Bunyip Land: A Story of Adventure in New Guinea

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

  HOW JACK PENNY WAS PERSECUTED BY PIGS.

  I have often thought since what a wild journey ours was, and howignorant we must have been to plunge recklessly and in such a haphazardway into a country that, though an island, is a long way on towardsbeing large enough to be called a continent.

  Still we made the venture, and somehow as soon as a peril was passed weall looked upon it as belonging to yesterday, and troubled ourselvesabout it no more.

  I had risen on the morning after our nocturnal adventure feelingdespondent and sleepy; but the bright sunshine and the tempting odour ofroasting bird stuck on a stick close to the flame, soon made me forgetthe troubles of the night, and an hour later, with every one in the bestof spirits, we made a fresh start, keeping near the river, but beneaththe shade of the trees, for the sun seemed to be showering down burningarrows, and wherever we had to journey across the open the heat wasintense.

  In the shady parts the green of the undergrowth looked delicate andpale, but in the sunshine it was of the most vivid green; and bathing init, as it were, flies and beetles hummed and buzzed, and beat theirgauzy wings, so that they seemed invisible, while wherever there was abare patch of stony or rocky earth lizards were hurrying in and out, andnow and then a drab-looking little serpent lay twisted up into a knot.

  The bearers stepped along lightly enough beneath their loads, and Iobserved that they never looked to right or left, or seemed to admireanything before them, their eyes being always fixed upon the earth wherethey were about to plant their feet.

  Ti-hi in particular tried to warn me to be on the look-out, pointingover and over again to the spade-headed little serpents we saw now andthen gliding in amongst the grass.

  "Killum," said Jimmy upon one of these occasions, and he suited the wordto the action by striking one of these little reptiles with his spearand breaking its back. After this he spat viciously at the littlecreature, picking it up by its tail and jerking it right away amongstthe trees.

  "No killum kill all a body," said Jimmy nodding; and he went through asort of pantomime, showing the consequences of being bitten by a viper,beginning with drowsiness, continuing through violent sickness, which itseemed was followed by a fall upon the earth, a few kicks and struggles,and lastly by death, for the black ended his performance by stretchinghimself out stiffly and closing his eyes, saying:

  "Jimmy dead; black fellow dig big hole and put um in de ground. Poorold Jimmy!"

  Then he jumped up and laughed, saying: "Killum all um snake! No good!No!"

  "I say, Joe Carstairs," said Jack Penny, who had watched the performancewith a good deal of interest; "don't that chap ever get tired?"

  "Oh yes; and goes to sleep every time he gets a chance," I said.

  "Yes! but don't his back ache? Mine does, horrid, every day, withoutbanging about like that;" and as if he felt his trouble then Jack Pennyturned his rueful-looking boy's face to me and began softly rubbing hislong man's back just across the loins.

  It was very funny, too, when Jack was speaking earnestly. In anordinary conversation he would go on drawl, drawl, drawl in a bassvoice; but whenever he grew excited he began to squeak and talk in ahigh-pitched treble like a boy, till he noticed it himself, and then hewould begin to growl again in almost an angry tone; and this was thecase now.

  "Here, you're laughing!" he said savagely. "I can't help being tall andthin, and having a gruff voice like a man, when I'm only a boy. I don'ttry to be big and tall! I grew so. And I don't try to talk gruff."

  "Oh yes! you do, Jack," I said.

  "Well, p'r'aps I do; but I don't try to talk thin, like I do sometimes."

  "I couldn't help laughing, Jack," I said, holding out my hand. "I didnot mean to ridicule you."

  He gave my hand quite an angry slap and turned away, but only to comeback directly.

  "Here, I say; I beg your pardon, Joe Carstairs," he said, holding outhis hand, which I shook heartily. "I wish I hadn't got such a beastlybad temper. I do try not to show it, but it makes me wild when peoplelaugh at me."

  "Well, I won't laugh at you any more, Jack," I said earnestly.

  "No, don't; there's a good chap," he said, with the tears in his eyes."It's partly why I came away from home, you know. I wanted to come andfind the professor, of course, and I like coming for the change; butit's principally that."

  "Principally _that_!" I said. "I don't understand you, Jack."

  "Why, I mean about being laughed at! Everybody has always been laughingat me, because I grew so thin and long and weak-looking, and I got tiredof it at last, and was precious glad to come out to New Guinea to stoptill I had grown thicker. For I said to myself, I don't s'pose thesavage chaps will laugh at me, and if they do I can drop on 'em and theywon't do it again."

  "It must have been unpleasant, Jack," I said.

  "It's horrid, old fellow," he said confidentially; "and all the morebecause you are obliged to laugh at it all when you feel as if you'dlike to double 'em up and jump on 'em."

  "Well, there, Jack; I give you my word I won't laugh at you again."

  "Will you?" cried Jack, with his face beaming, and looking quitepleasant. "Well, that is kind of you. If the doctor wouldn't laugheither I should be as happy as the day's long."

  "I'll ask him not to," I said.

  "Oh, no; don't do that!" he cried quickly then; "he'd leave off laughingat me just out of pity, and I'd rather he laughed at me than pitied me,you know. Don't ask him not."

  "All right!" I said. "I will not."

  "I'd rather he laughed at me," said Jack again thoughtfully; "for I likethe doctor; he's such a brave chap. I say, Joe Carstairs, I wish Icould grow into a big broad-chested brave chap with a great beard, likethe doctor."

  "So you will some day."

  "Tchah!" he cried impatiently. "Look there--there's long thin arms!There's a pair of legs! And see what a body I've got. I ain't got nolooking-glass here, but last time I looked at myself my head and facelooked like a small knob on the top of a thin pump."

  "You let yourself alone, and don't grumble at your shape," I saidsturdily, and to tell the truth rather surprising myself, for I had noidea that I was such a philosopher. "Your legs are right enough. Theyonly want flesh and muscle, and it's the same with your arms. Wait abit and it will all come, just as beards do when people grow to be men."

  "I sha'n't never have any beard," said Jack, dolefully; "my face is assmooth as a girl's!"

  "I daresay the doctor was only a little smooth soft baby once," I said;"and now see what he is."

  "Ah! ain't he a fine fellow?" said Jack. "I'm going to try and do as hedoes, and I want to have plenty of pluck; but no sooner do I get into ascrape than I turn cowardly, same as I did over that little humbug of acrocodile."

  "Don't talk nonsense, Jack!" I said.

  "'Tisn't nonsense! Why, if I'd had as much courage as a wallaby Ishould have kicked that thing out of the water; and all I did was to layhold of a bough and holler murder!"

  "I didn't hear you," I said.

  "Well, _help_! then. I know I hollered something."

  "And enough to make you. The doctor said he is sure he should not haveborne it so bravely as you."

  "No: did he? When?"

  "To be sure he did, when we were sitting watching last night."

  "Bah! it was only his fun. He was laughing at me again."

  "He was not," I said decidedly. "He was in real earnest."

  "Oh!" said Jack softly; and there was once more the pleasant light inhis countenance that quite brightened it up.

  I was going to say something else, but he made a motion with his hand asif asking me to be silent; and he walked on to the front to go behindTi-hi, who was first man, while I went and marched beside the doctor,and chatted with him about the country and our future prospects.

  "It seems, almost too lovely," I said; "and it worries me because I feelas if I ought to be sad and unhappy, while all the time everything seemsso beautif
ul that I can't help enjoying it."

  "In spite of perils and dangers, Joe, eh?" he said smiling; and then wewent on threading our way amongst the magnificent trees, and every nowand then coming upon one standing all alone, its position having allowedof its growing into a perfect state.

  Again we came upon one of these, literally alive with parrots; and, as Istopped to admire them, I could see that when they opened their vividgreen wings the inner parts were of a brilliant flame colour, and therewas a ruddy orange patch upon the little feathers at the inset of theirtails.

  Then we came upon monkeys again, quite a family of them, and instead ofrunning away and leaping from branch to branch they began to chatter andshriek and dash about in the greatest excitement, just as if they werescolding us for coming among them, chattering among themselves directlyafter as if meditating an attack.

  Before another hour had passed, after noting the beauty of thebutterflies, which seemed to increase in number as we penetrated fartherinto the interior, we came next upon an enormous tree full ofgaudily-tinted parroquets, which were nearly as numerous as the parrotsof an hour before.

  "We sha'n't want for food, Joe," the doctor said, "so long as we haveplenty of powder; parroquets and parrots are fruit birds, and splendideating. Look there."

  As he spoke he raised his gun, fired, and directly the report had struckmy ears I saw Jimmy and Gyp set off at full speed.

  They returned both at odds, the one growling, the other calling hisrival a bad bunyip dog, but both holding tightly by a large bird, Gyphaving its head, Jimmy the legs.

  It proved to be something between a turkey and a pheasant, and from itslook it promised to be good eating, for which purpose it was handed overto Ti-hi's care.

  The leader now bore off a little to our left, the result being that weonce more struck the river, to find it a large swift stream, but not anattractive place for travellers, since from that one spot where we stoodbeneath the shelter of some trees I counted at least twenty crocodilesfloating slowly down, with the protuberances above their eyes justvisible, and here and there at least thirty more lying about on themuddy banks.

  Towards evening, as we were journeying slowly on, Jimmy came runningback to fetch me, and catching me by the hand he led me through somebushes to where a thickly wooded park-like stretch of land began, andmotioning me to be silent and follow him he crept from tree to tree,till, having reached what he considered to be a satisfactory position,he pointed upward, and from behind the tree where we were ensconced Ilooked among the branches far overhead, and for the first time saw oneof those wonderfully plumaged creatures--the birds of paradise.

  I could have stopped there for long, gazing at the beautiful creatureswith their fountain-like plumage of pale gold, but time would not permitof my lagging behind, and to Jimmy's great disgust I hurried back, anddetermined that no object should lead me away from the great aim of ourjourney.

  The turkey was ample as a meal for us, but we wanted food for ourfollowers, so as to husband our flour and biscuits. Birds were all verywell, but we wanted to kill something more substantial, and for a longtime past we had seen no sign of deer, though traces of buffalo werepretty frequent in spots where they had made a peculiar track down tothe river, evidently going regularly to quench their thirst.

  The sight of the buffalo tracks formed the subject of a discussion.Fresh meat was wanted for our followers, who made very light of birds,and one of these animals would have been invaluable to us just then; butthe doctor decided that it would not be prudent to follow them, theybeing rather dangerous beasts, and therefore, though the meat would havebeen so useful both for present use and to dry in the sun, we gave upthe idea of trying to obtain any, preferring to trust to finding deer,and continued our journey.

  We had gone very little farther, and I was just about to propose to thedoctor that we should venture as far as the river and try for some fish,when there was an alarm given by the native who was leading, and in aninstant loads were thrown down and every man sought refuge in a tree.

  We did not understand the natives' words, but their actions were easyenough to read, and all followed their example, the doctor and I gettingup into the same tree, one which forked very low down, and we were justin safety when we heard a cry, and saw that Jack Penny was indifficulties. He too had climbed part of the way into a tree, when hehad slipped, and in spite of all his efforts he could not at firstcontrive to get back; and this was just as a rushing noise was heard,that I thought must be a herd of buffalo, but, directly after, a droveof small wild pig came furiously charging down.

  My attention was divided between the sight of the pigs and Jack Penny,whose long legs kept dropping down, and then being spasmodicallysnatched up.

  I burst into a roar of laughter, and Jimmy, who was standing, spear inhand, upon a branch, holding on by another, danced with excitement anddelight.

  "Pull yourself right up, Jack," I shouted, and I had hard work to makemy voice heard above the grunting and squealing.

  "I can't," he yelled back.

  "Then kick out at the little brutes," I shouted; and just then helowered himself to the full length of his arms, swung to and fro, andhalf-a-dozen pigs rushed at him, but he had gained impetus, and just asthey made a dash at him he swung his legs up, and clung with them to abranch.

  "Hurrah!" I shouted; and then a sharp squeal uttered by one unfortunatepig as Jimmy drove his spear through it as it passed beneath his feet,and the sharp report of the doctor's piece, brought me to my senses.

  The scene had been so comical, especially as regarded Jack Penny, that Ihad forgotten that I was letting several good dinners slip away, and Ihad just time to get a quick shot at one of the pigs which was stampinghis hoof and grunting defiantly at Jack Penny, before the whole drove,including one that had received an arrow from Ti-hi's bow, swept by usas hurriedly as they came, and were gone.

  "Not hurt, are you, Jack?" I said, preparing to jump.

  "Keep your place," cried the doctor; "they may come back."

  "Well, I shall have a better shot at them," I said.

  "You foolish boy!" cried the doctor. "Why, the boars would rip you topieces."

  I returned to my place at this, and it was fortunate that I did so, fordirectly after, as if in the wildest of haste, the pig drove camedashing back, to stop as hastily as they came up, and stand snapping,tossing their heads, grunting, squealing, and at times literally barkingat us.

  A couple of shots which laid low one of their party seemed, however, toscare them, and they dashed on once more, and hardly had they gonetwenty yards before there was a loud thud and Jack Penny fell from thebranch, where he had been clinging, flat upon his back.

  "Oh my!" he cried, as he sat up and looked about. "I couldn't hold onany longer. It's lucky they are gone."

  "Look out!" I cried, swinging myself down, dropping my gun, and pullingmy hatchet from my belt; but Jack would have fared badly if he haddepended on me.

  For the little boar that had been wounded by an arrow, had dropped,apparently dying, when its companions swept by the second time, but ithad fierce life enough left in it to take advantage of Jack Penny'shelpless condition, and leaping up it charged at him, its tusksglistening, and the foam tossed from its snapping jaws falling upon itssides.

  A bullet would have given the fierce beast its quietus, but the doctorwould not fire for fear of hitting Jack, and he sat with his gun raisedwaiting for an opportunity.

  Jack saw his danger and rolled himself over, trying vainly the while todrag his axe from his belt. Then just as the furious little boar wasdashing at him, I saw something black dart down from above; there was arush, a squeal, and the boar was literally pinned to the earth, whileJimmy stood grinning and staring from the doctor to me and back, as ifasking to be complimented upon his feat. For it really was a feat. Hehad jumped fully ten feet to the ground spear in hand, and literallythrown himself upon the little boar.

  "A magnificent jump, Jimmy," I cried.

  "Jimmy de boy
to jump," he said, complacently. "Pig, pig kill Mass JackPenny, Jimmy no spear um."

  "Yes, I 'spect I should have ketched it pretty warmly," said Jack,gathering himself up. "Oh, I say, I did come down such a bump, JoeCarstairs. It seemed to shake my back joints all to pieces."

  "Jimmy spear um lil pig, pig," said the black.

  "Yes, and I'll give you my knife for it," said Jack, taking out hisgreat clasp-knife. "It's a real good one, Jimmy, and I wouldn't haveparted with it for a deal."

  "Jimmy got knife," said the black, with a contemptuous look. "Jimmydon't want knife."

  "Well, then, what shall I give you?" said Jack.

  "Tickpence," said he, grinning; "give Jimmy tickpence."

  "Why, what for?" I cried. "What are you going to do with _tick_pence?"

  "Spend um," said Jimmy; "black fellow spend money, money. Give Jimmyall a tickpence."

  "But there's nowhere to spend it," I said.

  "Nev mind, Jimmy spend tickpence all a same. Give Jimmy tickpence."

  Jack had not a single coin about him, neither had I, but fortunately thedoctor had one, which he handed to Jack, who gave it to the delightedblack, and it was forthwith thrust into the pocket of the curtailedtrousers, after which he strutted about, leaving the other blacks toperform the duty of dressing the pigs.