Part 11 (1/2)

Our great object, therefore, was to prevent the this, and unless they had kept their animals saddled and bridled, we had still a prospect of succeeding

CHAPTER NINE

Darkness was coht sufficient to see our way, and should we not coht be off, and we should find it a hard one on for so every instant to discover the to a rocky knoll which rose just above the wood through which ereour way The reason they had not ht of the ani away in the distance The outlaws had probably taken up this position under the idea that they could effectually defend the the nu the trees, several bullets ca past our heads By a simultaneous impulse we fired in return

”On, on! before they have time to reload,” cried Bracewell

We dashed forith our pistols in our hands When we reached the knoll, not aa up with a rifle in his hand hich he was taking aier, the overseer fired and he fell I had recognised Vinson, and as I rode up, I observed the look of agony and despair which overspread the countenance of my former school-fellow I think he must have known me, but he was unable to speak, and before I could dismount he had ceased to breathe

It was a sad end of a mis-spent life, and yet at one tiht after in a fashi+onable circle

Aer, while we found that of the man who first fired a short distance from the knoll, where he had fallen and died before he had been able to reach his co only escaped, but Toby declined to go in search of hi, as he could not, he said, traverse the forest at night

At daylight we followed hied to catch one of the horses, and for the tiot back to the station the next day The infor, caused no shbours Soer who had escaped was discovered in a state of e that he enerally work enough on an Australian station to occupy everybody, we oes, and eer e amount of powder and shot they were apt to fire away He would allow the, however, to give each a rifle when they could bring a parrot down on the wing, an eround We therefore es of winter in e supply of arrows, for both of which objects we found suitableexperience in all farreatest value e should have charge of a station on our own account

I had long pro brothers, Oliver and Ralph As soon as our weapons were finished we set off, accoe he had displayed in capturing the bushrangers, had become a person of no small i reed to ca as the flour and biscuits in our wallets would last

It is usual to hunt the es, when the bird is pursued until the dogs can get up to it, and seizing it by the throat drag it down We, however, hoped with Toby's assistance to stalk it as the natives are in the habit of doing, and for this purpose our bows and arroere likely to prove as efficient weapons as rifles, the report of which would be certain to drive the birds away fro; whereas the silent arrowthe others

We trae plain known to be frequented by emus, far beyond any of the sheep-runs

On one side it was bounded by an extensive scrub, which being fortunately to leeward, we hoped by creeping along under its cover to get within reach of the birds We had proceeded soht of several, but they were all feeding too far off to give us any hope of shooting theht have been able to run doo or three, but being on foot, our best chance was to wait in ae of our arrows My idea was that, if we could shoot one, the others, from curiosity, would coreed to wait patiently until ere certain of hitting our ”quarry” Toby set us a good exa like a bronze statue well blackened by London sh, I do not think that Hector and I could have resisted the temptation to use our rifles Not a sound was heard, except when an e on a conversation with itsup directly towards where we lay hid It was fully seven feet in height, with powerful, stout legs, while its wings were so shtish brown and grey pluot up to within twenty yards, when Oliver and Ralph, unable longer to restrain their eagerness, leapt to their feet, and sent a couple of shafts into its body The e them, turned tail, and off it went at a rapid rate Influenced by a natural i under cover and watching for the chance of another bird co out fro that the arrows had struck deep enough, if not mortally to wound the e up the pace at which it was going Our plucky young cos as they ran on, while Toby, bounding over the ground, promised soon to come up with the wounded bird What had become of the other e, for fear of toppling down on my nose

I do not think I ever ran faster in ain upon us sufficiently fast to th its pace beca, sent another arrow into its body It went off again on feeling the pain, faster than ever; but before long, once ed to keep ahead A pretty long chase it led us altogether, still the excite it at last induced us to proceed, Oliver and Ralph shouting and hallooing in high glee, as they dashed over the ground, while Toby held his axe ready to give it a finishi+ng blow as soon as he could get up to it I was but a short distance behind the others, and supposed that Hector was following iving in, and Oliver was springing towards it, when Toby shouted--

”Take care, hiive kick one side!”

Fortunately Oliver followed this advice, when, in spite of its hurts, the bird struck out so furiously behind and on one side, that it would have broken his leg, or have inflicted a dangerous wound, had it struck hi in front of it, threw the axe with so sure an aim, that the bird, its head alround

The two boys uttered a shout of triumph, in which I joined I expected to hear Hector's voice, but on looking round he was nowhere to be seen

What had become of him, neither his brothers nor the black could say

We were afraid that he must have hurt his foot, or fallen and been unable to follow We could scarcely calculate how far we had come

Oliver declared that it must have been five miles at least; but I did not think the distance was nearly so much The question was nohat to do with our emu while ent back in search of Hector, as ere unwilling to abandon so valuable a prize to the dingoes, ere very likely to find it out Fortunately there were some bushes near which would afford fuel for a fire, and Toby consented to camp on the spot, while we returned to look for our companion

I should have said that Guy and Bracewell had pro with a spare horse or two, to carry back the spoils of the chase I knew that they would coreat doubt whether we should have any game to carry home They had settled to meet us at a spot hich Hector was acquainted; but if he were lost we should be unable to find it