeared White, And I

Thought It Would Answer For A Flag Of Truce. Therefore, Before My

Companions Were Aware Of My Intention, I Flourished The Handkerchief

Over My Head, And Galloped At A Moderate Pace Towards The House,

Expecting Every Moment That I Should Get A Shot For My Recklessness, But

I Intended, If There Was Any Firing, To Wait Until The Farmers Were

Satisfied That I Meant Honestly, Provided, Of Course, I Escaped Getting

Hit, Of Which I Was In Some Fear, I Must Confess.

 

Luckily For My Safety, Mr. Brown And Day Remained Where I Left Them, And

Were Watching My Movements With Some Curiosity, And Considerable

Anxiety. Had They Advanced Towards The House At The Same Moment As

Myself, We Should All Have Bitten The Dust, And Rich Pickings The

Stockmen Would Have Had Emptying Our Pockets, And Boasting Of Their

Exploits In Shooting Three Men With But A Single Effective Revolver To

Defend Themselves.

 

On I Galloped, Waving My Handkerchief In Token Of Friendship, And

Exciting Dismal Howls From The Canine Brutes, Whom I Expected Every

Moment Would Desert Their Flocks And Attack Me, But I Afterwards

Understood That The Dogs Were So Well Trained That No Amount Of

Temptation Could Induce Them From Their Charges. Had It Been Otherwise,

My Gallant Horse Would Have Had To Put His Speed To Good Account, Tired

As He Was.

 

When Within Three Rods Of The House, I Halted, And Prepared For A Parley

With The Garrison, And I Was The More Ready To Commence It, From The

Simple Circumstance Of Seeing About A Dozen Old Muskets Pointed At Me,

And The Holders Of The Same Glancing Along The Barrels, As Though

Meaning Mischief.

 

"Can You Give Me And My Friends Supper And Lodgings To-Night?" I Asked,

Addressing The Crowd, Seeing No One That I Supposed Was In Authority.

 

"Go Away Wid Ye, Ye Thaves And Murderers," Cried A Voice, "Rich With

Brogue," And I Could Not Help Laughing In The Fellow's Face At The

Answer.

 

"We Will Pay You Well For Our Entertainment," I Continued, After I Had

Sufficiently Recovered My Composure.

Volume 2 Chapter 73 (Arrival At Mr. Wright's Station.) Pg 186

 

"Will Ye Lave, Yer Blackguard?" Demanded The First Speaker, Shaking His

Old Gun At Me, And Motioning For Me To Depart As Soon As Possible.

 

"We Have Been Without Food All Day," I Continued, "And, After Escaping

The Dangers Of The Burning Plains, It Seems Hard To Be Driven Away From

A Christian's Door Like Dogs."

 

"It's A Pity, So It Is, That Ye Wasn't Consumed In That Same Fire. Away

Wid Ye, And Don't Bother Honest People Like Us. Ye Can't Come In Here,

And That's Flat."

 

"I Suppose That You Imagine We Are Bushrangers," I Said; "In That You

Are Mistaken. We Have Just Escaped From A Gang."

 

"Thin Ye Had Better 'Scape Back Agin, As Fast As Yer Two Legs Will Carry

Ye," Cried The Irishman.

 

"It's The First Time That I Ever Knew A Native Of The Emerald Isle To

Refuse A Stranger A Crust Of Bread Or A Drop Of Water," I Continued,

Resolved To Try What Virtue There Was In Flattery.

 

"Will Yer Save Yer Blarney?" Demanded The Fellow, Again Levelling His

Gun In My Direction, A Proceeding That I Did Not Thank Him For, Although

I Did Not Manifest Alarm.

 

"Go To The Devil!" I Cried, Thoroughly Out Of Patience, "And Send Your

Master To Me."

 

"O, Holy St. Patrick! Only Hear Him! He Calls Me Master The Devil, And

Thinks I Won't Resent The Insult. Look Out For Yer Eye, For By The Piper

That Played Before Moses, I'll Bore Yer Through And Through!"

 

I Believe The Fellow Would Have Kept His Word, And I Was Just About To

Show Them My Horse's Heels, When I Heard A Man Speak In A Tone Of

Authority,--

 

"Up With Your Guns, And Don't Make Fools Of Yourselves By Shooting An

Unarmed Man."

 

In Obedience To The Order The Guns Were Lowered, And A Number Of The Men

Fell Back From The Window, And Allowed Me To Get A Glimpse Of The Person

Whom I Supposed To Be Mr. Wright. He Was A Tall, Well-Built Man, With

Broad Shoulders, And A Face Entirely English, Covered With Sandy

Whiskers.

 

"Who Are You?" He Asked, With The Bluffness And Arrogance Of A Native Of

Great Britain.

 

"A Man," I Replied.

 

"I Have Your Word For That, But I Require Better Evidence."

 

"What Better Evidence Do You Require?" I Demanded.

 

He Did Not Notice The Remark, But Continued,--

 

"I See Many People Every Week, And Although They Have The Form Of Men,

They Are Villains."

 

"The More Reason Why You Should Treat Honest People With Courtesy When

Chance Brings Them This Way," I Replied.

 

"Hear The Feller's Blarney," Muttered The Irishman.

 

"Silence," Said Mr. Wright, And The Command Was Obeyed.

 

"We Have To Be Extremely Cautious Whom We Admit Within These Walls," Mr.

Wright Continued, "For A Gang Of Bushrangers Has Been Prowling Around

The Farm For A Week Or More, And Are Endeavoring To Destroy My Flocks.

How Shall I Know That You Don't Belong To The Gang?"

 

He Waved His Hand In A Significant Manner, And I Could Not Have Been

More Surprised Had An Earthquake Shaken Me From My Horse.

 

"My Deeds Have Always Been Squared In Accordance With The Great

Principles Of The Fraternity," I Replied, And It Was Pleasing To See

What A Change Took Place In The Demeanor Of The Farmer.

 

"Down With Your Guns," He Shouted, "And Unbolt And Unbar The Door. See

To The Gentleman's Horse, And Let Us Have For Supper The Best That The

Station Affords."

 

The Heads Disappeared From The Windows As If By Magic, And In A Few

Seconds' Time The Heavy Outer Door Was Thrown Open, And Forth Issued Mr.

Wright At The Head Of His Employees. I Signalized To Mr. Brown And Day

To Advance, And Then Dismounted And Met The Strong Grip Of The Farmer's

Hand With One Equally As Hearty.

 

"I Ask Ten Thousand Pardons," He Said, "For My Questions, But I Am

Obliged To Keep A Strict Guard Over My Property, Or I Should Be

Surprised By The Forest Rovers, Who Would Amply Repay The Numerous

Checks Which They Have Received At My Hands, Were They Able To Do So."

 

"Make No Apologies," I Replied, "For I Don't Blame You For Classing Me

With Suspicious Characters; But The Fact Is, We Have Passed Through A

Cordon Of Flames, And I Think Our Clothing Is Somewhat Damaged, And Our

Personal Appearance Not Very Prepossessing. We Should Not Have Troubled

You Had Not Necessity Compelled Us."

 

"No Trouble, No Trouble," He Exclaimed, With All The Heartiness Of An

Englishman Who Is Disposed To Be Friendly; "I Am Always Glad To See

Company, Provided, Of Course, It's The Right Kind."

 

By This Time Mr. Brown And Day Had Joined Us, And Were Waiting To

Receive The Same Welcome That Had Been Bestowed Upon Me. I Introduced

Them In Due Form, And Gave Mr. Brown His Ex-Title, Which Pleased Him

Excessively.

 

"I Know You," Mr. Wright Said, Addressing Mr. Brown. "Haven't We Met

Before?"

 

"I Should Say That We Had," Replied My Friend, Scanning The Farmer's

Face Keenly.

 

"You Were Stationed At One Time In Melbourne?" Mr. Wright Inquired.

 

"For A Number Of Years."

 

"And Of Course You Remember That I Landed At That City Ten Years Since,

With One Hundred Pounds In My Pocket?"

 

"Large Numbers Of Emigrants Arrived With