First in the Field: A Story of New South Wales

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TEN.

  A MORNING DIP.

  "Had a good night's rest, my boy?"

  "Night's rest?" stammered Nic.

  "Yes; you have been asleep eight hours, I should say."

  Nic stared.

  "Like a bath? Do you good. Get a towel, and have a plunge into thepool. Don't be more than a quarter of an hour gone. Can you swim?"

  "Yes, father," said Nic, who felt stiff and shivery; and as he climbedup under the waggon-cover for the towel, he wished bathing had neverbeen invented.

  Getting down and making for the water-hole, he came upon Brookes, whowas carrying an armful of wood for the fire, and he saluted the boywith:

  "Going to have a dip?"

  "Yes."

  "Hope you'll like it. Don't ketch me at it."

  His face was only dimly seen reflecting the light of the fire; butrecalling what he had seen, Nic could not help feeling that the stockman did not use water much for outward application.

  Half-way to the hole he met the black, who said somethingincomprehensible, to which Nic answered with "good morning," and hurriedon to the bank, down in the hollow along which the river ran.

  There was a thin, whitish mist just visible over the water, which lookedhorribly black and cold, making the boy feel as if he would have givenanything to evade the morning duty.

  "Why not shirk it?" he said to himself. "I might wash my face andhands, and go back."

  Hurrying a dozen yards or so to where the bank was lower and the waternot above eight or ten inches beneath, he prepared for a simple wash,and laid his towel on a bush; but his conscience attacked him, and,setting his teeth hard, he tore off jacket and vest in a way that wasnothing less than vicious. These he placed on the bush which acted fora chair back, while the morning air struck chill to the bare skin.

  "It's horrid," he thought,--"horrid. How can one go on like this?"

  Ugh! how cold the black water looked in that grey dawn, for there was nosign of the sun, the stars being still faintly visible, and to keep histeeth from chattering Nic set them so hard that they began to ache.

  "Pretty cowardly fool I should have looked if father had asked me atbreakfast if--Bother it all. Why didn't I take off my shoes?"

  Nic had got one leg half out of his trousers, but not being so clever asthe black at that crane or stork-like way of standing he overbalanced,tried to save himself failed, and went down on his side, in which saferposition he dragged out first one and then the other leg.

  "Yes; pretty cowardly fellow I should have looked if father had asked meat breakfast if I enjoyed my swim."

  He rose and hung up his trousers on the bush, thrust off shoes andstockings, and then stood on the bank white and ghostly-looking, gazingdown into the deep, still water overhung by thick bushes, which made itlook still more untempting. For it was big enough--there were two orthree acres--to hold any number of terrible monsters. There might bewater-serpents hidden under those overhanging trees, waiting amongst theroots ready to seize and pull him down; or huge alligators or crocodilesmight be lurking in the deepest holes. Nic was not learned enough as tothe way in which their teeth fitted between the others or into holes inthe opposing jaws to know which was which. It was enough for him toremember that they were shaped like the fierce little efts which seizedthe worms in ponds at home when he had been out fishing.

  The thoughts were horrible, and he stood shivering, and had it beenbroad daylight his skin would have been seen becoming covered with tinypimples, like the cuticle of the goose plucked, and assuming a reddish,purply hue.

  "Oh," he thought, "if I could only escape this bitter task!" But he wastoo determined to attempt that, though he could not help putting off thetask as long as he could; for cold water which looks bad enough at dawnin a bath in a comfortable dressing-room seems far worse on the banks ofa river; and a hundred times worse when an active brain suggests thepossibility of its containing fierce, hungry reptiles in all theiramphibious horror, watching and waiting, in a land of blacks, for atender, well-fed breakfast off a delicate, well-bred white.

  "It's of no use," thought Nic. "I must summon up courage and do it.He'll be waiting breakfast for me, and--Ugh! how cold!"

  Nic involuntarily turned his head to gaze in the direction of the treeswhere the fire was blazing, uttered a faint cry of surprise and horror,and turned and dived off the bank into the hole, to feel quite anelectric shock run through him, while the water thundered in his ears,and he formed a graceful arch in the depths.

  Out popped his head directly, yards away from where he had taken hisheader, and he began to swim with a calm, vigorous stroke right away forthe middle, gazing sideways the while and muttering to himself as he sawthat the object which had startled him, shamefaced, into seeking theprotection of the water, had walked close to the edge, taken up hisfavourite, crane-like attitude, and was watching him swim, with his lipsdrawn from his teeth and displaying them in a broad grin.

  It was something after the fashion of a conjuring trick. One moment awhite figure had stood there in the dawning day; the next there was aloud splash, the white figure had disappeared, and a black one stood inits place, not in the least ashamed, though almost as nude as Nic. Forthe black had followed, stood watching, and studied with great enjoymentthe appearance of one of his white masters wearing the natural garbwhich he himself generally affected.

  There were neither crocodiles, alligators, nor serpents in the waternow, so far as Nic's fancy was concerned. After the first plunge hiswhole nature had awakened to a sense of vigorous vitality. The sharptouch of the electric water sent thrill after thrill of energy throughhim, and he swam half across the river-hole, and turned back feeling asactive as an eel.

  "Here, who's to get out and dress with that fellow staring at me?"thought Nic, as he neared the black. "I shall have to stop in till hegoes. Hi! you, sir! Be off!"

  The black's grin ceased, and he turned and fled, while Nic sprang out,had a vigorous rub, began to glow, and then dressed, to run back to thewaggon as hard as he could go, finishing off his head the while.

  Five minutes after his short hair had obeyed the comb, he made for thefire, where a pleasant odour saluted his nostrils, and he felt that hemust have made a mistake or been deceived.

  But no: it was a fact. Brookes and Leather had been busy. Hot breadwas waiting, and crisp, brown slices of bacon were fizzling in the pan.

  "Ready?" said the doctor; and then the boy started, for these wordsfollowed: "Have a good swim?"

  "Yes, father--glorious."

  "Water cold?"

  "Yes; but I'm all of a glow now."

  "Take your tea."

  Nic took the big tin mug.

  "Damper?"

  "Oh no, father; I had a thorough good rub."

  "I said damper."

  "Yes, father, I know. Only my hair--just a little."

  "He dunno what you mean, sir," said Brookes with a chuckle, as he waitedto take the men's share of the breakfast away.

  "Oh, I see," said the doctor, laughing. "Have some hot bread with yourbacon, Nic? We call this cake damper."

  Nic did not mind what they called it, and he took his portion and hisrasher of hot bacon, and he repeated the action with the greatest ofpleasure, sipping at intervals from the milkless contents of his big tinmug without once regretting the absence of milk or cream.

  Memorandum. Ride for many hours over the luxuriant downs on a clearday, when the air is laden with the health-giving odours of the gumtrees, lie down tired out, and sleep with your slumber appearing to lastone minute, but enduring for eight hours; lastly, have a plunge in aclear water-hole, and after a brief swim a tremendous rub, and you willbe ready to perform as satisfactorily over the _al fresco_ breakfast anddo it as much justice as Dominic Braydon.

  "A little more, Nic?" said his father.

  "Yes, please."

  Nic said that twice; and a little while after, as a recollection camesuddenly back:

  "I say, father, are there
any crocodiles or dangerous things in theserivers?"

  "If there were, do you think I should have sent you to bathe?" was thereply.

  "Oh no, of course."

  "There are plenty, I believe, up north, where the rivers are always openright to the sea; but never here."

  "But fish, father?"

  "Oh yes, there are fish, principally what they call here the black-fish.You'll have to try for them by-and-by."

  "Very big?" asked Nic, who was thinking of his bath.

  "Oh no; small fish, but delicious eating. Now then, any more?"

  "No, thanks, father."

  "Then go and feed the dogs. We start in a quarter of an hour. Onemoment. Do you feel very stiff?"

  "Stiff?--well, yes, a little, father."

  "Not very bad, then. How do you feel about a trot to-day?"

  "I'll--I'll try, father. Look--look!"

  The boy jumped up in his excitement, for there was a whirring of wings,a burst of screaming, and a flock of birds flew over their heads, withthe plumage looking in the morning light as white as snow.

  "Cockatoos?" cried Nic wildly.

  "Yes," said his father, smiling at the boy's enthusiasm over what wasone of the commonest sights to him. "I have seen them before. Nowthen, breakfast for our prisoners. I shall be glad when we can letthose dogs run free."