CHAPTER XIV
"This is melancholy work," Dodge exclaimed, resting on his spade whilst digging a grave on the ensuing morning for the bushranger. "I have had to turn my hand to all sorts of things, but this I like the least of any. I've tried my hand at it before today. Yes," he said, in reply to an inquiring look from Slinger, and with a trembling voice, "the last body I buried was that of my only brother; and 'tis in a country like this that one knows how to value a brother. We were bringing cattle over from the Sydney side not long after the road was opened, and what with the anxiety and deprivations we under-went, poor Tom fell into a bad way with dysentery. One day, when the poor fellow was well nigh exhausted, for we pushed on, hoping to fall in with some men who we knew were before us, he desired me not to trouble about him, but to go ahead with the cattle, and leave him to make the best of his way after us. I would not have left a cur in such a fix, let alone a true-hearted brother; so I told Tom that I would not part from him come what would. I little thought then the poor fellow would so soon part from me. Well, not to make you as dismal as these thoughts do me, I'll cut my story short. We halted for several days, but Tom grew worse and worse, and I tried to cheer him up and to convince him and myself that he would get over his sickness; but he always said he should not. Well, the night he died,—poor fellow, he was wandering a little bit,—'Giles,' said he, with a languid smile, if there's only two things in the world would do me any good; one is, if I could look upon our old home in England and grasp the hands of those dear friends who made it home—how different from this, dear Giles; and yet I ought not to complain whilst I see your face beside me and can feel your faithful heart beating against my breast,—how hard it beats too! 'The poor fellow was laying in my arms. 'Tis beating,' said I, 'with hope. Come, cheer up, we may live to return yet: but what is the other thing you desire?' 'Let me think' he said, 'I'm very weak here, I can scarcely draw breath' laying his hands upon his breast, 'give me some brandy with an egg in it;' and it is my firm belief," Dodge said, "that he would have been alive now could I by any possibility have gratified his request. If he had asked me for my heart's blood he should have had it, but his last wish was as impossible to gratify as the first. He gradually sunk, and I saw all hope was gone. During that night, with no protection from the weather, for our tent was blown down, and hundreds of miles from any help, poor Tom breathed his last prayer in my arms. I never knew what misery was till then, and when I came to put the poor dear fellow into the ground and to carve his initials upon the tree under which I buried him with my own hands, I felt as if all the world was gone from me, and I wished a thousand times I could have gone to sleep beside him. This seems strange language from me, I dare say," Dodge said to Slinger, "but we shall know each other better by and by. Come, take a spell at digging whilst I make a coffin."
Before Slinger had completed the grave, Dodge, assisted by Raymond, stripped a tree of its bark (the invariable substitute for boarding in all bush work,) and then laying the body of the bushranger on one sheet placed another over, and binding all tightly together with a rope made of twisted grass, brought the body to the edge of the grave ready for interment.
"'Twas under just such another tree as this," said Dodge, as they lowered it into the earth, "that I buried poor Tom, and in silence too; but come, lads, we must shake off the dismals." Seizing upon the spade he shovelled the earth into the grave without much ceremony or any further show of feeling; in fact, he seemed to think, what he had already displayed required some qualification, for when pressing down the last sods, he exclaimed, "There, you'll lay quiet enough, captain, though you havn't had the benefit of clergy."
Although the disposal of the dead body of the bushranger met with but little consideration, the case of the deceased magistrate was of a different character. His remains were wrapped in an opossum rug and kept in the hollow of a tree so that his friends might be afforded the opportunity of interring him elsewhere.
At the termination of the second day, Dodge, tired of inactivity, procured a bullock dray, which happened to be passing for a distant station, and emptying it of its contents was preparing to convey the body of the magistrate to Melbourne, when the arrival of a party of mounted police, who had been sent from town, relieved our friends of this self-imposed charge. Providing themselves with such stores as were at hand, they left the scene of the late fight, and not without a sense of thankfulness that it was with whole skins, when they noticed how the neighbouring trees were marked by the bullets which had been fired from the hut.
It was Dodge's intention to have put his companions upon a good line for Melbourne and then to have returned alone, but on being pressed he acknowledged that a visit to town would be a great treat to him, and that he should like to accompany them, only that it would be too much like putting his head into the lion's mouth.
"But," said Slinger, "you have forgotten your bargain with us. Your creditors will listen to terms, I'll be bound; and by allowing the purchase money of your station to go towards the liquidation of your debts, I dare say you may be cleared from your present difficulties."
"Bless your innocence," Dodge cried, laughing incredulously, "you'll never see me clear: I was born in difficulties, and I shall die in 'em."
"I'm not so sure of that," said Slinger. "Now just tell us, as near as you can, the position in which you stand."
"I'll show you," said Dodge, turning every pocket he possessed inside out. "There! without one single screw. When I have disposed of the proceeds of the sale of my cattle, I shall be the owner of exactly that in which I stand upright; but thank God," he said, "for all that my heart is sounder than my fortunes."
"Well said" cried Slinger, "I see your difficulties disappearing already."
"Do you?" said Dodge laughing; "just let me enjoy the sight too, for upon my life I see no chance of such a thing."
"What do you think of this proposition?" said Slinger, disregarding the interruption, "you shall go to Melbourne with us, call a meeting of your creditors—by the by, how many do you think you have?"
"Dear me," said Dodge thoughtfully, "how many? hundreds, I should say; thousands, perhaps; for I have had no end of lawyers' letters, and when you know to what a single one of those interesting documents sometimes leads, you can fancy the fix I'm in when I tell you that I have received a sufficient number to make a bonfire that would roast a lawyer whole."
"Well then," said Slinger, who perceived that Dodge knew little or nothing of his pecuniary affairs, "we must call your hundreds or thousands of creditors together, as the case may be, and state fairly to them your position, then we shall see if they may be disposed to come to any arrangement."
"But what becomes of my body in the mean time?" Dodge said mournfully; "they'll grab it—I know they'll grab it—the bloodthirsty ogres."
After a long argument, his scruples were at length so far overcome that he consented, not without considerable misgiving, to extend his journey to the town, and afterwards to leave his friends to watch and turn to the best account such events as might transpire.
After the usual vicissitudes of bush travelling, the dray tracks and rude bush roads became more numerous and well defined, all however tending in the same direction, and the little party knew by these indications that they were not many miles from the principal town in the settlement. If any further proof had been wanting, it might have been found in numerous printed bills affixed to the stems of conspicuous trees on the sandy line of road they occasionally followed, as it suited their convenience. Dodge seemed to derive considerable pleasure in perusing these characteristic documents, for he stopped opposite each and read every word of it.
"I can't be hurried," he said playfully to Slinger, who expressed a desire to push on; "I'm fond of literature. No one knows the value of a newspaper but a bushman—these are my newspapers. See here," and he read aloud from a large bill, headed "Impoundings.—At the Deep Creek a brindlesided cow, R. off rump, supposed N.C. off thigh, like J.B. near thigh, blotched brand on off ribs and shoulder, hole in near ear and the other cut off, newly branded heart on forehead, has received a bullet or other wound in the near rump, now healed." "Hang me!" said Dodge, "if I can't fancy myself back again in the Southern States of America: this is just the style in which they advertise their runaway niggers." Whilst speaking, he walked round the tree to discover what news might be found there. A large bill met his eye, and in a conspicuous part of it he was greatly astonished to find his own name figuring in the very largest and reddest characters the typographical art of the country could then call to its aid. After giving a long and low whistle, he read through the bill word for word, but without attracting the attention of his friends: it ran as follows,—
"Here's news!" cried Dodge: "but I'm not to be caught with chaff.—I'm quite near enough to Melbourne: good bye."
Neither Hugh nor Slinger could quite comprehend the meaning Dodge wished to convey.
"It's not genuine," he said; drawing their attention to the bill, and poking Slinger in the ribs, "d'ye see that?" and he pointed out the name of his old legal antagonist, J. Nailem.— It's a trap—of course 'tis; but I'm not caught yet.—Good bye, I'm off."
"Nonsense" said Hugh; "Is this the way you show your resolution? Here's a fellow," turning round to Slinger and pointing to Dodge, "who would face any created thing in the shape of a man, running away from a handbill, which after all I believe is genuine, at least I know that a certain Giles Dodge deserves the praise of the colonists for the part he played in the capture of the bushrangers. Come sit down, let us talk this matter over."
Accordingly the subject was fully discussed amidst volumes of tobacco smoke, and Dodge at length expressed a determination to "chance it, like Major Oakes did. Perhaps you never heard of the Major: well then, he was a rum old colonial magistrate who, whenever a doubtful case was brought against a convict servant, used to escape the bother of a long inquiry by delivering this invariable judgment, 'Hum! ha!! yes, give him five-and-twenty, and chance it. Bring up the next.'"
In due time the trio arrived on the banks of the picturesque Yarra Yarra River, a short distance above Melbourne, and here Dodge's heart completely failed him: nothing short of his companions first going into the town and inquiring into the genuineness of the bill they had seen would satisfy his scruples.
Raymond and Slinger soon found themselves in their own quarters, and on making known the share they had taken in the late affray, were soon crowded upon by numbers of their townsmen, all eager to get some genuine intelligence about the late stirring event. Conspicuous among them was Mr. Nailem, and on the name of Dodge being mentioned, he spoke in enthusiastic terms of the nerve and spirit he had displayed. Such an opportunity was not to be let slip, and the two friends being quite convinced that Dodge might make his appearance with perfect security, Mr. Nailem was informed of the proximity of his late slippery client, whereupon he declared he would head a party to bring the hero into the town in triumph, and that he thereupon absolved Dodge from all old scores, and called upon those about him to note his words in order that they might become legally binding.
A party was formed on the spot, and about thirty set off, who were, however, joined by many others on their way. The Yarra was crossed in the punt, and in a little while Dodge was seen reclining in the shade of the tree under which his friends had so lately parted from him. The fatigues of the journey had overcome him and he had fallen sound asleep, nor did he recover his consciousness until a loud cheer was set up. Jumping upon his feet and rubbing his eyes, the first object they encountered was Mr. Nailem.
Giving himself no time for consideration, he took a short run and plunged headlong into the river. He only turned to look at his old enemy after reaching the opposite bank. "So you thought you'd caught me asleep, eh, Mr. N., regularly jammed up, but I'll make tracks that you can't follow." He was showing a clean pair of heels, when Raymond and Slinger singled themselves from the crowd and, amidst shouts and immoderate laughter, succeeded in making him understand the motives which had induced Mr. Nailem and others of the party to seek him in his lurking place.
"Come, come," cried Slinger, "when we tell you no harm is intended, that is sufficient."
Dodge seemed to think it so, for he recrossed the river, and notwithstanding his dripping state, was received with open arms by his enthusiastic admirers. His hand was grasped so hard by Mr. Nailem that his old fears began to disturb him, but they were of short duration, for on arriving at the punt a crowd was waiting, and the moment he appeared they forcibly took possession of his person, and hoisting him upon their shoulders bore him off to the principal inn amidst the shouts of the multitude. There he was soon waited upon by numbers of the townspeople, whilst those who could not gain admission became momentarily more excited, and at last, instigated by Nailem, they insisted that Dodge should show himself at the window and make a speech. Dodge remonstrated: he had never made such an ass of himself in all his life—he couldn't do it—he had nothing to talk about; but the crowd were inexorable, they would hear their hero-for-the-day speak.
"Well then," Dodge cried at last, "here goes!" His appearance at the window was the signal for more cheering and more enthusiasm. He commenced his oration by ejaculating short sentences by no means complimentary to the assemblage he was addressing; he tossed his arms about wildly, and his language became quite incomprehensible even to those near him; but the auditors had made up their minds to be pleased, and his task for a time was an easy one. After many frantic appeals for silence had been made, Dodge found himself in that unenviable position of being surrounded by listeners without the most remote idea of what to say to them; but if he was nonplused for a moment, his self-possession soon came to his aid.—"As I remarked to you before, gentlemen, after giving you a full, true, and particular account of the whole matter which has brought me before you, which, by the bye, I dare say you didn't hear for the row you made, but that I could not help (great cheering)—as I remarked to you before, under the circumstances just named, it is the part of a good citizen to respect the laws of his country," and then in an aside to those nearest him, "particularly when such respect does not interfere with his personal liberty; but, gentlemen, whilst we respect the laws, we may hold whatever opinions we please about the lawyers. For myself," he said, turning round and laying his hand on Mr. Nailem's shoulder, "I think I have found to day one of the right sort, and there may be others. With your kind permission I will introduce to your notice our respected friend, who is more used to talking than I am; "but shouts arose—"we won't hear him—give us some more." "I propose, then," said Dodge, who found the attention of the populace too great for his convenience,—"I propose three cheers for our country, and," he added, on second thoughts, "with nine times nine afterwards." These were accordingly given, and when the hubbub had subsided, he continued, "This is a glorious country, gentlemen." And then he folded his arms as if waiting for some one to dispute the proposition. This resource failing, he proceeded, "True we have not a flag yet that we can call our own, (groans) but we have the happiness to live under the protection of one that will never fail us at a pinch, and one moreover that we are not called on to keep clean nor to darn when ragged, two plaguey expensive items in the expenditure of independent states. True, our revenue does not go in the right channels (groans.)—('I say' he said to Slinger, who stood by, 'where the devil does it go?' 'Where it should not, of course,' was the reply, 'none of it flows into your pocket nor mine').—There is no question about it whatever then gentlemen; our revenue is not expended as it should be; but as many of us don't contribute much towards it, we wont consider the subject too closely," and with such irrelevant and unconnected matter Dodge amused his auditory. During his speech he had refreshed himself so frequently by swallowing sundry glasses of liquor, which were eagerly proffered whenever a cheer from the mob afforded opportunity for a momentary pause, that the effects of the unusual libations began to tell upon him.
"Now I'm going to wind up with something crushing," he stammered out, in reply to an imploring look from Raymond. Turning up his sleeves and untying his neck-handkerchief, as preliminaries, he delivered himself as follows, "I will not detain you long, gentlemen, though I find my ideas are crowding upon me with greater rapidity than I can find language to give them utterance. Australia Felix, like her native gum trees, may be torn by the tempest, shaken by the thunder, blasted by blue lightning, but it's my opinion, that all attempts to check her progress will be vain, whilst we, her sons, continue to respect her laws and enforce obedience to them both by our actions and example." (a laugh, and cheers.) Two or three of his friends now endeavoured to drag him back from the window, but he shook them off, mounted on the wooden balustrade, and swaying himself to and fro, cried, "If any one attempts to touch me I'll throw myself into the arms of my friends below.—Talk! I'll talk with any man alive for £50, not excepting that 'spectable old trump Nailem! Who'll try me—whar's the man?" As no champion appeared upon the lists, Dodge quietly resigned himself into the custody of his friends, with an intimation that he was "quite unaccustomed to public drinking, and that his feelings were beyond expression," which was certainly not the case with his countenance, for that bore most unmistakable characteristics of inebriety.
We regret to have to record it, but the helpless hero was forthwith taken to bed, from which, however, he insisted the sheets should be first drawn, as he could not stand damp. The extreme care he manifested for his health on this particular occasion, considering that he slept as often upon the earth as any where else, could only be accounted for from the peculiarly oblivious state of his mental faculties.
A Subscription on behalf of the testimonial fund was forthwith opened, and in a few days, such was the enthusiasm of the townspeople, large sums were contributed, and every thing bid fair, under the disinterested management of the partners, for a speedy and satisfactory arrangement being made with Dodge's creditors.
A week or two in town passed away pleasantly enough, in which our two friends found ample occupation, when not engaged on their own business, (transacted during their absence by a faithful store-keeper,) in arranging Dodge's affairs. These were not found to be in so desperate a state as they had been led to anticipate. Their great difficulty consisted in inducing the old bush man to afford some slight personal attention to the matter, but he repeatedly declared that he knew nothing whatever about it, and that if they would excuse him and allow him to get a few necessary things together for the formation of the new station he should take it kindly. He had magnified his embarrassments so enormously, and was so painfully impressed with the idea that unheard of sums of money would be demanded, that his friends listened to his entreaties, and deputed him to look out, amongst other things, for a dray and some working bullocks.
The eventful day at last arrived for the presentation of the testimonial, and of course a public dinner afforded the most pleasant medium, but when Dodge found himself amongst the guests "the observed of all observers," he declared in a whisper to Slinger, that "taking bushrangers was nothing to it." After much entreaty he had consented to appear in a stiff collar and a dress coat, and although this arrangement was quite consistent with the propriety of the occasion, it was very far from conducing to his sense of ease and comfort: he had, however, taken the precaution to bring a bundle with him to the inn containing his usual habiliments.
The dinner was disposed of as most good dinners are, but perhaps, the passing of the wine afterwards was rather more rapid than would be considered strictly proper amongst slower communities;—our readers will not, therefore, be surprised to learn, when the chairman, Mr. Nailem, exposing the full front of his capacious waistcoat, slowly rose and in an impressive manner proposed long life and prosperity to their intrepid guest, Giles Dodge,—and spoke of that guest's devotion to the cause of order, and of the bravery he had evinced in ridding the country of internal foes (interpreted by Dodge into 'infernal foes),' that the toast was received with particularly loud and continuous cheering; but when, endeavouring to raise a silver salver overflowing with gold, and failing in the attempt, he almost supplicated Mr. Dodge to accept that as but an imperfect proof of the estimation in which his late never-to-be-forgotten and heroic conduct was held by his brother colonists—the excitement knew no bounds. One enthusiastic settler, who was well acquainted with Dodge, and it spoke volumes in his (the latter gentleman's) favor, was so far transported by the intensity of his admiration, that he swept the table near him of every movable, and requested, as a special favor, that some one present would assert that Dodge was not worth any two men in the whole settlement, the Governor and himself not excluded. As there appeared an indisposition to indulge this eccentric request, he retired under the table in a state of unmitigated disgust and wine.
The attention of the guests having been with difficulty again secured, the chairman proceeded to say, that it afforded him infinite satisfaction, and he was quite sure he might also include his respected friend, Mr. Dodge, to be able to state—and he had no delicacy in doing so, for Mr. Dodge was too honest a man to feel ashamed of the truth—that the handsome manner in which the colonists had come forward would completely relieve Mr. Dodge from all his embarrassments, and leave him a considerable balance afterwards.
At this information, no one was more astonished than the person chiefly interested. He looked inquiringly at Slinger, who simply said "Fact! Raymond and I made out the balance sheet." Whereupon Dodge, extending a hand to each, said, in a faltering voice, "I may thank you for all this;" and beging the company to excuse his absence for a few minutes, he left the room. When he returned again he was looking more like himself, for he had doffed the dress coat and collar, and once more appeared clothed in his usual manner.
"There," he cried, on reaching his friends," now I am happy. That confounded swallow-tail and cut-throat collar were sufficient to alloy felicity even greater than mine. And so I'm out of debt! I can't realize it all at once though, my mind aint capacious enough."
It was now hinted to Dodge that the time was arrived for him to address the company. He was rather confused at his novel position and unconsciously commenced taking the wire from the neck of a champagne bottle which stood near him. Jumping on his legs with a jerk, he cried out, "A capital notion! now look here, gentlemen, here is a bit of wire straight as a tea-tree pole," holding it before them after the manner of a professor of the art of legerdemain, "now observe," he said, binding it round his finger and again holding it up for inspection, "the same piece of wire twisted and made corkscrew fashion. Now hark'e, how shall I express the little I am bound to, both by gratitude and inclination? shall I say it straight forward and right off, or give it a tarnation twisting? "Here he was interrupted by loud cries of "Short and sweet."
"Well, then," said Dodge, "so it shall be. I thank you with all my heart for the generous manner you have thought fit to signify your approval of my poor services; but when you come to talk of my courage, I know very well there is not a man in this room but would have acted precisely as I did under the like circumstances. I can only further say, that if any of you ever come across my new quarters, there you will find a bushman's welcome, and, if you prefer it," glancing towards the salver, "I'll serve up your mutton on a silver dish. Now I ain't going to make a fool of myself as I did at the inn t'other day, and down I go like poor old Pidgeon the Darkey." Here Dodge pitched himself into his seat, and after the cheering had subsided, he was requested to enlighten his audience respecting his allusion to Black Pidgeon.
"Ah," Dodge said, squaring himself and drinking a glass or two of wine, "it ain't a very lively after-dinner yarn, there's too much water in it. I happened to be in the neighbourhood of Port Philip Heads when the 'William Salthouse,' on entering, struck on a reef and went down. She had lots of good stuff aboard her, and 'twas a cruel temptation to the few settlers who then lived on the borders of the bay, when they went out for a fishing cruise, to see down below 'em (for the water was mostly as clear as crystal,) so many good casks of liquor all ready for tapping. Many attempts were made to raise some, but they all failed; and at last an ingenious friend of mine, who could turn his hand to anything, made a kind of gigantic auger which was infallibly to do the business; but the sands about the vessel were a favorite cruising ground for sharks, and as them cattle don't stand on much ceremony, it was a long time before he could make up his mind to trust himself amongst them. However, one clear day we went off together, and there below us lay the best bait you can set for a bushman. No sharks were to be seen, and down went my friend armed with his auger and with a rope round his body to enable me to haul him up in case of any sharks heaving in sight before he might have time to fasten. Well, after nearly exhausting himself to no purpose, he gave it up as a bad job, and we pulled ashore, and on getting to his hut found Black Pidgeon there. 'I've got it,' cried my friend,'that's the man to do it. Come here Pidgeon. Are you fond of rum?' 'Berry' 'And baccy?' 'Berry.' 'Can you dive well, Pidgeon?' 'Berry' 'Are you afraid of tallon-arron?' (i. e. sharks.) 'No.' So the poor fellow was forthwith taken into the service, and when he was shown the casks and informed they were filled with rum, his eyes glistened like a wild cat's. 'Ky!' he said, 'black fellow get berry drunk by and by, like white fellow.' Providing himself with several pieces of wood from six to twelve inches in length, sharp at both ends, and sticking a hunting knife in the band worn round his head, in less time than I have taken to tell you, he had firmly fastened the auger with the rope attached into one of the casks, which was soon weighed and safely stowed in the bottom of the boat. Pidgeon was very anxious to lose no time in tasting its contents, but this would not do; so he went down secondly under a promise that if we got up another he should have a week's drunk. Whilst engaged with the auger a shark made bold to show him his teeth. As quick as thought Pidgeon plunged one of the pointed sticks into his open jaws, and the shark sheered off with his mouth distended, having got more for a meal than he bargained for. Nothing daunted, after breathing himself, the black went down again, and gave the signal to haul up. After lifting a bit, the rope suddenly slackened, and we could feel that something had given way, and Pidgeon didn't come up as we expected. A few bubbles rising on the surface attracted our instant attention, and on looking steadily below there was poor old Pidgeon jammed between two casks. We both dived for him, but he was too firmly fixed and already past our help. The sharks soon finished him, and 'twas an ugly sight to see. And now, having spun my yarn, with too much truth in it, by the by, you may easily apply it. You see Pidgeon went down and nothing could get him on his legs again: just my case to night. But if you will allow me, as I have a decided objection to stopping the bottle, I will give you a toast which you will please to drink in solemn silence—'To the immortal memory of poor old Pidgeon the Darkey'"
At this peculiarly unfortunate moment, the enthusiastic gentleman who, it will be remembered, retired beneath the table early in the evening, recovering his consciousness, and hearing a toast proposed (the subject was quite of secondary consideration to him), struck up at the top of his voice "For he's a jolly good fellow." A few cries of "Turn him out," were soon drowned by the majority of the assembly, who improved the opportunity by chiming in with the chorus, and exhausting a little of their superfluous excitement.
"Solemn silence, if you please, gentlemen," roared the chairman, thumping the table with such energy as to set the gold in the salver chinking. The more the chairman exerted his authority, the less attention was paid to him, so like a sensible man he relinquished his post, and his voice was soon heard in the chorus raised to as high a pitch as his neighbours. But the same words to the same tune repeated over and over again became monotonous, so the company, by easy gradations, changed both. "He's a jolly good fellow" gradually developed itself into " We won't go home till morning," and that popular matutinal song was transformed into something else. The finale was made up of everything in part and nothing in particular, for each guest indulged in his favorite ditty to his own measure.
"The best friends must part:" and Dodge, with Raymond and Slinger, who had contrived to preserve a respectable state of sobriety, prepared to take their leave.
"Good night, Dodge—good night, old boy," Ruffin said to him; "mind how you navigate home with all that rhino in your pockets. Steer a straight course. I'd take care of you, only I'm thinking somebody else would have to look for me afterwards.—The weather is foggy, very."
"Talk of navigation," said Dodge, "Did you ever hear me spin the yarn of old Jock Lurcher's proficiency in the art?"
"No."
"Then I'll tell it.— Shall I tell it?" he said, looking round.
An universal assent was given by all who were capable of signifying as much.
"Jock Lurcher, then, lads, once sailed in the 'Teazer,' a very tidy craft, which is more than any one ever said of her skipper when they really came to know him, for he was an unmitigated brute. When in harbour his vessel was the picture of neatness; and although his men were hard worked, they did their duty with a will, for the captain was as amiable to them as a sucking dove. His passengers and their visitors were treated like princes—nothing was too good for them. The very choicest wine was at their service, and there was no stint of anything; but the captain was moderate in all things. Those who didn't know him would say, 'that Lurcher is something of a captain, so kind and considerate to his men, so humane to his passengers; it must be quite a treat to go a voyage with him.' The consequence was, that where he was not known he was never at a loss to obtain his full complement of passengers. He was just the fellow a romantic emigrant should have gone the voyage with: and then he was a decidedly pious man too, he couldn't abide swearing aboard his ship. This was Jock Lurcher at anchor. Now we will get him out of harbour and let him be fairly afloat. How he would curse then, to be sure! His passengers were stinted in everything, even in the execrable wine provided for their use. Of course, with so nice a fellow they had made no special agreement as to rations, nor anything else, previously to engaging their berths. Woe betide the rash man who ventured to remonstrate.
"'Sir' would have been his reply, 'you want to raise a mutiny on board, do you? but by ——-—I'll have you put in irons and gagged, sir, I will, if I hear another disrespectful word;' and then turning upon his heel, 'I've got you on blue water now, and if you don't like my ship you can leave her, there's lots of room outside.' This fellow was once making the home passage round the Horn, and as he'd been drunk ever since he left port, something like a month, and would insist on navigating the ship in his own way, you may judge pretty well that he got rather out of his reckoning. When he should have been getting into warmer latitudes, the weather became colder and colder every day, and the poor passengers proportionably alarmed. A remonstrance from them was treated in the usual way.—'And so you want to take the vessel out of my hands—you want to teach me navigation, do you? you———picked-up-along-shore numskulls: I'll give you a lesson in navigation before I've done with you.—I've got you in blue water now.'
"The passengers grew warm, which was fortunate, for the cold increased in intensity.
"The mate at last became seriously alarmed for the safety of the ship, particularly when an old whaler, who had the night watch, reported that he could smell icebergs. 'Smell a rope's end!' cried the captain when he was informed of it, 'we are getting into warm latitudes' Just then the man on the look out reported icebergs in sight.
"'There must be some mistake' cried the captain with an oath; 'come here, mate, let us examine my calculations.'
"When the skipper again staggered on deck he was laughing uproariously as he shouted, ' What a rum mistake to make! I've been adding figures where I should have been subtracting them! 'My yarn is ended. Good night all: only before I go, let me give you a bit of advice, be very careful in the additions you may make. Good night. Remember Captain Jock."
A few days after the events just recorded, the usual requisites for forming a station in the bush were gathered together under the practical superintendence of Dodge, who, now he was relieved from the incubus of his difficulties, lent his energies to the new scheme with all the ardour of a boy.
In consequence of Hugh's recent letters bearing intelligence of the gradually declining state of his father's health, he made the necessary arrangements with his partner, and determined to lose no time in visiting England. Impelled by a sense of duty, not perhaps altogether unalloyed by other inducements, which we may well leave to the reader's imagination, he took advantage of the sailing of the first wool ship, and bade Slinger and his newly acquired friend a hopeful farewell.
They lost no time in stowing their provisions, tools, and other things in a capacious dray, and with a team of eight working bullocks journeyed westward, with many regrets at the absence of their late comrade. After surmounting the every-day difficulties and tediousness of a bush journey, and passing over the scene of the late fire (the country seemed to be throwing off its mourning, and appeared once more habited in green), they reached the fine district they had so recently traversed. It presented many natural advantages for the formation of a future home. A river of good water flowed through it, and the hills near were covered with the choicest timber, whilst in one direction grass-covered plains spread as far as the eye could reach. The rising ground near the river, which first attracted Dodge's attention on the occasion of the breaking up of the bark canoe, was eventually fixed upon as the best site on which to erect the huts.
After months of toil the buildings assumed something like a habitable appearance, and could our readers have visited the spot at this time, they might have envied the evident satisfaction and honest pride with which the labourers regarded their achievements. How delightful was the sleep which visited them beneath the roof raised by their own right arms!
The weekly day of rest did not pass unheeded, though no aspiring pinnacles directed the eye heavenward, and no sonorous bells echoed through the misty woods proclaiming one spot more sacred than the rest of earth. They were happy days too, those Sundays in the far bush, spent in the solitudes of the primeval forest. Under their peaceful influence labors and past privations were forgotten, and those to come unthought of; thus the mind was left free to wander where it would. On such a day, when everything below was bright and lovely, and each leaf and flower seemed rejoicing in the glorious sunshine, when the eye instinctively looking upwards pierced through the rich tracery of boughs and leaves, and resting on
"the blue sky
So cloudless, clear, and purely beautiful,
That God alone was to be seen in Heaven,"
Slinger reclined in front of the hut on some logs arranged so as to form a kind of couch. He had fallen into a reverie and as the blue wreaths of smoke rose from his pipe sluggishly in the sunshine, they formed the fantastic groundwork on which he built up many a hope for the future. Happy Slinger! thy airy castles were destined to assume something like reality.
Dodge, who was not given to dream, particularly in broad daylight, had been more practically engaged. He had been so unfortunate as to break his only pipe, and had nearly completed the construction of another, the only means at his disposal being the bone of a leg of mutton, out of which he had formed the bowl, and the wing bone of a swan serving for a stem.
"You seem to like the sunshine," Dodge observed, boring into the mutton bone with his pocket knife.
"I do," Slinger replied, "how bright everything appears!"
"Ah, so it does. What in the world have you been looking so pleased about? Did you find the tobacco so very excellent?" Dodge asked, advancing to the fire to turn a pair of shoes he had hung up to dry:—they were sadly deficient of soles, as was rendered palpable by the two forks of the stick on which they depended protruding through the bottoms.
"I've been to England," was Slinger's reply. "I've looked in upon Raymond at home."
"Capital!" Dodge cried smiling, "well, and how did you find him?"
"Dear me," said Slinger, "my mind was engaged on other things, and I forgot to inquire. Suppose we drink his health in a bumper of tea made extra strong."
"With all my heart," Dodge said, dipping into the tea-chest and casting a handful or two of its contents into the kettle. An economical housekeeper would never have overlooked such extravagance, but then, bushmen and washerwomen know of no moderation in their cups.
"Oh that won't do," said Slinger. "Supposing Raymond should bring out a wife with him, what a pretty place to date letters from: her English friends would never get through with such an address as that. Try again."
"What do you think of a native name? they are often very musical, and I like the notion of preserving some memento of the tribes who are passing away, leaving nothing to indicate that they ever existed. I have heard the natives speak of a river situated about here called 'Lan-lan-borin.' Will that do?"
"Yes, never mind what it means. It is far preferable to such appellations as 'No Good Damper,' 'Wet Jacket Hump' 'Razor-back Pinch,' and a hundred other such outlandish names." So the station was called Lan-lan-borin.