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diff --git a/21464.txt b/21464.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c938f55 --- /dev/null +++ b/21464.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3463 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Gilpins and their Fortunes, by William H. G. Kingston + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Gilpins and their Fortunes + A Story of Early Days in Australia + +Author: William H. G. Kingston + +Illustrator: Archie Webb + +Release Date: May 15, 2007 [EBook #21464] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GILPINS AND THEIR FORTUNES *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + +The Gilpins, A Story of Early Days in Australia, by William H G +Kingston. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +The story opens with a couple of school-leavers discussing what they +will do with their lives. One of the boys, a Gilpin, whose father is a +hard-working farmer, is determined to go along the same route, but in +Australia, as he and his brother have often dreamt of doing. + +They reach Australia, and an incident on the Quay in Sydney, where they +save a family from destruction in a carriage whose horses have bolted, +makes them valuable friends, leading to an appointment as managers, or +overseers, of a cattle and sheep station somewhere out beyond the Blue +Mountains. The previous manager had let the place get run down, and was +actually rather a crook. Some of the other workers on the station were +as idle and crooked as he. Not surprising as most of them had been sent +to Australia for some offence in England. A few of the men were decent +enough. There is such resentment among the idle men that they prevail +upon some aborigines to attack the buildings and set them on fire, a +plan which is foiled by one of the better workers. + +Eventually the great Australian bubble bursts (the Australian economy is +always a bit overheated) and the Gilpins are ordered to slaughter the +cattle and sheep. They discover a source of salt on the station, so +they are able to salt down some of the meat, which was otherwise going +to waste. + +Using the opportunity of buying valuable stock cheaply, they acquire the +station and start the business again. They rescue a drowning man, only +to find he is the other schoolboy in the conversation that starts the +book. We will leave it to you to find out what his adventures had been. + +It takes about 3.5 hours to read this book. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +THE GILPINS, A STORY OF EARLY DAYS IN AUSTRALIA, BY WILLIAM H G +KINGSTON. + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +Arthur Gilpin and Mark Withers walked down the High Street, arm-in-arm, +on their return to their respective homes from the well-managed school +of Wallington. + +They were among the head boys, and were on the point of leaving it to +enter on the work of active life, and make their way in the world. They +had often of late discussed the important question--all-important, as it +seemed to them--"How are we to make our way--to gain wealth, influence, +our hearts' desires?" + +"For my part, I cannot stand a plodding style of doing things," said +Mark. "It is all very well for those without brains, but a fellow who +has a grain of sense in his head requires a more rapid way of making a +fortune. Life is too short to be wasted in getting money. I want to +have it to spend while I am young and can enjoy it." + +Arthur was silent for some time. At length he remarked, "It strikes me, +Mark, that the object of making money is that we may support ourselves +and families, and help those who are in distress. My father often says +to James, and to me, and to the rest of us, `I don't want you, when you +enter business, to be thinking only how you can make money. Do your +duty, and act liberally towards all men, and you will have a sufficiency +at all events, if not wealth.'" + +"Oh! your father's old-fashioned notions won't do in the world, and +certainly won't suit me, that I can tell you," answered Mark, in a +scornful tone. + +"My father is considered a sensible man. What he preaches he practises; +and though he has a very large family, no one calls him a poor man," +argued Arthur. "He says that, considering how short life is, it cannot +be wise to spend the time, as many men do, in gathering up riches and +setting so high a value on them. But here comes James! Let us hear +what he has to say on the subject." + +"Oh! of course, James has got the same notions from your father that you +have, and I am not going to be influenced by him," answered Withers. + +James, however, was appealed to, and answered, "Even if we were to live +for ever in this world, I should agree with Arthur; for, from all I see +and hear, I am convinced that wealth cannot secure happiness; but as +this world is only a place of preparation for another, it is evident +folly to set one's heart upon what must be so soon parted with." + +Withers made a gesture of impatience, exclaiming, "Come, come, I won't +stand any preaching, you know that; but we are old friends, and so I +don't want to quarrel about trifles, when we are so soon to separate! +You stick to your opinion, I will stick to mine, and we'll see who is +right at last." + +"If this matter were a trifle I would not press it, but, because I am +sure that it is one of great importance, I do press it upon you most +earnestly, though, believe me, I am sorry to annoy you," said Arthur +Gilpin. + +"Oh! I dare say you mean well," answered Withers, in a contemptuous +tone. "But don't bother me again on the subject, there's a good fellow. +You, James, are so above me, that I don't pretend to understand what +you mean." Saying this with a condescending air, he shook hands with +the two brothers, and entered the house of his father, who was the +principal solicitor of the town. + +The two Gilpins walked on towards their home. Their father possessed a +small landed property, which he farmed himself. He had a very numerous +family, and though hitherto he had been able to keep them together with +advantage, the time had arrived when some of them must go forth to +provide for themselves in the world. James and Arthur had long turned +their thoughts towards Australia, for which part of the British +possessions they were preparing to take their departure. Mr Gilpin, or +the squire, as he was called, was looked upon as an upright, +kind-hearted man. He was sensible, well educated, and a true Christian; +and he brought up his children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. + +A year passed by: a long sea voyage was over, and James and Arthur +Gilpin stood on the shores of Australia. Two other brothers, with their +sisters, remained to help their father in his farm at home. James and +Arthur had left England, stout of heart, and resolved to do their duty, +hoping to establish a comfortable home for themselves and for those who +might come after them. Their ship lay close to the broad quay of the +magnificent capital of New South Wales. They had scarcely been prepared +for the scene of beauty and grandeur which met their sight as they +entered Port Jackson, the harbour of Sydney, with its lofty and +picturesque shores, every available spot occupied by some ornamental +villa or building of greater pretension, numerous romantic inlets and +indentations running up towards the north; while the city itself +appeared extending far away inland with its broad, well-built streets, +its numberless churches, colleges, public schools, hospitals, banks, +government buildings, and other public and private edifices, too +numerous to be mentioned. + +The Gilpins, as they were put on shore with their luggage, felt +themselves almost lost in that great city. They were dressed in their +rough, every-day suits, and looked simple, hardworking country lads, and +younger than they really were. + +Large as Sydney then was, it was still diminutive compared to what it +has since become. Founded by criminals, it was unhappily as far +advanced in crime and wickedness as the oldest cities of the old world, +though efforts were being then made, as they have ever since continued +to be made, and, happily, not without some degree of success, to wipe +out the stain. The two brothers stood for some time watching the +bustling scene before them. Huge drays laden with bales of wool were +slowly moving along the quay towards the ships taking in cargo, while +porters, and carts, with ever-moving cranes overhead, were rapidly +unloading other vessels of miscellaneous commodities. Irish, Negro, +Chinese, and Malay porters were running here and there; cabs and carts +were driving about, and other persons on foot and on horseback, mostly +in a hurry, evidently with business on their hands. There were, +however, a few saunterers, and they were either almost naked black +aborigines, with lank hair, hideous countenances, and thin legs, or men +with their hands in their pockets, in threadbare coats and uncleaned +shoes, their countenances pale and dejected, and mostly marked by +intemperance. Many of them were young, but there were some of all +ages--broken-down gentlemen, unprepared for colonial life, without +energy or perseverance, unable and still oftener unwilling to work. The +brothers had not to inquire who they were. Their history was written on +their foreheads. + +"What shall we do next?" asked Arthur. + +"I should like to get out of this place as soon as possible." + +"So should I, indeed," said James; "but we must go to an inn for the +night, ascertain where labour is most wanted in the interior, and how +best to find our way there." + +"You and I can scarcely carry our traps any way up those streets; +perhaps one or two of those poor fellows there would like to earn a +shilling by helping us," said Arthur, beckoning to some of the +above-mentioned idlers. + +The first summoned walked away without noticing them, another stared, a +third exclaimed, "Egregious snob! what can he want?" and a fourth walked +up with his fists doubled, crying out in a furious tone, "How do you +dare to make faces at me, you young scoundrel?" + +"Pardon me, sir," said James, quietly; "my brother made no faces at you. +We merely thought that you might be willing to assist in carrying our +luggage." + +"I assist you in carrying your luggage! A good joke! But I see you are +not quite what I took you for; and if you'll stand a nobbler or two, I +don't mind calling a porter for you, and showing you to a slap-up inn to +suit you," said the man, his manner completely changing. "You'll have +to pay the porter pretty handsomely, my new chums! People don't work +for nothing in this country." + +While they were hesitating about accepting the man's offer to get a +porter, thinking that there could be no harm in that, a country lad, Sam +Green by name, who had come out as a steerage passenger with them, +approached. As soon as he saw them he ran up exclaiming-- + +"Oh, Master Gilpins, there's a chap been and run off wi' all my traps, +and I've not a rag left, but just what I stand in!" + +Sam was, of course, glad enough to assist in carrying their luggage. +James apologised to the stranger, saying he would not trouble him. + +"Not so fast, young chum!" exclaimed the man. "You promised me a couple +of nobblers, and engaged me to call a porter. I'm not going to let you +off so easily! Down with the tin, or come and stand the treat!" + +The Gilpins were rather more inclined to laugh at the man than to be +angry; certainly they had no intention of paying him. Perhaps their +looks expressed this. He was becoming more and more blustering, when a +cry from several people was heard; and looking up the street, an open +carriage with a pair of horses was seen dashing down towards the water +at a furious rate. There was no coachman on the box, but that there was +some one in the carriage James discovered by seeing a shawl fluttering +from the side, and by hearing a piercing shriek, uttered apparently as +if then, for the first time, the lady had discovered the imminence of +her danger. In a few seconds the carriage would have been dragged over +the quay and into water many fathoms deep. + +"Stop the horses! Fifty--a hundred--five hundred pounds to whoever will +do it!" shouted a man's voice from within. + +Right and left the people were flying out of the way of the infuriated +steeds. There was not manhood enough left apparently in the idle, +dissipated-looking loiterers who were standing near. Two or three took +their hands out of their pockets and ran forward, but quickly returned +as the horses came galloping by them. The young Gilpins heard the +gentleman's offer. + +"We don't want that!" cried James. "Come on, Arthur!" + +They sprang towards the carriage, one on each side; and then turning, +ran in the direction it was going, grasping the head-stalls of the +animals as they passed, but allowing themselves to be carried on some +way, their weight however telling instantly on the galloping steeds. + +Sam Green had remained standing by the luggage, having made up his mind +that the suspicious-looking stranger would decamp with it, if left +unguarded. When, however, he saw that the horses, in spite of his young +friends' efforts, would drag the carriage over, unless stopped, he +started up, with his hands outstretched before him, uttering with +stentorian voice a true English "Woh! woho!" and then, with an arm from +which an ox would dislike to receive a blow, he seized the heads of the +horses, already trying to stop themselves, and forced them back from the +edge stones of the quay, which they had almost reached. Undoubtedly the +horses had been broken in by a trainer from the old country: Sam Green's +"Woh! woho!" acted like magic; and the pacified though trembling animals +allowed themselves to be turned round, with their heads away from the +water. While the elder Gilpin and Sam held them, Arthur ran to open the +door, that the lady and gentleman might alight. The one was of middle +age, the other very young--father and daughter, Arthur surmised. + +"My brave lads, you have nobly won the reward I promised," said the +gentleman, as he lifted out his daughter, who, pale and agitated, still, +by the expression of her countenance, showed the gratitude she felt. + +"I am sure that my brother and I require no reward for doing our duty," +answered Arthur, blushing as he spoke. "Besides, without the aid of +that other lad, our fellow-passenger, we should probably have failed." + +"What! I took you for labouring youths, I beg your pardon," said the +gentleman, giving a glance of surprise at him. + +"Our intention is to labour," said Arthur, unaffectedly. + +"Ah! you have the stuff in you to command success," said the gentleman. +"But I must request you to accompany me for a short distance, as my +daughter prefers walking; and if I once lose sight of you in this +straggling city, I may not easily find you again." + +"Thank you, sir," said Arthur; "we have our luggage with us, and must go +to an inn; but if you will favour me with your address, we will call on +you before we leave Sydney." + +While they were speaking, the coachman, in consequence of whose +carelessness in letting go their heads the horses had run away, came up, +and released James and Sam. Not a word of scolding was uttered--the +gentleman thought a moment. + +"Here, Sykes, lift that luggage into the carriage, and drive these young +gentleman home; leave them there, and come back for Miss Fanny and me to +the club." + +In vain the young Gilpins expostulated. + +"I am a determined person, and will have it so," said the gentleman. + +Before they looked round, Sam had stowed away their luggage in the +carriage, greatly to the disappointment of the bully, who had, it +seemed, been watching for an opportunity to make off with a portion. +The stranger then, almost against their will, forced them into it; and +writing a few lines on the leaf of a pocket-book, gave it to the +coachman. "Come, my friend, you must go in also," he added, taking Sam +by the arm. + +Sam drew back, and, touching his hat, exclaimed, "Noa, sir--noa, thank +ye. It 'ud ne'er do for me to ride wi' the young squires; I know my +place better nor that." + +A mob such as Sydney, of all British ports, perhaps, can alone produce, +had by this time collected round the carriage. Sam's remark produced a +loud guffaw laugh from among them, and a variety of observations came +rattling down on him, such as "Go it, young Touch-my-hat; the nob will +pay you--he's a nigger with a white face. I wonder where he was raised? +His mother was a dancing mistress--little doubt of that." + +Sam's temper had been irritated from the loss of his property, which he +very naturally concluded had been stolen by some of his tormentors. He +now looked as if he were going to give way to his temper. Instead of so +doing, however, he turned calmly round with his double fist, and said +slowly, "I'll tell you what, young chaps, a man who respects himself +keeps his own place, and when he meets a gentleman he'd think himself +without manners nor character if he didn't touch his hat to him. Did +any on ye ever see two gentlemen take off their hats to each other? +Well, then, I have; and I should just like to know which was the worst +man of the two? I'll say another thing--I have mostly found that when I +have took my hat off to a gentleman he took his off to me; and I wonder +if his friends laughed at him. But I suppose some of you are great nobs +yourselves, and know all about what nobs do." + +Having thus delivered himself, Sam, giving a contemptuous glance at his +opponents, slowly mounted the box by the side of the coachman. The +gentleman, who had walked on with his daughter, bowed to the Gilpins as +they passed. + +"I am afraid that, from taking us to be ploughboys, he now believes we +are young noblemen in disguise," observed Arthur. "This is a very +different style to that in which we could have expected to have entered +Sydney half an hour ago." + +"Perhaps he thinks more of the service we have rendered him than we +should," answered his brother; "however, it's a curious adventure, +certainly." + +"Well, muster, there be rum jokes in this town o' yours," observed Sam +to the coachman, after keeping silence for some time. + +"There be, young man," was the laconic answer; "and rum things done." + +In this Sam agreed, informing Mr Sykes--for this, he ascertained, was +the coachman's name--how he had lost his property. + +"Be thou the young man who stopped the 'osses?" inquired Sykes. + +"The young squires did it, and I helped 'em," said Sam. + +"And saved my bacon," observed Sykes. + +"I say, Muster Sykes, what's the gen'l'man's name?" asked Sam, +discovering, perhaps, by the tone of the coachman's voice, rather than +by any perceptible change in his mask-like features, that he was not ill +disposed towards him, and preparing therefore to be confidential. + +Sykes informed him that his master's name was Prentiss, that he was a +large squatter, that there were other brothers all well off, and an old +father; and that, take him all in all as masters went, he was not a bad +one. Sam, in return, told him all about himself, and all he knew about +the Gilpins, by which time the carriage had reached the door of Mr +Prentiss's residence, in one of the best parts of Sydney. It was a +handsome house; and a respectable-looking servant-woman, after a few +words from the coachman, showed the Gilpins into a well-furnished +dining-room, their luggage being placed in the hall. + +"You'll go with me, young man," observed Mr Sykes to Sam; "you'll be +more comfortable than with the gentry." + +To this Sam agreed; and drove round to the back of the house, where he +was introduced to Mrs Sykes, who lived over the coach-house, and +numerous Masters and Misses Sykes, thin, sallow, and remarkably +precocious young people, the eldest not being more than ten. Among this +hopeful family Sam in a few minutes made himself a great favourite. + +The young immigrants waited the arrival of their host with no little +curiosity, for they knew less of him than Sam had contrived to learn. +In a short time, however, the servant, placing a tray with meat, bread, +fruit, and light wine, begged them to refresh themselves. This occupied +their time till the arrival of Mr Prentiss. Perhaps James was +disappointed at not seeing the young lady when her father entered the +room. Mr Prentiss put out his hand, cordially welcoming them to +Australia and to his house; and, begging them to make it their home +during their stay, he quickly drew out from them a statement of their +plans and wishes. "You can make a fair start," he observed. "You have +the five hundred pounds I promised, very nobly won, too; and I may give +you a few hints besides as to the purchase of stock. You will, of +course, become squatters--by far the best business for young men of +enterprise and activity. What do you say to it?" + +"We should like nothing better, sir," answered James. "But--I speak +again for my brother as well as for myself--we cannot accept payment for +performing a mere act of duty; your advice and assistance may be of the +greatest value to us, and of that we will gladly avail ourselves. The +young man who helped us to stop the horses must, of course, speak for +himself." + +"Well, well, I admire your independence and high feeling," answered Mr +Prentiss. "I doubt, however, that you will find many in this country to +consider that you are right; but perhaps I may be of service to you in +the way you desire. You, of course, will make my house your home while +you remain in Sydney; when you wish to commence your life in the bush, I +will send you up the country to my father and some brothers of mine, who +will put you in the way of a fair start. Your young shipmate fairly +earned a portion of the reward; he also deserves my gratitude. He looks +as if there was work in him, and to such a person I can be permanently +of use. Unhappily, numbers of men come out here--they may be counted by +hundreds or thousands--who will not work, or who cannot work; nothing +suits them. They come with pockets full of letters, expecting +first-rate situations with nothing to do. How can such people be +assisted to any advantage? Give them money, and they squander it; place +them in situations of trust, and they are dismissed as incompetent, or +they throw them up as uncongenial to their tastes. All we want in this +magnificent country are people who will try to work, and if they do not +succeed in one thing, will turn their hands to something else. There is +ample room, I say, for persons of every possible description, provided +always that they belong to the `try' school." + +Mr Prentiss insisted on taking his guests round the town to visit its +lions; and greatly surprised they were to see the wonderful progress it +had already made. "Wool has done it all! Well may the golden fleece be +our emblem!" he observed. + +At the late dinner hour they were introduced to Mrs Prentiss and two +daughters--the young lady they had before seen and a younger sister. +All awkwardness soon wore off, and they felt themselves perfectly at +home. Mr Prentiss had a conversation with Sam, the result of which +made him supremely happy; his satisfaction was not decreased either +when, two days afterwards, Sykes brought him his bag of clothes. + +"Don't ask questions, young man," he observed, as he handed them; "there +are few of the old hands I don't know, and I guessed who had your +property." + +Pleasant as the two young Gilpins found their stay in Sydney, they did +not disguise their anxiety to be off into the country; and their new +friend accordingly made arrangements for their journey. + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +A dray, similar in construction to that used by brewers in England, but +drawn by oxen, and laden with all sorts of stores, such as are required +on an Australian farm--tea, carpenters' tools and agricultural +implements, groceries and casks of liquor, clothing and furniture--was +making its way towards the north-east from Sydney. There was the +bullock-driver in charge, with his chum, a newly hired hand, and Sam +Green, who walked or sat on the dray; while the two Gilpins rode +alongside on horses, provided by Mr Prentiss. They were dressed more +in the Australian style than when they landed, and in a way much better +suited to the climate. The road had been excellent for a hundred miles +or more, with numerous villages near it, and a large proportion of +houses of entertainment, so that they had no want of accommodation when +they halted. They had now for some time left the high-road, and though +there were inns, and occasionally villages, and farms, and stock +stations, they had sometimes to depend on their own resources, and to +bivouac in the bush. This the young immigrants found by far the +pleasantest part of their journey. The oxen were turned loose to graze +at leisure; sticks were collected, and a fire lighted for boiling the +tea-kettle and cooking the damper. The old hands troubled themselves +very little about their night's lodging; they, like Sam Green, were +satisfied with the bare ground under the dray if it threatened rain, or +anywhere near it if the weather was fine. A small tent had been +provided by Mr Prentiss, which, with some ticking filled with dry +grass, gave the Gilpins a luxurious lodging for the night. They could +scarcely go to sleep on turning in for their first real night in the +bush, from the novelty of the scene and the prospects opening up to +them. Before dawn they both started up, awoke by the strangest and most +discordant sounds. + +"What can it be?" cried James. + +"An attack of the blacks," said Arthur, rubbing his eyes. "But no! +Listen! They are birds, I verily believe; but the strangest birds I +ever heard." + +He was right: there was the hideous, unearthly cry of the +laughing-jackass, called often the bushman's clock; the screaming cry of +thousands of parrots flying here and there through the forest; there was +the cackle of the wattle-bird, the clear notes of the magpie, and the +confused chattering of thousands of leather-heads; while many other +birds added their notes to the discordant chorus, and speedily banished +sleep from the eyes of their hearers. The stockmen started to their +feet, and hurried off to bring in the oxen and horses; a fire was +lighted, tea boiled, breakfast discussed with considerable rapidity; +and, before the sun was up, the party had recommenced their journey +along the dusty dray-track--for as yet it deserved that name rather than +a road. The scenery was varied, and often very beautiful when viewed +under a clear blue sky and bright sun. The beds of streams were +frequently passed, but they were either dry altogether, or occasional +holes only with water in them could be seen here and there along the +course, or, if nowhere dry, they were easily forded. The Irish +bullock-driver, Larry Killock, told Sam that, in the rainy season, these +were often foaming torrents, rushing on with terrific noise, and +sweeping away everything they meet. + +"Many a poor fellow has been drowned in trying to cross on horseback +where, perhaps, he went over with dry feet a few days before," said +Larry. + +"That's after the snow melts," observed Sam. + +"Snow! man alive! It's a small matter of snow comes down from the sky +in this beautiful country, except, now and then, on the top of the Blue +Mountains out there; though, as for frosts, it's cold enough on the high +ground in July and August, when the south wind blows, to make a fellow +blow his fingers to keep them warm, and to think a blazing fire and a +blanket pleasant companions." + +Sam thought that Larry was quizzing him, but still he did not like to +accuse him directly. "It's a strange country this, then, muster, I'm +thinking," he remarked cautiously. + +"Strange! It is a strange country, faith!" answered Larry. "It is +summer here when, by all dacent rules, it should be winter; the south +wind is cold, and the north blazing hot. There are creatures with four +legs which have ducks' heads; and birds, with long legs and no wings, as +tall as horses; while some of the animals stow their young away in a bag +in front of them, instead of letting them follow properly at their +heels, as pigs and ducks and hens do in the old country. The trees shed +their bark instead of their leaves; and it's only just surprising to me +that the people walk on their feet instead of their heads, and that the +sun thinks fit to rise in the east instead of the west; and it's often +when I wake in the mornin' that I look out expecting to see that he's +grown tired of his old ways, and changed to suit the other things in the +land." + +Sam, who could appreciate an English style of joke, was unable to make +out whether or not the Irishman was in earnest; but he thought it wise +to wait till he could learn the truth from his young friends, when they +camped in the evening. + +"It's only just come out, ye are?" asked Larry. + +Sam told him all about himself, as he had told Sykes, expecting an equal +amount of communicativeness in return. "You've been some time in the +country, master, I'm thinking? How did you come out?" + +Larry looked at him with a twinkle in his eye. "Faith, that's just a +sacret between myself and them who knows all about it," he answered, +with a laugh. "It's my belief that the big-wigs across the fish-pond +had just an idea of the mighty great value I'd be to the country, and +sent me out free of all charge to myself and family intirely." + +The scenery improved as the travellers advanced, and contrasted +favourably with the dusty, stony, and worn-out region through which they +had passed nearer the capital. + +"Horrible farming!" observed James; "if such were practised in England +universally, the whole country would become a desert in a few years." + +Sometimes they passed through scenery like that of a park in England, +with open green pastures sprinkled with clumps of trees; some deserving +the names of woods, others consisting but of a few trees. The greater +number were _Eucalypti_ the evergreen gum, and stringy-bark trees; but +on the banks of streams and on the hillsides, and sometimes in rich, +alluvial valleys, such as are found in the northern hemisphere and in +less sunny climes, were to be seen flowers, of great size and beauty, +such as flourish only in greenhouses in England; while a great variety +of the orchis tribe, and geraniums, both large and small, were found in +great profusion. The trees, the names of many of which were given by +Larry, bore little or no resemblance to those of the same name at home. +Among the most common were the box, wattle, and cherry; but undoubtedly +the most prominent everywhere in the landscape were the old gum trees, +and the huge iron stringy-bark trees, which, now with shattered and +weird appearance, had braved the fierce storms of winter and the hot +blasts of summer for centuries. Many strange birds flew by overhead, +and still stranger wild animals started up from beneath some sheltering +bush, and ran off along the fresh glades, all reminding the new-comers +how far distant they were from the home of their childhood. + +The old settled district had been left far behind before the animal they +most wished to see started up near them. He was a large creature, full +five feet in height as he sat upright under the scant shade of a +venerable gum tree, contemplating apparently the scene before him. His +long tail was stretched out on the ground behind him--an important +support, and his little fore-paws tucked up in front. James and Arthur +were ahead of their party, and so quietly had their horses trod over the +soft ground that he did not appear to have heard them. They possessed +guns, parting gifts from Mr Prentiss; but, not being required as a +means of defence or offence, they had been left in the dray. The +kangaroo ("an old man" Larry called him) at length, hearing a sound, +turned his mild, intelligent countenance towards them, and as he did so +instantly gave a spring forward, startling them by its suddenness and +the extent of ground it cleared. Away he went, moving with similar +springs, at a rate fleet as that of the deer. In vain Larry and the men +with the dray shouted and ran after him with their guns. He was out of +range before they could lift them to their shoulders. Larry said that +possibly a mob might be come upon before long. In another hour or so, +as they were travelling along a somewhat stony ridge, a large number of +creatures were seen in the fertile valley below them. Some were lying +stretched at length on their sides, some were frisking about, round and +over each other, and others were sitting up, sedately watching the rest. + +"Hurra, now! There's the mob I told you of!" shouted Larry. "If we had +but the dogs and the master's rifle, we'd have more kangaroo steaks for +supper than we'd eat in a week." + +He could scarcely restrain himself from leaving his bullocks and giving +chase; he made a start indeed, but checked himself in time, seeing that +the probable result would have been the upsetting of his dray and the +destruction of most of its cargo. The young Gilpins with Sam found +their way down the hill, hoping to ride down one of them; but the quick +scent and keen eyes of the animals discovered their approach, and in an +instant all were up on their feet and tails ready for a start--the +mothers picking up the young joeys and putting them into their pouches-- +and off went the entire herd down the valley, springing along in the +most curious fashion, till they were out of sight. + +Sam Green's open eyes of astonishment were very amusing. "Well! I +always did think that animals had four legs, and there they go just two +and a tail, a-skipping like grasshoppers over the ground. Well, well, +well!" he continued ejaculating till they disappeared. "There they go; +there they go! There's nothing I won't believe after that!" + +Their adventures as they travelled on were to be singularly few, they +thought. Now a dingo or wild dog, now a toombat or opossum, made its +appearance, and created matter of interest and inquiry. One evening, +after they had camped on the borders of a wide plain, containing fine +sheep-runs, which they were to cross the next day, the brothers led on +their horses to find better feed than appeared near at hand; and, having +tethered them, they sat down to talk over the future, and to commune +with themselves. Their heads had been resting on their hands for some +time, when Arthur, looking up, saw a creature approaching from a +distance. That it was an emu they guessed at once. They sat still, +afraid of frightening it away. It stalked leisurely on towards their +horses, not noticing them. Its head seemed fully six feet from the +ground, at the end of a long neck; its legs were thick, to support its +fat, tub-shaped body, of a brownish-black colour. Reaching the horses, +it stopped, made a curious noise, which sounded like "Boo!" in their +faces, and which caused them to start back. James and Arthur, thinking +that their steeds would have broken their tethers, jumped up, when the +emu, having satisfied his curiosity, turned round and trotted off, at a +pace which showed that he had no fear of being pursued. + +Towards the close of the day the travellers, after crossing an elevated +down, saw before them a silvery stream running through a wide valley +towards the east, its banks fringed by a variety of trees; while not far +from them, amid a grove of fruit trees, appeared a pretty +dwelling-house, with a verandah running round it, and near at hand, +barns, sheds, stables, and other outhouses. A closer inspection showed +them that there were carpenters' and blacksmiths shops; indeed, it was a +complete farm establishment on a large scale. + +As riding on, in advance of the dray, they reached the door, a stout, +hearty-looking old gentleman came out to meet them, and welcomed them in +the most cordial manner. Their horses were quickly unsaddled and turned +into a paddock, and they themselves conducted into the house, and +introduced to the members of the family as late arrivals from the old +country. All welcomed them; and they were soon seated at a well-covered +supper-table, surrounded by the various inmates of the house. The young +strangers were surprised to find that the letter of introduction they +brought had not been read, and that the kindness they were receiving was +quite independent of anything that might be said in their favour. It +was not till the next day that the old Mr Prentiss alluded to it. "We +received you, young gentlemen, as strangers," he remarked; "but I little +thought how much I owed you for saving from injury, if not death, those +so dear to me." + +James and Arthur Gilpin agreed that their "lines had fallen to them in +pleasant places." They were treated as members of the family, and, what +was of the greatest consequence to them as intending settlers, they were +shown all the operations taking place on the farm. As they gave +diligent attention to everything they saw, they rapidly acquired a +sufficient knowledge of agriculture and of the management of sheep and +cattle, as practised in Australia, to enable them, with their previous +experience as farmers in England, to commence farming on their own +account. + +While, however, they were in search of a station to suit them, Mr +Prentiss received an application to find a gentleman capable of taking +the management of a sheep and cattle farm, about a hundred and fifty +miles off. "Quite in our neighbourhood, as we measure distances in this +country," he remarked. He proposed to the young Gilpins that they +should accept the post. "You will be allowed to keep a proportion of +sheep and cattle on your own account, and receive wages for looking +after those of your employer, so that you will gain in both ways. You +will find also an established system by which, if it prove a good one, +time and labour may be saved. I would gladly find you employment, but +this will be far more to your advantage. It was hoped, I believe, that +one of my own sons would take it." + +The brothers at once agreed to accept the offer. + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +The Gilpins found that the superintendence of a large station did not +afford a bed of roses. All day long they were in the saddle, +overlooking twenty stockmen and shepherds, examining the herds and +flocks, and often themselves doctoring any which were found diseased or +injured. This they were obliged to do, in consequence of the ignorance +or carelessness of the people in charge of them. These, with few +exceptions, had been convicts. Of those who had been convicts, some +were still working out their sentences with tickets-of-leave, while +others, who were free to go where they liked, were too old and destitute +of energy to venture on a change of occupation, and remained as before, +hut-keepers or shepherds. At each inferior station there was a hut with +a hut-keeper, whose duty was to look after the hut, to cook the +provisions, and to tend the sheep or cattle brought for any special +purpose into the fold or pen. The office was usually held by some old +convict or other person unfit for hard labour. Though occasionally +there is enough to do, it is considered an idle, lazy life. + +The brothers often rode together to the stations, to assist each other; +but they had lately, for the sake of covering more ground in the course +of the day, taken separate districts, that the stockmen might be kept +constantly on the alert, not knowing any moment when the active young +managers might pay them a visit. Notwithstanding this, cattle and sheep +continued to disappear as before, and they came to the resolution of +making every man responsible who lost an animal, and stopping his wages +till it was replaced. One day, after a hard morning's work, Arthur +Gilpin found himself approaching the rear of a hut, on an out station, +at the extreme end of the territory over which the cattle ranged--the +whole being considerably larger than many a German principality. The +ground was soft, and his horse's hoofs making no noise, it was not till +he got in front of the hut that the dog, ever found as its guardian +(either well-bred deer-hound or cur of low degree), came bounding up +towards him, barking loudly. In this case the animal was a remarkably +handsome deer-hound, of a size and strength sufficient to drag him from +his horse. The hut-keeper was seated in a rough sort of easy-chair, and +was apparently fast asleep. + +"Hillo, my man, call off your dog, or he and I may do each other an +injury," shouted Arthur; "he is a noble brute, and I should not like to +hurt him, if I could help it!" + +The man started up, a book dropping from his hand. "Come back, good +Brian; come back, sir!" he cried out. "I must apologise, Mr Gilpin, +for not hearing you; but I was overcome, I believe, by the heat," he +added, as he took the horse from which Arthur had just dismounted. + +As the stock-keeper unsaddled the animal, Arthur's eye fell on the open +page of the book from which he had been reading. It was a superior +edition of Horace, well used. + +Roughly clad and unshorn and haggard in his looks as the man was, Arthur +could not but conclude that he had once moved among the educated classes +of society. The ever-ready damper and pot of tea were produced; and +Arthur, having satisfied his appetite, made the usual inquiries about +the station. Everything seemed to be satisfactory. + +"You appear to be fond of reading," said Arthur, glancing at the Horace, +which had been placed on a shelf among a few other books. + +"Ah! a friend of my early days. He serves to beguile many a weary +hour," answered the hut-keeper, with a sigh. + +Arthur did not like to ask questions. "We brought a few books with us +into the bush; I shall be glad to lend them to you," he said. + +"They will be most acceptable, sir," said the hut-keeper, his +countenance brightening; "my own stock is small, and I have read each +volume over and over again till I know them by heart. I believe that if +a chest of new books were to reach me, like the half-starved wretch who +suddenly finds himself in the midst of plenty, I could sit down and read +till my eyesight or my wits had left me." + +"I can enter into your feelings," said Arthur kindly. "The life you +lead must indeed be dull." + +"Ah! it might be far worse, though," answered the hut-keeper; "poverty +out here can scarcely be said to pinch. I often ask myself what might +it have been, or what certainly would it have been, had I remained in +London till my last shilling was gone. To rot in a poorhouse or to +sweep a crossing would have been my lot, or there might have been a +worse alternative. I had enough left to pay my passage out here. It +was a wise move--the only wise thing I ever did in my life. My +expectations on landing were foolish, and before I could realise them I +had the chance of going to gaol or becoming a hut-keeper." The last +remarks were made as he stood holding the rein of Arthur's horse. + +Arthur rode round the run, inspected the flock, and had to pass near the +hut again on his return homeward. The hut-keeper, Charles Craven he +called himself, was on the watch for him. + +"I must have a word with you, Mr Gilpin," he said. "You are the first +man I have met since I landed on these shores who has sympathised with +me. I would do something to serve you. First, I must warn you never to +be unarmed, either in your hut or out of it; and especially advise you +and your brother, when you ride out, always to keep together. Many of +the hands on the station are exasperated with you for your style of +proceeding, and they think that if they could get rid of you they would +have things their own way." + +Thanking Craven for his advice, Arthur pushed on towards home as rapidly +as his grey would carry him. He was relieved on finding that James had +just before arrived. He told his brother of the warning Craven had +given him. + +James was at first inclined to laugh at it. "The scoundrels dare not +injure us!" he exclaimed. Then he remembered Basham's revengeful looks, +and the surly manner of several of the hands, and finally agreed with +his brother that it would be wiser to go armed, and keep together. + +They had removed the hut-keeper to another post, and placed Green in +charge of their abode. This would have been necessary, if for no other +reason, for the purpose of having it kept clean and habitable, which the +dirty habits of the former occupant rendered impracticable. The exact +situation of the hut has not been described. It stood on a hillside, +the ground immediately round it cleared, but with bush both above it and +on either side, extending to a considerable distance. In some places +the trees were fine and lofty, in others only stringy-bark or low +bushes. A river passed in front at the distance of less than a quarter +of a mile, full and flowing in winter, but after the heats of summer +consisting of a succession of water-holes connected by a trickling rill. +During the shearing season the river was a scene of the greatest +animation, as all the flocks from far and near were driven up to it, +that the sheep might be washed before being deprived of their fleeces. +After a sudden downfall of rain, the quiet stream became a roaring, +boiling torrent, sweeping onward with terrific force, now forming a wide +lake, and, once more confined by high and narrow banks, whirling along +with rapid eddies; and at spots, where a few hours before a person could +pass on foot, the current would test the strength of the strongest +swimmer or most powerful horse to cross; at other times it relapsed into +a state of silence, not without much picturesque beauty of a tranquil +character. The hut commanded a view of the river, but it, as well as +the sheds, sheep-folds, and stock-yards, were placed far too high above +it to be reached by the widest inundation it could cause. + +Arthur did not forget his promise to Craven, and, as soon as he was +able, he rode toward his hut with several books in his pockets. The +hut-keeper was very grateful, and expressed himself in a way which +showed that he was really a gentleman and a man of feeling. The +brothers, as they rode away, agreed that it would be but an act of +common kindness to ask him to visit them, and that they might send +another man to take his place. + +Craven considered a moment. "No; I had better not," he answered; "the +men about here look upon me as one of themselves, and if I were seen +with you, I should no longer be trusted by them. They are mischievously +inclined; and if I can turn them from their purposes, or give you +warning of their intentions, and help, if needs be, it will afford me +the satisfaction of believing that I have been of some little use in the +world." + +They could not but agree with him, and expressed a hope that an +employment more suited to a person of his education might be found for +him. + +Craven gave a sickly smile. "You are young, and think change is easy," +he said. "The sapling is quickly bent, but when an old tree has long +grown in the same direction, it cannot be straightened again. Supply me +with books and tobacco, and, a few years hence, perhaps, a pair of +spectacles, and I shall have no desire to quit these wilds." + +"Perhaps you will change your mind," said James, putting out his hand, +which the broken-down gentleman shook warmly. + +Many years had passed since his palm had pressed that of an equal in +intellect and education. It seemed to raise him out of the state of +hopeless apathy into which he had fallen. + +The hut at headquarters had greatly improved in appearance since it had +become the residence of the Gilpins. There were three glazed windows, +and it was partitioned off into a bedroom, a sitting-room--where books +and papers could be arranged on shelves and kept clean--and a kitchen, +which served as dining-room and hall. A good-sized storeroom had been +built at the back, with a door opening into the kitchen. They and Sam +Green were the only inmates of the building. + +It was late at night, the Bible had been read, and family prayers had +been offered up--when two or three were gathered together that custom +was never departed from in that rude hut in the wilds of Australia-- +thanksgivings for past, petitions for future protection. Sam had thrown +himself on his bed in a corner of the hall, and his loud snoring told +that he was fast asleep. The brothers had been reading in their +sitting-room, and were on the point of retiring to bed, when a slight +tap was heard at the window. They thought it was some night bird +attracted by the light, and took no notice. A louder tap was heard; +Arthur opened the window. + +"Wisht! mister, dear; just let me in, for I've something to say to ye," +said a voice, which he recognised to be Larry Killock's. + +"I will let you in by the door, Larry, unless you like to jump through +the window," said Arthur. + +"The quickest way's the best," was the answer, as Larry leaped through +the opening, adding, "shut the shutters, lest any one's eyes should be +looking this way." Larry was out of breath, and looked faint and weary, +as if he had come a long distance. + +"What brings you here, Larry?" said Arthur, in a tone of anxiety, which +it was natural he should feel. + +"It's bad news I've to tell yer honours; but if I'd had to lose my life, +I'd have come to tell it," he answered. "No matter how I found it out, +but I did find it out, that the people on the station, just because you +have put a stop to their robberies and rogueries, have determined to do +away with you. As villains is mostly cowards, there's none of them +dares to bell the cat themselves, and so they've engaged some of them +black fellows--the thieves of the world--to do the job for them. It was +to be done quickly, and I came along, ignorant entirely if I'd be in +time or not to save yer honours' lives; but they've not killed you yet, +and we'll see if we can't be a match for them." The Irishman went on to +say that the plan proposed was to set fire to the surrounding bush, and +that while they ran out, as they naturally would, to stop the flames +from approaching their dwelling, by cutting down the surrounding grass +and bushes, they were to be knocked down with boomerangs by the blacks, +and their bodies dragged into the fire. + +The brothers immediately decided what to do. Waking up Sam and telling +him what they had heard, they bade Larry take care of the house and make +a good supper; and, reaping-hooks and axes in hand, they sailed out to +clear the ground of all fuel capable of bringing the flames up to the +hut. Beginning at the back of the building, they worked away +energetically, gradually extending their circle till they had cut down +and raked away all fuel, almost up to the woods, when they heard Sam's +voice calling them-- + +"Come back, come back! the black fellows are close upon us! I wasn't +comfortable in my mind, and went out to listen. I heard them calling to +each other, and their dogs barking." + +Although they believed that the bullock-driver's anxiety or fears might +somewhat exaggerate the danger, they felt that it was, at all events, +prudent to retreat to their hut. All remained quiet: they were +beginning to hope that the alarm might be a false one. Arthur again +went out, and as, rifle in hand, he was pacing as sentry round the hut, +he saw a bright light burst forth above the trees, half a mile or so off +to the south-west. He watched it for some minutes; it increased, +extending on either hand, the forked points of the flames appearing high +above the intervening trees. There could be no doubt that the wood was +on fire. Thus far the information obtained by the bullock-driver was +correct. There was too much reason, therefore, to fear that their +destruction would be attempted by the savages. He hurried into the hut +to consult what was best to be done. Their horses were at hand; they +might mount them and ride away from the danger; but such a proceeding +was not to be thought of. If, however, they were not secured, they +would be carried off by the blacks. Arthur and Sam accordingly went out +and brought them up to the hut; there was just room for them to stand in +the kitchen by removing the table; the door was then closed and barred. +None of the party, however, felt inclined to wait inactive till the +conflagration reached their neighbourhood without knowing what progress +it was making. There was no window at the back of the hut. + +"We will make holes in the roof," said Arthur; "we shall be able to see +through them what is going on, and if we are besieged in our fortress by +the savages, we shall be the better able to defend ourselves and annoy +them." + +A stool, placed on the top of the table, enabled them to reach the roof, +and by stringing some boards to the rafters, they found convenient +standing places. The square holes cut in the shingles forming the roof +gave them a look-out. There was enough in the spectacle they beheld to +try the courage of the stoutest hearted. In front of them, that is to +say, at the back of the hut, was a narrow neck of forest, which was as +yet intact, but above the branches--between the stems which stood out in +bold relief--the flames were seen raging furiously, devouring, as they +advanced, everything in their course, both to the right and to the left. +Strange sounds, too, were heard: there was the roaring, hissing, and +crackling of the fire, and ever and anon a report like that of heavy +guns, as some tall tree was riven in two by the intense heat which +surrounded it; the air also came like a blast from a furnace, laden with +smoke, ashes, and often sparks, which threatened to ignite the dry roof +of the building. The danger was increasing, for the flames were +advancing towards the confines of the wood nearest them. Now the fire, +snake-like, would be seen creeping along the grass, then catching hold +of some bush, which would speedily be wrapped in its deadly embrace; +next the lower boughs of the trees would catch, or the dry wood and +twigs round the stumps, and upward it would mount triumphant, roaring +and crackling--the slighter trees falling prostrate before it; the older +and thicker still withstanding its fierce assault, though left +branchless and blackened, with all vitality destroyed. + +As yet the hut remained uninjured, though a semicircle of fire raged +furiously close to it, and here and there, where a bush still stood, or +some tufts of grass had not been closely cropped, the flames made +advances, and, winding along the ground, rose up, flickered, and died. +From the first outbreak of the conflagration various animals had been +seen crossing the open ground, as they escaped from the burning forest. +Birds innumerable, of varied plumage, aroused from their roosting +places, flew by, some uttering discordant screams of terror, many, with +scorched wings, falling dead before they reached the hut. As yet no +human beings had been seen. + +"I trust that the savages will not venture to attack us," said James; +"only in the last extremity could I feel justified in firing at them." + +"Arrah! it's but little of that sort of treatment they have received +since the white man first put his foot on their shores," observed Larry. +"I've heard tell of their being shot down by scores at a time, like +vermin. Many and many's the black fellow I've seen killed, and no +notice taken of it, and no thought by the man who did the deed, any more +than if he had fired at a wild beast." + +Arthur interrupted Larry's remarks by exclaiming, "There they are, +though, and in no small numbers too, just coming round the edge of the +burning wood to the south-east!" + +The rest of the party looked in the direction indicated, and there, seen +clearly by the light of the flames thrown on their dark bodies, armed +with spears, clubs, and boomerangs, was a numerous body of savages. +They appeared to be looking cautiously about, as if expecting to find +their intended victims engaged in extinguishing the flames round the +hut. + +"The black chaps are no cowards, Mr Gilpin. We shall have a fierce +fight of it, and our three firearms won't do much against all them, I'm +thinking," observed Larry. + +"There are still more of them coming!" exclaimed Arthur; "and see! +there's a fellow has just joined them who looks like a chief. They are +pointing this way. We may look out to be attacked in a few minutes. We +may fire surely, James, if they come on? A few shots will probably send +them scampering off. They have no firearms among them." + +"Not so sure of that, yer honour," said Larry. "Look, the fellow you +called the chief has a gun of some sort, and he is showing it to the +rest to encourage them. He handles it like a man who knows the use of +it, too." + +In spite of the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, the little garrison +resolved to maintain their position. Little could be gained by flight, +and all their property would inevitably be destroyed should they desert +the hut. The risk they ran in either case was very great. They might +pick off some of the savages, but there were so many that they might +easily surround the hut and burn it to the ground. + +"If we had two or three more fellows with us, we might bid defiance to +the whole mob," said Arthur. + +"To my mind, if we was to shoot down that chap with the gun in his hand, +the rest would show us their heels," observed Sam Green, who had not +before spoken since the appearance of the savages; "they none on 'em +shows much stomach for the fight." + +Sam's remark was correct. The savages were evidently aware that the +defenders of the hut possessed firearms, and even the chief showed no +inclination to expose himself. From their movements, however, it +appeared that they were about to make a rush towards the hut. At that +instant the tramp of horses' hoofs was heard approaching, and a voice +cried out-- + +"Open the door! Be quick! Let us in!" + +James and his brother, who had been watching the savages from the roof, +jumped down at the moment that a rifle-ball whistled by. + +"That bullet was never fired by a black chap," said Larry to Sam, as +they also descended from their perches to receive the new-comers. The +Gilpins, without hesitation, opened the door, and Craven with a stranger +appeared, just dismounting from their horses, whose foam-covered bits +and reeking backs showed that they had ridden at no slow rate. + +"No time for words. If you have room for our poor brutes, take them in; +if not, they must run their chance outside," he said. "Here, we have +brought arms and ammunition. We knew that you would be hard pressed, +and have come to share your fate." + +"Come in, come in," said James, leading in the horses, who, trembling +with fatigue, were quiet enough. + +The new-comers had brought a rifle, a musket, and two fowling-pieces, +with powder-flasks and bullets. This reinforcement raised the +confidence of the little party in the hut. The blacks, discovering +Craven and his companion, made a rush to intercept them. They sprang in +after the horses; but before the door was closed, a shower of darts and +boomerangs rattled against it, and again a shot was heard, and a bullet +flew by among them. Those inside hurriedly closed the door; but, almost +before the bar could be replaced, the blacks were thundering with their +clubs against it. James had been strongly averse to shed blood, even +the blood of savages endeavouring to destroy him and his companions, yet +there was no longer any other alternative; the blacks must be driven +off, or they would burn down the hut. It became James's duty to take +the command, and to give the word. Loop-holes were speedily cut in the +walls. + +"Be ready, friends; pick off the leaders, each of us those more +immediately in front as we stand. Do not throw a shot away. Fire!" + +Three of the blacks were seen to fall to the ground, the rest ran back +in disorder, two of them wounded. This gave the defenders of the hut +time to reload and to make some fresh loop-holes. The blacks were again +met by the chief, who was seen urging them to return, though he showed +no inclination to place himself in danger. Craven, seeing the look-out +places in the roof, proposed getting up there. + +"I think that I might bring down that fellow if I could get a steady +shot at him," he said, taking up his rifle. "The fellow has +disappeared!" he exclaimed. "I cannot make it out, yet the rest obey +him, for they are coming on again, and with fire-brands, too. We must +beat them, or they will roast us." + +The spectacle was indeed appalling. There were from fifty to sixty +blacks, each with a burning brand in his left hand and a spear or club +in the other, all leaping and shrieking in concert, as they sprang on +towards the hut. The defenders waited till they got within thirty +paces, and then all together fired. The result was the same as before. +Several fell, others ran howling back wounded, the rest, throwing down +their brands, followed. Another volley was sent after them, in the hope +that it might induce them to abandon the attack. Craven reloaded, and +sat watching at his post. The crack of his rifle was again heard. + +"I have hit the scoundrel!" he exclaimed. "He is no black man; he is +ordering them to lift him up; they are carrying him off. I have not the +heart to send another bullet through him, but he deserves it." + +"We may capture him, though," cried Arthur. "Let us jump on our horses; +we shall soon overtake them." + +The proposal was instantly adopted; no one was more eager and full of +animation than Craven. The horses were led out, and, Larry remaining +with the spare firearms in the hut, the party urged on the animals in +the direction the blacks had gone. The flames of the burning forest +lighted up the country, and enabled them to ride at full speed, though +it was with difficulty they could make the horses keep near the fire, +edging along which the blacks had gone, hoping probably, if they could +get round the furthest end, to place it between themselves and those +they had so ruthlessly attacked. Mounting to the top of a ridge, the +horsemen caught sight of a party of natives on a hill before them, with +a valley intervening. The blacks got to the top, on some open ground, +when it was seen that they were carrying a burden among them. The white +men dashed down into the valley, and, making their way across it, urged +their horses up the opposite height. The blacks saw them coming; in +vain the man they were carrying ordered them to remain by him. Oaths, +entreaties, promises were of no avail. Putting him down, they ran off +as fast as their legs would carry them. + +The last exclamations he uttered showed his pursuers that he was no +native. They were in English, and too horrible to be repeated. The +Gilpins reached him. He glared fiercely at them as they dismounted, and +seemed to be feeling for a pistol in his belt. They grasped his hands +to prevent his using it. The oath he uttered betrayed him. Though his +face and arms and the upper part of his body was blackened, they at once +recognised him as Basham, the late overseer. The wretched blacks had +already suffered so severely that the settlers had no desire to overtake +them. Dismounting, therefore, one of the party led the horses, and the +rest, lifting up the wounded man, bore him back towards the hut. They +frequently looked behind to ascertain if the blacks were following for +the purpose of recovering him, but no attempt of the sort was made. It +was hard work carrying him, for he was a heavy man. Some deep groans +which burst from him showed that he was suffering much pain. From a +feeling of mercy they stopped, and found that the bullet had entered his +leg, and had probably grazed, if it had not broken, the bone. Craven +had a knowledge of surgery, especially valuable to a bushman; and while +all were stooping down round the injured man, he probed the wound, and +extracted some of the black cloth which had been carried into it. Had +Basham been a friend who had been fighting for them, he could not have +been treated more tenderly. He, however, scarcely spoke, and displayed +no sign of gratitude. At length they reached the hut in safety. The +horses were tethered outside, ready for instant service. The wounded +man was placed on Sam's bed, and such restoratives as the brothers +possessed administered to him. These arrangements concluded, the whole +party thankfully sat down to a meal, which was rather breakfast than +supper. The Gilpins now learned from Craven that he had heard a rumour +of the proposed attack of the savages, instigated by the stockmen, +though he did not understand that Basham was the prime mover; that there +was only one man whom he could trust, and that, having invited him, they +had both set forward to their assistance. His companion was evidently, +like himself, a man of superior education and fallen fortunes. In +Craven the necessity for unusual exertion had worked a marked change, +and he no longer appeared the spirit-broken man he had seemed when +Arthur first met him. + +The fire continued raging, but made no further progress, and, in spite +of its dangerous neighbourhood, all the party except James, who insisted +on remaining on watch, were fast asleep. The hours of darkness passed +by slowly and anxiously. He kept his ears ever ready to catch any sound +outside, and he occasionally looked forth, thinking it possible that the +blacks might return, or that some of the white companions of their +prisoner might come to look for him. The nearest police-station was +about thirty miles off. It was necessary to convey their prisoner +there; but then it was very possible that they might be attacked on the +road, and that he might be rescued. Knowing the bad feeling of the +people around them, it would be imprudent to weaken the strength of +their party at the hut. James therefore resolved, if Larry was +sufficiently rested, to send him off, as soon as it was daylight, for a +sufficient force to escort the late overseer to prison. Scarcely had he +formed this plan when Larry jumped up, and exclaimed-- + +"Now, yer honour, you have had watching enough, and I'll just take my +spell. I'm as fresh as a daisy with the dew on the grass." + +James declined doing this, and told him of his proposed plan. + +"Nothing like taking time by the forelock!" exclaimed the Irishman. +"I've my raisons, and I'll be off--as soon as I can stow some food in my +inside and catch the horse--before it is daylight, so that it will be a +hard job for any of them fellows to find me, even if they have a fancy +for that same." + +As there was no time to be lost, James went out and brought in Larry's +horse, to which he gave a sop of damper and spirits and water, while +Larry was refreshing himself. + +"It's good luck I'll have on a good errand, I hope," he exclaimed, as he +leaped into the saddle; "for though the police and I weren't over +friendly once on a time, I can now face them like an honest man, thanks +to yer honour." + +Larry was soon lost to sight in the gloom which prevailed at a distance +from the yet burning wood. Daylight came. All hands were on foot. The +wounded man appeared to be no worse. A sad change had taken place in +the once picturesque appearance of the surrounding scenery. In the +place of the green wood, with many noble trees, a few blackened stems, +gaunt and branchless, with still smouldering ashes at their base, were +the only objects to be seen on the hillside. The Gilpins scarcely liked +to keep Craven and his companion from their posts, though at the same +time they felt the importance of having a sufficient guard over their +prisoner. They were surprised that none of the stockmen or hut-keepers +from the neighbourhood had made their appearance. It proved but too +plainly that all were disaffected; and it made them resolve not to quit +the vicinity of the hut till the arrival of the police. They could not, +however, come for some hours. Breakfast was just over, when Green, who +had gone down to fetch some water from the river, came hurrying back, +and reported that he had seen several men collecting, with arms in their +hands, on the opposite side. "Who could they be? What could be their +object?" was the question. + +It was decided that while every precaution should be taken to prevent +surprise, they should be treated as if they could only have come on a +friendly errand, and that every attempt should be made to conciliate +them before resorting to force. Scarcely five minutes had passed before +several men were seen approaching, from the direction of the river, in +single file. They were all disguised, either with blackened faces or +masks, while they wore either kangaroo or sheep skins over their +shoulders, or were covered with the thick-leaved branches of shrubs, so +as completely to conceal their figures. It was evident that they +intended mischief. They halted at about twenty paces from the hut, +seemingly surprised at finding the windows barricaded and the door +closed, with the muzzles of firearms protruding from the walls. Seeing +their hesitation, James instantly went out, and, with his rifle in his +hand, confronted them-- + +"Men, you have amused yourselves seemingly with what might be a harmless +mummery, were it not for the weapons in your hands," he began, in a firm +tone; "put them down, and let me hear what you have got to say." + +The leading man, after consulting with his companions, replied, "You +have got shut up there a friend of ours, and you must give him up to us, +or take the consequences." + +"I am not at all likely to yield to demands made by strangers in the +tone you make them, or to tell you whether or not we have any one shut +up inside this hut," said James; "you will risk your own lives, and gain +nothing by persisting in such folly." + +"Yours is the folly, master, in refusing our demands!" exclaimed the +man. "You can gain no good by keeping the man a prisoner, but will do +him and us harm!" + +While the man was speaking, he and his companions advanced still closer +to the hut. + +"Stand back!" cried James, endeavouring to bring his piece to his +shoulder; but before he had done so, the men, stooping low, sprang +forward, keeping him between themselves and the hut. Those inside +opened the door to admit him, but instead of retreating he stood fast, +till the leader of the ruffians had struck up his rifle, and, grasping +him by the throat, bore him backwards. Arthur, rushing out to his +rescue, was seized likewise, and the whole party dashed together into +the hut, overthrowing Green, who came out to help his young masters. +Fortunately their eyes first fell on the wounded man as he lay on a bed +in the outer room. The stretcher of boughs, on which he had been +brought to the hut, still remained outside. A few words passed between +them. They lifted him on the litter, neither the Gilpins nor Green +being able to prevent them, and, with a shout of triumph, they carried +him off towards the river. The Gilpins and Green were quickly on their +feet. For an instant they stood irresolute whether to follow. + +"Do not attempt it," cried a voice from within; "the villains will not +scruple to fire if you do." + +It was Craven who spoke. James was inclined to accuse him of cowardice +till he reflected at what risk he had come voluntarily to their +assistance. Craven himself, too, explained that being assured the +outlaws would murder him and his companion had they seen them, they had +retreated into the storeroom, where they lay hid among casks and cases. +It was provoking to have lost their prisoner, but at the same time they +had reason to be thankful that no life had been sacrificed. + +"If they find out from Basham that we are here, they will to a certainty +return," observed Craven; "and we must be prepared." + +"The police will be here by that time," was Arthur's remark. "If they +come, we may follow, and we should have our horses ready." + +"None of them said a word about the police," observed James; "I don't +think that they were aware that we expected them." + +"Then, depend on it, when they find out that Richards and I are away +from our posts, they will return to punish us. Basham will not say +anything, however, till he thinks that they have placed him in safety, +and then, of course, he will tell them of our being here." + +In consequence of Craven's very just apprehensions, the party set to +work to fortify the hut more completely, by putting stronger bars to the +windows and doors, and by placing a stockade outside at the weaker +parts, so as to make it more difficult for any assailants to reach the +roof. + +These preparations were scarcely completed, when Green, who happened to +be on the roof, cried out-- + +"There come the chaps again, and twice as many as before!" + +This was serious news; for it was not likely that the ruffian band would +have returned, unless with the intention of destroying those who had +offended them. It is very probable that they hoped to make it appear +that the blacks, having set the wood on fire, had afterwards killed +them. The whole party in the hut felt, therefore, that they must fight +to the last extremity. A line was drawn round the building, and it was +agreed that if an enemy passed it they would fire; but they would +refrain as long as possible from shedding blood. They had scarcely time +to barricade the door and windows before the outlaws appeared, mounting +the hill from the river, not as before, in single file, but scattered +over the ground, so as to take advantage of the shelter any inequalities +might afford. Some were disguised, but there were several blacks who +were in their usual unclothed state, and were evidently not +masqueraders. It might have been difficult to identify even those, as +their faces and bodies were bedaubed with pigments in strange and +hideous devices. + +This time James took care not to show himself. "Stand back, men!" he +shouted in a loud voice. "If any one advances across the line we have +marked out, we must fire. We do not wish to shed blood, but the +consequence be on your own heads. Back, black men! you get killed." + +The outlaws hesitated, and even the natives seemed to understand what +was said. Whereabouts the magic line was drawn, at which some of them +would be certain to lose their lives, they could not tell. Soldiers in +battle will dare any danger, but villains engaged in a criminal act are +always cowards, unless driven to desperation. Such was not the case at +present. A white handkerchief was shown on a stick, and a voice cried +out-- + +"We don't want to hurt you, Mr Gilpin, or your brother, or man, but +there are two fellows there, and we must have them; give them up to us, +and we will go away." + +"I ask you, would you give up people who had put confidence in you?" +said James. + +"We have nothing to say to that; give up the men, or we will burn down +the hut and you in it," was the answer. + +"Remember the warning I have given you," said James; "however, we will +just talk the matter over, and let you know what we decide." + +"Be sharp about it, then," said the first speaker; "we did not come here +to shilly-shally, and we shall advance directly the time is up. We give +you five minutes to settle the matter." + +"We must take ten; and recollect that our rifles will be kept ready for +use," added James, firmly. + +"I am afraid the fellows will put their threat into execution," said +Craven. "Now, you see, our lives are of no use to any one, and so, when +the ten minutes are up, tell them that we will go with them, if they +will take their departure quietly, and not injure you." + +"On no account would we do so!" exclaimed the brothers in the same +breath. "I would not trust them, even if we should be base enough to +give you up." + +"Noa, sur; I'd sooner cut out my tongue than give ye up to them arrant +knaves!" exclaimed Green, doubling his fist, and shaking it in the +direction he supposed that the outlaws were collected. + +The minutes passed slowly by. They were doubtful whether the outlaws +would begin the attack at the end of the five minutes, or wait till the +termination of the ten. The dread of the fatal line, however, seemed to +keep them back. The muzzles of the firearms were kept protruding from +the walls, and, as there were several pistols as well as rifles, they +made a good display of force, rather damping the courage of those who +came expecting, probably, an easy victory. + +The ten minutes came to an end, and fully another five had passed by, +and the outlaws did not advance. It was very clear, therefore, that +they had not intercepted Larry, nor were aware that he had gone for the +police. How long it might be before they could arrive it was impossible +to say; perhaps when Larry reached their quarters the larger number had +been sent in an opposite direction, and considerable time might be lost. +However, the importance of gaining as much time as possible was very +great; for though the little garrison did not despair of beating off the +enemy, they earnestly desired to avoid the bloodshed which must ensue if +fighting once began. + +James therefore waited with a sad and beating heart to give the fatal +order, should the outlaws overstep the prescribed boundary. + +"Well, what are you going to do?" shouted one of the men; "are you going +to give up those fellows?" + +"Who is it you are looking for?" asked James, glad of any means to spin +out the time. + +"Gentleman Jim and Sulking Sam," was the answer. "Come, turn them out; +you've got them." + +"I know no men by those names," said James. + +"The rogues are right enough, though. I have the honour of being +designated as `Gentleman Jim,'" said Craven, with a smile. + +"I say, what are the right names of the chaps?" asked one of the outlaws +of a comrade. + +"I never knowed 'em by any other," was the answer. + +"Come, come, master, you hand them out, and be done with it!" cried +several of the men together. + +"Supposing they were with us, and that we were to deliver them into your +hands, what would you do with them?" asked James. + +"Hang them up on the nearest tree, as we will you also, if you don't +come to terms pretty quickly!" shouted the first ruffian who had spoken. + +"I won't help you to be guilty of so great a crime," said James; "think +better of it, and go away." + +"No more of this; time's up!" cried a loud voice. "Charge, lads!" + +The whole body sprang forward towards the hut. The whites instantly +began firing their muskets or fowling-pieces, the blacks at the same +moment casting their spears. + +"Hurra! Here come the police! Look out for yourselves!" cried Sam +Green, who had been keeping watch at a hole near the roof, looking +eastward. + +The words, uttered before any one had time to reload, had a magic +effect. One of the outlaws, springing on one side to ascertain whether +the announcement was true, shouted out the fact to his comrades. Down +the hill they rushed, as fast as their legs could carry them. Their +bullets had either passed over the hut or had lodged in the thick +planking which formed the sides, without injuring any of those within. +The sound of the shots, however, made the police put spurs to their +horses' sides, and they came galloping up as the last of the outlaws +disappeared across the river. Their steeds were pretty well knocked up +with their long and rapid journey, but Lieutenant Graham, the officer in +command, was most anxious to catch some of the men. "We will join you!" +cried Craven, running out. Their horses were found in a grassy nook to +the left. Craven, with his friend Richards, and Arthur Gilpin, and ten +of the police, led by their officer, joined in the pursuit. Before long +they came in sight of the outlaws, scattered far and wide over the +country, each man endeavouring to make his escape by himself. Most of +them had thrown away the boughs and the skins with which they had been +covered. Three men kept closer together than did the rest. Craven, who +thought he recognised them by their figures as stockmen belonging to the +station, recommended that they should be followed. The men soon +discovered that they especially were pursued. When they saw that all +chance of escape was gone, they turned round and stood at bay; but as +the troopers advanced with drawn sabres, they threw down their arms and +cried out for quarter. Their lives were of course spared, but their +hands being lashed behind them, they were conducted back to the hut. +Another man was caught, but the rest were allowed to escape. "We can +always get any we require," observed one of the police. The prisoners +were the men Craven supposed. He himself was the chief cause of their +being taken. Except that his dress was rough, as usual, his whole +manner was changed as he galloped across the field. Graham looked at +him more than once with astonishment. + +They were all once more collected in the hut, doing justice to the fare +Sam and Larry had provided. + +"I am nearly certain that I know you!" said the police officer, +addressing Craven. "My name is Graham, and yours is--" + +"All right, old fellow!" cried Craven, jumping up and grasping his hand; +"it is pleasant, indeed, to meet a near relation out here. I never +heard of your coming." + +"Nor did I know of your being here. However, we will not lose sight of +each other again," said the lieutenant. + +As scarcely any of the stockmen or hut-keepers could be trusted, the +Gilpins begged that some of the police might remain, while they went +round to drive in and concentrate the herds of cattle and the flocks of +sheep, now probably without keepers, and subject to the depredations of +the outlaws. It was very hard work; but, with the help of Craven, a few +of the better-disposed men, who were found at their huts (having +probably returned there after the ill-success of their expedition), were +selected, and the task was accomplished. Fresh hands were sent for. +Craven was appointed overseer, with his friend under him. Graham set +off with his prisoners for headquarters, Norfolk Island being, without +doubt, their ultimate destination. No tidings could be gained of +Basham. He was probably hid away in the mountains, but it was not +likely that he would make any further attempts on the station. The +disorderly servants were dismissed, fresh ones arrived, and for some +time the affairs entrusted to the young settlers went on quietly and +prosperously. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +The Gilpins found Craven a great addition to their social circle in +their remote station. They, more than ever, required support and +assistance, for depressing news began to reach them from Sydney. The +financial affairs of the colony had for some time past been in an +unsatisfactory state. Money for paying the men was often considerably +in arrear; and stores and provisions were sent up only in small +quantities and of an inferior quality. At length, a letter arrived from +the agent, directing them to send produce to Sydney, to meet certain +heavy liabilities. As wool was not forthcoming, they were to boil down +both cattle and sheep, to dismiss a large number of the men, and to +practise the most rigid economy. The requisite boilers and casks for +the tallow soon afterwards arrived. It was most disagreeable and +painful work. Flock after flock of sheep were driven in and +slaughtered; the carcases were put into the cauldrons, the fat was +packed in the casks, and the hides roughly dried; while the meat, which +might have fed thousands of the starving poor in the old country, was +allowed, of necessity, to rot uselessly on the ground. Theirs was no +solitary instance of the consequence of want of capital to carry on +business, for such was the condition to which the greater number of +squatters throughout the colony were reduced. Fortunately, tallow and +hides were in demand, and realised high prices, and thus many of the +settlers were soon able to get out of their difficulties, though left +with sadly diminished flocks and herds. The Gilpins and their overseer, +Craven, spared no exertion to save, as far as possible, the loss of +property. One day Arthur had gone in search of some cattle, which had +strayed among the range of mountains to the west. After looking for +them in vain, he was returning, annoyed and out of spirits, when he +observed a stream issuing from the side of a hill, with the banks on +either side encrusted with a glittering white substance. He tasted it, +and found it perfectly salt. Collecting a pocketful, he returned home +with his spirits completely revived. All the party were of opinion that +it was a salt spring; that others would be found in the neighbourhood; +and that salt could be manufactured with which the meat, which was now +lost, might be preserved either for sale or for future consumption. The +next morning they eagerly set out for the spot. They were not +disappointed. Other springs were found. By evaporation alone, a small +supply could be procured; and with some simple apparatus they hoped to +produce as much as they would require. A cauldron and some pans were +sent up, and after a few experiments they succeeded to their +satisfaction; and they were able to send into Sydney, with the next +dray-load of tallow, a cask of salted hams and tongues. + +About this time, they received a letter from their first friend in the +colony, Mr Prentiss, saying that the losses of his family had been so +great, and that his father had so taken it to heart, that he was +completely prostrate, and not likely to survive. He had, therefore, +himself come up to take the management of affairs, accompanied by his +children. He requested James to come and pay him a visit without delay. +Leaving Arthur and Craven in charge, he at once set off. He rode +alone, though he would probably have to camp out one or two nights. +There were stations on the road, but they were at inconvenient +distances; and unless compelled by bad weather, he did not purpose +stopping at them. He had a gun as a protection; but he had no fear of +bushrangers. They were now seldom heard of in the colony. From wild +beasts to be dreaded by a traveller, Australia is, happily, free. He +was not likely to meet any blacks inclined to be unfriendly. +Occasionally the natives murdered hut-keepers and stockmen, but in most +instances they had been provoked to do so by ill-treatment. With +saddle-bags and holsters well filled, a blanket, a tin kettle and pot, +strapped to the saddle before him, he set forth on his journey. There +is an elasticity in the atmosphere and a freedom from restraint which +makes travelling on horseback in Australia most delightful. James +Gilpin enjoyed it to the full. He also found it good to be alone +occasionally, to commune with his heart; and this journey gave him ample +opportunity of being so. The first day passed over pleasantly. He had +arranged to spend the evening with an acquaintance on the road. As his +own shadow and that of his steed were lengthened out on the grass, the +smoke of his friend's hut, curling up among the gum trees, appeared +before him. He called out as he rode up to the door, but no voice +answered; the distant sound, however, of tinkling sheep bells told him +that the flock of the station was being driven into a pen for the night, +where the new-born lambs could be better protected from the dingoes and +hawks, their chief enemies, than if left on the open. Unsaddling and +turning his horse into a paddock near at hand, he entered the hut. The +kettle was hissing on the fire, and the damper was baking under it. +There were signs that the hut was the residence of a gentleman (though +all was in the rough), and evidently that of a bachelor. Every spot on +the walls was covered with shooting and fishing gear, sporting prints, +and some of a better description; and there was a book-case, with +thoroughly used volumes, and coats and hats hung up, and shelves loaded +with all sorts of articles, and chests below, and casks, one with flour +ready open; the corners also were crowded. There was a bed-chamber +boarded off for the owner, a refinement not very often indulged in, and +a bunk at one end of the general room, for the hut-keeper. The cheery +voice of the proprietor addressing his dogs announced his return. He +warmly greeted his neighbour (their abodes were only forty miles apart); +and tea, damper, cold beef, and pork were speedily on the table. + +The two settlers were merry and contented, in spite of misfortunes. +Johnstone had also been compelled to boil down. + +"Now is the time for a fellow with five or six hundred pounds to lay the +foundation of a fortune," he observed; "both cattle and sheep can be +bought at a mere nominal price. I must sell or boil down still more of +mine; but I see my way clearly out of my difficulties, and keep up my +spirits." + +The hint was not lost upon James. He had been unwilling to take any of +his employers' cattle, lest it might throw him open to suspicion; but he +now resolved to offer to purchase some, and, at all events, to take all +that Mr Johnstone might wish to sell. Local subjects were of course +discussed. + +"By-the-by," observed Mr Johnstone, "we were surprised some days ago at +seeing a white man lurking about here, dressed in skins and rags. The +people thought he must be mad; for whenever they approached him, he ran +off howling into the bush. I ordered some food to be placed for him at +a spot where we could watch him. He saw us, and would not approach; but +after watching for some time we went away, and he then must have darted +out from his concealment and carried off the food, for when we returned +it was gone. From that day he disappeared, and whether he has been +drowned in some river or water-hole, or has been starved in the bush, I +cannot say." + +James Gilpin started at an early hour the next morning, intending to +make a long day's journey, and to camp out, as he must in that case do. +His horse, a peculiarly fine and strong one, bore him well through the +early part of the day. In the afternoon he entered a forest, extending +on either side to a considerable distance. The track through it was +less defined than usual, still, by constant reference to his compass, +when he had any doubts, he had no fear about making a mistake. + +He had ridden on for some distance, when he observed that the sky was +overcast, and the wind began to moan among the trees. Suddenly, with a +spring which would have thrown a worse rider, his horse started at a +vivid flash of lightning which darted from the sky, struck a huge tree +near him, tearing off a large limb, and then ran hissing along the +ground. A crash of thunder, such as he had really heard, followed, and +he found it impossible to prevent his affrighted steed from setting off +at full gallop among the trees. It was with the greatest difficulty +that he could guide the animal, so as to save his legs from being dashed +against the trunks and his head against the branches. Crash succeeded +crash in rapid succession, and at times so vivid was the lightning that +the forest seemed one blaze of fire. In vain he searched for an open +space where he might, at all events, be free from the danger of being +crushed by falling branches. Now he thought he saw an opening on one +side, now on the other; but each time he was disappointed. He +discovered, however, that he had got out of the track, and when he began +to consider in which direction he should go, he was under the somewhat +painful feeling that he had lost his way. He put his hand in his pocket +to examine his compass; it was not there. Again and again he searched +for it; nowhere was it to be found. It had undoubtedly been jerked out +of his pocket during some of the violent springs his steed had made when +frightened by the lightning. He had not the remotest hope of finding it +on the ground, and would therefore not waste time in looking for it. +Just as he had made this disagreeable discovery, the fury of the storm +abated, and he was in hopes that it was about to cease altogether. He +rode forward, he believed, towards the east. If he could get out of the +wood he might still reach a station before dark, considerably short of +the distance he hoped to have made good that day. On he went, his horse +starting and trembling, not having yet recovered from its fright. The +rain was falling in torrents, and he was already wet through--no +uncommon occurrence, however, for a squatter, who is in the saddle many +hours every day of the year. Down it came, harder than ever. Another +vivid flash, followed by a terrific clap of thunder, made his horse +again start forward. He galloped on till an open space was reached; +here, at all events, he might be secure from falling branches, though +not from the lightning, which was darting in every direction. + +He had almost lost hope of getting out of the wood that night. Wet as +he was, he must camp out on the bare ground. He was searching for a +spot where he might dismount and tether his horse, when again the animal +started; this time, however, it was not at a flash of lightning. James +looked round, when, about a dozen yards from him, he saw, as if +endeavouring to conceal himself behind the gnarled stem of an aged gum +tree of gigantic proportions, the very figure Johnstone had described to +him the previous evening. At first he thought that his imagination must +have deceived him; the light was uncertain, and his eyes had been +dazzled by the lightning. Still, he could not be mistaken: there was +the human face, the glaring eyeballs, the matted hair and beard, and the +dress of skins and rags. The figure moved its arms and made threatening +gestures at him. "I must know whether this is reality or imagination," +he said to himself, again urging on his horse towards the tree under +which the seeming figure stood. As he did so, the threatening gestures +became more vehement, and, as he continued to advance, a loud, unearthly +shriek rang through the forest, and the unhappy maniac, for such without +doubt he was, fled away into its depths, his cries echoing amidst the +trees till they grew faint in the distance. This incident did not +contribute to make the prospect of camping out in that wild spot +pleasant. Still, James Gilpin had no choice, and his mind was too well +trained to allow him to be made anxious by unnecessary apprehensions. +The only thing he dreaded was the possibility of the maniac returning, +and, perhaps, should he drop asleep, committing some violence on him. +Both rain and lightning had ceased, and having tethered his horse in a +grassy spot, where the animal might find food, he bethought him of the +possibility of lighting a fire. Under the trees there was no lack of +fuel, and with the last remnant of daylight he collected enough to serve +him till the morning. Under the lee side of the trees, also, he scraped +together enough dry leaves and small twigs and bark to raise a blaze and +dry the wet wood. He looked up very frequently, as was natural, to +ascertain that the maniac was not near him. With flint, steel, and +gunpowder he quickly raised a blaze; his kettle was boiling, his meat +toasting, and his damper warming up, while his blanket and clothes were +drying; and had it not been for the spectre he had seen, he would have +been well content with his lot,--not that he much feared what the poor +creature could do to him, but it was the feeling that at any moment he +might rush out on him which was so painful. By the look of the sky he +saw that the weather was still unsettled, and the state of the +atmosphere, judging by his sensations, told him that there might still +be more thunder and lightning. He consequently considered it imprudent +to seek for greater shelter under the trees. His clothes and blankets +were now tolerably dry, and having shifted the tether of his horse, that +the animal might have fresh food, he wrapped himself up, with his feet +to the fire and his head on his saddle-bags to seek that rest of which +he stood so much in need. + +He, of course, intended to keep his eyes open, and turned in the +direction where the poor maniac had disappeared. As might, however, +have been expected, he closed them and fell fast asleep. Weariness made +him sleep, but anxiety prevented him from sleeping soundly. He was +dreaming, it seemed, all the time; and his dreams were painful and +confused in the extreme. The strange figure of the maniac was +constantly before him, while his unearthly cries resounded in his ears. +His chief idea was that he was engaged in a desperate struggle to get +out of some fearful difficulty--now swimming in a roaring torrent, now +climbing a precipice with savage animals raging below, now flying for +his life across a boundless plain; the maniac was mocking him on the +banks of the stream, or present among the wild beasts, or following him +with a troop of savages across the plain. A loud noise sounded in his +ear. It was a peal of thunder. The storm was again raging with +redoubled fury. He started up to secure his horse, lest the frightened +animal should break loose and escape into the depths of the forest. He +must have slept long, for a few glowing ashes only remained of his fire, +which the rain would soon quench, unless a supply of fresh wood were +added. He felt for some he had placed in readiness, and threw it on the +ashes. As he did so, a vivid flash of lightning lit up the forest +opening, and by its light he saw, with a gleaming axe uplifted in his +hand, the wretched maniac stealthily approaching him. He sprang to his +feet, seizing his rifle, when again all was darkness. + +"Stand back, whoever you are, or I must fire!" he shouted, at the same +time leaping on one side, away from the spot where he had been lying. + +There was the sound of feet, as if a person was springing over the +ground, a shriek, and the crash of a weapon descending. Yes, he was +certain it had struck his saddle-bags. The next instant, the wood +igniting on the fire, a flame burst forth, revealing the figure of the +maniac retreating across the glade in the direction of the old tree, +where he had at first appeared. He must have just reached it when +another flash of lightning came down in a zigzag course from the very +clouds overhead. It struck the huge tree, which was riven into several +portions, and its knotted limbs scattered around. The thunder at the +same moment crashed and rattled with almost terrific sound. He seized +the tether rope of his horse, as the animal, having torn the pin from +the ground, was about to dash off through the forest. The poor creature +stood as his hand stroked its head, but trembled violently. He brought +it up to the fire, looking round as he did so for his late assailant, +but the maniac was nowhere to be seen. He had the greatest difficulty +in keeping his horse quiet; for the storm continued raging as before, +the rain came down in torrents, the wind howled and whistled, and the +lightning flashed; the thunder roared and rattled, and the rending of +boughs, and the crashing of falling trees was heard on every side, +warning him of the danger of attempting to pass among them. As may be +supposed, he did not again lie down: having saddled his horse and thrown +his blanket over his shoulders, he employed the time in quieting the +animal, throwing wood on his fire, and keeping a vigilant watch for the +approach of the maniac. The most weary night must have an end. The +storm ceased completely; the dawn came at last. He looked around. The +sight which most attracted his attention was the blackened stump of that +huge tree which had stood there the previous evening--the monarch of the +forest glade. He approached it. Under one of the limbs lay a human +form--it was the maniac's body; life was extinct. He examined the +features. There could be no mistake; though haggard by starvation and +exposure, and distorted by his violent death, he recognised them as +those of the former overseer of Warragong, the outlaw Basham. A small +black mark on one side of his head showed that he had been struck by the +electric fluid, and that his death must have been instantaneous, and +must have immediately followed the attempt on his life. To bury the +body of the wretched man was impossible. All he could do was to drag +the heavier boughs of the trees torn off by the storm over it and leave +it thus entombed, and then to escape from the scene. The rising sun +showed him the direction he should pursue, and in half an hour he was +out of the wood, and had regained the track with which he was +acquainted. He reached a station in time for breakfast, when he +narrated to the occupant what had occurred, and learned from him that +Basham had more than once been there asking for food. + +A rest of a few hours restored James's strength; but instead of camping +out as he had intended, he was glad to take shelter that night in +another squatter's hut. It was thus that the traveller in those days +was able to traverse the province from one end to the other, with the +certainty of finding food and shelter, and a welcome at any hut where he +might call. He was most cordially received at Prentiss Town, where he +arrived late in the evening; but he went to a house of mourning. Old +Mr Prentiss, under the belief that his losses were far greater than was +the case, and that the whole country was about to be ruined, had sunk +broken-hearted into the grave. He had trusted in riches, and they had +failed him. An apathetic indifference to everything around him had +seized his eldest son, who had the same belief in the ruin impending +over the colony. + +Notwithstanding this, there was sunlight in the dwelling: there could +not fail to be so, James thought, where Fanny and Emily Prentiss were to +be found. They received him as an old and valued friend, and expressed +their sorrow that his brother could not have accompanied him. He +naturally expected that they would complain of the dulness of the life +they must now lead in the country, and regret all the gaieties and +amusements they had left behind in Sydney; but, on the contrary, they +seemed much pleased at having escaped from its unsatisfactory +frivolities. Everything in the country delighted them, and they had no +fear of no having ample occupation. They proposed to study the natural +history of the district--the trees and flowers, the birds and insects, +and the wild animals, of which there were not a few; then the farm would +of itself afford ample occupation, along with the improvements in the +house, into which they were about to move, on another part of the +estate, where a garden was also to be formed. And there were also +several settlers with wives and grown-up daughters, who lived somewhat +far off, to be sure; but the young ladies were good horse-women, and +thought little of a ride of thirty miles or so. There were likewise +numerous families of the lower orders, who had no means of obtaining +religious or secular instruction. Among these they circulated books and +tracts, and would often stop and read the Word of God to those who were +unable to read themselves. Thus every moment of each day was fully +occupied. James Gilpin could not fail to admire the manner in which his +young hostesses spent their time, or to discover how many objects of +interest they had in common. Even under ordinary circumstances he would +have been interested in them. As it was, the interest he felt increased +the longer he remained in their society. He was of much use to Mr +Henry Prentiss in arranging the affairs connected with the property; and +at length, with new hopes and aspirations, he returned to Warragong. +The arrangements for the purchase of the cattle and sheep were soon +complete. The brothers did not even now lay out all their capital, but +allowed a portion to remain in the bank to meet any unexpected demands. +They had from the first been allowed a percentage on the increase of the +stock under their charge; but this, owing to the mismanagement of the +persons employed, and the depredations of Basham and his associates, had +hitherto been small. The boiling-down process at length being no longer +necessary, and the management in every department being greatly +improved, the increase was so much more rapid than at first, that they +found themselves, a few years after landing in Australia, the owners of +very considerable flocks and herds, while no men in the district were +more respected. Their visits to Prentiss Town became more and more +frequent; sometimes one brother went, sometimes the other--as they were +unwilling to leave the station together--and they both met with a +reception which made them wish to return. The Prentiss Town property +was now divided, and the house inhabited by Mr Henry Prentiss was +considerably nearer to them than that of his elder brother. They also +had secured some runs lower down the Warragong river; and having fixed +on a site for a house in that direction, somewhat similar, but far more +picturesque than the spot where the old hut stood, they built a hut +which they could inhabit till their new residence could be erected, +leaving Craven in charge of that up the stream. This change enabled +them to leave their own abode early in the morning, and to reach that of +Mr Prentiss before sunset. There was the house of a new settler about +half-way, and several huts where refreshment could be obtained, so that +their visits became still more frequent and expected. Even in the bush +gossip is not impossible, and it became pretty generally reported that +the two Mr Gilpins were about to marry the two daughters of Mr Henry +Prentiss. + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +The Gilpins had not attained to the prosperous condition they enjoyed +without persevering toil and constant exertion both of mind and body. +Some stirring incidents had occurred; but, at the same time months +passed by in a comparatively monotonous manner. Every day they were in +the saddle, sometimes from morning till night; but however delightful +that style of life may be--and that it has its attractions to most men +there can be no doubt--men of educated minds must at times feel an +almost insupportable weariness, and earnestly long for a change. There +can be but little social intercourse; some suffer materially from the +want of public worship and religious instruction, and all must feel its +absence. Still, those who are fitted for a life in the bush, and have +led it for any length of time, quit it generally with regret, and return +to it with satisfaction. + +Never had the Gilpins been more busy. Their house was nearly finished. +It was rather large for two bachelors, to be sure; but their ideas must +have expanded of late. They had much more assistance than formerly +rendered by Craven, their most efficient and active overseer, and his +assistant, Larry. No one would have recognised the dispirited, almost +broken-hearted hut-keeper in the fine, active, intelligent man he had +now become. Gentlemanly even in his poverty, he had always been. He +now looked more fit to set a squadron in order, and lead them against +the foe, than to keep sheep; yet to superintend the keeping of sheep he +was well content. He had greatly enlarged and improved the old hut, +having converted it indeed into a comfortable house, with a +flower-garden in front and one for vegetables in the rear. + +One of the greatest matters of interest to the bushman, who has loved +relations in the old country, is the arrival of the post. Often with +trembling, always with eager, hands the packets are opened; sometimes +they give satisfaction, and afford subjects for pleasant conversation +for many a day; but at others, and too often, they bring news to grieve +the hearts of their readers. Such had been the case with the Gilpins, +some time back, when a letter with a broad black border arrived, and +told them of the death of a father they had so much reason to reverence +and love. Several changes had taken place in their family circle. +Their eldest brother had married; and their two sisters seemed doubtful, +when they last heard from home, whether or not they should continue to +reside with him. + +The two brothers were sitting together in their nicely furnished +dining-room. The dark wainscoting and the proportions of the apartment +reminded them of the one they had loved so well in their far-off home in +the old country. A dray had just arrived from the west, and Green made +his appearance with the letter-bag in hand. Eagerly the contents were +glanced over. + +"Arthur, they are coming--both the dear girls, Jane and Susan--and +Willie as an escort!" exclaimed James, in a tone of great satisfaction. + +"Oh! it will be delightful. How pleased Fanny and Emily will be!" cried +Arthur. + +Indeed, no event could by possibility have caused the brothers more true +pleasure; and, as may be supposed, it formed the subject for +conversation for the remainder of the evening and for many evenings +afterwards. Of course it was necessary for James to ride over to +Prentiss Town to announce the event. + +"As soon after they arrive as it can be arranged," was the reply made by +Fanny to a question put to her during his visit. It seemed highly +satisfactory, and was received with strong marks of gratitude. + +When James returned home, Arthur was not happy till he could set off to +Prentiss Town. He must have put a question to Emily, not unlike that +which James put to Fanny. + +"Perhaps the same day that my sister is," was her reply. + +Not long after, James set off for Sydney. Arthur would gladly have gone +also, but what with their own flocks and herds, and the numerous ones +over which they had charge, it was, they thought, scarcely fair to +Craven to leave him so long alone. Of late, too, there had been reports +of wonderful discoveries of gold--nuggets to rival those of California; +and some of the shepherds and stockmen had already gone off to the +region where the gold was reported to have been found, and it was feared +that others might follow. James had not been in Sydney since his first +arrival in the country. The whole city was in a ferment. There was no +doubt of the truth of the reports of the discovery of gold, not only in +one, but in several directions. Nuggets of all sizes and heaps of +gold-dust had already been brought in. The gold fever had commenced, +and men of all ages, ranks, and professions were fitting themselves out +with knapsacks, spades, washers, and other apparatus for the +gold-fields. People were surprised that James took matters so calmly. +"I prefer that others should dig for me--an occupation for which I never +had a fancy, except for an hour or two in my garden in a morning," he +answered. "If people rush out of the colony, as it is expected they +will, the price of stock will rise very greatly, and I shall have ample +fortune for all my wishes." It did rise, far higher than he expected, +and he was not disappointed. His heart throbbed with anxiety as he went +down to the harbour to visit the ship on board which his sisters had +taken their passage. He singled them out among a large number of +passengers, though they did not recognise the strongly built, bearded, +and well-browned man as their brother, who had left them a fair, slight +youth a few years before. News of the gold discoveries had reached +England some time before the ship sailed, and a great number of her +passengers were intended gold-diggers--a mixed and ill-matched +assemblage, all inspired, however, with the one ruling passion, an eager +to grow rich suddenly. There were young men--still mere lads--who had +time before them to make themselves independent by steady industry; and +old men who, it might be supposed, had little else to do than to prepare +for another world. There were nominal representatives of all religious +faiths, but drawn together to worship one god--Mammon, yet not as +brethren, for each seemed eager to supplant the other. The Miss Gilpins +told their brother that the universal subject of conversation during the +voyage was gold, gold-digging, gold-washing, gold-scraping. + +"Like the old man in the `Pilgrim's Progress' with his muck-rake, always +scraping with downcast looks, never gazing upwards," remarked James. +"Ah! it is sad work; and yet, when a person gets down in the world, and +feels the want of the wealth he once possessed, it must be a severe +trial to him to prevent his mind from continually dwelling on the means +by which he may regain it." + +The greater number of the passengers were eager to set off immediately +for the diggings; and every vehicle to be found was secured at a high +price, many giving promises of breaking down before half the journey was +performed. Many talked of trudging it on foot; and of these, several of +them never reached their destination, having either lost their way and +died from fatigue and starvation in the bush, or being drowned when +crossing some river, by being carried down by the current. The lions of +Sydney were soon visited; and James, with his two sisters and young +brother, set off in high spirits for Warragong. He had a lightly-built +covered waggon, with strong springs--the best style of vehicle for +travelling in the bush. The journey was performed, if not rapidly, yet +with great ease and comfort; and there were so many objects of interest, +all new to the strangers--the birds, beasts, reptiles, and scenery, the +very look of the people, and the characters they met--that no one was +weary. As may be supposed, they called at Prentiss Town on their way, +and, of course, spent a few days there; and, naturally, Arthur arrived +to escort them home. The daughters of the English farmer had been more +practically brought up than the Australian young ladies, educated in a +school in Sydney. They could teach them much connected with the dairy +and numerous household duties, of which they had never heard. Not that +the Miss Gilpins were, in the slightest degree, less refined or less +educated than their new friends. Of course, the visit was to be +returned; there was some joking, however, on that subject, which a +stranger might not very clearly have understood. On the road, the party +were met by Craven, well mounted, and dressed in the most approved +fashion. He came, as in duty bound, to escort his friends' sisters to +their new abode. + +"And is this the hut you spoke of, dear brothers?" exclaimed the +sisters, in the same voice. "What a delightful house! And this room, +the very model of the dear old parlour. We are sure you intended it." + +And Jane and Susan kissed their brothers, who were more than amply +repaid by the happiness they felt for the years of toil they had +endured, and all the exertions they had made to get the house ready. +They had an idea that those sisters would not remain long under their +roof, sorry though they would be to lose them; that is to say, not if +their bachelor neighbours had a particle of good taste or judgment. +Willie was delighted with everything. His great ambition was to become +a first-rate stockman. He was rather young to begin active life; but he +had made good use of his time at school, and he promised, when he left +England, that he would not give up reading and study. The Gilpins had +found the time pass quickly before the arrival of their sisters, they +now found it pass still more quickly; and it was only by managing it +with the greatest care that they could accomplish what they had to do. +The Miss Gilpins entered warmly into all Fanny's and Emily's plans-- +which had, indeed, now become their brothers'--for giving religious +instruction to the surrounding population, which had of late years +considerably increased. Though many of the men went off to the +diggings, the women remained, hoping to see them return, loaded with +wealth. Not a hut nor a residence of any sort remained unvisited by +these six active young missionaries, who left tracts or books wherever +they went. They procured some Bibles from Sydney, and many a cottage, +where the Word of God had never been heard, was supplied by them. They +had great reason to believe that a blessing attended their efforts. +They had often made application in Sydney for an appointed minister of +the Gospel. One at length came, but he had a wide circuit, so that he +could not come to any spot within the Sunday morning's journey more than +six or eight times in the year. He went his rounds, preaching on +weekdays, from station to station, and holding a service every evening +where he rested. Such is the only human agency by which spiritual life +can be maintained in the wide-scattered sheep and stock stations in +Australia, and it behoves all those connected with that magnificent +land, who love the Lord Jesus Christ, to aid in sending missionaries of +the Gospel through its length and breadth. There are many who have +scarcely ever heard the glad tidings of salvation; many have passed +away, sunk almost in heathen darkness. At length, a regular place of +worship was built, to the satisfaction of many, which satisfaction was +by no means decreased by an interesting event which took place there +shortly afterwards, namely, the marriages of Jane and Arthur Gilpin. It +would be difficult to find a more united, contented, and happy family +than that now dwelling at Warragong, and certainly, if steady, +persevering, industry and uprightness of conduct should be rewarded, the +Gilpins richly deserved their success. Sam Green, too, had followed his +young master's example, and had taken to himself as a wife the eldest +daughter of his old acquaintance, Sykes, the former coachman of Mr +Henry Prentiss, who had followed his master into the country, and +settled near him. Larry Killock won the heart of another daughter; but, +although Mr Sykes had himself come out at the Government expense, he +objected to the alliance, because Larry was not yet entirely a free man. +Larry was, however, able to prove that his crime was having joined some +popular outbreak; and being at length freed completely from bondage, his +wishes were no longer opposed, and he settled down near the friends to +whom he had, with good reason, become so warmly attached. + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +Some time had passed since the events just mentioned. It was winter, +not Christmas, however, but the period which in England is considered +the warmest and sunniest in the year. Frost and snow are not looked +for, but the wind blows from the cold south, and rain comes down in +plentiful showers, filling the water-holes, and turning the sluggish +streams into roaring torrents. + +One evening, as Arthur and Willie were riding homewards from a distant +station, their course not far from the Warragong river, a cry reached +their ears. + +"It is some one shouting for help!" exclaimed Arthur. "From what +direction does it come? Listen!" + +"From up the stream!" cried Willie, spurring on his horse. + +"Stay! there's a man in the river," said Arthur; "he is floating down. +We may pass him if we don't take care." + +They rode directly down to the bank of the now rapid river. Every +stockman rides with a rope attached to his saddle. They looked out +anxiously as they now rode up the stream. Again the cry was heard, but +fainter though near; and through the thickening gloom of evening a man +was seen clinging to a log, which was borne swiftly down the current. +He had lost all power of guiding it, and from the way his head hung +down, it was evident that his strength was exhausted, and that he must +soon drop off and sink. To leap from their horses and to secure them to +a tree was the work of a moment. + +"Here, hold one end, Willie! I think I can reach him!" cried Arthur, +binding the two ropes together, and fastening one end round his own +waist. + +Throwing off his coat, and without waiting for any expostulation from +Willie, he plunged into the stream, and swam boldly out towards the +drowning man. The whirling eddies of the torrent bore the log along, +now carrying it towards one side of the river, now towards the other. +This much increased the difficulty of reaching it. The man clinging to +it had still sufficient consciousness to be aware of the effort made to +save him, but had no strength to help himself. Arthur had swum out very +nearly to the extent of which the rope would allow, and yet he feared +that he should not reach the man. He doubted whether he should be +strong enough to return to the shore without the aid of the rope. + +"Stretch out your arms, Willie; give me all the rope you can, but don't +fall in. In mercy take care!" he shouted. + +Willie stood on the very edge of the bank uncoiling the whole of the +rope, and keeping only the end in his hands. He dreaded lest, his feet +slipping, he should be dragged in himself; and though he did not fear +for himself, he knew that, if he was dragged in, Arthur would in all +probability be lost. He found that he could not stand still either, but +had to move down the stream, as his brother was swept on by the current. +"If it is difficult to hold him now, what will it be when he grasps the +drowning man?" he thought. He would have shouted for help had he +believed that any one was near to afford it. Arthur, meantime, saw the +drowning man approaching. An eddy seemed to be carrying him off towards +the opposite bank. Should he venture to swim across without the rope? +Had he a right to run so great a risk of losing his life, and bring +grief and sorrow to the heart of his young wife? He prayed for strength +and aid. He was about to loose himself from the rope, when again the +log was whirled near him. The moment for the greatest exertion had +arrived. He sprang forward. His right hand grasped the drowning man, +but the log on which he floated escaped from his hold, and was borne +onwards by the current. As he caught the man, the spring he made and +the additional weight almost overbalanced Willie, who was on the point +of falling into the water, when he found himself close to a young tree, +of the willow tribe, bending over the stream. He grasped it with his +left hand, hauling with all his might till he drew in a sufficient +length of the rope to pass it round the stem. His dread was lest his +brother should sink before he could reach the shore. He then feared +that the man for whom Arthur had risked so much might be torn from his +grasp before he could get him in. The fact of the willow growing there +showed that there was a permanent water-hole at the spot, and that, +therefore, the depth must be considerable. He dragged in the rope +slowly, for Arthur seemed scarcely able to support his burden. "Keep-- +keep up, brother!" he cried out, considering whether he should not make +the rope fast and jump in to help him. Just then he discovered that the +current itself was doing what he wished; scarcely had he secured the +rope than Arthur was swept close up to the bank. He sprang on to help +him. The bank, happily, shelved, and together they dragged the nearly +drowned man to the shore. He was dressed as a labourer, and his rough +hands showed that he was accustomed to hard work. It was too dark to +distinguish his features. After they had rubbed him for some time, he +gave signs of life; and on his further recovering they placed him on +Willie's horse, and, supporting him on either side, led him up to the +house, which was about half a mile distant. The stranger scarcely spoke +all the way; indeed, he was but partially recovered from the effects of +his immersion. The ladies of the family, who had been expecting them at +an earlier hour, ran out as they reached the house. Emily hurried off +her husband to change his wet clothes; while Willie, briefly describing +how bravely his brother had behaved, conducted the stranger to his room, +that he might go to bed, while dry garments were got for him and some +hot potation was prepared. Had he been of the highest instead, +apparently, of the lowest rank, he could not have been more kindly +treated. Willie was delighted to be of use, and having collected some +clothes from his brother's wardrobe, brought them to the stranger, who, +having taken the remedies prescribed for him, insisted on getting up. + +"Why, whose house am I in?" exclaimed the stranger, his eye falling on +the mark of some of the linen brought for him. + +His young attendant told him. + +"Then you surely must be little Willie Gilpin!" cried the stranger; "and +that fine fellow who jumped into the river and pulled me out is Arthur, +and those are your sisters. I thought I knew their faces." + +"And who are you?" asked Willie. + +"An old friend, though I think it likely a forgotten one," answered the +stranger. "Do not say that I know your people. If they recollect me, +well and good; if not, it matters little: I am not worth recollecting." + +It was evident that the stranger did not belong to the rank of life his +appearance had at first betokened. James, who had been at a distance, +now arriving, came to the door, and invited him in to supper. The +stranger followed him, and with a bow to the ladies, which was certainly +not like that of a mere countryman, was about to take a seat at table, +when Arthur entered. The stranger's colour mounted to his cheeks as he +said-- + +"I am indebted to you, sir, for my life, and I am most thankful, as it +enables me to enjoy the present society, though I fear my life is not +worth the risk you ran to save it." + +Arthur had been earnestly examining the countenance of the stranger +while he was speaking. "I thought so," he exclaimed, coming round to +him and taking his hand; "Mark Withers, of Wallington?" + +"The same, though somewhat wiser; rather further down the hill than when +we parted," returned the stranger. "But I'll own it does my heart good +to meet so many old friends together." + +Kind and warm greetings saluted the wanderer; his heart softened, and +for a time he laid aside his cynical, discontented manner. The +well-furnished rooms, the handsome arrangements of the supper-table, and +the servants in attendance, all spoke of ample means. A feeling of +jealousy might possibly have passed through his heart as he made these +observations. He remarked, however, when left alone with the brothers, +"Well, you fellows seem to have fallen on your feet; and I'm heartily +glad of it, indeed I am." + +"We have been working pretty hard, though," said James; and, after +giving a brief sketch of their career in the colony, he asked, "And you, +Withers, I hope that you have got a comfortable home in Australia +somewhere." + +"Home!" exclaimed Withers; "I haven't a wigwam I can call my own, and my +whole property consists in the damp duds I had on my back when I pulled +them off in Willie's room." + +"Where have you been, then, Mark, all this time?" asked Arthur. + +"Been! why, my dear fellow, all round the world, exemplifying the truth +of the saying, that `a rolling stone gathers no moss.' My father did +not much fancy my giving up his business; and indeed I had to take +French leave at last, and then write and ask his forgiveness. He told +me, in reply, that I was a graceless vagabond; but that I might follow +my own devices, if I was so minded, without opposition, though without +help from him. I fancied that my own devices were full of wisdom, so +resolved to follow them. I had fallen in with a man bound for the Cape +of Good Hope Colony, and, listening to his representations, agreed to +accompany him. Out to the Cape I went, but soon discovered that a +farm-life was not to my taste; and so, meeting with some sporting +companions, I spent my time in shooting elephants and lions, and other +beasts of the forests and mountains of that wonderful land. As my +expenses at this sort of work were far greater than my profits, I spent, +in time, all the money I possessed, and had at length to engage as a +labourer on a property of which, on first landing, I might have become +the owner. This was not what I had bargained for; and hearing that +fortunes were to be made rapidly in South Australia, I saved enough +money to carry me to Cape Town, where I found a ship calling in on her +way to that colony. I shipped on board her to work my passage; but +finding the work I had to do and the treatment I had received very far +from my taste, I resolved never again, if I could help it, to place +myself in the same position. I found, on reaching Adelaide, that if +fortunes were to be made in a hurry, they were to be lost still more +rapidly--not that I had myself any opportunity of making the experiment +I tried all sorts of plans which I thought would prove short roads to +what I so much desired--to become rich; but, somehow or other, none of +them proved satisfactory. At length I had struck out something new +which would, I really believe, have been a great success, when the news +of the wonderful discoveries of gold in California reached the colony. +Wonderful to relate, I had made enough money to pay my passage, which I +took on board one of the first vessels sailing for those regions I +considered myself wonderfully fortunate to get there, for I had now no +longer the slightest doubt of success. San Francisco was already a +wonderful place. Everybody on board hastened to the shore as soon as we +entered the harbour, and in the course of two or three days the whole of +the crew, except the captain and first mate, had deserted the ship. The +central part of the city consisted at that time chiefly of +lodging-houses, gambling-houses, and houses of entertainment. The +lodging-houses, fast as they could be put up, were crowded, and were of +the most wretched description. The best to which I could gain admission +was a long barn-like edifice, with bunks or berths like those on board a +ship, arranged along on either side with straw, hay, or leaves as a +mattress, and a horsecloth as a coverlet. The gambling-houses were the +most attractive. There was music gratis, and spirits without limitation +for all who chose to play. I felt sure that I should make my fortune in +that way. How was I to get enough to stake? I must work. I found no +difficulty in obtaining employment as a labourer at high wages. In a +short time I had saved about twenty dollars. I walked into the largest +gambling-house, with my few dollars jingling in my pockets. The hall +was brilliantly lighted. It was hung with coloured silk or calico, and +adorned with mirrors and pictures. There was a gallery with a band of +music, and a bar where all sorts of viands could be obtained. There +were small tables for cards on either side, and several larger tables in +the centre, at which sat the bankers, the professional gamblers, the +owners or renters of the saloon. I walked up to one of these tables and +staked five of my hardly gained dollars against a thousand or so, and +won. I won again and again, until I found myself the owner of twenty +thousand dollars. I had never been so rich in my life, but yet it was +not a sum which would allow me to leave off. I played on all night, +losing and regaining; and at length, when the saloon was closed, I had +but a quarter of my first winning remaining. This would never do. I +determined to go the next day, and I persuaded myself that if I could +win as much as I had done the first night, I would never bet on a card +again. I returned to that hall of horrors--for so it was, in spite of +its gilding and mirrors and music. The haggard, pallid countenances of +the professional players, almost Satanic in their calmness; the excited, +eager looks of those who had come in the hopes, by staking their all, of +clearing themselves from difficulties, or, by rapidly acquiring wealth; +of being able to return to their far-distant homes! To a considerable +number, I believe, the scene was thoroughly distasteful; and yet, +infatuated folly led them, as it did me, there. I won at first; but +fortune turned against me, and I went on losing rapidly. If I staked +high, I lost; if low, it was the same. Every instant I expected to have +my first good luck come back, till I discovered that, to the very last +dollar, my pocket was cleared out. But I saw a terrible sight that +evening--I spare you the particulars--the suicide of a poor young +Englishman, who, like me, had lost every shilling he had. I trembled +lest I should be tempted to commit a like act; for I found that hardly a +week passed by but some wretched victim of gaming thus plunged into a +fearful eternity, while numbers took to drinking hard, and brought +themselves speedily to the grave. Sickened for the time of gambling, I +worked hard again, till I had saved enough to take me up to the +diggings. I found one of my shipmates about to start. We agreed to go +together. We were bound to each other, not by mutual regard, but that +we required companionship, and believed we could trust each other. I do +not much like to think of all the hardships we underwent. We had some +distance to go up the river, on the crowded deck of a vessel; then, with +our packs on our backs, we commenced the toilsome part of our journey, +over mountain and valley, across rivers and plains, on the highlands, +exposed to sharp winds, which pierced bitterly through our light +clothes, while on the plains we were scorched with the fierce rays of +the unclouded sun. A large party had collected at the foot of a rugged +mountain. Before us lay a plain of vast extent, which must be crossed. +We had heard that there was a scarcity of water. Some had filled their +water-skins and jars and kegs; others laughed at the notion of not being +able to go a few hours without water, even should we not find any; and +some carried flasks filled with rum or brandy, boasting that that was +the best stuff for quenching thirst I never felt greater heat in the +tropics; the air was filled with the finest dust, which got down our +throats, stopped our nostrils, and filled up the pores of our already +parched skins. The first night we stopped for very weariness--no water +was to be found. Those who had some would not part with a drop to their +comrades: they might want it themselves. All night the wolves howled +round us, as if scenting their prey. There were reports, too, that +hostile Indians had been seen; and several times the camp was aroused by +an alarm that the redskins were on us. The next day, when the sun rose, +the sky was cloudless, and there was not a breath of wind. Greater than +ever was the heat, and more intense the thirst of those who had brought +no water. I had a small flask full; but though I kept wetting my lips +occasionally, I suffered dreadfully. Almost certain destruction would +be the lot of those who dropped behind; yet, one by one, several poor +wretches sunk down exhausted, in vain imploring the rest to carry them +on. Sad were their cries; but our breasts were steeled against their +appeals. We had our own safety to consult, and the gold mines were +before us. Among those who sunk down were several who carried flasks of +spirits. Our guides declared that we should reach water before sunset. +This kept up the spirits of the stronger men. They were mistaken, or +had purposely deceived us to encourage us to proceed. Again we slept on +the burning sand, with our pistols in our hands, and our water-bottles +under our heads, ready at a moment's notice to defend ourselves against +either Indians, wolves, or our own companions, who, tempted by thirst, +might endeavour to steal the water we found so precious. The howling of +the wolves in the distance, and the groans, and often the imprecations +of those suffering from thirst, drove away sleep; and I, with others, +started up to reach the river, which we were assured was not more than +fifteen miles off. In four or five hours it might be reached. We +pushed on at a rapid rate, our mules following willingly, instinct +telling them that relief was at hand. The green trees appeared in +sight, and the water, bright and limpid, was seen between them. We +hurried on--men and animals together rushing into the stream, the men +lapping the water up like dogs, and dipping their whole bodies in +without even stopping to pull off any of their clothes. It is a wonder +the sudden change from heat to cold did not kill some of us; but the +fact is, that our pores were so completely closed up with dust that the +bath, by removing the dirt, allowed the perspiration to escape and saved +us from fever. A few turns in the sun soon dried our garments, and then +delightful indeed was it to throw ourselves on the grass, in the shade +of the tall trees, and to rest after our fatigue. One man proposed that +we should load our mules with water and go back for our poor comrades +who had dropped in the desert, if the caravan would camp for a couple of +days; but the proposal was instantly negatived with derision. + +"What! did he forget that we were bound for the diggings? Lose two +whole days which might be employed in collecting the gold of which we +were so eagerly in search! Scarcely had our companions came up than on +we pushed. The diggings were at hand; the nearer we got to them, the +more eager we became to commence work. We reached at last the principal +diggings. It was a fearfully wild spot--mountains on all sides, almost +destitute of trees, with the river running between them; the ground in +every direction was full of burrows, as if the habitation of rabbits; +but the chief work was going forward by the banks of the river, where +hundreds of men were labouring away from morn till night with very +varied success. My partner and I set up a hut; it was a wretched +affair, but not worse than many others; then we turned to with eager, +beating hearts. We dug and washed hour after hour, but, toil as we +might, we had not, at the end of the day, obtained more than would pay +our expenses; sometimes not so much. We toiled on. We had no choice; +we must find gold or starve. With the cold wind descending from the +mountains at night, and the chill fogs; the hot sun by day striking down +on our heads while we stood up to our knees in water--no wonder that all +suffered more or less from ague and fever. Many died from disease, some +went mad, some committed suicide. There was no one to care for them, no +one to mourn them; bowie-knives were in constant requisition, murders +frequent. One day I heard shots fired, and ran to see what was +occurring. Some strangers, that is, natives of various countries, had +trespassed on the ground claimed by a company of Americans. Without +giving any warning, the latter assembled and fired on the new-comers, +killing several; then rushing on them with bowie-knives, axes, and +revolvers, they desperately wounded or killed several more, putting the +rest to flight. `There, I guess they'll not try it on again,' I heard +one of the victors say, as he kicked the dead body of one of the +conquered party. I could describe many other similar scenes. At night +we always slept with our pistols under our pillows, and our knives at +our sides, ready to start up at a moment's notice. Several successful +diggers were murdered for the sake of their wealth, and others were cut +off by Indians, while prospecting beyond the chief diggings. +Altogether, I don't think that any place on earth could have been more +like Pandemonium than were those Californian diggings at the time I was +there, for I have not mentioned half of its horrors and abominations. I +resolved to get out of them. An unexpected run of success gave me the +means; the news of the discovery of gold in Australia expedited my +movements. My partner agreed to share my fortunes. We got back to San +Francisco, though not without great hazard of losing our gold and our +lives, and got on board a ship bound across the Pacific to this country. +The ship, however, being caught in a gale off this coast, drove on +shore, when half the crew and passengers lost their lives--my partner +among them--while I only saved my life and the clothes on my back. I +had learned by this time not to be surprised at any misfortune which +might overtake me. I was far better off than in California, for I was +among countrymen, I begged my way up to the diggings, or rather I had +not to beg it, for I was passed along from station to station. I was +much better off, too, at the diggings than I had been in California, for +I was now one of the ruling faction; and, though things were bad enough +in some respects, people were generally civilised and humane, compared +to gold-diggers I had met on the other side of the globe. My luck, +however, was much the same. All I could do was to keep body and soul +together, till at last I had to come to the conclusion that I was not +cut out for a gold-digger. On my way up to the diggings, I had rested +at a station owned by an old gentleman, who seemed to take an interest +in me. At all events, as I was going away, he promised to receive me +when I got tired of gold-digging, if I would come back to him, and to +put me in the way of making my fortune. Utterly disgusted with my +ill-success as gold-digger, I bethought myself of him, and was on my way +to his abode, when, on attempting to cross your river, I was carried off +my feet, and should have become food for fish or water-rats had it not +been for your courage, Arthur and Willie; and I can say, with sincerity, +that you deserve great credit for it. As to thanking you, I do not +fancy that thanks from such a wretched vagabond as I am are worth +anything, and so I'll say nothing about that." + +"We are too glad that we have succeeded in saving your life, old friend, +to care about thanks," said Arthur. "And now you are here, we hope that +you will stay and try if you cannot follow our occupation. It is the +one that succeeds best in Australia in the long run, depend upon it." + +Mark Withers said that he would think about the matter; but the next +morning he declared his intention of proceeding to the farm of the old +gentleman, a Mr Elton, who had invited him to his house before he went +up to the diggings. "The fact is," observed Mark, "I have an idea that +he intended to leave me his property, and that would not be an +unpleasant way of making a fortune, you'll allow." + +"It would be a way of getting one, certainly," observed James; "though I +doubt if your expectations will be realised; and I think that you would +enjoy it far more if you make it yourself by honest industry." + +"Every man to his taste," said Mark, with a careless laugh; "if I fail +in my expectations, I can but try on plodding industry at last, you +know, and little harm will be done." + +"It is difficult to stop a rolling stone when it has gained an impetus +downhill," said James; "remember that, Mark. However, I can only say +that my brothers and I shall be glad to welcome you back, should you +find yourself mistaken in your hopes, and to find some employment for +you which will put you in the way of becoming independent in the end." + +In so great a hurry was Mark to assure himself that he should obtain the +expected fortune from Mr Elton, that he insisted on setting forth on +his journey the next day. He did not object, however, to borrow a horse +and a few pounds from his old friends. This he did with the air of a +man conferring rather than receiving a favour. When Craven, who arrived +soon afterwards, heard of this latter circumstance, he predicted that +the face of Mr Mark Withers would not be again seen at Warragong, +unless he might have the assurance to return and borrow more. + +Charles Craven had become a very constant visitor of late at Warragong. +By his intelligence, activity, and knowledge of mankind, he had +contributed greatly to the prosperity of the Gilpins own property, as +well as to that committed to their charge. They had obtained permission +to make over a considerable portion of the latter to his management, so +that he had now a comfortable, if not a handsome, income. There seemed +to be no doubt that he admired Miss Gilpin, though he had not proposed +to her. Perhaps he considered that she was indifferent to him, or +regarded him merely as a valued friend of her brothers. + +Nothing had been heard of Mark Withers since his departure. One evening +a horseman was seen approaching the house, dressed in rough bush +fashion; and soon afterwards, into the room where the ladies were +seated, walked Mark himself. He had assumed a careless independent +swagger, peculiarly distasteful to those into whose society he had +introduced himself. + +"Your brothers were right!" he exclaimed, throwing himself into a chair. +"Old Elton was a humbug. He has cheated me abominably. Got me to +labour for him, and then laughed in my face when I told him why I had +done so; telling me that, as I worked for love, I required no wages; and +that, as I was not worth my salt, he should give me none. However, here +I am, not much the worse for the adventure, with a few months experience +of bush life, and ready to become your brothers' chief stockman, or +overseer, or anything they like to put me to, not derogatory to the +character of a gentleman." + +The Miss Gilpins and their sisters-in-law would have been inclined to +laugh at this speech, had it not been for the impudence of Mark's looks +and tone. On the arrival of the gentlemen he softened his manner; and +James and Arthur, ever kind and thoughtful, began at once to consider +how they could employ their old companion, so that he might not feel the +weight of his obligation to them. He decided that he would be employed +as a stockman, without considering his fitness for the occupation, but +preferring to ride about on a good horse to walking on foot or sitting +in the house with account-books before him. He acquitted himself, +however, more to his employers' satisfaction than they had expected. He +learned to ride and manage his horse well; and by the time he had gained +a knowledge of the country, he had attained many of the requisites of a +good stockman. He showed no inclination, however, to consider himself +of the rank of one, but, assuming on his early friendship with the +Gilpins, was constantly appearing at the house, and at length it became +tolerably evident that he proposed to better his fortunes by marrying +one of the Miss Gilpins. Jane had reason to believe that she was +honoured by his preference. Suddenly, after this discovery, Craven +ceased to pay his visits at the house as usual, or, if he came, went +only to the business room, and declined stopping to luncheon or dinner. +Whether or not Jane was in any way concerned at this, she let no one +discover. Mark came oftener than ever, boasting that he should soon +become a stockholder on a large scale, and that he intended to introduce +great improvements in the management of cattle in Australia. + +Where cattle are so apt to stray, as in the Australian bush, herds of +different proprietors may occasionally get mingled, and therefore it is +necessary to brand them carefully. When this operation is to be +performed, the animals are driven into a pound. Ropes are then cast +over the horns and legs of the bullock to be first marked, he is thrown +to the ground, and the hot iron is applied. This is often a work of no +little danger; for when a young bull, who has been roaming at liberty +since his calfhood, finds himself thus treated, he is apt to turn on his +tormentors, and to attempt to retaliate. A considerable mob of cattle +had to be branded at Warragong, and all the hands who could be collected +were employed in driving them into the pound. To get them there was +difficult; to hold them quiet while being marked was still more so. One +young and very powerful bull had resisted all the attempts made to catch +him, when Mark Withers--who at that instant caught sight of the Miss +Gilpins riding by--declared that he could manage the animal; and, +leaping over the paling, lasso in hand, approached it with unexpected +hardihood. The animal's rage appeared excited to an ungovernable pitch +at seeing him, and, lowering his head with a loud roar, he dashed +towards him. While attempting to spring on one side, the unfortunate +man's foot slipped, and before he could recover himself, he was +transfixed by the animal's horns. The bull then, lifting up his head, +bore his victim as if in triumph round and round the pound. In vain +Withers struggled to release himself, and shrieked for help. James and +Arthur and Willie, followed by several men, leaped into the pound, +regardless of the risk they ran of being set on by other animals. + +"Oh! horrible! Save him! save him!" simultaneously cried the Miss +Gilpins, who had ridden up. + +At that moment Craven, who heard their cry, rode up, and, seeing the +state of affairs, ordered the gate to be opened, and dashed in. The +next instant he had thrown the lasso over the bull's head, clearing the +man, and while he drew it tight round the creature's neck, the rest of +the party came up and were able to get theirs round his legs and to +bring him to the ground. Mark breathed, but had received some severe +injuries. Whether they might prove fatal it was difficult to say. + +"Oh! Mr Craven, we are indeed grateful for the way in which you +released that poor man from his horrible position," said Jane, in a +sweet, yet unfaltering voice, as, on riding out of the pound, Craven +bowed stiffly to the sisters. + +He looked at Jane's countenance earnestly, and then rode up alongside +her horse. + +"I have some slight surgical skill, perhaps I may be of service," he +said quietly. + +Withers was being carried at this time towards the house. + +"Oh! try what you can do. My brothers will be most thankful. It would +be dreadful were he to die in his present, as I fear, unprepared state," +she replied. + +Craven drew a deep breath. Susan echoed her sister's words. They were +approaching the house. + +Craven's skill was not very great, but he was gentle and patient, and +contributed to relieve the sufferings of the injured man. Many hours +passed before the surgeon, who had been sent for, arrived. In the mean +time, Craven was as assiduous in his attention as he could have been had +Mark been his dearest friend. The surgeon would not pronounce a decided +opinion as to the case. Though the injuries were severe, if the man's +constitution was good he might recover, but if not, they would probably +prove fatal. James, as a true friend, felt that it was his duty to tell +Mark the truth. + +The injured man groaned and muttered, "Yes, it was good; but I have done +my best to destroy it." + +James spoke to him earnestly, and urged him, without delay, to make his +peace with God, through the only means open to sinful man--the blood of +His dear Son. + +Mark listened, but a veil seemed on his understanding. "The fact is, +old fellow, I haven't thought about the matter, and I would rather not +now," he replied. "I don't intend to die just yet, if I can help it; +and who knows but what I may take up your notions of things, and become +as good as you are? You mean me well, I know you do; but just let me +alone." + +But a faithful man is faithful in all things. Arthur persevered, and at +length a perceptible change took place in Mark's manner when he spoke of +sacred matters. The fear of death in him became great. More than once +Arthur heard him muttering to himself those awful words: HEREAFTER! +ETERNITY! At length the surgeon began to speak more favourably of +Mark's condition. He thought he would recover, he said, but would be a +cripple to the end of his life. It was a heavy blow to Mark, and caused +him many bitter tears, although it was evident that it was a wonderful +relief to his mind to be told that God had given him time for +repentance, and not cut him off in the midst of his sins. Arthur was by +his bedside continually, and it filled him with deep joy to be able to +believe that Mark was a changed man. He spoke penitently, sorrowfully, +of the past, but cheerfully and hopefully of the future. One day, as he +was lying on a sofa, to which he had been lifted from his bed, he said +to Arthur, "I remember long ago, in the old country, Arthur, when you +and I were discussing what was the object in life most worthy of our +aim, I thought wealth, for the sake of spending it on pleasure--on +myself. I could not make out exactly what your aim was; but you and +your brothers seem to me to have got all you can desire to make life +pleasant, while I have lost all I had, and gained nothing." + +"I held, I believe, that all we should aim at is to do our duty, and +that openings for the employment of our energies will always be found +for us," answered Arthur. "We certainly have found this to be true in +our own case." + +"Yes, that you have," said Mark, without, however, any bitterness in his +tone. "I should have called it luck once, but I won't now. I will try, +by God's mercy, poor helpless creature that I am, to find some means of +usefulness, that so I may not be a mere cumberer of the earth, but may +repay in any way that may offer itself some little portion of the +kindness of my benefactors." + +The Gilpins had truly been fruitful fig trees. All they undertook +prospered. + +Far and wide they were a blessing to their neighbours, for as such they +looked upon all those--rich or poor--whom they could reach. + +Through their efforts and instrumentality the glad tidings of great joy +were carried to all around them, many of whom would never otherwise have +heard the Gospel sound. + +The contrast between the career of the brothers and their quondam friend +was great, but not greater than will usually be found between those who +set the Lord always before their eyes, and seek him early while yet He +may be found, and those who turn aside from His ways and refuse to +follow them. + +Craven declared that it was impossible any one could reap more benefit +from his friends than he had. It seemed probable, indeed, that, but for +them, he would have remained a hut-keeper to the end of his days. As it +was, he became not merely an upright man in the eye of his fellow-men, +but also a sincere Christian. He married Jane Gilpin, and with this +event we close our narrative. + +THE END. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Gilpins and their Fortunes, by +William H. G. Kingston + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GILPINS AND THEIR FORTUNES *** + +***** This file should be named 21464.txt or 21464.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/4/6/21464/ + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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