Part 4 (2/2)
Poor Mrs Berrington saw, with much regret, the lieutenant and his men take their departure. They were going, he said, to make another thorough search for the hostile natives, and to advise them to remove to a distance from the white men's stations.
CHAPTER SIX.
PLEASANT RIDES THROUGH THE COUNTRY--MAGNIFICENT VEGETATION--HECTOR STUNG BY A NETTLE--A HURRICANE--ROOF OF THE HUT BLOWN OFF.
Some weeks pa.s.sed away, and the new comers were getting accustomed to bush-life. Even the unimpressible Evelina and Adela began to take an interest in what was going on, though they were still open to the criticism p.r.o.nounced on them by Harry to Reginald--
”Those girls of yours are very well in their way, but it is a pity they cannot learn to make themselves useful.”
Aunt Emily was, however, delighted with all she saw--the trees, the birds, the animals; and much indeed there was to admire during the rides she and two or three of the girls were accustomed to take, either with Mr Berrington or Paul, Harry or Reginald.
All apprehension of an attack from the blacks had subsided, and they frequently rode to a considerable distance from Stratton. The country beyond the scrub was open, or rather only sprinkled with tall ungainly gum-trees, but there was to be found in many spots other and very beautiful foliage. In some places groves of acacia-trees with yellow blossoms, and in other spots tall coral trees with long pendulous red flowers, looking exactly like strings of coral hanging from the dark foliage. Sometimes they came upon the curiously-shaped bottle tree, which greatly resembles a lemonade bottle placed in the ground. Then, not far off, would be found the gra.s.s tree, from the summit of which long pendants projected like enormous blades of gra.s.s. Even these trees were of considerable height. Mr Berrington said that during the hot months he always had a supply of the wood, as the smoke arising from it emits not only a very pleasant odour, but is much objected to by the mosquitos, and by burning it in the room those pests of Queensland are always driven out.
One of the most remarkable trees they met with was the bunya-bunya, a species of pine. It towered like a pinnacle above all the other trees, reaching a height of upwards of two hundred feet.
Some of the young trees were peculiarly handsome, throwing out branches all around close to the ground to a distance of many yards, and smaller branches rising in regular gradation to the top, thus forming a perfect cone with so dense a foliage that it was evident no animal could penetrate it. At the top of the older trees grew an enormous cone of fruit, each being the size of a chestnut. From some of these a bare pole shot up nearly a hundred feet above the branches, with this prodigious cone at the summit. Notwithstanding this, the party saw a couple of blacks belonging to a friendly tribe, who occasionally camped near them, climb to the top, whence they threw down the fruit in handfuls. Harry and Reginald filled their pockets with some of it, which they carried home. It was cooked as chestnuts are, but was p.r.o.nounced more farinaceous and much nicer to eat.
The party frequently took provisions with them, and enjoyed a picnic in some beautiful spot while their horses were hobbled near. On one of these occasions Hector had condescended to accompany them. He and Paul, with Mr Hayward, were walking some little distance from the rest, when Hector, not taking an interest in the conversation of his cousin and the dominie, sauntered away from them. Hector had the habit as he walked along of pulling off the leaves of any shrub or tree he pa.s.sed, from mere thoughtlessness, not with any idea of examining their shape or character.
”Where's Hector got to?” suddenly exclaimed Paul.
”There he is,” said Mr Hayward; then he shouted, ”Come back, Hector; come back! Don't touch those shrubs.”
But Hector either did not hear or did not heed the call, and Mr Hayward and Paul set off to run after him. Presently they heard him shriek out, and throw down a large leaf like that of a mallow, which he had plucked from a shrub about fifteen feet in height.
”That's a nettle tree,” exclaimed Mr Hayward; ”poor fellow! he'll suffer for it.”
They found Hector wringing his hand, and declaring that he had been stung by a snake. He was somewhat consoled when Mr Hayward and Paul a.s.sured him that he had only by mistake caught hold of a huge nettle, though he might expect to suffer from its effects for some days to come.
He wanted to run off to a stream near which the party had picnicked, to cool his hand in the water.
”That will only make matters worse,” said Paul; ”you must keep your hand as dry as possible, for every time you wet it the pain will come on again.”
Poor Hector could scarcely refrain from crying out with pain.
”You must grin and bear it, old fellow,” said Harry, really wis.h.i.+ng to console him. ”When you get home mother will, I dare say, apply some remedy. We were fortunately warned about catching hold of nettles before we had your experience; but you'll never do it again.”
All the party enjoyed the ride, except poor Hector, who complained bitterly of the pain he suffered from the stinging-nettle. On their arrival at home, Mrs Hugh applied ammonia and oil. At length he acknowledged that the pain had considerably abated, but during the remainder of the evening he took every opportunity of abusing the country and ”its horrible productions.”
Harry, who was always ready to take up the cudgels in favour of his native land, answered, ”Why, even you in England have got nettles, and poisonous berries too, and, I am sure, have not got one-tenth part of the fruits and plants which this country can produce. We can grow the sugar-cane, cotton, coffee, rice and tobacco, and Peruvian bark, or what answers as well, and spices of all sorts, while few of our berries are poisonous; and, except those rascally dingos, we have not an animal in the country which can do any harm to man or beast.”
”Oh, yes! it's a very nice land indeed,” sneered Hector.
”Come, old fellow, you're shut up, after all,” exclaimed Harry, triumphantly, ”and it is time to go to bed. I'm off to our hut. Come along, Reggy; Paul went there an hour ago.”
Family prayers were over. The two lads, wis.h.i.+ng their fathers and mothers and all hands good night, set off to their abode.
Mr Hayward and the rest of the inmates of the hut had been some time asleep, when they were awakened by a fearful uproar, like the howling, shrieking, and hissing of a thousand locomotive engines das.h.i.+ng on at full speed--so Reggy described it. They could scarcely hear their own voices as they shouted to know what was happening.
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