Part 1 (1/2)
The Young Berringtons.
by W.H.G. Kingston.
This is quite a short book that had been published in parts in a children's magazine. One branch of the Berrington family had been established in Australia for a long time, and had built up quite a profitable station. Another branch of the family had been living in a wealthy style in London, when their business failed, and they had just enough money left to make their way to Australia, to join their cousins.
They find that life is not going to be all that easy. A mob of original inhabitants were in the neighbourhood, and were threatening them. Who can blame them? A terrible storm comes, and blows the roof off the house. Then the river floods, much higher than it had ever done before, and the house is destroyed. So is much of the stock. The decision is made to look further inland for a better place to start a new station.
That is the part of the story that gives the book its second t.i.tle, ”The Boy Explorers.” They do find a suitable place, but are once again attacked by aborigines, whom they beat off with great difficulty.
Eventually they make peace with the aborigines, and all begins once more to go well. The various people, adults and children, are well drawn, especially two rather tiresome ones: Hector, one of the children brought from Britain, and Mrs Berrington, the wife of the original settler, who has a dreadful habit of fainting every time anything stressful occurs.
THE YOUNG BERRINGTONS, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON.
CHAPTER ONE.
THE YOUNG COLONISTS INTRODUCED--EXPECTANT RELATIVES--IN SEARCH OF ”OLD BOLTER”--A DINNER IN THE BUSH--BOLTER TRIES TO ESCAPE--ENCOUNTER BLACKS--BOLTER BROUGHT BACK--SANDY MACDOUGAL.
”I wonder what sort of fellows these English cousins of ours will turn out?” exclaimed Harry Berrington, as he rode up alongside his elder brother Paul. ”Judging by their photographs, which Uncle Frank sent us out last year, I have an idea that they are mighty fine young gentlemen, who will be apt to turn up their noses at us colonial 'corn-stalks.'”
”Hector and Reginald are good-looking fellows, I should think, and wear fine clothes but beyond that--whether they are dark or fair, have blue eyes and pink cheeks, or whether they can ride, and shoot, swim, and play cricket, or can only dance and sing, or draw, or suchlike girlish things--I have not the slightest notion,” answered Paul. ”We shall, however, soon know; for, according to the letter father got yesterday their s.h.i.+p ought to reach Moreton Bay in the course of three or four weeks; and I hope that I may have the chance of going down to Ipswich to meet them.”
”I don't think you will be so lucky,” observed Harry. ”I heard father say that he intended going himself, as he expected poor Aunt Augusta would require a good deal of attention, as she has been accustomed to live luxuriously, and has never done anything for herself. From a remark he made, I suspect that both the boys and girls have been brought up in the same fas.h.i.+on. Although they may get into our ways at last, they won't like our style of life at all when they first arrive.”
”They must learn to like it, somehow or other,” observed Paul. ”Poor Uncle Frank! I really pity him; he has lost nearly all his fortune; and to be obliged, at his time of life, to begin to work hard! And work hard he must, like the rest of us.”
”Yes, indeed; I have heard mother say that they lived in a large house in London, with butlers, footmen, housekeeper, nurses, and all sorts of servants; and had carriages and horses, and saw lots of company,” said Harry.
”They'll not have much of that out here; they will have to be their own servants, or consider themselves fortunate if they can hire an Irish girl, or get a black _gin_ to do the rough work. We must try and help them, however, as much as we can, until they get accustomed to our ways,” observed Paul. ”And Mary, and Janet, and Lizzie will, I am sure, do their best to save them trouble.”
”Of course, we all will, in reality; but I don't think I shall be able to help laughing when I see the exquisite Mr Hector and his brother Reginald attempting to round up cattle, riding after stray horses, or milking cows. And there are two other boys--Edgar and Albert. I wonder what they will be like; they are about the same ages as Bob and Tommy, and if they are as great pickles they will manage to lead each other into all manner of sc.r.a.pes; but we shall have rare fun with the girls if they have got any life in them.”
The two speakers were fine, active-looking lads, sons of Captain Hugh Berrington, who had settled in the colony of Queensland a short time before Paul, the eldest, was born. They might have been known as young gentlemen by the tone of their voices rather than by their costume, which consisted of a red serge s.h.i.+rt, loose trousers fastened at the waist with a leathern belt, large boots coming up to their knees, and broad-brimmed cabbage-tree hats. Each carried in his hand a heavy whip with a long thick thong. The elder, in addition, had a brace of pistols in his belt, which weapons were necessary in case of the sudden appearance of any strange natives. They were mounted on strong, active little horses, which evidently got but a small amount of grooming.
The lads had just left their home, which was situated on the banks of the Burnett river. It is worthy of a short description. The house, though built entirely of wood, and on one floor, was a substantial-looking building, containing ten rooms, with a broad verandah running entirely round it. The frame-work was of rough timber, and the walls were composed of slabs, which are boards split out of the iron-bark or blue gum-tree. The roof was covered with s.h.i.+ngles, or tiles of wood, split like the slabs and sawn to the required size.
Bound the homestead was a field of Indian corn, an orchard full of fruit-trees of various descriptions, a kitchen-garden supplying all sorts of vegetables, and a smaller s.p.a.ce devoted to flowers, most of which would have been highly prized in an English conservatory. There were several out-buildings beyond the cultivated ground, with yards and pens for cattle and sheep.
Altogether, Stratton was considered a very flouris.h.i.+ng little homestead, of which the owner was justly proud. The sun had scarcely risen, when, after a hurried breakfast, the two young Berringtons had set out on an expedition in search of ”Old Bolter,” one of their horses, well so-called, who--no unusual circ.u.mstance--was reported missing. They had a difficult task before them, for Old Bolter was a cunning rogue, and by this time had probably got far away into the bush; but to find him they were determined, as he was wanted for work, and could do twice as much as any other horse when he chose. They were now, as fast as the numerous trees would allow them, cantering forward through a scrub, extending for some distance from the banks of the river. Familiar as was the scenery to them, Paul, who had an eye for the picturesque, could not help remarking the beauty of the rich tropical vegetation amid which they were pa.s.sing. The sun, now rapidly rising behind their backs, threw a bright glow on the dark-green branches of the huge fig-trees, the feathery leaves of the cabbage and other palms, and here and there, tall pines or red cedars, towering above the ma.s.s of foliage, with vines and creepers of many hues hanging to the boughs in wreaths and festoons, or extending to the ground like loose ropes from the rigging of a s.h.i.+p.
They soon got clear of the scrub, for Old Bolter would certainly not be hiding within it, for the best of reasons--not a blade of gra.s.s grew on the leaf-covered ground. They now entered the more open country, called forest land, in contradistinction to the scrub. Here, though gum-trees of vast size towered to the sky, they generally stood far apart--their curiously-shaped leaves, with their edges turned upwards, allowing the sun's rays to penetrate to the gra.s.s-covered ground. Paul and Harry now began to look out eagerly for the runaway. There were one or two places in which he had before been found, and these they had settled first to visit. They were gullies, or dry creeks, bordered thickly by trees, beneath the shade of which he could stand during the heat of the day, and, while whisking off the flies with his long tail, meditate at his leisure. Three of these places were visited, but Old Bolter was not there. The water-holes in their neighbourhood were dry, which would account for the absence of the knowing old steed.
”He has gone to Myall Creek, depend upon it,” observed Paul; ”we shall find him in the scrub thereabouts.”
Harry agreed that his brother was very likely correct in his surmise, and, the ground being open, they again rode forward. Harry especially delighted in a hard gallop. By getting over the ground at an early hour, they might rest during the heat of the day under the shade of the myall trees--from which the creek took its name--and employ themselves in shaping a few stock whip-handles, which are made from its fragrant wood; they would then recommence their search for Old Bolter. Once having found him, there would be no stopping until they had got him safe back into the paddock. An hour's hard riding brought them up to Myall Creek, within the dry bed of which they hoped to find Bolter, provided he had not discovered their approach, when to a certainty he would be off to some other place of concealment. They had prudently brought provisions with them, and, having securely hobbled their horses so that they might feed close to them, they sat down beneath the shade of a tree on the edge of the scrub and ate their dinners. They then cut some sticks from the myall trees suited for their purpose, and, while they sat resting in the shade, employed themselves in shaping the wood into the required size with their knives.
”Now,” cried Paul, jumping up, ”we must hunt up Old Bolter.”
They quickly caught their steeds, and, unhobbling them, mounted.