Part 4 (2/2)

James declined doing this, and told him of his proposed plan.

”Nothing like taking time by the forelock!” exclaimed the Irishman.

”I've my raisons, and I'll be off--as soon as I can stow some food in my inside and catch the horse--before it is daylight, so that it will be a hard job for any of them fellows to find me, even if they have a fancy for that same.”

As there was no time to be lost, James went out and brought in Larry's horse, to which he gave a sop of damper and spirits and water, while Larry was refres.h.i.+ng himself.

”It's good luck I'll have on a good errand, I hope,” he exclaimed, as he leaped into the saddle; ”for though the police and I weren't over friendly once on a time, I can now face them like an honest man, thanks to yer honour.”

Larry was soon lost to sight in the gloom which prevailed at a distance from the yet burning wood. Daylight came. All hands were on foot. The wounded man appeared to be no worse. A sad change had taken place in the once picturesque appearance of the surrounding scenery. In the place of the green wood, with many n.o.ble trees, a few blackened stems, gaunt and branchless, with still smouldering ashes at their base, were the only objects to be seen on the hillside. The Gilpins scarcely liked to keep Craven and his companion from their posts, though at the same time they felt the importance of having a sufficient guard over their prisoner. They were surprised that none of the stockmen or hut-keepers from the neighbourhood had made their appearance. It proved but too plainly that all were disaffected; and it made them resolve not to quit the vicinity of the hut till the arrival of the police. They could not, however, come for some hours. Breakfast was just over, when Green, who had gone down to fetch some water from the river, came hurrying back, and reported that he had seen several men collecting, with arms in their hands, on the opposite side. ”Who could they be? What could be their object?” was the question.

It was decided that while every precaution should be taken to prevent surprise, they should be treated as if they could only have come on a friendly errand, and that every attempt should be made to conciliate them before resorting to force. Scarcely five minutes had pa.s.sed before several men were seen approaching, from the direction of the river, in single file. They were all disguised, either with blackened faces or masks, while they wore either kangaroo or sheep skins over their shoulders, or were covered with the thick-leaved branches of shrubs, so as completely to conceal their figures. It was evident that they intended mischief. They halted at about twenty paces from the hut, seemingly surprised at finding the windows barricaded and the door closed, with the muzzles of firearms protruding from the walls. Seeing their hesitation, James instantly went out, and, with his rifle in his hand, confronted them--

”Men, you have amused yourselves seemingly with what might be a harmless mummery, were it not for the weapons in your hands,” he began, in a firm tone; ”put them down, and let me hear what you have got to say.”

The leading man, after consulting with his companions, replied, ”You have got shut up there a friend of ours, and you must give him up to us, or take the consequences.”

”I am not at all likely to yield to demands made by strangers in the tone you make them, or to tell you whether or not we have any one shut up inside this hut,” said James; ”you will risk your own lives, and gain nothing by persisting in such folly.”

”Yours is the folly, master, in refusing our demands!” exclaimed the man. ”You can gain no good by keeping the man a prisoner, but will do him and us harm!”

While the man was speaking, he and his companions advanced still closer to the hut.

”Stand back!” cried James, endeavouring to bring his piece to his shoulder; but before he had done so, the men, stooping low, sprang forward, keeping him between themselves and the hut. Those inside opened the door to admit him, but instead of retreating he stood fast, till the leader of the ruffians had struck up his rifle, and, grasping him by the throat, bore him backwards. Arthur, rus.h.i.+ng out to his rescue, was seized likewise, and the whole party dashed together into the hut, overthrowing Green, who came out to help his young masters.

Fortunately their eyes first fell on the wounded man as he lay on a bed in the outer room. The stretcher of boughs, on which he had been brought to the hut, still remained outside. A few words pa.s.sed between them. They lifted him on the litter, neither the Gilpins nor Green being able to prevent them, and, with a shout of triumph, they carried him off towards the river. The Gilpins and Green were quickly on their feet. For an instant they stood irresolute whether to follow.

”Do not attempt it,” cried a voice from within; ”the villains will not scruple to fire if you do.”

It was Craven who spoke. James was inclined to accuse him of cowardice till he reflected at what risk he had come voluntarily to their a.s.sistance. Craven himself, too, explained that being a.s.sured the outlaws would murder him and his companion had they seen them, they had retreated into the storeroom, where they lay hid among casks and cases.

It was provoking to have lost their prisoner, but at the same time they had reason to be thankful that no life had been sacrificed.

”If they find out from Basham that we are here, they will to a certainty return,” observed Craven; ”and we must be prepared.”

”The police will be here by that time,” was Arthur's remark. ”If they come, we may follow, and we should have our horses ready.”

”None of them said a word about the police,” observed James; ”I don't think that they were aware that we expected them.”

”Then, depend on it, when they find out that Richards and I are away from our posts, they will return to punish us. Basham will not say anything, however, till he thinks that they have placed him in safety, and then, of course, he will tell them of our being here.”

In consequence of Craven's very just apprehensions, the party set to work to fortify the hut more completely, by putting stronger bars to the windows and doors, and by placing a stockade outside at the weaker parts, so as to make it more difficult for any a.s.sailants to reach the roof.

These preparations were scarcely completed, when Green, who happened to be on the roof, cried out--

”There come the chaps again, and twice as many as before!”

This was serious news; for it was not likely that the ruffian band would have returned, unless with the intention of destroying those who had offended them. It is very probable that they hoped to make it appear that the blacks, having set the wood on fire, had afterwards killed them. The whole party in the hut felt, therefore, that they must fight to the last extremity. A line was drawn round the building, and it was agreed that if an enemy pa.s.sed it they would fire; but they would refrain as long as possible from shedding blood. They had scarcely time to barricade the door and windows before the outlaws appeared, mounting the hill from the river, not as before, in single file, but scattered over the ground, so as to take advantage of the shelter any inequalities might afford. Some were disguised, but there were several blacks who were in their usual unclothed state, and were evidently not masqueraders. It might have been difficult to identify even those, as their faces and bodies were bedaubed with pigments in strange and hideous devices.

This time James took care not to show himself. ”Stand back, men!” he shouted in a loud voice. ”If any one advances across the line we have marked out, we must fire. We do not wish to shed blood, but the consequence be on your own heads. Back, black men! you get killed.”

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