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First in the Field: A Story of New South Wales, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 7. Preparing To Start |
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_ CHAPTER SEVEN. PREPARING TO START In those days it did not take long to see the town. There were some shabby-looking stores and shops, a few settlers' houses, the hotel, taverns, and plenty of tents. The substantial parts were the buildings erected for the soldiery and convicts. But these latter were busy enough, gangs of them being marched out every morning under a strong guard to work at road making, quarrying, and other tasks; and as Nic, boy like, went round everywhere during the few days of his stay at the governor's house, he ran up eagerly, as soon as a convict gang appeared, to see if he could encounter his old shipboard friend the head warder, and whether he could recognise any of the convicts who came out in the _Northumbrian_. But they and the soldiers seemed to have been absorbed in the large body of men in the convict lines and barracks, and he looked in vain for the fierce, swarthy ruffian, his comic, grimace-making friend Twenty-five, and the pitiful, pleading countenance of Thirty-three. Still, there was a great deal to see, and the time went rapidly as he watched the convicts at work with their armed guard always on the _qui vive_ to shoot down any man who attempted to resist their warders or make for the bush. There were the blacks too, fairly plentiful in those days, hanging about the place ready to help drive sheep or cattle, or do any light work which did not entail much labour. The hospitality at Government House was everything that could be desired, and here the lieutenant and ensign were welcomed again and again during their stay. The last day came, when, after making all his preparations, the doctor announced that they would start at dawn the next morning. "Why not stay another week?" said Lady O'Hara. "You know," said the doctor: "those at home are eager to see us back; and Nic here is longing to find out what home is like. When shall we see the governor and you?" "Before many months are over. That road is begun, you see, and we shall work up in your direction. Perhaps we may run over for a flying visit before." That evening Nic accompanied his father to where the various goods purchased for him by Lady O'Hara had been stored at a kind of warehouse; and here Nic found a large, light waggon in the course of being loaded by a couple of fierce-looking, bearded men, whose bare arms were burned of a reddish tan. The elder of the two, a man of about fifty, was standing up in the waggon pulling at a great packing-case, while his companion, a well-built fellow, who looked strong and active as could be, was hoisting up the case, helped by a shaggy-haired native, whose face shone as if it had been blackened and polished like a boot. The white, or rather the reddish-brown, man attracted Nic's attention at once, as he stood there with his muscles standing out, making him resemble an antique statue; but it was the embittered, proud, and resentful look in his face which struck the boy. It was quite evident that he was attempting a task for which he was not equal, and that, instead of the case being deposited in the waggon, it would the next minute go down with a crash to the ground; and, as soon as this was seen, Nic involuntarily ran to help, and his father shouted as he, too, ran and seized one side of the case, with the result that the black grinned and made way, to stand looking on. "Jump down, Brookes!" cried the doctor. "You ought to know better. Get the case up first, and then put it in its place." "Know better?" growled the man. "I know how to load a waggon; but who's to do it with a fellow like that and a nigger? One's got no muscle, and t'other's like a black-pudd'n." "Get down--quick!" cried the doctor. "I'm a-comin'," growled the man; and he descended slowly, placed a shoulder under the end of the chest, and it was turned over on to its side. "Jump in, Leather, and work it into its place." "Oh, I can do that," grumbled the elder man; but his companion sprang up lightly, hoisted one end of the case, and walked it bit by bit to where it was to stand, before leaping down again. "Is this our waggon, then?" asked Nic. "Yes, boy. We take the load back with us. I think we shall just get all up in one load." "Are the roads good?" asked Nic, as he gazed at the heavy packing-cases; and the elder man grinned, while the labourer addressed as Leather, (a name which accorded well with his tanned skin), glared at the speaker once with a frown, and then told the black to help him with the next case. "Neither good nor bad," said the doctor, smiling. "But I mean for the horses to draw the load?" "There are no roads, my boy, and there will be no horses to draw the load. We have only a rough track through the bush, and our men use draught-oxen in yoke." This was the first hint to Nic of the place being very wild. He said no more for some time, but readily set to work trying to help where he could, his father nodding approval as he noted his eagerness. Under the master's eye and in accordance with his suggestions the loading went on better now, though from time to time little matters kept showing that the elder man lost no opportunity for finding fault with the younger, who was either weak, stupid, unwilling, or clumsy in the other's eyes. But the man worked steadily and well, and Nic began to feel annoyed and ready to tell the elder servant that if he would only work as well as his fellow the waggon would be laden much sooner. "I dare say father will give it to him soon, though," said Nic to himself; "I've no right to interfere." The intended short visit to the waggon lasted three hours before the doctor was satisfied to leave his men to rope everything on securely. "And it will not be done, Nic," he said, as they walked away. "That's where I want you, my boy, to grow up into a sort of lieutenant--to act as my second pair of eyes, and see that the men do not shirk things. I'm sorry to say that they will do it if I am not looking on. Now then, I'm going to show you the horses that draw our waggon." He led the way to a fenced-in pen, where a dozen fine, healthy-looking bullocks were grazing; and upon Nic looking up wonderingly, his father laughed. "Yes," he said, "those are our draught animals. They are terribly slow, but very sure. By the way, though, Nic--I never thought of that--can you ride?" "Not bullocks, father," said the lad proudly. "I'll walk." "Rather a long walk, Nic," said the doctor quietly. "Well, I can walk part of the way, and ride on the waggon the rest. But will it take us more than a day?" "Yes," said the doctor dilly; "it will take us more than a day. But come here." He led the way to a rough, shed-like building, entered, and a couple of sleek, well-bred horses turned their heads from the posts to which they were haltered, and whinnied. "Will one of these do for your lordship to ride?" said the doctor, smiling, as he went up to and patted the horses in turn. "Yes!" cried Nic. "What beauties, father!" "Glad you like them. I bought that sorrel nag for you. He isn't up to my weight." "But--" "Well, but what, boy?" "I've never been on a horse, father," said Nic, with a shamefaced air. "Never learned to ride? No, of course not," said the doctor. "Riding was not included in the range of studies at the Friary." "But we boys used to catch the donkeys on the common of an evening, and mount them." "Oh, come," cried the doctor; "then you can ride a donkey?" "Sometimes, father," said Nic, laughing. "They often used to send us off." "Kicking?" "It was hardly kicking, father. One I used to try and ride would stand perfectly still till I was on and tried to make him go, and then he used to bring all his legs close together, put his head down, arch up his back, and somehow or other, when he began to dance about, we always got shot off, and came down on our backs. You never saw anything so queer." "Oh! yes, I have," said the doctor drily, "often. Our horses here have that bad habit, and we call it buck jumping, for it is very much the action of a bounding deer. Have you been pitched off like that more than once?" "Oh! yes, father; scores, perhaps hundreds of times," said Nic, laughing. "Come then, you will not be afraid to mount this horse, and I dare say I can soon teach you to ride. It's too late now, or I'd give you a lesson." He closed the door of the shed, went back to the waggon, where the younger man was on the top straining at a rope, and the elder giving orders, while the black was squatting down and looking on. Here a few words of instruction were given, and a question or two asked about the flour barrels and bacon. These being answered satisfactorily, the doctor led the way back to the Government House, where they had just time to prepare for dinner and meet the two officers and the captain and ship's doctor, who had been asked to meet them by way of farewell. Bed was sought early, the doctor laughingly telling his son to make much of it, for he would have to make shift for some time to come. "It's good-bye to civilisation when we leave here in the morning," said the doctor, looking hard at his son. "And he won't mind it a bit," said Lady O'Hara. "He's just the boy to take to a bit of rough work in the bush." "I'm glad of it," said the doctor drily, "for we rough it in the bush, and no mistake." Nic lay down that night in his comfortable bedroom after a long look out of his window at the beautiful moonlit harbour, with its shipping bathed in the soft, silvery light, and a feeling of melancholy came over him. He was sorry to leave frank-spoken, motherly Lady O'Hara, and the thought of going right away into the wilds, though fascinating, would inspire him with a shrinking feeling of awe. For during the few days he had been ashore he had picked up some information, and not always of the pleasantest nature. People about had not been backward in telling him that the blacks were rather fond of spearing people who entered the bush. They had some ugly stories, too, about tiger-snakes, which lay waiting for unwary passers-by, and then struck them, the bite being so venomous that the sufferer would survive only a few hours at most, possibly only a few minutes. There were other terrors and dangers, too, in the bush, they said; but when asked what, they shook their heads very strangely, as if the subject were not to be mentioned, for fear of ill befalling those who talked lightly. So one way and another Nic was pretty well primed, and consequently only slightly buoyed up by the knowledge that he was going to his real home, he fell asleep to dream of all kinds of mysterious horrors, among which was one that was terrible in the extreme. He was lost in the bush, and nothing was left for him to do but lie down and die; and the first part of this he had, he thought, just achieved, when a loud voice came out of the blackness and cried: "Now, Nic, boy, it's time to get up. And I want you to see to the dogs. They know you." _ |
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