wouldhave him to be."
The cows of this herd stood quietly by chewing their cuds, under theshade of a huge gum tree, while two red-eyed giant bulls struggled formastery in the open.
It was a curious fight, and a furious fight. At the time Archie and hiscompanion came in sight of the conflict, they had closed, and werefencing with their horns with as much skill, apparently, as any two menarmed with foils could have displayed. The main points to be gainedappeared to be to unlock or get out of touch of each other's horns longenough to stab in neck and shoulder, and during the time of being intouch to force back and gain ground. Once during this fight the youngerbull backed his opponent right to the top of a slight hill. It was asupreme effort, and evidently made in the hope that he would hurl himfrom a height at the other side. But in this he was disappointed; forthe top was level, and the older one, regaining strength, hurled hisenemy down the hill again far more quickly than he had come up. Roundand round, and from side to side, the battle raged, till at long lastthe courage and strength of one failed completely. He suffered himselfto be backed, and it was evident was only waiting an opportunity toescape uncut and unscathed. This came at length, and he turned and,with a cry of rage, dashed madly away to the forest. The battle nowbecame a chase, and the whole herd, holloaing good luck to the victor,joined in it.
As there was no more to be seen, Archie and Etheldene turned theirhorses' heads homewards.
They had not ridden far, however, before the vanquished bull himselfhove in sight. He was alone now, though still tearing off in a panic,and moaning low and angrily to himself.
It was at this moment that what Archie considered a happy inspirationtook possession of our impulsive hero.
"Let us wait till he passes," he said, "and drive him before us tocamp."
Easily said. But how was it to be done?
They drew back within the shadow of a tree, and the bull rushed past.Then out pranced knight Archie, cracking his stock whip.
The monster paused, and wheeling round tore up the ground with his hoofsin a perfect agony of anger.
"What next?" he seemed to say to himself. "It is bad enough to bebeaten before the herd; but I will have my revenge now."
The brute's roaring now was like the sound of a gong, hollow andringing, but dreadful to listen to.
Archie met him boldly enough, intending to cut him in the face as hedashed past. In his excitement he dug his spurs into Tell, and nextminute he was on the ground. The bull rushed by, but speedily wheeled,and came tearing back, sure now of blood in which to dip his ugly hoofs.
Archie had scrambled up, and was near a tree when the infuriated beastcame down on the charge. Even at this moment of supreme danger Archie--he remembered this afterwards--could not help admiring the excessivelybusiness-like way the animal came at him to break him up. There was aterrible earnestness and a terrible satisfaction in his face or eyes;call it what you like, there it was.
Near as Archie was to the tree, to reach and get round it wasimpossible. He made a movement to get at his revolver; but it was toolate to draw and fire, so at once he threw himself flat on the ground.The bull rushed over him, and came into collision with the tree trunk.This confused him for a second or two, and Archie had time to regain hisfeet. He looked wildly about for his horse. Tell was quietly lookingon; he seemed to be waiting for his young master. But Archie neverwould have reached the horse alive had not brave Etheldene's whip notbeen flicked with painful force across the bull's eyes. That blow savedArchie, though the girl's horse was wounded on the flank.
A minute after both were galloping speedily across the plain, all dangerover; for the bull was still rooting around the tree, apparentlythinking that his tormentors had vanished through the earth.
"How best can I thank you?" Archie was saying.
"By saying nothing about it," was Etheldene's answer.
"But you have saved my life, child."
"A mere bagatelle, as father says," said this saucy Queensland maiden,with an arch look at her companion. But Archie did not look arch as heput the next question.
"Which do you mean is the bagatelle, Etheldene, my life, or the savingof it?"
"Yes, you may call me Etheldene--father's friends do--but don't, please,call me child again."
"I beg your pardon, Etheldene."
"It is granted, sir."
"But now you haven't answered my question."
"What was it? I'm so stupid!"
"Which did you mean was the bagatelle--my life, or the saving of it?"
"Oh, both!"
"Thank you."
"I wish I could save Gentleman Craig's life," she added, lookingthoughtful and earnest all in a moment.
"Bother Gentleman Craig!" thought Archie; but he was not rude enough tosay so.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because he once saved mine. That was when I was lost in the Bush, youknow. He will tell you some day--I will ask him to. He is very proudthough, and does not like to talk very much about himself."
Archie was silent for a short time. Why, he was wondering to himself,did it make him wretched--as it certainly had done--to have Etheldenelook upon his life and the saving of it as a mere bagatelle. Why shouldshe not? Still the thought was far from pleasant. Perhaps, if he hadbeen killed outright, she would have ridden home and reported his deathin the freest and easiest manner, and the accident would not havespoiled her dinner. The girl could have no feeling; and yet he haddestined her, in his own mind, to be Rupert's wife. She was unworthy ofso great an honour. It should never happen if he could prevent it.Suddenly it occurred to him to ask her what a bagatelle was.
"A bagatelle?" she replied. "Oh, about a thousand pounds. Fatheralways speaks of a thousand pounds as a mere bagatelle."
Archie laughed aloud--he could not help it; but Etheldene looked merrilyat him as she remarked quietly, "You wouldn't laugh if you knew what Iknow."
"Indeed! What is it?"
"We are both lost!"
"Goodness forbid!"
"You won't have grace to say to-day--there will be no dinner; that'salways the worst of being lost."
Archie looked around him. There was not a blazed tree to be seen, andhe never remembered having been in the country before in which they nowrode.
"We cannot be far out," he said, "and I believe we are riding straightfor the creek."
"So do I, and that is one reason why we are both sure to be wrong. It'sgreat fun, isn't it?"
"I don't think so. We're in an ugly fix. I really thought I was abetter Bushman than I am."
Poor Archie! His pride had received quite a series of ugly falls sincemorning, but this was the worst come last. He felt a very crestfallencavalier indeed.
It did not tend to raise his spirits a bit to be told that if GentlemanCraig were here, he would find the blazed-tree line in a very shorttime.
But things took a more cheerful aspect when out from a clump of treesrode a rough-looking stockman, mounted on a sackful of bones in theshape of an aged white horse.
He stopped right in front of them.
"Hillo, younkers! Whither away? Can't be sundowners, sure-ly!"
"No," said Archie; "we are not sundowners. We are riding straight hometo Burley New Farm."
"'Xcuse me for contradicting you flat, my boy. It strikes me ye ain'tboss o' the sitivation. Feel a kind o' bushed, don't ye?"
Archie was fain to confess it.
"Well, I know the tracks, and if ye stump it along o' me, ye won't haveto play at babes o' the wood to-night."
They did "stump it along o' him," and before very long found themselvesin the farm pasture lands.
They met Craig coming, tearing along on his big horse, and glad he wasto see them.
"Oh, Craig," cried Etheldene, "we've been having such fun, and beenbushed, and everything!"
"I found this 'ere young gent a-bolting with this 'ere young lady," saidtheir guide, whom Craig knew and addressed by the name of HurricaneBill.
"
A runaway match, eh? Now, who was in the fault? But I think I know.Let me give you a bit of advice, sir. Never trust yourself far in theBush with Miss Ethie. She doesn't mind a bit being lost, and I can't bealways after her. Well, dinner is getting cold."
"Did you wait for us?" said Etheldene.
"Not quite unanimously, Miss Ethie. It was like this: Mr Cooper andMr Harry waited for you, and your father waited for Mr Broadbent. Itcomes to the same thing in the end, you know."
"Yes," said Etheldene, "and it's funny."
"What did you come for, Bill? Your horse looks a bit jaded."
"To invite you all to the
From Squire to Squatter: A Tale of the Old Land and the New Page 31
