"The natives—the natives at Eddystone harbor," said one of the wounded men.
"Those damned Cape Portlanders, I warrant it," said Tucker with emphasis, "the most bloody tribe on the coast. They hunt there and as far south as George's Bay. It's only the other day like, that they killed three of my own mates, and a boy belonging to one of them; and now it's not their fault, but your good luck, that they have not killed all of you. But we will talk over the affair after I have stopped the shotholes they have put through you, for I am surgeon and everything at these islands."
He found that two of the five were badly hit, and one other more slightly. The two former he thought would not be able to do much during the approaching season; however he was quite surgeon enough to deal with worse cases than these; he dressed their wounds, and otherwise treated them so professionally, that in about eight weeks the two worst of them were able to resume light work.
About a week after landing at Guncarriage, the sealing work began; and Tucker who often worked the rocks on the East Coast, and was still hankering for a brush with the blacks, resolved to commence operations where he would be within reach of the tribe if they came down to the coast during the time he was there. Of the unwounded strangers who joined him for the season, one was—Rogers, and the others Little and Sydney. These three and a native woman called Dumpy, with whom Tucker was now allied, completed the party.
Tucker said nothing to his new friends about his designs on the natives; nor had they any suspicion of them through extra preparations being made for the trip in the shape of guns and ammunition; for as sealing was mostly carried on by shooting from the boat, these articles were necessarily supplied in abundance for their legitimate work.
So soon as the wind served they started for the East Coast, and first worked the George rock, about five miles northerly of Eddystone Point. Here they remained about a couple of nights, and then left for the sealers' refuge, as they called the little boat harbour at Eddystone Point. At this refuge the sealers had a permanent camp consisting of two good huts, that were used in common by the straitsmen as their occasions required, when they were kangaroo hunting on shore. Here they landed with such things as they required. They breakfasted, and then Rogers, Little, and Sydney, who were very tired, went into the hut to rest, leaving Tucker and the woman outside at the fire, and were soon asleep.
The Cape Portland tribe were still here, though not close to
