First in the Field: A Story of New South Wales

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

  RIGHT WINS.

  One idea uppermost in Nic's mind was that he must go and warn FrankMayne that his father was back, that the governor was at the stationwith two men, that--as he had since heard--a party of mounted policewere coming up to scour the country for escaped convicts, and of coursethey would search for him as well.

  But how to warn him and tell him that he was sure Brookes must have beenalways watching, and knew pretty nearly if not surely of hishiding-place?

  Nic felt that he could not go to the cavern tunnel, nor even approachit. Brookes would for certain be on the look-out, and the trouble wouldbe made worse.

  The governor had said that Nic should have a week for consideration, andthree days glided by rapidly without an allusion being made by thedoctor, who took Sir John about with him for long rides, and in everyway expressed his satisfaction at the state of affairs about thestation.

  "You've done wonders, Nic," he said; but the boy felt no better. Therewas that sensation of being half guilty always to the front, and therewere times when he felt as if he would rather the seven days had come toan end, the subject been broached again, and the horrible suspense over.

  "I can't do anything," he said to himself. "It is like going more andmore against father's orders to warn poor Frank; but what can I do?"

  It was the evening of the fourth day, and as Nic was hanging about thegarden outside the fence, listening to Lady O'Hara's cheery voice andhis sister's answers, while the governor and Doctor and Mrs Braydonwere seated in the sunlit verandah, Janet suddenly stood before him.

  "Nic," she said in a low voice, and her face was very pale, "you and Iare both sorry for that poor fellow Leather?"

  "Yes."

  "Lady O'Hara has been telling me that there will be a party of mountedpolice here to-morrow on purpose to hunt down escaped convicts."

  "So soon?" said Nic excitedly.

  "Yes; perhaps sooner. You know where this man is hiding?"

  Nic was silent.

  "You need not tell me--I feel sure you do. Ought he not to be told, sothat he may escape?"

  "Yes," said Nic; "but if I try to warn him I shall be followed, and theway into his hiding-place found out."

  "Janet!"

  "Yes."

  "Here: Lady O'Hara wants you."

  "I must go," whispered Janet hastily. "Pray do something, Nic. Itwould be too horrible for that poor fellow to be hunted down."

  Janet hurried away.

  "Do something, when I cannot stir without feeling that Brookes and thesetwo men of Sir John's are watching me!"

  Then a thought occurred, and the boy lounged leisurely about to wherethe dogs were playing, with the blacks looking on; and watching hisopportunity he crept up close to Bungarolo.

  "Look here, Bung," he said in a low voice.

  The black turned round and stared.

  "No, no: look at the dogs," said Nic.

  "What for mine look at dogs? White Nic going hit mine in back."

  "I'm not going to hit you," said Nic hurriedly.

  "Kick mine. This fellow pidney."

  "Nonsense! Look here. You know where Leather is."

  "No pidney--no pidney."

  "I say you do," said Nic sternly. "Now look here. You go to himto-night and tell him that the white police fellows are coming to hunthim out. You pidney?"

  "Yes, Bungarolo pidney."

  "Tell him he is to go right away and hide till the police fellows aregone."

  "Bungarolo pidney. Mine tell Leather fellow jump right away, and policefellow baal find."

  "That's right. Go as soon as it's dark."

  "You come along see?"

  "No, I won't watch you."

  The black nodded, and then laughed at some antics performed by the dogs,while Nic walked away feeling more comfortable in his own mind than hehad since his father had returned--though that did not mean much.

  He was fully on the _qui vive_, and several times went out into thedark, still night to listen for the tramp of horses, but the police didnot come, and he went to bed to dream of Leather being shot down in thebush because he would not surrender.

  The next morning, as soon as he was up, Nic went to look for his blackmessenger, but he was missing, and the other two blacks professedignorance of his whereabouts.

  "He has gone and not come back," thought Nic; and he felt hopeful that,knowing his danger, the convict would escape right away along the gorge,and hide in some far-away fastness where he would be safe. But aboutthe middle of the morning, to the boy's horror, he saw Bungarolo comecrawling up to the station driving a flock of sheep.

  Nic hurried up to him.

  "Did you go and tell Leather?" he whispered.

  "No go tell Leather fellow. Leather say mine come nigh get mumkull."

  "But I told you to go!"

  "Leather mumkull Bungarolo. Mine not want mumkull."

  Nic uttered a low groan.

  "Brooky look at mine. Come along, see where mine go. Doctor tell minefetch sheep fellow. Mine go fetch sheep fellow."

  "It's of no use--I must go," said Nic to himself; and then, castingaside all hesitation, he started off at once straight for the ferngully, crossed the bridge, and then made a sharp turn off to the rightalong another path and down by the little river, where, upon reachingthe clump of rough growth which bordered the pool where he had fishedthat day, he suddenly crouched down in among the tree ferns andlistened.

  There was cause for his suspicion.

  He had not been hiding five minutes before he heard a rustling sound,and directly after he caught sight of the barrel of a gun, which wasfollowed by the man who bore it.

  There was no mistake. It was Brookes following him, to see which way hewent.

  Nic's countenance grew dark as he waited, meaning to slip back; when, tohis surprise, Bungarolo suddenly crept into sight, following Brookes'strail, and he too disappeared.

  The boy did not understand this, but he knew enough. Brookes had goneoff on a wrong trail, and now was the time.

  Running back, whenever he could do so unseen, Nic passed round the farside of the house, and started right straight away across country, so asto strike the side of the great gorge not far from the well-like tunnelentrance.

  It was a long, hot walk, for Nic felt it would be wise to take advantageof every bit of cover whence he could look back to see if he werewatched. Then, satisfied that the coast was clear, he went on andreached the dense belt which ran all along by the edge of the precipice,feeling that a couple of hours' more walking would bring him to themouth of the cavern.

  He would not be back before dark, he knew, even if he found the convictdirectly; but he felt that perhaps he would not be questioned, and hewould have placed the fugitive upon his guard.

  Nic went pretty boldly onward, till he came within a mile of theopening, and then he sat down to rest and think.

  He dared not now go straight to the place, as it was still possible thathe might be watched. For Brookes had been so long amongst the blacksthat he had picked up a great many of their habits, and for aught heknew, the man might be tracking him still--in all probability was.

  To meet this difficulty, then, Nic started again; but went away at aright-angle, struck off again, and zigzagging here and there, he slowlydrew nearer and nearer to the opening.

  The sun beat down heavily in the treeless parts, but Nic heeded it not.He was anxious to reach the convict, give him a word of warning, and getback as rapidly as possible, unseen; and how to do this exercised allhis thoughts.

  Every now and then, as he crept along, stooping amidst the bushes, hestartled some wild creature--bird, reptile, or one of the numerouskangaroo family--and, the animal darting away, Nic's heart throbbed withsatisfaction.

  For it was a good sign: nobody had been there lately.

  At last he was within a few hundred yards of the opening, and he took afresh curve so as to approach from the farther side, meaning to creepamong the ro
cks and drop down into the hole almost at a bound.

  And now his excitement culminated, for in a few more minutes he would bein the tunnel, and if fortune favoured him, would soon reach his friend,warn him, and return in comparative peace.

  He was congratulating himself upon having succeeded so well, when hesuddenly stopped short, half stunned by the thought which struck him.There was that long tunnel with its many forkings to descend, and he hadno light, neither the means of getting one, nor candle, nor wood.

  He went on again with his teeth set fast. He would do it, he thought,even in the dark, for it only meant keeping in the water and wading. Hemust go right.

  A hundred yards onward through the wilderness of rocks, trees, andscrub; and he stopped short again, grasping his gun nervously, for hefancied he had heard the crack as of a trampled-on piece of dead wood.

  But there was no sound now save the hum of insects. The birds weresilent in that torrid midday.

  "Fancy!" thought Nic, as he crept on again, stooping low and keeping awatchful eye in every direction, till once more a chill of apprehensionran through him, for there was a crackling, rustling noise.

  He knew what it was: a twig bent back had sprung to its naturalposition; but who had bent back that twig? was it he or some onefollowing his trail?

  He listened, with every nerve on the strain, but there was no sound; andafter crouching low, perfectly still for some minutes, he felt convincedthat it was his own act: the twig had caught a leaf, been held by for aminute or so, and then released.

  "I wish I was not such a coward," thought Nic, as he once more startedoff, satisfied now that he was close at hand, for he could just see thepiled-up rocks from beneath which the spring bubbled out.

  And now, as more cautiously than ever he crept on, so as to get withinspringing distance of the hole, he began to think of the long, deep,cool drink in which he would indulge--for his throat felt dry, and hewas suffering from a parching, burning thirst.

  Closer and closer and closer he crawled, now on hands and knees, withhis gun slung over his back--so near that he had but to spring up andtake a few steps to be there, but holding back so as to preserve thegreatest caution to the very last.

  In this way he reached to within five yards of the hole,--stretched outa hand to press aside a frond of fern, and gave one good look round.

  He did so, and held on as if paralysed, feeling as if he were dreamingof being back on board the _Northumbrian_ on his voyage out, andwatching the convicts having their daily airing.

  For there, just in front of him, and one on either side of the hole,half hidden by clumps of fern, crouched, like a couple of terrierswatching a rat-hole, two of the convicts whom he had forgotten, butwhose features and peculiarities were once more filling his brain.

  Yes, there they were; he did not remember their numbers, but theirfeatures were clear enough: those of the pitiful, hang-dog,pleading-looking convict, whom he had set down as a sneak; and thegood-humoured, snub-nosed, common scoundrel who had amused himself bymaking grimaces whenever he encountered his eye.

  But that which startled Nic the most was the fact that they wereinimical to the tenant of the cavern, for, as they watched so intentlythat they had not heard the boy's approach, each man held a native warclub or nulla-nulla--poised ready to strike the poor fellow who raisedhis head above the edge of the hole, and a blow from one of those clubsmeant death.

  For some moments Nic felt too much stunned to even think, while thesilence and the rigid motionless position of the two men before himadded to the idea that it might be after all imagination.

  Then all at once one of the men showed him that it was no fancy, for heraised his eyes looked across at his companion, and made a mockinggrimace, just as he had been wont to do on shipboard, getting as answera deprecating shake of the head.

  And what did it mean? Death to Frank Mayne as he came up. For it waseasy to see these were two of the convicts who had escaped. They wereto blame for the missing sheep, and they must have seen and trackedMayne to his hiding-place and meant his death.

  This last was hard to comprehend, for why should one escaped convictwish to injure another? But Nic had no time for arguing out problems.The men intended harm to his friend, and it was his duty to try and savehim. He had his gun, and if he could only hear Frank Mayne coming, ashout of warning would send him back.

  But that gun: he wanted it for his own protection as well; and a shudderof horror ran through him as at that moment he again recalled the deckof the ship, with the convicts marching round and round, the soldiersresting upon their muskets, the stern-looking warders with theircutlasses, and that other man with the lowered, restless eyes andsavage, wild-beast aspect, who passed him by from time to time lookingready for any evil deed.

  How well Nic remembered now, and the old warder's words! and the coldshiver ran through him once again.

  For suppose that wretch had escaped as well, and was lurking about freeso near the Bluff? The idea was horrible, and but for Frank Mayne'ssake Nic would have gloried in seeing the mounted police at hand.

  But that gun! How could he have been so idiotic as to sling it acrosshis shoulder just where he could not get at it without making somerustling sound!

  Still it must be done, and he very softly drew his fingers toward thebuckle at his breast, meaning to undo the strap instead of drawing itover his head. He kept his eyes fixed upon the men as they stillwatched that hole waiting for their prey. The nulla-nullas werebalanced in their hands, and moment by moment, as his fingers busiedthemselves over the tongue of that buckle, which would not yield, Nicexpected to see Frank Mayne's head rise above the surface by the moistmossy sides. The water bubbled and gurgled, the insects hummedoverhead, and that tongue would not yield till he put more pressure on,and then, with a sudden rush, it was loose.

  The two men sprang up quickly, and Nic was in the act of rising too,presenting the gun, when there was a quick rustle, and a tremendous loadfell across his back, driving him forward; the gun went off, and the boywas wrenched round and over upon his back, with a man's hands at histhroat, heavy knees upon his chest, and the horribly savage eyes of theruffian of whom he had been thinking a minute before glaring into his.

  "Hooroar!" cried the droll-looking convict, pouncing upon the gun anddragging it from Nic's hand; "just the little tool I wanted! Where'sits bread and cheese, mate? Why, deary me, if it ain't the little chapas used to look at us aboard the ship! How do 'ee do, mate?"

  He made a droll grimace, with his tongue in his cheek; but he turnedserious directly, as the savage convict roared at him:

  "Look round, you fool! See if any one's coming."

  The other two were startled for a moment, and looked round wildly. Thenthere was another grimace.

  "There ain't no one to be coming. Our bunny won't show out of his holeafter hearing that row; so you won't have no chance of knocking him onthe head to-day, mate. Here, I say, don't choke all the life out of theboy."

  "What!" growled the ruffian. "Why, I'll cut his very heart out if hedon't speak. Here, how many's along with you?"

  Nic made no answer, and the ruffian drew out a knife.

  "Did you hear what I said?" he croaked, in a low, guttural tone. "Who'salong with you?"

  "Don't kill him," said the other fellow, with his smooth aspect gone."It's murder. Take him to the edge yonder, and let him fall over byaccident."

  "Yah!" cried the other man, making a grimace: "let him be. Here, youngun, they won't hurt yer. You and me's old friends. But you must obligeme with them shoes, and that there nice warm jacket and clean shirt.Tain't had one for weeks. And I'll just trouble you for the powder andshot. Let him get up, mate. He won't try to run, because he knows Ishould have to wipe his head with this little nutcracker. Why don't youlet him get up?--Yah! Quick! Look out!"

  As the man spoke he swung round the gun and took aim at a figure whichcame rushing up. He drew trigger, but the hammer struck out a fewsparks--that was all, for he h
ad forgotten that it was not loaded.

  What followed was very quickly done. Frank Mayne--for it was he--sprangat the savage ruffian who was holding Nic, and struck at him sidewisewith the stout stick he held in his right hand. It did not seem much ofa blow, but he delivered it in leaping through the air, just as amounted soldier would direct a cut from his left.

  The effect was wonderful: the man rolled over and over, and Nic sprangup, free to gaze after Mayne as he sprang at the other man.

  The scoundrel struck at him savagely, and Nic heard the blow takeeffect. Then he had to fend for himself; for the man with the gun cameon.

  "Here," he cried: "out with that powder and shot, or--"

  He raised the piece with both hands by the barrel, and swung it back asif to get force for a blow. But, boy as he was, Nic sprang at him.

  "Give me my gun!" he cried, and he was too close in for the blow to haveany effect, as he seized the fellow by the throat and clung to him withall his might.

  But Nic's muscles were not yet hardened, and the man swung him round andround just as he liked, the boy gradually growing weaker; while, as hestruggled, he saw with despair that Mayne was evidently getting theworse of it, for the man he had attacked partially disabled him at thefirst blow, and had now got his hand free and was striking brutally withthe club.

  Mayne evidently felt that he was beaten, but he clung to his adversarytenaciously, bore him backward with his hands fast at his throat, and,bending down his head to avoid the savage blows, he leaped forward sothat he and the convict fell, the latter undermost.

  "Joe, mate--quick!" roared the latter; and the big ruffian, who had nowrisen to his feet, stooped and picked up a piece of stone, raising itwith both hands to bring it down on Mayne's head.

  "Leather!" yelled Nic; "look out--look out!"

  "Surrender!" roared a stern voice which sounded familiar, and the manwith the stone paused for a moment to glance about like a wild beast.Then, seeing that he was surrounded by mounted police, who covered thosepresent with their carbines, he hurled the stone with all force at thenearest man and made a rush to escape, when there were three puffs ofsmoke, three reports, and the convict tripped and fell.

  Taking advantage of the smoke and excitement, Frank Mayne's adversarystruck at him once more, and made a leap to escape, dragging thehalf-insensible assigned servant with him; but the grasp was tootenacious, and though he tried hard, Mayne held on to the end; onlysinking back when a pair of handcuffs had secured the prisoner's handsbehind his back.

  "Now then, you with the gun there, surrender!" shouted the man who ledthe mounted police.

  This to the convict who had confined his fighting to his struggle withNic.

  "'Course I do," said the man, making a grimace. "That young shaver'sgot all the powder and shot: where's the good of an empty gun? Here,ketch 'old. No, I forgot; it's yourn, young un. Well, how are youall?"

  The police laughed as the man held out his hands for the irons.

  "We've had a nice little 'scursion out here, only the nights was rathercold. Well, Mr Government clerk, you won't have a chance to pull yourfriend a topper now. How's old Joe? What, more company?"

  This was accompanied by another distortion of the face, as two blackscame running up, followed by the doctor, the governor, Brookes, and SirJohn's two men.

  "Got them?" cried the governor.

  "Yes, Sir John," said the leader of the police, whom Nic recognised nowas the chief warder whom he had talked with during the voyage out; "butwe had to shoot one of 'em down."

  "Here, quick, 'fore he goes!" said Brookes to the warder, huskily."Handcuffs," and he pointed to Mayne.

  "Eh? What? Him?" said the warder. "Why, he helped to take one of'em."

  "Yes," cried Nic; "he was fighting to save me."

  "I surrender," said Mayne faintly; "I'm satisfied now. Dr Braydon, Inever told you I was an ill-used man, but did my work. Still, I toldyour son. Dominic, lad, Heaven is just. That handcuffed hound is myold fellow-clerk, for whose sins I have suffered all these years. Thereare miracles in life, for it fell to me to take him when he wasescaping."

  "After he had watched to take your life!" cried Nic. "He was waiting,you know where? There, Sir John--father, will you believe it now?"

  The doctor had been kneeling by the fallen convict, roughly bandaging abullet wound when, as he turned to rise, Frank Mayne struck him aside,and flung himself upon the wounded man.

  The doctor turned fiercely upon Mayne, but the next moment he graspedthe truth, just as a blow from the butt end of a musket struck theruffian back; for as soon as the wound had been bandaged, the man hadwaited an opportunity to draw a knife and strike at him who had tried toassuage his pain.

  In a short time the party was on its way back, the wounded convict borneupon a roughly made stretcher, and Frank Mayne walking with the warder,to Brookes's great disgust, for the doctor had said that he would answerfor his not attempting to escape.

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  The next day the police rode off with their prisoners, taking with thema light waggon, in which the wounded convict was laid, Dr Braydonhaving said that he was in no danger. But Frank Mayne was not of theparty, for Sir John had heard the simple tale.

  "And that man was your fellow-clerk in the government office? Yes, Iremember something about his coming out in the same ship as my wife. Iremember the case, because he was the second man charged withembezzlement at this government office; and I remember, too, saying thatmatters must be badly managed there."

  "Yes, he was my fellow-clerk, Sir John," said Mayne. "He was found outat last, but the time has seemed very long."

  "And you say you were unjustly sentenced?"

  "In Heaven's name, Sir John, I do. I was faithful to my trust."

  "I believe you, Mayne," said the governor, looking at him keenly; "andthere shall be a thorough investigation of your case. In the meantime,what I can do I will. You hear, Nic, for your sake as well as his,Mayne is free to go anywhere in the colony, and I will see that justiceis done him in every way."

  "Thank you, Sir John," said Mayne hoarsely; "it is more than I couldexpect on my bare assertion."

  "Some bare assertions are better than oaths, eh, Braydon?" said SirJohn. "What do you say?"

  "I say that I have much forgiveness to ask of Mr Mayne: I ask it now ofthe man who saved my life."

  There was silence for a few moments; for the doctor had held out hishand to Mayne, who stood looking at it with his lips quivering.

  "I am only your assigned servant, sir," he said at last.

  "Not now," said the doctor. "I was offering my hand to a brave man whohas been misunderstood. I offer it, too, to my son's friend."

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  Nic looked dull the next day, but he brightened up when his fatherproposed that they should ride a part of the way with Mayne, who wasgoing to take some despatches to Government House, where for the presenthe was to stay.

  "You see, Nic, it will be better," the governor said. "The poor fellowwould be miserable here with his old fellow-servants. So I havearranged for him to go and wait till I come. His story's true enough,and I shall see that everything is done for him before he goes back toEngland--to take his old position, I hope."

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  But Frank Mayne had no such ideas. England was dead to him, and he wascontent to stay. And to Nic's delight, his friend received a grant ofland some ten miles away, close to the great gorge, where the boy spentall the time he could, watching the erection of the house by convictlabour; for in this Mayne was helped largely by Sir john, while thedoctor had become one of his firmest supporters.

  Of course Frank Mayne had formed a very warm attachment to the lad, whohad believed in him from the first; but Lady O'Hara used to laugh andjoke, and say _she knew_, though she never said what it was
she knew.Time, however, gave the explanation, about two years later Mayne hadreceived a free pardon from his Majesty the King, "for suffering a greatdeal and nearly being driven mad," as Nic said.

  But Frank Mayne said he was very happy and quite content, and we neednot go into the causes of his content, especially since every one, fromLady O'Hara and Mrs Braydon downwards, was in the same way of thinking.

  "Besides, Mr Mayne, it was worth it all, sure," said Lady O'Harabanteringly at the wedding. "Now don't you think so, Nic?"

  "Of course I do?"

  "Then that's right," cried the lady. "But tell me, Nic, how long is itsince I brought you out?"

  "I don't know," said Nic.

  "Too busy; but about three years. Look at that now, and him grown quitea man."

  "Yes," said the doctor, "farmer, cattle raiser, squatter."

  "Yes," said Mayne, laying his hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder."One of the first in the field, and my true friend."

  THE END.