The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 130

The red-haired genius chuckled as he answered,--

"I thought that the easiest way to get rid of you, for I have tried the character before with some success. Many a bushranger, anxious for a supper of fresh mutton, have I frightened into fits, and by that means my flocks are not molested near as much as my neighbors, ten or twelve miles from here. I like to play the ghost, too, for it reminds me of the time when I was living with plenty of half and half, and lots of 'bacco at my control. Wasn't my groans beautiful? People say that they is quite unearthly."

We felt ashamed to say that we considered them in that light, and therefore dropped the subject, although we encouraged him to relate the further history of his exploits.

"I got my sheepskins all ready during the day, 'cos I saw that you was idling round doing nothing, and I 'spected that the evening would be selected to begin work.

"I hunted up my old bullock's head, with the horns on, and which has seen some service, although I don't think that I shall be able to wear it again, 'cos your confounded pistol shot about used it up. Here it lays at your feet--examine it."

I found that the head had been cut and trimmed off, and then lined with pieces of old clothes, until it fitted the cranium of Day like a huge helmet.

The shot from my revolver had shattered the dry bones so that it was ready to tumble apart, and had to be handled quite carefully. I no longer wondered at our mistaking Day for the devil, and I congratulated myself that I was not frightened worse than I really was.

"I could hardly keep from yelling with laughter when I saw you two running, and then when I heard one of you tumble into the bog, I thought to myself that's an end of him. Now, Day, you jist go along and get the money that they expected to, and be a rich man for life."

"Then you knew that I was struggling for life, and would not come to my a.s.sistance?" asked Mr. Brown.

"Why should I?" demanded Day, with great _sang froid_. "I didn't know you or care for you. All that I desired was to drive you off as fast as possible, and d---- me if I didn't do it!"

"What did you think when you saw us return the second time?" I inquired.

"Well, the fact of it is, you rather started me then, 'cos I had no idea of the thing. I thought if I couldn't frighten you away with groans, my time as a ghost was 'bout over. You couldn't pay me for the head which you destroyed, could you?"

We declined to do so, and advised him to be thankful that he did not lose his life in his attempt to a.s.sume a character that did not belong to him; but Day treated our advice with neglect.

"If I couldn't hit a man at a distance of ten rods, ghost or no ghost, I'd never shoot again. Why, my old gun, that you hold on to as though you feared it would go off, can knock over a kangaroo at thirty rods distance, and never miss once out of a dozen shots. I tell you I have had to practise shooting since I have been a shepherd. The only thing my proprietor is liberal in furnishing is powder and lead."

I was just about requesting Day to remove his person from the place where he had been digging, to allow us to make an examination for the concealed treasure, when we heard the discharge of a gun in the direction of the mountain, separated from us by several valleys, where immense flocks of sheep were feeding.

The shepherd started to his feet, and looked eagerly in the direction of the sound; but nothing was to be seen.

"What is the meaning of that?" asked Mr. Brown.

"It means that Buskin's band of bushrangers is all the more alarmed at the sound of your pistol. They will search every inch of ground between here and the Lodden, but they will find out the occasion of the firing, and if you are men of the law, as you say, the highest tree in this section will serve for your gallows to-morrow."

"You know the members of the gang?" asked Mr. Brown.

"I never exchanged a word with one of them in my life," cried the shepherd, with an air of sincerity, "although I have often held short communion with them in my a.s.sumed character."

He pointed to the bullock's head, and grinned as he spoke.

"How do you know that the firing was done by bushrangers?" I asked, suspiciously.

"For two reasons--first, a bushranger will never kill more game than he wants to eat at one time; and, secondly, the gang has been absent from these parts for two weeks, and undoubtedly want to rest and recruit.

They can't do that until they know that the whole of this section is free from stragglers and spies. Me they care nothing about, and will not molest unless I am too inquisitive."

"How do we know that this is not a trick of yours to get us to leave this island?" I asked.

"'Cos I shall advise you to do no such thing. The only safe place for you is on this island, where you must stay until the woods between here and the Lodden have been searched, and the gang is confident that the parties who were in this vicinity have escaped."

"But why not escape now? Our horses are fresh and fast," I added.

"Because I suppose that a dozen men are watching the fords of the Lodden, and a bullet in your back would probably be the first intimation of the presence of a party of skulkers. No, sirs, unless you can skim over the surface of this bog, and then scale Mount Tarrengower, your only place of safety is on this island. Trust to me."

"And then lose our horses," I replied. "I suppose that the bushrangers would like no better plan; but I for one will not consent to that?"

"Which is the most valuable to you, your lives or your animals?" asked Day, bluntly.

"Can we not save our horses as well as ourselves?" Mr. Brown inquired, turning to me for advice.

I confess that I could see no way to preserve them; and I still insisted that we had better trust to the speed of the animals than remain in a state of inactivity and siege on the island.

My plans were overruled, however, by both Mr. Brown and the shepherd, on the ground that it would be impossible to escape before daylight, at which time the bushrangers would probably retire to the heart of the woods for rest and sleep, and all their outposts would then be withdrawn.

I was at length reluctantly compelled to yield my opinion to the others, although I could not help, as I did so, wishing for the presence of Fred and Smith, and I thought how different would be our conduct.

All idea of finding the buried treasure was at an end; and I began to feel as though I should be grateful if I escaped back to Ballarat with my life, minus the gold which was so great a temptation for us to undertake the journey.

"Well," asked the shepherd, "what have you concluded upon?"

"To remain on the island, I suppose," returned Mr. Brown, rather sulkily, "although I don't see how we are ever to get back to town if we lose our animals. I wouldn't walk to Ballarat for half of Australia."

"Can't we manage to make the horses walk the bridge, and keep them on the island with us?" I asked.

"A good idea," cried the red-haired genius, suddenly starting up, "and the only wonder is I never thought of it. There is some danger in the attempt, but nothing compared to stealing a body in a graveyard in the heart of London."

CHAPTER LXX.

THE GHOST AND THE BUSHRANGERS.

The shepherd, who seemed to weigh all emotions by the scale of a body s.n.a.t.c.her, appeared to be delighted at the prospect of enjoying a little excitement, and began to examine the priming of his long gun with a degree of attention that showed how much reliance he intended placing upon it in case of emergency.

"I look upon you two coveys in the light of visitors to my possessions, and my honor is engaged to see that you come to no harm," cried the undertaker's apprentice, with a wave of his right hand, as dignified as though he owned the many acres indicated, instead of receiving only about fifty pounds per annum, not including his sugar and coffee.

I think that I expressed a proper degree of grat.i.tude for the shepherd's promised protection, but I intimated that I had lived long enough in Australia to learn how to protect myself.

"Never you mind that," continued the red-haired man, busying himself with the bullock's head. "I shan't be wanting if a little fighting is to be done."

"Then lend us your aid in leading the horses over the bridge, and don't let us lose time in debating the project," I said, preparing to undertake the expedition in company with Mr. Brown.

"Don't be in a hurry. Wait for me, 'cos I'm the most important one here at present," continued Day, still working over the head which had so frightened my friend and myself.

"If you think that your presence is so necessary, we will convince you to the contrary by going without you," replied Mr. Brown, rather tartly.