by Mayne Reid
had I not at that instant reached a place, wherethe bank shelved down to the surface, and where I at length succeeded ingetting my feet upon dry land. In another moment I had placed the childin her arms.
For some time after my getting out of the water, the attention of theyoung girl was wholly engrossed by the little creature I had rescued;and, without fear of my scrutiny being noticed, I had a good opportunityof observing her.
As she stood before me, affectionately caressing her little companion, Ithought that there could be on this earth but one other so lovely--oneLenore.
She appeared to be about sixteen years of age. I had often heard of"golden hair," and always had regarded the expression as a very foolishfigure of speech. I could do so no longer on looking at the hair ofthat Australian maiden. Its hue was even less peculiar than itsquantity. There seemed more than a delicate form could carry.
I could not tell the colour of her eyes; but I saw that they emitted asoft brilliant light, resembling the outburst of an autumn sun.
When she became satisfied that the child was unharmed, she proceeded tothank me for the service I had done, in "preserving the life of hersister."
I interrupted her expressions of gratitude, by offering to accompany herto her home. The child, after the fright it had sustained, seemedhardly able to stand; and I proposed to carry it in my arms. Myproposal was accepted; and we proceeded on up the river.
An animal called in the colonies a "Kangaroo dog," led the way; and tothis quadruped the young girl directed my attention.
"Rosa was running in advance of me," said she, "and was playing with thedog. It was he that pushed her into the river. I fear, our mother willnot allow us to come out again, though I am very fond of straying alongthe Yarra-Yarra. We have not far to go," she added; "the house is justbehind that hill, you see before us. It is not quite a mile to it."
I was pleased to hear this: for Rosa was about five years of age, and ofa weight that I did not desire to walk under for any great distance.
I had forgotten all about my gun. I had dropped it, when jumping intothe river; and only remembered it now, long after we had left the spot.On turning towards my companion, I saw that she had it in her hands.
During our progress towards her home, I was constantly makingcomparisons between my companion and Lenore. They were mental, andinvoluntary. She and Lenore were the two most lovely objects I had everseen; and yet they were altogether unlike. Lenore was dark, reserved,and dignified, though the expression of her features and the silentglance of her eye denoted, that her soul contained volumes of warmpoetic fancy that might never be expressed in words.
The young girl by my side was fair and free-spoken; she talked almostcontinuously; and I could plainly perceive, that every thought of hermind must find expression in speech.
Before we had reached the house, I had learnt the simple history of herlife. She was the daughter of Mr H--, the friend of Cannon--for whosestation we were bound.
She was the one about whom Cannon had bantered Vane--telling him that hemight amuse himself by making love to her. Cannon had never spoken atruer word in his life, than when he said that she was "extremelygood-looking." If the description was at all incorrect, it was becauseit was too tame. She was more than good-looking--she was beautiful.
I learnt from her that her name was Jessie, that her life was verylonely on the station--where the appearance of a stranger, whatever hemight be, was an unusual event; and that she was much pleased that anacquaintance of her father had sent word, that he was about to visitthem with two of his friends.
"That acquaintance is Mr Cannon?" said I, interrogatively.
"Yes; and you are one of the friends who was to come with him," rejoinedshe, with a woman's instinct, jumping to the correct conclusion. "Oh!we shall be so happy to have you with us!"
We had still that mile further to go; but although Rosa was no lightweight to carry, the distance appeared as nothing.
Before we had reached her home, Jessie H--seemed to be an oldacquaintance. I felt assured that my visit to her father's stationwould prove a pleasant one.
On arriving at the house there ensued a scene of excitement, of whichlittle Rosa's mishap was the cause.
Jessie seemed determined to make me the hero of the hour; and I had tolisten to profuse expressions of gratitude from her father and mother--all for bringing a child out of the water--an act that a Newfoundlanddog would have performed, quite as cleverly as I.
Little Rosa was the favourite of the family; and their thanks for what Ihad done were in proportion to the affection entertained for her.
When they had succeeded in making me feel very uncomfortable, and appearvery much like a fool, I had to listen to some nonsense from mytravelling companions Vane and Cannon--who had arrived at the stationnearly an hour before. Their badinage was to the effect, that I had gotthe start of them, in the amusement of love-making to the beautifulJessie.
My companions had been unsuccessful in the pursuit of our packhorse. Hehad gone quite off into the "bush"--carrying his cargo along with him.
We never saw either again!
Volume Two, Chapter XXVI.
AUSTRALIAN AMUSEMENTS.
The owner of the station, Mr H--, followed the kindred occupations ofgrazier and wool-grower; and, to judge by the appearance of his home, hehad carried on this combined business to some advantage. He was asimple, kind-hearted man, about fifty years of age; and, having been acolonist for more than twenty years, he understood how to make our visitto his home as pleasant, as circumstances would admit.
The day after our arrival, we were inducted into the mysteries of a"kangaroo hunt." In chase of an "old-man kangaroo" we had a fine run,of about three miles, through the bush; and the affair was pronounced byVane, who claimed the character of a sportsman, to be a more excitingchase than any fox-hunt he had ever witnessed in the old country. To be"in at the death" of a fox is to be present at a scene of considerableexcitement; but it is tame, when compared with the termination of akangaroo chase. When an "old-man kangaroo" is brought to bay--afterhaving come to the conclusion that he has jumped far enough--then comesthe true tug of war.
The venerable gentleman places his back against a tree; and resistsfurther molestation in a most determined manner. He shows fight in hisown way--by lifting up one of his hind legs, and bringing it down againwith a sudden "slap"--all the time supporting himself in an uprightattitude on the other. The blow does not cause a sudden jar, like thekick of a horse; but by means of his long, sharp claws, the kangaroowill tear the skin from the body of a dog, or any other assailant, thatmay imprudently come within reach.
Vane and Cannon knew that I had been a sailor. They expected,therefore, some amusement in seeing me "navigate" a horse across therough country--among the standing and prostrated trees of an Australian"bush."
They did not know, that I had been more than two years in the saddle--asa United States dragoon; and that I had ridden over heaps of dead andwounded men--over crippled horses and broken carriages--as well asthousands of miles across the desert plains and through the denseforests of America.
They were taken somewhat by surprise, on beholding my horsemanship; andVane flattered me with the hope, that a few years' practice would makeme as good a hunter as himself!
We returned home with a game-bag--containing two dead kangaroos; andnext day, at dinner, indulged in the luxury of "kangaroo-tail" soup.
Our amusement, for the following day, was a fishing excursion along theYarra-Yarra.
We caught an abundance of fish; but they were so small, that angling forthem appeared to be an amusement more fit for children than men; and wesoon became weary of the rod and line.
Each day, on returning home to the station, we enjoyed the society ofthe beautiful Jessie.
As already stated, this young lady was an accomplished conversationist--though her teaching had been only that of Nature. She could carry on aconversation with all three of us at once; and on a different subjectwith
each.
I believe that Vane fell in love with her at first sight; and his wholebehaviour betokened, that he intended paying no attention to the commandor request which had been made by the man who introduced him.
I knew very little about love affairs; but something whispered me that,if Vane should form a serious attachment for Jessie H--it would end inhis disappointment and chagrin. Something told me, she would notreciprocate his affection--however fond it might be.
At the same time, I could perceive in the young lady a partiality formyself. I did not attempt to discover the reason for this. It mighthave been because my introduction to her had been made, undercircumstances such as often win a woman's love. She might have admiredmy personal appearance. Why not? I was young; and had been often toldthat I possessed good looks. Why should Jessie H--not fall in love withme, as well as another?
As I reflected thus, conscience whispered to me, that
