Part 15 (1/2)
Doonan related how Jim Dennis had taken Seahorse from Dalton's men and restored him to Rodney Shaw.
'Just like Jim. He's the best fellow in the world,' said the doctor. 'We must see him through this. Why does not Machinson clear the whole lot out?'
'That's what I would like to know,' answered Doonan. 'It's not my place to interfere.'
'Something will have to be done soon,' said Dr Tom. 'The gang is a regular pest, and gets worse and worse every week.'
'You go to Barker's Creek sometimes, I think?' questioned the constable.
'Yes. I cannot refuse to attend a sick woman or child even amongst such a crowd, but I have told Abe Dalton I would not go near him or his men if they were dying.'
'You have plenty of pluck,' said Constable Doonan, admiringly.
Dr Tom waved his arm in a gesture of disdain as he replied,--
'There's not much pluck wanted to beard a fellow like Dalton. I'm going to Barker's Creek to-morrow to see a woman and her child. One of the ruffians came in here to-day to ask me. I gave him a bit of my mind, you may bet. I'll go, and if I see Abe Dalton, I'll tell him in the midst of his gang that if he harms Jim Dennis, or anything belonging to him, I'll make him suffer for it.'
'It will only make matters worse for Jim,' said Doonan.
'Nothing of the kind. Dalton knows as well as I do that I am the only man around here that can help him when there is sickness at Barker's Creek, and such men are terribly afraid of diseases and fevers. If an epidemic broke out at the Creek it would not be an unmitigated evil, but I would do my best for the women and children all the same. As for Dalton and his curs, they ought to die in a heap, like rabbits in a drought.'
Constable Doonan had seldom seen Dr Tom so much in earnest, and he was almost sorry he had mentioned Jim Dennis in connection with the gang, for he knew that he had roused the worthy man.
'Shall I go with you to-morrow, doctor?' he asked.
'No. You would do harm, not good. A constable at Barker's Creek is like a red rag to a bull. They would rush you, Fred, my lad--rush you.'
CHAPTER X
A FRIGHTENED SCOUNDREL
Barker's Creek was several miles from Swamp Creek, and next morning Dr Tom's black boy, aged about forty, and looking ten years older, hitched the ill-groomed horses to the worse-kept buggy.
It was indeed a remarkable turnout, and so the doctor thought as he examined the 'joins' of the harness to see if it would hold out.
The black boy contemplated the whole thing with ludicrous pride, evidently under the impression he had done his duty by both horses and buggy.
The doctor stowed his bag under the seat, together with a suspicious-looking flask, and clambered into the buggy. His weight caused it to heave over in an alarming manner, and when the start took place Dr Tom appeared to be in danger of being hurled from his seat.
He drove slowly, and it was well on towards noon when he arrived at Barker's Creek, and looked around him with an air of disgust.
'What a hole,' he muttered, 'and what beasts these men are.'
Barker's Creek was not an inviting place by any means. It lay in a hollow and was surrounded by a rough, uncleared bush country. Tall, gaunt trees, branchless until near the tops, towered round the place like huge scaffold poles. Their appearance at night was weird, as they were of a slaty white colour, and resembled huge, gaunt spectres. The shanties in which the men lived and the humpies of the blacks were not visible until the visitor was close on to the spot. It was secluded, cut off from the world, and fittingly so.
Some terrible orgies took place here, and the howls and cries of the black gins, when Dalton's men were amongst them, denoted that scenes of brutality were being enacted.
The blacks were herded together like animals, and their humpies were made of the branches of trees suspended, tent-like, on poles, and their resting-places were on the ground.
Numerous stray curs were prowling around, playing with the naked little black children, who had no more intelligence, if so much, as the dogs.