Part 86 (1/2)

There burst on his ear a confused sound of talking and laughing, and out of one of the rocky gullies leading towards the river, came the men they had been flying from, in number about fourteen. They had crossed the river, for some unknown reason, and to the fear-struck riders it seemed as though they were making straight towards their lair.

He had got Widderin's head in his breast, blindfolding him with his coat, for should he neigh now, they were undone, indeed! As the bushrangers approached, the horse began to get uneasy, and paw the ground, putting Sam in such an agony of terror that the sweat rolled down his face. In the midst of this he felt a hand on his arm, and Alice's voice, which he scarcely recognised, said, in a fierce whisper,--

”Give me one of your pistols, sir!”

”Leave that to me!” he replied in the same tone.

”As you please,” she said; ”but I must not fall alive into their hands.

Never look your mother in the face again if I do.”

He gave one more glance round, and saw that the enemy would come within a hundred yards of their hiding-place. Then he held the horse faster than ever, and shut his eyes.

Was it a minute only, or an hour, till they heard the sound of the voices dying away in the roar of the river? and, opening their eyes once more, looked into one another's faces.

Faces, they thought, that they had never seen before,--so each told the other afterwards,--so wild, so haggard, and so strange! And now that they were safe and free again--free to arise and leave their dreadful rock prison, and wander away where they would, they could scarcely believe that the danger was past.

They came out silently from among the crags, and took up another station, where they could see all that went on. They saw the miscreants swarming about the house, and heard a pistol-shot--only one.

”Who can they be firing at?” said Alice, in a subdued tone. They were both so utterly appalled by their late danger, that they spoke in whispers, though the enemy were a quarter of a mile off.

”Mere mischief, I should fancy,” said Sam; ”there is no one there. Oh!

Alice, my love, can you realize that we are safe?”

”Hardly yet, Sam! But who could those men be we saw at such a distance on the plain? Could they have been cattle? I am seldom deceived, you know; I can see an immense distance.”

”Why,” said Sam, ”I had forgotten them! They must be our friends, on these fellows' tracks. Desborough would not be long starting, I know.”

”I hope my father,” said Alice, ”will hear nothing till he sees me.

Poor father! what a state he will be in. See, there is a horseman close to us. It is the Doctor!”

They saw Dr. Mulhaus ride up to one of the heights overlooking the river, and reconnoitre. Seeing the men in the house, he began riding down towards them.

”He will be lost!” said Alice. ”He thinks we are there. Call, Sam, at all risks.”

Sam did so, and they saw the Doctor turn. Alice showed herself for a moment, and then he turned back, and rode the way he had come. In a few minutes he joined them from the rear, and, taking Alice in his arms, kissed her heartily.

”So, our jewel is safe, then--praise be to G.o.d! Thanks due also to a brave man and a good horse. This is the last station those devils will ruin, for our friends are barely four miles off. I saw them just now.”

”I wish, I only wish,” said Sam, ”that they may delay long enough to be caught. I would give a good deal for that.”

There was but little chance of that, though; their measures were too well taken. Almost as Sam spoke, the three listeners heard a shrill whistle, and immediately the enemy began mounting. Some of them were evidently drunk, and could hardly get on their horses, but were a.s.sisted by the others. But very shortly they were all clear off, heading to the northwest.

”Now we may go down, and see what destruction has been done,” said Alice. ”Who would have thought to see such times as these!”

”Stay a little,” said the Doctor, ”and let us watch these gentlemen's motions. Where can they be going nor'-west--straight on to the mountains?”

”I am of opinion,” said Sam, ”that they are going to lie up in one of the gullies this evening. They are full of drink and madness, and they don't know what they are about. If they get into the main system of gullies, we shall have them like rats in a trap, for they can never get out by the lower end. Do you see, Doctor, a little patch of white road among the trees over there? That leads to the Limestone Gates, as we call it. If they pa.s.s those walls upwards, they are confined as in a pound. Watch the white road, and we shall see.”