First in the Field: A Story of New South Wales

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

  NIC'S MISSION.

  "Father! do you think they have?" said Nic, breathlessly.

  The doctor turned upon his son sharply. "Did I speak aloud?" he said.Nic nodded.

  "I don't know. I cannot tell, my boy. I pray not."

  By this time they were all armed, and the doctor whistled sharply, whenthere was a whinnying answer, and the two horses came up as fast astheir hobbled fore feet would allow.

  "Call in the bullocks," said the doctor to Brookes, who uttered a loudyell somewhat like the _yodel_ of the Swiss peasants to their cattle onthe mountain side.

  The great sleek beasts responded directly, and came from where they weregrazing, bellowing loudly, right up to the waggon, as if expecting to beyoked.

  "To keep them from being speared," said the doctor to Nic. Then to themen: "Yoke up, and drive the waggon right out into the open. They couldreach the poor beasts from behind those trees."

  The men set to work leisurely enough, while at a word from his fatherNic, whose hands trembled from excitement, bridled and saddled SourSorrel.

  "Take off the hobbles, boy," said the doctor; and this was done. A fewminutes later the bullocks, which had from long habit taken their placesreadily, were yoked, and drew out the waggon right into a clear spotaway from trees, which would shelter the enemy if they made an attack.

  "Hah!" ejaculated the doctor, "now we can breathe freely. Brookes, youare all right with a gun. Have you ever used a piece, Leather?"

  "Not much," said the man sourly; "but I know how to load, and can keepyou going."

  "My son will load," said the doctor sternly. "You must do your best."

  "Yes," said the man shortly; and Nic thought to himself, "Father doesnot want me to shoot any one."

  "Now then, keep a sharp look-out," said the doctor. "If the blacksshow, up at once into the front of the waggon, and we will take theback. No firing unless they try to spear the cattle. Then the blacksmust accept their fate."

  Incongruous ideas occur to us all, even in times of the greatest peril;and a waft of something in the air drew Nic's attention to the fireunder the big gum tree, where the tea, hot cake, and bacon were readyfor breakfast, and for a moment the boy felt hungry.

  All was perfectly still. Then a magpie began to pipe his arpeggios,which sounded sweet and clear in the morning air; and this seemed to bethe signal to start a chorus of whistling and shrieking up in the thickboughs, where a flock of paroquets were hidden; and a glow in the eastmade the morning grey look so opalescently beautiful that it was hard tobelieve there could be any danger.

  "Are you sure you saw blacks, Nic?" said the doctor.

  "Oh yes, father--certain."

  "We ought to do some scouting, to see if they have moved and meanmischief."

  "I'll go, father."

  "No, boy: you are not used to the ways of these people; and I don't liketo leave the waggon for fear of a rush. Brookes!"

  "Yes," came from the front.

  "You must go and reconnoitre. I'll cover you as well as I can. Justsee if they are coming on."

  "Don't see why you should send me," grumbled the man. "My wage ain't sovery, high, and I've only got one life. Send Leather: he is not so muchconsequence as me."

  The doctor uttered an angry ejaculation, and frowned fiercely; but itwas no time for angry words.

  "Leather, take your gun, and try if you can make out where the blacksare. Don't fire unless they see and attack you."

  The man came with a heavy scowl upon his brow, shouldered his gun, andwalked back in among the trees, while the doctor stood patting the buttof his gun impatiently, as his eyes searched the place in the directionof the water-hole.

  "Our black must have known these fellows were in the neighbourhood," hesaid; "and he has either joined them or they have scared him away.Joined them, I think, or he would have warned me. They are all alike,these men: they come and work for a time, and then tire of it and goback to the bush."

  "Here comes Leather," whispered Nic; and the next moment the man cameback at a swift run, carrying his gun at the trail.

  "Well? seen them?" said the doctor.

  "Yes, over a score of them," said the man, who looked more animated now,in the excitement of the danger. "They're jabbering together this sideof the water."

  "Then they mean to attack. Be ready."

  The man nodded, and moved toward where Brookes stood cutting himselfsome tobacco to chew. Then he turned back, and there was somethingapproaching a smile upon his face, which, in spite of sun tan and thedeep marks on his forehead, looked almost handsome to Nic.

  "Yes: what is it?" said the doctor.

  "Isn't it a pity to leave the breakfast for those blacks?"

  "Never mind the food, man," began the doctor; but he checked himself."Yes: try and get it," he said; "people must eat."

  "Hold my gun, sir," said Leather, who was now, full of animation; and,handing the piece to Nic, he dashed back to the fire, while the doctorfollowed him slowly, scanning the trees in all directions as he kept hiscocked piece ready for instant use.

  Leather lost no time when he reached the fire, but, catching up thefreshly made damper, he dabbed it down into the cross-handled frying-panon the top of the bacon, placed the tin mugs in the kettle of boilingtea, carried the tea and sugar canisters under his arm, and takingpan-handle in one hand, kettle-handle in the other, he trotted back insafety, the blacks having made no sign.

  "Bravo! Well done!" cried the doctor; and Nic noted that the bright,animated look passed away, to give place to a sullen scowl, which cameover the man's face like a cloud.

  "Help yourselves, men," continued the doctor; and Brookes came to themonce again.

  "Nic," said the doctor, "I am in agony. It may be all imagination, andif it is I should bitterly regret leaving the waggon. Do you see?"

  "No, father; I don't quite understand. Do you mean you want to ride onto the Bluff, and yet don't want to because it may only be a scare?"

  "Exactly. And if I did decide for us to ride on together, these menwould take fright and leave the waggon to be plundered."

  The doctor paused to search the trees again, but all was still.

  "Send one of the men, father."

  "I don't want to weaken my defensive force, boy."

  "I'd go, father, but I don't know the way," said Nic.

  "Yes: you shall go, my boy. The horse will take you straight to thestation as soon as he is well away from his companion; and, look here!the track may prove faint, but do you see that notch in the mountains?"

  "Where it looks as if a square piece had been cut out, and a cat's headwith its ears standing up?"

  "Yes: that notch is the pass through the mountains, and is just abouttwo miles behind our house, which stands on a slope. You could not missit."

  "A wooden house: I know," said the boy; "but are the others at all likeit?"

  "What others? There is no other station for miles, boy. Well, will yourisk it?"

  "I don't see any risk, father."

  "No; but blacks may be there. Well mounted, though, you could easilygive them a wide berth."

  "I'm not afraid," said Nic.

  "That's right. You will ride straight there, then, and--"

  The doctor stopped short, with his face drawn and wrinkled.

  "Yes, father: and what?"

  "If the station is a smoking ruin, ride back to us as hard as you can."

  "Oh, don't say that."

  "I have said it, boy. There--prove yourself worthy of my mission."

  "Yes, father; but if all is right?"

  "Stay there, and tell your mother to keep any black-fellows at adistance till I get home. You can help her defend the place for a fewhours. Now: no words. Take a piece of the damper, and put a couple ofrashers between, have a good deep drink of the tea--as much as you can,for you will have a thirsty ride--eat your breakfast as you go. Mind,straight as the crow flies for that notch: never mind the track.
Nowords. Shake hands. Mount, and be off."

  Nic saw that it was no time for words, and hurriedly breaking thebread-cake, he placed the bacon between the thin pieces, saw that hisshot belt and powder flask were right, took a deep draught of tea, andthen, gun in hand, turned to find Leather holding his horse, and lookinghim fixedly in the eyes.

  "Yes; what is it?" said Nic hurriedly.

  "Keep in the open: don't go near any of the scrub."

  "Why not?" said Nic.

  "Blacks," said the man, as the boy settled himself in the saddle.

  "Off!" cried the doctor, pointing to the mountain gap. Nic waved hishand, pressed his nag's sides, and it bounded off; the other horsemaking a plunge to follow but it was tethered to a waggon wheel. Butbefore the boy had gone fifty yards he turned, for there was atremendous barking, and he saw that the doctor was at the back of thewaggon doing something to the dogs. Then there was a shout, and he sawthat they were loosened, and were tearing after him, barking loudly intheir wild excitement.

  "To come with me," thought Nic; and directly after, as he canteredsteadily on, the two collies were racing round him, unsettling his horseas they leaped up, at its muzzle, at its legs, and then dashing on, madwith delight, but rather interfering with his comfortable seat, for theymade the horse partake of their excitement and strain at the rein tojoin the two freed prisoners in their wild career over the tree-dottedplain.

  The dogs soon settled down, though, to a more sober pace, and began tohunt in and out among the bushes and trees; finding nothing, butthoroughly enjoying their freedom.

  Every now and then they came bounding back to the horse, to look up atNic, barking loudly, their eyes flashing and tails whisking from side toside, as if telling him of their delight; and as the boy rode he gavethem a word or two of encouragement.

  But Nic did not speak much, for he had too much upon his mind; and assoon as he saw that there was not the slightest fear of the dogsstraying away from the horse, he kept his eyes fixed upon the notch inthe mountains right ahead, and rode steadily on, keeping his horse to asteady canter; and bearing Leather's laconic warning in mind, he leftthe track to one side or the other wherever growth seemed to beabundant, his father's order about going as the crow flies being amplewarrant for this.

  For the matter of that, the faint track of wheel and hoof-mark wentpretty straight, only curving now and then to avoid some eminence orrugged patch of forest, which he watched with keen eyes for enemies,though, after what he had seen that morning in the grey dawn of theblacks' power of concealment, he felt doubtful about seeing them if theywere in hiding to form an ambuscade.

  "I wonder whether they could hit me with their spears if I was going atthis rate," he said to himself, as he bore off from one dense patchwhich might easily have hidden a whole tribe. Then, in a state ofintense excitement, he cocked his gun, trembling the while, for thatthere was danger at hand he felt sure, from the alarm of his horse,which suddenly cocked its ears, while the dogs lowered their heads anddashed together into the thicket.

  "They'll give me warning," cried Nic aloud, as he bore off more to theright so as to skirt the little wood some fifty yards away; when outfrom the other side dashed half a dozen large animals, some of a ruddyhue, others of a bluish-brown colour, bounding over the ground likegigantic hares more than anything else, while the dogs gave tongueloudly and tried to head them off.

  But at the end of four or five hundred yards, distanced beyond allpossibility of overtaking their quarry, the collies stopped short tostand barking, and then trotted back to join the horse coming up,barking angrily, whining, and evidently thoroughly puzzled, as theylooked up at Nic.

  "Can't you make them out?" he cried; and the dogs barked and whinedagain. "Take them for sheep?" cried Nic; and in their way the dogsanswered, and kept on running up the hillocks to bark at the littleflock of strange beasts, that were growing smaller and smaller in thedistance.

  Onward again in a bee line, and an hour passed, with the notch in themountains apparently at exactly the same distance as it was when theystarted on their journey.

  Then came another little scene. On Nic's right the meandering line ofbush and tree suggested where there was the course of a river, and thedogs suddenly, from where they were some distance ahead, scented out anoccupier in a clump of rough growth low down in a swampy patch of thickgrass.

  Nic swung round his gun once more; but this time the dogs did not driveout a herd of kangaroo, for they stopped short, with the thick coat ofhair about their necks bristling up while they charged in and retreatedagain and again.

  "Can't be blacks," thought Nic, and he checked his nag slightly, butfound the horse began to show signs of uneasiness, sidling away as heapproached, carefully watching for the point of a spear or some shockhead.

  "There they are," he said to himself the next moment, as he made hishorse bound away, for some distance farther on he saw both--the roughspears and long-haired heads dotted here and there.

  The next moment, though, he was annoyed with himself for his needlessalarm, the objects he saw being only the native grass trees with theirpeculiar growth of tufted heads bearing some resemblance to a roughshock of hair, the long bare flower spike standing up above suggestingat a distance the native spear.

  There, too, in an open patch, was the cause of the dogs' uneasiness, inthe shape of a snake richly marked with brown, and apparently six oreight feet long, as it lay in close curves, with head erect, playingabout and seeking an opportunity to strike at the first dog which camewithin reach.

  Nic felt plenty of inclination to have a shot at what was probably, fromits appearance, the venomous tiger-snake of which he had heard the menspeak. But the urgent duty forced him on, and he cantered forward foranother hour, to where the track, now on his _left_, passed close by apool of water, toward which the dogs set off, barking loudly; and thehorse followed straight for the spot.

  As usual, it was well wooded all about, but after seeing the dogs reachit first and career through and, through it without so much as a yelp,Nic had no hesitation in riding up, loosening his nag's girths, andthen, while it drank a little, taking out his own breakfast, a part ofwhich he ate with poor appetite, sharing the rest between the dogs assoon as they had had a good drink and swim.

  The halt was very short, and while the horse was refreshing itself witha few mouthfuls of the rich grass, its master stood gazing through theclear sunny air at the notch in the mountains, which looked to him justas far off as it did when he rode off that morning--just as near.

  He tried to calculate how many hours he had been riding, how many mileshe had come, but gave up in despair. All he could feel was that the sunwas getting very high, and that the heat would be very great for therest of the way, and he knew that he must deal gently with his horse,and keep to the pace he had ridden through the morning: to go fastermight mean a break-down.

  "Now, Sour Sorrel," he said suddenly; and the horse left off grazing,and stood gazing at him with its great deer-like eyes.

  It stood quietly enough while he gave it a good rub with some naturalhay where the saddle covered its satin coat, then clapped the saddleback, tightened the girths and mounted, while the dogs careered roundhim with their ears up and brushes waving, barking with delight, andonce more leaping up at the horse's muzzle.

  Then forward once more--out of the shade and into the scorching sun.

  Nic started his horse at a walk, and noted that it needed no guiding,but took to the faint track at once, steering straight for the notch,and making for a thick patch of wooded country, till a pressure from therider's leg turned it off to a more open part, from which he bore away,so as to pass round to the west of the woodland.

  As soon as it was on the springy green grass, the nag broke at once intoa canter, and the dogs now settled into a steady pace, keeping one oneither side, while Nic found it hard to believe that he was riding overwild land, the ground bearing so strongly the appearance of forming partof some park devoted to grazing; but now he saw no
trace of beast orsheep, little of wild creatures, save where there were signs of water,and then only a few birds, generally a kind of plover, or ducks.

  The heat was now intense. Nic had only enjoyed a week's training, andhe was in poor condition for so much exertion, so that before long hewas soaked with perspiration, and growing weary as he gazed at thatterrible notch which seemed to come no nearer, he began to lose heartand wonder whether he would be able to accomplish his task.

  The horse, too, was showing signs of exertion, and the dogs, as theytrotted on, lolled out their tongues and displayed no disposition tobreak out of their steady pace to investigate anything to right or left.

  "Phew! It is hot!" muttered Nic, as his horse cantered on, with the sundazzling his eyes like molten silver, and biting his neck, while thewhole of the atmosphere was quivering as it rose from the moister partsof the earth. Then, in the regular rhythmic motion of that canter,there were moments when the traveller began to feel drowsy. But heshook off the feeling, nipped the horse's sides more tightly, and felthow the beast responded by increasing its pace.

  On still, and on, over the rich green flower-decked earth; past grovesof trees whose names he did not know,--some bearing the thin foliage ofgrey or sage green, with delicate shades of pink and blue, others like acoarse-leaved spiky-looking fir, whose boughs touched the ground, anddensely clustered upward in a pyramid of dark glistening growth thatwould have hidden a dozen men from a traveller's gaze.

  There were the mountains, too, in a long ridge, stretching away to rightand left, and always of a delicious amethystine blue, that looked astransparent as water, but always as far off as ever.

  A grand, a lovely ride, but a terrible one in that heat; for this wasthe time when the doctor always had a midday halt by water and in theshade of trees. But there was no stopping for hours at a time likethis. Nic felt that he must get on as fast as he could, and with hiseyes fixed upon the notch he rode forward to the regular beat of hishorse's hoofs.

  Hotter and hotter grew the day, and as Nic glanced from side to side hesaw that he was not the only sufferer, for the dogs were trotting alongwith their heads down, and they gazed up at him and whined. His horse,too, began to look more distressed, but it did not flag, keeping up thatsteady canter toward the blue mountains that never seemed to grow anynearer.

  For a few moments the idea lingered in Nic's brain, that he must drawrein in the shade of the next clump of trees, but the thought evoked theface of his father, back there at the waggon, anxious about those dearto him, wondering how all had sped at the Bluff, and he felt that hecould not halt even for an hour--that he must go on and on.

  Then he began wondering how he would find the place--whether the blackshad been during his father's absence, and attacked it when it was onlydefended by women and the servants, who might have escaped for theirlives.

  This idea of the place having been attacked sent such a thrill throughNic that he felt ready for any amount more exertion, and instead ofhalting he urged his willing steed on, shouted to the dogs and made themleap forward, while his eyes wandered about in search of enemies, butonly to see something moving in the distance which, resembled theostrich of his old picture-books. There was no sign of man, no house,flock, herd, or water, while his tongue was beginning to feel swollenand dry, and a peculiar thickness as of a mist began to obstruct thedistant view.

  "How much farther is it?" thought Nic; and he shaded his eyes by holdingthe hand which bore the gun across his forehead.

  But he saw no better, and he winced from the touch, of the gun-lock, forit was hot.

  Then on, still trusting to the horse more than to himself, for the airhad grown thicker, and the mist hot, strange, and dazzling for a time.There were singing noises, too, in his ears, and as he gave his head ashake in his effort to get rid of them, he suddenly found that thedazzling mist had gone, and he could see right away to the notch--thatdent in the mountains which seemed to lead him on and on, but only torecede as he advanced.

  That clearness of vision did nut last, for the mist closed in again,lifted, and he saw a bright lake of beautiful silvery water, stretchingout as far as he could see, and toward which with throbbing temples heurged on the horse. The next minute it had disappeared, and some onewas calling him; the thickening of the air was not from mist, but as ofsmoke. He must, he felt, with a terrible sense of depression, haveneared his devastated home, which was burning, and the light breeze waswafting the dense smoke all over the plain.

  "What news to take back to his father!" he thought, in his despair, andthis made his senses reel; something struck him heavily, and then he waslooking up at the blue sky, as a dark object came between him and it.

  For a few moments he must have been quite unconscious, while the nextthing he saw was the horse's muzzle close to his face.

  He started up into a sitting position, for a dismal howl rang in hisears, followed by a loud joyous barking, which brought him to his feet,guessing the truth.

  For the heat had produced that dimness of sight, tortured him with thesight of that imaginary lake, and finally brought on a bad attack ofgiddiness, which had made him reel in the saddle and fall heavily to theground.

  The shock had helped to revive him; and feeling better, he picked up hisgun from where it lay beneath the horse, managed to climb back into thesaddle, and the brave beast started on at once straight for a clump oftrees about a mile away, while, before they were two-thirds of thedistance, the dogs began to bark, and seemed to recover their strength,for they bounded on, and the horse broke into a gallop, following intheir track.

  A minute or two later Nic knew why, for there was a flash of light fromamongst the trees, and soon after he had thrown himself from his horse'sback, and was upon his chest in the shade, drinking draughts that seemedto quench the fire in his throat, bathing his face, and listening to thegentle, sucking noise made by the horse where it stood knee deep, and tothe barking and splashing of the two dogs as they revelled in therefreshing coolness of the great water-hole.

  Nearly half an hour passed before Nic resumed his place in the saddle;the horse broke into a canter at once, the dogs ran barking by his side,and, refreshed and clear of vision, it seemed now that the notch in theblue mountains was not quite so far away, while, in spite of the heat,the country on all sides was growing as beautiful as it had seemed athis early start.

  On still, but no sign of the station. The ground had ceased to be solevel, there was hardly any track, and their course was among clumps oftrees, rocks, and rugged hillocks, and there were times when the viewwas cut off by their descent into some deep gully.

  But his father had said that if he kept straight for the notch he wouldbe sure to see the house--the only one; and no house was in view. Hemust be near it now: was it still in existence? or had some horriblecatastrophe befallen it?

  The heat was growing insufferable again and the giddiness returning: hecould not go much farther. He had been trusting the horse too much: ithad evidently brought him astray far down in that suffocating gully,--the growth was different. He was riding amongst ferns--ferns like thosehe saw at home, and ferns that spread green lacework fronds rightoverhead. He must be dreaming again and going to fall from his horse,which was ascending the rapid slope the farther side of the gully. Theywere soon at the top, and the breeze came pure and sweet again; and awild cry of exultation burst from the boy's parched throat, for, not amile away, standing high upon the slope beyond another gully, there wasa long, low, white house, with a cluster of wooden buildings near.Beyond it a rising ground was dotted with sheep; there were cattle, too,farther away, and, as in response to his cry, the dogs burst out into aloud barking, Nic pressed his horse's sides, the spirited animalbreaking into a swift gallop and racing on.

  For there was no sign of fire or smoke: a glorious picture of a brightoasis in the great wilderness was before him, and his former fears werevain; for, yes--no--yes, out there in the clear air stood a group ofwatching figures, and the next moment the boy's eyes
grew dim--not sodim, though, that he was unable to see white handkerchiefs waving him awelcome--a welcome to his long-wished-for home.