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The Dingo Boys: The Squatters of Wallaby Range, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 23. "He Has Gone" |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. "HE HAS GONE" But though a curious, morbid fascination attracted the boy to the loophole, there were no horrors to see. Silently, and unknown to the defenders of the happy little English home, the blacks had carried away their dead and wounded, and all outside looked so beautiful and peaceful, that the events of the past night seemed like a dream. On all sides of the low, wooden house, eager eyes were scanning the wooded patches, trees, and ridges, but there was no sign of an enemy. The only significant thing visible was that the rails of the great paddock had been taken down in one place, and the horses and cattle were out and about grazing. "I can see no sign of them," said the captain, suddenly closing his glass; the others, after making their own inspection from the several loopholes left for defence, now waiting to hear the captain's announcement after using his telescope. "No, I can see no sign of them.--Here, Tam." The black came to his side, gave himself a writhe, and said with a grin, "Baal mine ride horse fellow lass night, Marmi." "No, no," said the captain, smiling; "but look here; black fellow gone along." "All hide um myall scrub," said Shanter, quietly. "No, no, gone--gone," said the captain. "Plenty run away." "Baal plenty run away," cried the black, who understood the mutilated English of the settlers, made for native comprehension, more easily than ordinary talk. "No, baal plenty run away. Hide." "How do you know. You pidney?" The black nodded, and a cunning smile overspread his face as he led the captain to the loopholes at the front, side, and back of the house, pointed out at the cattle, and then said with the quiet decision of one who has grasped a fact: "Horse fellow--bull-cow--say baal go near scrub, black fellow throw spear." The captain uttered an ejaculation, and the boys laughed. "Well done, Shanter!" cried Rifle. "Look, father, they are all keeping together out in the middle." "Oh yes there's no doubt about it," said the captain. "I shall end by having quite a respect for Tam." "Baal whip Shanter?" said the black sharply. "No; never again." "Marmi gib Shanter plenty horse fellow ride?" "Yes, you shall ride and herd the cattle." "Big white Mary gib plenty soff damper?" "Yes, plenty." "How coo-ee! Big white Mary gib Shanter plenty soff damper now?" cried the black. "Yes, come along, aunt; and Marian, you and the girls come and give us some breakfast; there is no danger at present." "Shanter make plenty big fire," cried the black. "Pull down big box fellow--big tub. Black fellow no come long time." The boys sprang to his help, the tub and chest were removed, and a fire lit, its ashes soon removing the traces which had been hidden by the cask. The ladies looked very pale, but their neat aspect in the dim kitchen, along with the sparkling fire, gave everything a cheerful look in spite of the gloom. Shanter marched to the front door. "Open," he said shortly. "Mine go eat damper. Plenty see black fellow come and shut um." "Yes, we could keep watch, and close it again quickly," said the captain. So bars and barricades were drawn aside, and the door thrown open to admit the fresh, delicious, morning breeze, which blew full in their faces, while the light darted into the interior of the shuttered rooms. "Hurrah!" cried the boys in chorus; and they all came out into the front. "What's the matter, Shanter?" cried Rifle, as the black suddenly threw back his head, dilated his nostrils, and began to sniff. "Mine smell," he cried. "What can you smell?" The black was silent for a few moments, standing with his eyes closely shut, and giving three or four long sniffs, twitching his face so comically, that the boys laughed. "Muttons," said the black, decisively. "Mumkull sheep fellow. Big fire where? Hah!" He had been staring about him now as he spoke, and suddenly fixed his eyes on the low bushes down by the waterfall, and pointed to a faint blue curl of smoke just rising above the trees, and which might have been taken for mist. "I can smell it now," cried Tim. "It's like burning wool." "Mumkull sheep fellow. Roace plenty mutton." "Oh yes, one of our sheep," cried Norman, fiercely. "Kimmeroi--bulla--metancoly--plenty mutton." "Yes," said Rifle, "and they'll camp down there and eat all father's sheep. Oh, if we could only drive them right away." "Shanter catch sheep fellow, eat mutton?" "No, not yet," said the captain, quietly; and very soon after, with Shanter and Sam German watching, the defenders of the little fort obeyed a call, and went in to enjoy a wonderfully good breakfast considering the position in which they were placed. Then began a day of careful watching, during which, at Aunt Georgie's desire, Shanter sought for eggs, drove up the two cows to the door to be milked, and assisted in bringing in more wood and water, displaying a wonderful eagerness in performing any duties connected with the preparation of food. Many of the little things done looked risky, but the enemy made no sign, and the sun began to set with the house much strengthened as a fort, and better provisioned for a siege. Rifle was sure, two or three times over, that the blacks must be gone, and said so, but Shanter shook his head. "Black fellow plenty eat. Go sleep," he said, on one occasion. On another, he cried cheerfully, "Black fellow baal go along. Mumkull all a body." While lastly, he said coolly, "Black fellow ogle eye all a time." Then night--with the place closely barricaded, and the arrangement made that half of their little party should sleep while the other half watched, but the former had their weapons by their sides ready to spring up at the first alarm, the captain having arranged where each sleeper's place was to be. There was some opposition on the part of the ladies, but they yielded upon the captain telling them that the siege might last for days; and that not only would they be safer, but it would give their defenders confidence to know they were out of danger. And then once more the anxious watch began, Shanter creeping now softly from loophole guard to loophole guard, for there was no need for him to watch by the chimney, which was stopped again. But their precautions were necessary, for the first alarm they had came from the chimney, to which, spear in hand, the black ran and chuckled as he heard the chest creak, and a crashing sound upon the cask which supported it notify that one of the black fellows was trying to force his way down. After that five different attacks were made, the blacks trying to force in door and window, till a shot was fired through the loophole. This was in each case followed by a desperate effort to spear the defenders through the hole; and being prepared now, Shanter waited for and seized the weapon, holding it while a charge of shot was poured through the slit. Then would come yells and a savage throwing of spears, which suggested a harvest to the black, which however, as in the last case, was not fulfilled, every one being afterwards collected and carried away. The result of all this was that very little sleep was enjoyed by anybody, and the morning broke to give the defenders an interval of rest and peace, for the blacks did not show themselves by day. Somewhat rested, the little party prepared for the third night, hoping that the enemy would now be disgusted at his want of success and retire, and now darkness had come and hopes had grown stronger and stronger, before there was a sudden rush and several men gained the roof and began tearing off the shingles, till a shot or two fired straight upward sent the cowardly savages helter-skelter down once more. They came no more that night, and a peaceful day followed, with the cattle indicating that the black fellows were still hiding about in the scrub; while a fire showed that they were providing themselves with food at the captain's expense. The ladies looked more calm and hopeful, for they were beginning to believe in the strength of their little fortress and the bravery of their defenders; but there was an anxious look in the captain's eyes, and the boys talked over the position together. "I expected that they would have given up before now," Norman said. "So did I," cried Rifle. "A lot of them must have been wounded and some killed, though we don't see them." "Shanter says _metancoly_," cried Tim. "I suppose that's what makes them so fierce. Do you think they will stay till they've killed us all?" "Hope not," replied Rifle; "I'm getting tired of it. I wish father hadn't come out so far away from all neighbours. We might have had some help if he hadn't." "Hush! the girls," whispered Norman, as, pale and anxious looking, the sister and cousin went to the front door where the captain was watching, Shanter being on duty at the back. It was soon agreed that it was of no use to wish, and the long irksome day came to an end, with the door once more barricaded, and keen eyes watching for the next approach of the enemy. But the blacks were too cunning to advance while there was the slightest chance of their being observed; and when they did come it was with a sudden rush from somewhere close at hand, when retaliatory shots again and again forced them to retreat. It was just such a night as the others which they had passed, and the coming of day was once more gladly hailed with its peace and opportunities for rest and sleep. That afternoon the captain looked more haggard and wistful than ever. As far as he could make out, a couple of his choicest oxen were missing, and it soon became a conviction that they had been speared by the black fellows for their feast about the fire they had established in a grove a mile away. So far there was no fear of the garrison, as Rifle called them, being starved out; but at any time a nearer approach of the enemy would put a stop to the successful little forays made by Shanter in search of eggs and chickens; and the task of milking the cows, which marched up slowly morning and evening, might easily have been made too difficult or terminated by the throwing of spears. "Don't let's halloa before we are hurt," Tim had said to this; and all went on as before, the next day and the next. Again the sun rose after a more anxious night, for the attacks had been exceedingly pertinacious and harassing, while the mischief done amongst the attacking party must have been terrible. "They're getting more savage," Norman said gloomily in the course of the day, after returning from the room where Mrs Bedford was lying down; "and it's wearing mamma out." "Yes," said Tim; "and the girls can't keep their tears back. I say, couldn't we all make an attack upon them in their camp?" "And be speared," cried Rifle. "No; there are too many of 'em. They'd drive us back and get into the house, and then--Ugh!" The shudder he gave was echoed by his companions. "I was thinking whether it would be possible on horseback," said Norman. "No, my boy," said the captain, who had overheard their remarks; "it would be too risky, I dare not. What is the matter with the black?" "I have not seen anything," replied Norman. "Nor you, boys?" Rifle and Tim were silent. "Speak!" said the captain, sternly. "I thought as Rifle does, uncle, that Shanter seems to be getting tired of fighting. He always wants to be asleep in the day now, and is sulky and cross if he is woke up." "You have noted that, Rifle?" "Yes, father." "I had similar thoughts. The man wants to get into the fresh air, and be free once more." The object of their conversation was sitting listlessly upon his heels gazing at the smoke of the fire rising in the scrub, but did not appear to notice that he was being made the object of the conversation, and soon after they saw his head droop down as if he had gone fast asleep. The captain made a movement as if to go and rouse him up, but refrained, and taking the glass, he focussed it, and proceeded to count the horses and cattle still scattered about grazing. For though they seemed to be scared away by the yelling and firing at night, they came slowly back toward the house in the course of the day, so that by night they were for the most part in their old quarters, the horses even going back into their paddock. The day wore on, with turns being taken in the watching, the two girls and Aunt Georgie insisting upon aiding, their sight being sharp enough they declared, so that the defenders of the little fort were able to get more sleep, and prepare for the night attacks which were sure to come. The sun was nearly ready to dip when the sleepers rose and prepared for the evening meal. The cows had been milked and gone quietly away; and, trying hard to look cheerful, Mrs Bedford summoned all but German and Rifle to the table, where there was no sign of diminution of the supply as yet. This was the one pleasant hour of the day, for experience had taught them that the blacks would run no risk of coming within range of the deadly guns till after dark, and the heat was giving place to the coolness of eve, while soon after the door would have to be closed. As they gathered round, after the captain had said a few words to the sentries, Aunt Georgie, who had filled a tin with milk, cut a large piece of damper baked that day on the wood ashes, and went to the door. "Here, Shanter," she said. Then they heard her call again, but there was no reply. "Where's Shanter, Rifle?" she cried. "I don't know, aunt. I've not seen him since I had my sleep. He was squatting just here before I went to lie down." German had not seen him since. Nobody had seen him since. The last every one had seen of him was when he was seated on his heels with his spear across his knees. "Asleep somewhere," said Uncle Jack. "Go on with your suppers, good folks. I'll soon find him." "Don't go away from round the house, Jack," cried the captain, anxiously. "No. Trust me," was the reply; and the meal went on till Uncle Jack came back to say that Shanter was nowhere in sight. The announcement sent a chill through all, and the question was discussed in whispers whether he had crept away to reconnoitre, and been surprised by the enemy and speared. There was no more appetite that evening, and the remains of the meal were cleared away, with the captain and Uncle Jack standing outside reconnoitring in turns with the glass, sweeping the edge of grove and scrub, and seeing no danger, only that the cattle were quietly grazing a little, and then, after a few mouthfuls, edging farther away. "Seen anything of him, father?" said Rifle, eagerly. "No," was the sharp reply. Norman came out with Tim, each a gun in hand, to ask the same question, and look wonderingly at the captain when his reply was abrupt and stern. The sun sank; evening was coming on, with its dark shadows, and those which were human of a far darker dye; and after a final look round at the shutters, indented and pitted with spear holes, the captain said sternly, "In every one: it is time this door was closed." "But Shanter, father; he is not here," cried Rifle, while his brother and cousin looked at the captain excitedly. "And will not be," said the latter, in a deep stern voice. "Now, German, ready with the bars? It's getting dark enough for them to make a rush." "Father, you don't think he is killed?" whispered Norman, in an awe-stricken voice. "No; but I am sure that he has forsaken us." "What?" cried Rifle. "Oh no!" "Yes, boy; his manner the last two days had taught me what to expect. He has done wonders, but the apparent hopelessness of the struggle was too much for a savage, and he has gone." "Not to the enemy, father, I'm sure," cried Norman. "Well then, to provide for his own safety." "I fancied I saw a black making signs to him yesterday, sir," said German. "Then why did you not speak?" cried the captain, angrily. "Wasn't sure, sir," replied German, sulkily. "Ugh! you stupid old Sourkrout!" muttered Tim. The door was closed with a sharp bang, bars and barriers put up, chests pushed against it, and with sinking hearts the boys prepared for the night's hard toil, feeling that one of the bravest among them had gone. _ |
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