Bunyip Land Part 21

I kept on playing the fish, which seemed to grow stronger instead of weaker as I went on at give and take with it, till I was almost tired.

At least six times did I draw it in and try to bring it within reach of Ti-hi's fingers, but in vain, for it always darted off as if refreshed.

At last, though, I drew it well in, and once more it was about to repeat its tactics; but this time it was too late, for the black pounced down upon it, thrust his hooked finger into its gills, and pulled it up on to the bank.

Just then Jimmy came trotting up, hauling away at a line, and to my great delight I found that he had hunted out the one we had left with Jack Penny.

"Fastum round big wood!" he cried; and then he tried to explain how the fish had entangled the line round what an American would call a snag; and the result was that we had two fine fish to carry back to the camp, Jimmy's being tired out and readily yielding as he hauled on the line.

"I don't think I'll fish to-day," said Jack Penny then. "I say, I feel as if that buck warn't good enough to eat."

Hardly had he spoken before he softly sank down sidewise, and lay looking very white, and with his eyes shut.

"Is it the venison?" I said in a whisper to the doctor.

"No. He is a little faint, now the reaction has set in," replied the doctor; and we had to carry poor wet Jack Penny as well as the fish into camp, and of course we got no farther on our journey that day.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

HOW A STRANGE VISITOR CAME TO CAMP.

Jack seemed very little the worse after a good night's rest, that is to say bodily. He was a little white, and his breakfast did not disappear so rapidly as usual, for, probably on account of his great length, and the enormous amount of circulation and support to keep up, Jack Penny used to eat about as much as two ordinary boys. He was, however evidently a little bit upset in his mind, and he laid this open to me just before starting once more.

"I say," he said in a low tone, "did I seem such a very great coward yes'day, Joe Carstairs?"

"Coward! No," I said; "not you. Any one would have been frightened."

"But I hollered so," whispered Jack. "I don't think a young fellow ought to holler like a great girl."

"I know I should," I replied. "There, never mind now. They're all ready to start. Come on!"

Jack Penny shook his head rather thoughtfully, and then, in a dissatisfied dreamy way, he walked on with me, shouldering his gun, and stooping more than ever, so that it seemed as if he were looking for something which he could not find.

We had to pa.s.s pretty close to the crocodile, so close that Jack nearly stumbled over it, and a cry of horror involuntarily escaped him as he jumped aside.

Then, turning scarlet with annoyance, he gave the monster a kick, and darted back holding his nose, for it was exhaling a most offensive musky odour.

I looked at the creature closely and with some curiosity, thinking the while how much smaller it was than those we had seen in the lagoon. All the same, though, it was fully as big in body as a man, though double the length.

It was not going to poison the air long, for already it was covered with something red, and a long red line extended from it right away into the jungle. Each tiny red object was an ant, and from experience I knew that very soon every particle of flesh would be devoured.

Keeping within easy reach of the river we journeyed steadily on, finding the country grow more beautiful at every step. The trees were bigger, the bamboos taller and more feathery. In the sunny patches flowers were in abundance, and we had no want of opportunities for supplying our larder, large pheasant-like birds, with long tails and crests, and plumage of the most beautiful tints, being plentiful.

It seemed a pity to shoot them, but it was a necessity, for our supply of powder, shot, and ball was looked upon by us as so much condensed meat, ready to be expanded when opportunity served.

We encountered nothing particular that day except Gyp, who turned up all at once with a piece of furry skin in his mouth, all he had been able to carry of some deer that he had run down; and at the sight of his friend Jack Penny became more himself, throwing off a good deal of his gloom.

In fact I saw the tears stand in his eyes as he saw him once more; but catching sight of me looking at him he scowled, and, running to the dog, kicked him over and over again quite savagely.

"Just you run away again," he drawled angrily, "and I'll 'bout kill yer.

That's what I'll do with you."

Gyp closed his eyes and winced and crouched down close to the ground till his master had ceased punishing him, and then he rose dejectedly, and followed quite in the rear of our party with drooping head and tail.

I noticed at the time that Jimmy had watched all this with sparkling eyes, wonderfully intent, but I thought no more of it till I saw the black glance at us all in turn, and then begin to slink back.

"What is he after now?" I said to myself; and stepping aside among the thick leaf.a.ge, I let our party go by and stopped to see what Jimmy was about to do.

I had not long to wait, for the fact was that the black had s.n.a.t.c.hed at the opportunity to tyrannise over something. He had been summarily checked when amusing himself by sticking his spear into the New Guinea men, and, as we have seen, one of them resented it; but here was a chance. Gyp had been beaten, and had cowered down under his master's blows, so Jimmy took out his waddy, and after glancing forward to see that he was not observed, he waited until Gyp came up slowly, and casting sidelong looks at the Australian, who gave him a heavy thump on the ribs with the war-club.

"Bad bunyip dog. Good for nothing, dirty dingo dog," cried Jimmy. "Go long, bad for good dog. Get--yah!"

This last was a terrific yell of fear and pain, for instead of cowering down and suffering himself to be beaten and kicked, Gyp knew that this was not his master. For one moment he had stood astonished at the blow, and then seemed puzzled by the strange broken English objurgations; then with a fierce snarl he darted at the black and tried to seize him by the legs, an attack which Jimmy avoided by making a tremendous spring, catching at a horizontal branch above him, and swinging himself up into a tree, where he crouched like a monkey, showering down angry epithets upon the dog as it yelped and barked at him furiously.

I came out of my hiding-place laughing till the tears ran down my cheeks; and the noise made by Gyp brought back the doctor and Jack Penny, the latter taking in the situation at a glance and indulging in a broad grin.

"Take away bunyip dog; take um way or Jimmy killum," cried the black.

"All right!" said Jack Penny; "come down and kill him then."

But Jimmy showed no disposition to move, and it was not until Jack had ordered the dog away that the black dropped down, looking at me very sheepishly and acting like a shamefaced child.

As we proceeded farther into the interior, wild creatures grew more abundant, and we saw fewer traces of man having traversed these regions.

As I noted the various objects I could not help feeling how my father must have revelled in exploring such a naturalist's paradise as this, and I grew more hopeful as the idea gained ground in my mind that very likely he was busy in the interior still pursuing his researches.

We travelled very little way now without catching glimpses of some of the occupants of these wilds. Perhaps it was but a glimpse, but generally we were able to distinguish what it was that darted through bush, tree, or shadowy glade. Once or twice we caught sight of the spots of leopards; then a graceful deer would stand at gaze for a moment before going off like the wind. Once a herd of heavy buffaloes started up before us and crashed through the undergrowth; and at last, as we drew near a great tree, the doctor said, pointing upward:

"No fear of our wanting food, Joe, while there are such birds as these."

As he spoke, with a noise like a whirlwind a flock of great pigeons took flight--great fellows, three times as big as ordinary pigeons, and, as we knew from those shot in Australia, splendid eating.

The great tree offered so pleasant a camping place that we decided to pa.s.s the night there, and after a look round to see if there was likely to be danger lurking near, the fire was lit, the blacks setting to work at once to collect wood when they had put down their burdens. Then food was prepared and a hearty meal enjoyed, the restful sensation that came over us after the day's exertion being most delicious. Then one by one our followers dropped asleep, Jack Penny, who was still rather grumpy, last.

The doctor and I were sitting together by the fire that night, talking in a low voice about our plans, and agreeing that we could not do better than wander on and on through the wilds until we learned some tidings of the lost man, when suddenly my companion laid his finger on his lips and bent forward as if listening.

I listened too, thinking the while how strange it all looked about us, with the fire casting weird shadows all around, while the silence now was almost appalling.

"Nothing, Joe," said the doctor, dropping his hand. "I thought I heard something."

"I'm sure I did," I whispered, with a strange feeling upon me that it would be dangerous to speak aloud.

"There are curious sounds heard sometimes in forests," he said thoughtfully. "There, go on--what were we talking about?"

As he spoke there was a strange rushing noise, then a peculiar whining sound not far distant among the trees.

"What can that be, doctor?" I whispered.

"Can't say, Joe. Sounds as if some animal had been climbing along a branch, or had bent down a sapling and then let it fly up again with a loud whish among the trees."