Part 1 (1/2)
Adventures in Australia
by WHG Kingston
CHAPTER ONE
So looking steeds, ending their way through a forest in Australia They were both young and dressed much alike in broad-brimh boots with spurs
Each of the knife; while at his back was slung a serviceable-looking rifle, showing that they were prepared to defend themselves, should they encounter any treacherous blacks, a very possible contingency at that period of the country's history
They were followed by an active native also e The scenery was not especially attractive, indeed so great was its sameness that alone they would have been utterly unable to find their way On either side rose tall stringy-bark and other gu scarcely any shelter froe white ste them a weird and dreary aspect Tracks there were, but they branched now in one direction now in the other, and were uide the new arrivals in the country they carried one--told them that they should soon reach a broad strea whether they should have to wade through it or should find a ferry-boat ready to take the thus begun, after the fashi+on of a writer whose pure and wholesome works I used heartily to enjoy in my boyhood days--that one of the travellers was myself, Maurice Thurston, and the other my brother Guy, a year only my senior We had lately lost our father, hose sanction we had settled some time before to come out to Australia and seek our fortunes We, our mother, our two sisters, and another brother, had been left with a very li to push our own fortunes and establish a horeed that no ti our plan into execution As soon therefore as our land, and, about teeks before the day I a, arrived in Australia We had not cooose chase A cousin of our father's, Mr Oliver Strong, had long been settled in the country, and had replied to an applicationthat he should be happy to receive us and put us in the way of doing well for ourselves, if ere sober, steady, strong, active, willing felloith heads on our shoulders and without any ”fine gentle our way toward his station, soh we had not ridden far fro place, the intense heat of the sun made us feel very thirsty, and sympathise with our horses which must have been equally so; thus ere anxious as soon as possible to reach the river, where we hoped to find an abundance of water
Frouide we could not obtain h ell assured that he spoke English e engaged him, we found that it was of a character which would take us some time to learn
However he understood us better than we did hih we had to put questions in all sorts of ways and repeat theain We then had to puzzle out his replies, not always arriving at a satisfactory conclusion
Guy frequently stood up in his stirrups and looked ahead, hoping to catch the sheen of water At last we began to have soh our black attendant professed to know the way, he had ed to lose it--a circumstance not at all unlikely to occur-- and that andering far out of our proper course Though the sun was of so too ht pass a long way off from the station which ished to reach All we could do therefore was to exert our wits, and, should we have got out of the direct path, to try and find it At length the foliage before us becan of water did we see We were riding on when a loud cry reached our ears
”There's some one in distress!” I exclaiht, weon our horses, when a peal of hter seemed to come from the wood close to us
”What can that be?” I asked; ”sohten us, or an unfortunate hter was repeated
”Hiuide, Toby
”Jackass! What can the fellow e bird not far off as evidently uttering the extraordinary sound we heard It was, as Toby told us, a laughing-jackass, or a gigantic kingfisher So ridiculous were the sounds that we could not help laughing too
Presently a nu with loud screaain not far off As atching them we found ourselves at the top of a bank, soht and left, stretched a sandy bottom scarcely less than half a mile in breadth, and on the opposite side rose another bank Below the one on which we stood was a strea, scarcely twelve feet wide, and so shallow that we could see the bottom
”Can this be the river ere to co the map
”No doubt about it,” answered my brother; ”perhaps sometimes this broad bed of sand is covered, and if we had found it so, we should have had considerable difficulty in crossing; so it is as well as it is, here is water enough for ourselves and our weary beasts” We accordingly agreed to stop and dine Having watered our horses, we hobbled therass was growing; then unslinging our guns, ent in search of the cockatoos we had seen I killed one, and Guy a parrot; but the report of our guns frightened away the birds, which were more wary than usual, and we had to return satisfied with this scanty supply of food On reaching the spot we had selected for our ca for us, we found that he had during our absencethe larger portion
We would gladly have eaten soht have been, but none was to be found We had just finished ht of two natives sca as if they were mad, so it seemed to us, for they had their eyes fixed in the air and appeared regardless of all i us, on they went, now leaping over the fallen trunk of a tree, now rushi+ng through a bush, now tu their eyes fixed on the object which engaged their attention We asked Toby what they were about
”Dey huntee bee Soon catchee!” he answered The reply was intelligible enough, but why they should hunt a bee puzzled us They however stopped, while yet in sight, under a large tree, the ste, as was really the case, that they were going to rob the hive of its honey, we followed the the lower branches, with vast nu about theard
The two natives were so busily employed that they did not at first perceive us; but when they caarded us with much astonishment, and ere afraid that they would turn tail and run off, without giving us the honey which it was our object to obtain We thereforefortunately a gaily printed cotton handkerchief inat the same time that ished some of the honey in return
Our quietwith us, they poured out as much honey as our two tin pots could contain