foods, such as tinned meats and fish, that the unhappyowner had evidently laid in for his friends. So enough of everythingwas packed away in the men's pockets or bags, and they were soon readyonce more for the road.
The horses must rest, however; for these formed the mainstay of thelittle expedition. The men too could not keep on all night without apause; so Archie and Craig consulted, and it was agreed to bivouac for afew hours, then resume the journey when the moon should rise.
Meanwhile the sun went down behind the dark and distant wooded hills,that in their strange shapes almost resembled the horizon seen at seawhen the waves are high and stormy. Between the place where Archie andhis brother stood and the light, all was rugged plain and forest land,but soon the whole assumed a shade of almost blackness, and the nearesttrees stood up weird and spectre-like against the sky's strange hue.Towards the horizon to-night there was a deep saffron or orange fadingabove into a kind of pure grey or opal hue, with over it all a lightblush of red, and hurrying away to the south, impelled by someair-current not felt below, was a mighty host of little cloudlets ofevery colour, from darkest purple to golden-red and crimson.
There was now and then the bleating of sheep--sheep without a shepherd--and a slight tinkle-tinkle, as of a bell. It was in reality the voiceof a strange bird, often to be found in the neighbourhood of creeks andpools.
Hardly any other sound at present fell on the ear. By-and-bye thehurrying clouds got paler, and the orange left the horizon, and starsbegan to twinkle in the east.
"Come out here a little way with me," said Rupert, taking Archie by thehand.
When they had gone some little distance, quite out of hearing of thecamp, Rupert spoke:
"Do you mind kneeling down here," he said, "to pray, Archie?"
"You good old Rupert, no," was the reply.
Perhaps no more simple, earnest, or heart-felt prayer was ever breathedunder such circumstances, or in such a place. And not only was Rupertearnest, but he was confident. He spoke to the great Father as to afriend whom he had long, long known, and One whom he could trust to doall for the best. He prayed for protection, he prayed for help for thespeedy restoration of the stolen child, and he even prayed for the tribethey soon hoped to meet in conflict--prayed that the God who moves in somysterious a way to perform His wonders would bless the presentaffliction to the white man, and even to the misguided black.
Oh, what a beautiful religion is ours--the religion of love--thereligion taught by the lips of the mild and gentle Jesus!
When they rose from their knees they once more looked skywards at thestars, for they were brightly shining now; then hand-in-hand, as theyhad come, the brothers returned to the camp.
No log fire was lit to-night. The men just lay down to sleep rolled intheir blankets, with their arms close by their saddle pillows, two beingtold off to walk sentry in case of a sudden surprise.
Even the horses were put in an enclosure, lest they might roam too faraway.
About twelve o'clock Archie awoke from an uneasy dreamful slumber, andlooked about him. His attention was speedily attracted to what seemed ahuge fire blazing luridly behind the hills, and lighting up the hazeabove with its gleams. Was the forest on fire again? No; it was onlymoonrise over the woods. He awakened Craig, and soon the little campwas all astir, and ready for the road. Jacoby was to act as guide. NoIndian from the Wild West of America could be a better tracker.
But even before he started he told Craig the task would be an easy one,for the black fellows had drunk plenty, and had taken plenty rum withthem. They would not go far, he thought, and there was a probabilitythat they would meet some of the band returning. Even in the moonlightJacoby followed the trail easily and rapidly.
It took them first straight for the forest that had been burnedrecently--a thoughtless deed on the part of the whites, that probablyled to all this sad trouble.
There was evidence here that the blacks had gone into camp on the verynight of the massacre, and had held a corroboree, which could only havebeen a day or two ago. There were the remains of the camp fires and thetrampled ground and broken branches, with no attempt at concealment.There was a chance that even now they might not be far away, and thatthe little band might come up with them ere they had started for theday. But if they ventured to hope so, they were doomed todisappointment.
Morning broke at last lazily over the woods, and with but a briefinterval they followed up the trail, and so on and on all that day, tillfar into the afternoon, when for a brief moment only Jacoby foundhimself puzzled, having fallen in with another trail leading south andwest from the main track. He soon, however, discovered that the newtrail must be that of some band who had joined the Findlayson farmraiders.
It became painfully evident soon after that this was the correctsolution, for, going backwards some little way, Archie found a child'sshoe--one of a crimson pair that Bob had bought in Brisbane for hislittle Diana.
"God help her, poor darling!" said Archie reverently, as he placed thelittle shoe in his breast pocket. When he returned he held it up for amoment before the men, and the scowl of anger that crossed their faces,and the firmer clutch they took of their weapons, showed it would indeedbe bad for the blacks when they met these rough pioneers face to face.
At sunset supper was partaken of, and camp once more formed, though nofire was lit, cold though it might be before morning.
The men were tired, and were sound asleep almost as soon as they laydown; but Craig, with the brothers, climbed the ridge of the hill tolook about them soon after it grew dark.
The camp rested at the entrance of a wild gully, a view of which couldbe had, darkling away towards the east, from the hill on which the threefriends now found themselves.
Presently Rupert spoke.
"Archie," he said, "in this land of contrarieties does the moonsometimes rise in the south?"
"Not quite," replied Archie.
"Look, then. What is that reflection over yonder?" Craig and Archieboth caught sight of it at the same time.
"By Saint George and merry England!" Craig cried exultingly, "that isthe camp of the blacks. Now to find Diana's other shoe, and the dearchild herself wearing it. Now for revenge!"
"Nay," said Rupert, "call it _justice_, Craig."
"What you will; but let us hurry down."
They stayed but for a moment more to take their bearings. The firegleams pointed to a spot to the south-east, on high ground, and rightabove the gully, and they had a background of trees, not the sky. Itwas evident then that the enemy was encamped in a little clearing on aforest tableland; and if they meant to save the child's life--if indeedshe was not already dead--the greatest caution would be necessary.
They speedily descended, and a consultation being held, it was resolvedto commence operations as soon as the moon should rise; but meanwhile tocreep in the darkness as near to the camp as possible.
But first Jacoby was sent out to reconnoitre. No cat, no flyingsquirrel could glide more noiselessly through an Australian forest thanthis faithful fellow. Still he seemed an unconsciously long time gone.Just as Craig and Archie were getting seriously uneasy the tinkle,tinkle of the bell-bird was heard. This was the signal agreed upon, andpresently after, Jacoby himself came silently into their midst.
"The child?" was Archie's first question.
"Baal mumhill piccaninny, belong a you. Pidney you."
"The child is safe," said Craig, after asking a few more questions ofthis Scotch Myell black.
"Safe? and they are holding a corroboree and drinking. There is littletime to lose. They may sacrifice the infant at any time."
Craig struck a light as he spoke, and every man examined his arms.
"The moon will rise in an hour. Let us go on. Silent as death, men!Do not overturn a stone or break a twig, or the poor baby's life will besacrificed in a moment."
They now advanced slowly and cautiously, guided by Jacoby, and at lengthlay down almost within pistol-shot of the place where the hor
ridcorroboree was going on.
Considering the noise--the shrieking, the clashing of arms, the rudechanting of songs, and awful din, of the dancers and actors in this uglydrama--to maintain silence might have seemed unnecessary; but theseblacks have ears like wolves, and, in a lull of even half a second,would be sharp to hear the faintest unusual noise.
Craig and Archie, however, crept on till they came within sight of theceremonies.
At another time it might have been interesting to watch the hideousgrotesqueness of that awful war-dance, but other thoughts were in theirminds at present--they were looking everywhere for Diana. Presently thewild, naked, dancing blacks surged backwards, and, asleep in the arms ofa horrid gin, they discovered Bob's darling child. It was well Bobhimself was not here or all would quickly have been lost. All wasnearly lost as it was; for suddenly Archie inadvertently snapped a twig.In a moment there was silence, except for
From Squire to Squatter: A Tale of the Old Land and the New Page 45