The Kangaroo Hunters; Or, Adventures in the Bush

by Clarence Young

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  The Tunnel through the Mountains.--The Chase of the Emu.--An Encounterwith the Natives.--The Rescue of Baldabella and her Child.--Making aBridge.--Canoes Again.--The Fishing of Baldabella.

  The report of the boys decided the movement of the family, and theyhastened through the long tunnel to the cheerless glen. They then soughtthe easiest ascent, that they might escape from these widely-spreadmountains, and a herd of kangaroos in the bush, disturbed by strangevoices, just then appeared, and bounded up the steep wood at a placewhich the travellers who followed them found had been selected with ahappy instinct, for it was less abrupt and less matted with brush thanthat which Gerald had ascended. The strong assisted the weak, and withsome difficulty all were brought to the ridge, and looked down withmingled feelings of relief and alarm on the widely-spread, thinly-woodedplains so far below them.

  The descent was much more tedious and laborious. Axes and ropes were putin requisition; but finally all planted their feet thankfully on thegreen sward, and looked round on a new region, where their progresswould be less retarded, but their exposure to observation wouldnecessarily be greater than before.

  "And I see neither meat nor water," said Jenny, despondingly.

  "We have still potatoes left," said Margaret; "and though we have notyet seen much animal life, I trust there is no fear of famine. Icertainly see some creature moving beneath yon golden acacia."

  "Huzza! papa!" cried Gerald. "There's the Emu at last! I saw one at theZoological Gardens, and I know the fellow at once. Now, how are we toget hold of him? I fear his skin is too tough for a spear or an arrow todo much harm, and Arthur is so careful of his charges."

  "I have but four left," answered Arthur, with a sigh, "and I amunwilling to waste my shot, and perhaps attract the attention of thewandering natives. We will try arrows and spears, and, if we can, theboomerang."

  "Be canny, lads!" cried Wilkins, in great excitement. "Keep at his back,I tell ye; he can see half a mile afore him, but he's as deaf as a post;and if he once gets a sight on us he'll be off like Voltigeur, and he'llbe a smart chap as sets eyes on him again. Stand here, we'll try a thrownow; and _Jin_, woman, gie us a touch of yer boomerang."

  Baldabella was as much excited as any of the party, and perfectlyunderstood the rules of emu-hunting. They fixed themselves at a properdistance, and then, seeing that the bird, which had been feeding on someroot or herbage, had raised its head, as if about to move, they flungtheir spears and discharged their arrows with some effect, as a spearand an arrow were left in its side; Baldabella at the same time threwher boomerang, which struck it with such force that it staggered, anduttered a deep, booming cry; but, rallying again, it began to run veryswiftly, till a second flight of spears and arrows brought it to theground.

  All the party then went up to it; and O'Brien had approached, and wasabout to touch it, when Wilkins seized his arm, and drew him back justin time; for the animal struck out its powerful leg, and shattered thebow which the boy held in his hand.

  "He would have sarved your leg as bad," said Wilkins, "if he could havehitten ye. He has a leg like a sledge hammer for a hit. We'se be forcedto give him a few more spears afore it will be safe to come nigh him."

  But a blow on the head stunned the huge creature; and it was thenquickly dispatched and cut up. They contented themselves with carryingoff the two hind quarters, which Wilkins assured them afforded the mostpalatable meat, and which would be ample provision for two days.

  "There are some eggs, too," said Hugh, "which we might carry off forpapa; but they are so tremendously large and heavy."

  "The egg is, I believe, excellent food," said Arthur; "but with food weare abundantly supplied. I think we must take two, however; one forpapa, the other to form into that very useful vessel, a water-bottle orbucket."

  Delighted with the immense dark green egg, and the examination of thecurious, fur-like plumage of the emu, Mr. Mayburn no longer regrettedthe forest scenery he had left, but cheerfully went forward over thegreen and flowery plain, till, after walking many miles, they encampedbeneath a gum-tree, made a fire, and broiled some emu-steaks, which allpronounced would have been better than beef-steaks if they could havehad a little salt to eat with them; but they were gradually becomingreconciled to this privation.

  No one dared to murmur, amidst their blessings, because they had been aday without water; but they trusted in God to provide them with thisboon, too, in his good time. The large egg was carefully cleaned outthrough a small opening made by Jack at one end, and then slung withcords, to make it convenient to carry next day, before they took theirrest.

  But the next day they had travelled for many hours, till, faint andweary, their steps were feeble and languid, when the sight of a line ofcasuarina-trees directed them to the bed of a river, now quite dry; andwhile the most exhausted sat down to rest, the young and activeproceeded up the hard bed till it became mud, and a little higher, muddypools. Into these pools they, at once, plunged their faces, and drank,and moistened their burning skin, and then each laughed at the crust ofdirt left on his neighbor's face. But by persevering in walking on, theymet with a pool of clearer water, from which they filled their waterbuckets and mussel-shells, and returned to take the refreshment to theirfriends, and then to conduct them to the moister region.

  They continued to pursue the course of the chain of pools which must ina short time be really a river, when the periodical rains came on. Theprospect of these approaching rains rendered all the thoughtful of theparty anxious and uneasy; for the pleasant open air life to which theyhad become habituated would then be intolerable.

  For two days the emu-flesh was eatable, and the pools amply suppliedthem with water. Then they again reached a line of low hills from whichthe river had its source; and through the shrubs and brushwood thatcovered them they forced or cut their way, and descended on a morefertile and pleasant plain.

  But, to their great annoyance, they beheld before them several nativesgathered round a fire, employed in making spears and arrows, which theywere hardening in the fire. On one side sat two women, bruising somegrain or nuts between two stones: these women wore cloaks of opossumfur; but the men were almost entirely naked, and had their bodies markedwith frightful cicatrices. Though it was plain these natives must haveseen the approach of the strangers, and probably now, for the first timebeheld white men, they preserved a dignified composure, pursuing theirlabors, without any apparent notice of the intruders.

  Arthur drew up the forces abreast in a long line, saying, "Walk onfirmly, and imitate the indifference of the natives. I entreat you,above all, not to show the least fear."

  They marched slowly forward till they were close to the savages, whenthe little Nakinna, attracted by the sight of a child about her own age,which was playing near the women, broke from her mother and ran up tothe child. The tallest of the men then stepped from the rest and caughtup the child in his arms. The distracted mother darted forward to rescueher, and was also seized and detained by two natives, while she calledout piteously to her white friends to assist her.

  Arthur was much vexed at this incident, which he feared would form apretext for a quarrel; but it was impossible to abandon poor Baldabella,who seemed very repugnant to return to savage life. He therefore calledWilkins to follow him, and going up to the man who held the child, madean effort to remove her gently from his arms. The man resisted and heldher firmly; then Arthur, assuming a threatening expression ofcountenance, uttered some words in a loud, stern tone, and at the sametime pointed to his rifle.

  The savage stared at him and his weapon with a countenance half of fear,half of wonder. He then pointed to the complexion of the mother and thechild, and also to his own, and to Arthur's, as if he questioned theright of the white people to detain those who certainly were not oftheir race.

  Arthur then made Baldabella comprehend that she must tell the men thatif they did not release her and Nakinna, the white men would kill themall. The woman at once understood and repeated t
he message; and wasanswered by the tall savage. She shook with terror as he spoke, andturning to Arthur said,--

  "Black fellow say, Peter want Baldabella. Baldabella must go. No, no!good white man! Bad Peter kill Baldabella! kill Nakinna!"

  It was doubly annoying to find these troublesome natives were acquaintedwith the villanous bush-ranger; but it was certain Baldabella must notbe left in the power of the wretch, at any cost. While he hesitated whatsteps to take, one of the women, roused by the cries of Nakinna, went upto the savage who held her, and spoke to him in soft, persuasiveaccents, at the same time attempting to take the child from him. Thehardened wretch put down the child at his feet, and snatching up a club,struck the woman to the earth, senseless, if not dead.

  No longer able to control his indignation, Arthur, seeing a herd ofkangaroos bounding along within reach of a shot, directed the attentionof the man to them, and then fired his rifle, and shot a large animaldead. Astonishment and terror overcame the usual assumed calmness ofthe natives, and several of them fled in confusion.

  Arthur then, pointing to the kangaroo, and then to Baldabella, indicatedhis wish for the exchange, and the two men who still held her readilyresigned their captive, and ran up to take possession of the morevaluable spoil, followed by the inhuman chief; after he had, with avindictive countenance, spurned the poor child from him with his foot.The mother caught up her child and fled to her friends, prostratedherself before Arthur, and placed his foot on her neck; then rising, sheresumed her usual dignified and graceful step, and fell into the rankwith the rest of the party, who lost no time in moving forward, afterMargaret had seen that the unfortunate victim of the chief's cruelty waskindly attended to by the woman who was her companion.

  "It were a burning shame," grumbled Wilkins, "to let them saucy niggerstake off with that fine beast, and have to fast ourselves. For ye see,Master Hugh, that shot's flayed away all on 'em, and it may be longenough afore we light on 'em again."

  "Have some faith, my good man," said Mr. Mayburn. "We have been fed likethe prophet in the wilderness, by miracle, let us not fear, God willstill provide us with food."

  "At the present moment," said Arthur, "it would be imprudent to delayeven to seek provisions. Our first consideration must be to move awayfrom this part as quickly as possible, for I suspect these people willkeep us in sight as long as they can."

  "Ay, master," said Wilkins, "they'll need ye to shoot beasts for 'em!Depend on't they'll dog us."

  This was an uncomfortable suspicion, and Margaret and Arthur talked andpondered deeply on plans and arrangements, almost regardless of thebrilliant buds and blossoms that enchanted Mr. Mayburn. They walked onwith regular and rapid steps over the flower-strewed ground, amidst therich smell of the foliage and the flowers and the strange music of thewoods. Kangaroos and emus were seen at some distance, but prudenceforbade any delay for the chase, and they made no halt till extremefatigue compelled them to rest on the side of a grassy hill, where theleast wearied set out to search the bushes for nests. Some fine youngbirds supplied them with a good supper; eggs were now rarely found, butwith these Ruth's fowls frequently supplied them.

  "Where next?" asked Margaret. "I think, Arthur, I can distinguish adeep-green line far distant to the south-east. May we not hope itindicates the situation of another river?"

  "We have ever been cheered, thank God," said Mr. Mayburn, "through allour pilgrimage, with continued benefits. We have never yet experiencedthe perils and privations of the desert, which has ever been supposed toexist in the interior of Australia."

  "Travellers in South Australia," replied Arthur, "have certainly metwith those barren regions; but in this tropical country we have, indeed,enjoyed all the plenty which nature can bestow. At present we needwater; but in the morning we will, if God permits, direct our course tothe green belt we have seen. If we can again resume our canoe voyaging,it will be a great relief to us; and even if the river be dried up atpresent, we can take the bed for our guide, and may find pools of waterfor our daily use. But, my dear Margaret, I am ashamed to say I feeldespondent when I reflect that this is January; the autumn rains maysoon come on, and we have no idea where we can shelter you and dear papafrom the fury of tropical storms."

  "I could soon run up a bit of a hut, with bark roofing," said Jack,briskly.

  "I am quite aware of that, Jack," answered Arthur, "and have muchreliance on your skill and promptness. The great difficulty seems to bethe selection of a site out of the observation of the treacherous andvindictive natives; or of one whom I dread still more, that vilebush-ranger, who appears to be tracking us for some evil purpose."

  "He has a spite again me, that's sartain, Mr. Arthur," said Wilkins."Then, he'd like to put his hands on that gun; and there would be,likely, some pickings of things as would suit him, let alone money,that, like enough, ye'll have amang ye."

  "But what possible use can the misguided man have for money in awilderness among savages?" asked Mr. Mayburn, in astonishment.

  "Why, not a deal of use just hereabouts," answered Wilkins; "but ye kennought about bush-rangers, and all their rounds and changes. If Peterhad cash, he'd be off to some of them far away bush publics; and therehe'd have a grand tuck out, till he'd spent every rap, and be fresh toset out on a new hook. That's bush-ranging life, master."

  "And a fearful life it is in this world, Wilkins," said Mr. Mayburn;"but still more fearful as a preparation for the world to come. ThankGod that you are rescued from it, my poor man."

  "Ay, I'se clear on't now," replied he, "thanks to ye, master; and, Godbe praised, there's no shame can stick to a fellow for turning roundwhen he's got into a slough."

  "Not at all, Wilkins," said his good teacher; "the best Christians havesinned and repented; and to all it is said that they must through muchtribulation enter the kingdom of God."

  The heart of Wilkins was enclosed in a rough husk, but the soil was notbad; the seed that was sown in it was not unfruitful, but was slowlycoming to maturity.

  Early in the morning the pilgrims took the road towards the green beltthey had observed the previous day; and though many tedious hoursintervened before they reached it, they were rewarded by discoveringthat the belt of trees hung over the banks of a considerable river,narrow, but deep, with high rocky banks, so far above the level of thestream on the side on which they stood, that the water which they somuch required was unattainable.

  This disappointment was vexatious, and they continued to pass along theedge of the cliff for some time in melancholy silence, till, at a verynarrow part of the river, Jack stopped, and, pointing to a tall tree onthe edge, proposed that they should cut it down, so that it should fallacross the river and form a bridge. This would be an undertaking at oncetedious and hazardous; but the advantage of placing the river betweenthemselves and the inimical savages was obvious, as it was improbablethat they should have the means of crossing. It was therefore agreedthat they should make the experiment.

  They had found abundance of the wild oats on the plain, which were nowquite ripe; and Ruth was busily employed in bruising the grain to makebiscuits, while Jenny roasted potatoes in the ashes, and looked down onthe river with longing eyes, for the tea-shrub was abundant round them,and nurse pined for her cup of tea again. Leaving the women thusengaged, the young woodcutters commenced their operations with theirstone axes, though they had failed to render them very sharp, relievingeach other at intervals; for in truth the cutting down a stout tree wasnot a little tiresome.

  But perseverance subdues great difficulties; at last the tree fellmajestically, and rested securely on the opposite bank. Then the proudyoung workmen proceeded to lop the branches which stood in the way,levelling and smoothing the trunk as much as they were able, and runningover it to prove its security; and, finally, Jack carried a rope across,attached to some of the erect boughs, to form a sort of hand-rail tosatisfy the timid. With some persuasion, Mr. Mayburn was so farsatisfied of the safety of the rude bridge, that he suffered himself tobe led across; then Margaret and t
he two women were safely conductedover; Baldabella followed, looking with astonishment at their timidity,and tripping lightly along with her child upon her shoulder.

  When all had crossed, the rope was withdrawn and coiled up again, and,with the aid of levers and axes, the bridge was broken and cast down, tobe floated away by the stream, that the savages might not have theadvantage of it in their pursuit.

  The banks on which the travellers now stood were less precipitous thanthose they had left; they were clothed with bamboos and rushes, and inmany places open down to the river, where they gladly procured thewater of which they were so much in need. Then they continued to walkalong a narrow muddy strand, looking with longing eyes at the smoothwater, on which a canoe might have been paddled with so much lessexertion than the continued labor of walking. It would soon be made,Jack declared; and, after a night's rest, all were ready to work, if thework were provided for them--the great point, as Jack said, being "tofall on the right sort of tree."

  Before they had finished another weary day's walk, they had "fallen onthe right tree," barked it, and, uniting their efforts, formed andgummed two canoes. These required a day to be hardened for service,during which they made paddles, cut down the oat grass to serve forlining the canoes, after they had thrashed out the ripe grain. The womenbaked biscuits and boiled fish, with which the river abounded, collectedsome tea-leaves, and finished provisioning the boats.

  Next morning they were again seated in these very commodious canoes,delighted to rest after all their fatigues; for the labor of paddling onthe smooth river was comparatively easy. They continued an uninterruptedvoyage of many days, though they several times saw the smoke of firesrising from the brush on the north bank, and sometimes even heard the_coo-ee_ of the natives, which made them apprehensive that they were notunnoticed; but they satisfied themselves that their mode of travellingdefied pursuit. They rarely landed more than once a day, usually on thesouth bank, where they often met with some small tributary stream,abounding in fish, and the adroit spearing of Baldabella always providedthem with an abundant supply, sufficient for supper and breakfast. Thisfish was principally the fresh-water cod, as they named it, of verylarge size. Every morning after breakfast, before they embarked, theywalked out to look round for some favorable spot to which they mightretire during the approaching rains, but in vain. Still the high cliffscontinued on one side of the river; and on the side where they wished toremain they still saw spread before them marshy plains.