The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 82

"Well, now that I have told you, let us be getting clear of the clan, for there is no knowing how soon the varmints may recommence another pursuit," and the inspector turned his horse's head, as though he was determined to remain no longer in such a dangerous neighborhood.

"Don't be in such a hurry," said Fred; "we have an inclination towards natural history, and now is a good time to take lessons. I want to see if the snakes will follow a man on horseback as readily as when he is on foot."

"Are you determined to get choked to death by those dark scamps?"

demanded Mr. Brown, with a stare of amazement.

"By no means; we want to prevent others from suffering such a death, and therefore feel that we have a mission for killing all that we can with safety. There's ten or twelve of them left. Lend me your revolver, for mine has but one charge in it."

Fred held out his hand to receive the weapon, and Mr. Brown, hardly knowing whether he was joking or not, complied with his request.

The snakes were holding a consultation over the body of the last one killed, and therefore paid but little attention to Fred, as he urged his unwilling horse within shooting distance. I remained by the side of Mr.

Brown, and watched his operations.

At the first discharge of his revolver the consultation was broken up, and after hissing their displeasure, the reptiles commenced slowly retreating to their den; but every few seconds they would stop, face him, and then another discharge would start them into full flight.

As they neared the pyramid--what there was left of them--their speed increased, until it seemed to be a race as to which should get under cover first. But the most surprising circ.u.mstance was the uninjured ones refusing to allow a maimed one to enter, and every time that it persisted in its attempt, the others fought him desperately.

That was something that I could not account for; but Mr. Brown said that the reptiles were only imitating human beings in their treatment of a comrade, and that as long as a snake was well, and able to fight, the main body were willing to use him; but after he was wounded and wanted shelter, there was a conspiracy to kick him out of their comfortable quarters.

Fred returned with but one barrel of the revolver loaded, and that he saved because the inspector was in the same condition as ourselves, having left his powder and ball at Ballarat.

"Now, then, let us return," Mr. Brown said; "you have shed blood enough for one day, I hope."

The words had hardly pa.s.sed his lips, when, upon the top of the mountain that we had descended two hours before, I saw the forms of five or six men stealing along the trail, as though desirous of gaining the cover of a number of trees, for the purpose of watching our movements.

I pointed them out to the inspector, and he stopped and examined them through a pocket spy-gla.s.s which he usually carried when he left town.

"Well, are they friends or foes?" asked Fred.

The inspector made no reply until the men were lost to view beneath the branches of the trees.

"Are you sure," he asked, "that you left your powder and lead at Ballarat?"

"Quite sure--why do you ask?"

"Because, unfortunately, there are six as great rascals as ever went unhung on the hill, and they mean mischief, I'll swear."

The inspector put up his gla.s.s, and examined his nearly-emptied revolver with a rueful look.

"If the blasted snakes had not wasted our powder there would be some show for us," he continued, "because, luckily, the scamps are armed with pistols only."

"But we have three shots," cried Fred, his blood beginning to dance through his veins at the prospect of a struggle; "I will guarantee that every discharge brings down a bird, and as for the remainder, why, we will meet them single-handed."

"I like to hear you talk in that strain, but the odds are against us. We have a long hill to ascend, and should have to leave our horses behind, and that I can't think of. The bushrangers, I suppose, desire the animals for the purpose of escaping to some other portion of the country, and even at the risk of running from a fight, we must disappoint them. No, no; it would be madness attacking six men with empty revolvers, when they have the choice of ground."

The inspector returned his revolver to his belt, and once more examined the spot where the robbers had gone into ambush.

"Yes, they are watching our every motion, and I can see one fellow standing near the trunk of the first tree on our right examining his pistols attentively. Now he looks towards us, and points with his hand in the direction of the ravine. It is our only chance." He closed the gla.s.s abruptly and put spurs to his horse, calling upon us to follow him without a moment's delay. We suspected Mr. Brown's intentions, but did not consider the danger so imminent as he imagined. We therefore galloped along at a moderate pace, and allowed the inspector to take the lead.

"Faster, faster," he shouted, looking over his shoulder to see if we kept up with him.

"What is your hurry?" cried Fred, with a provoking degree of coolness.

"Because there is need of it," Mr. Brown answered, reining his animal in for the purpose of allowing us to get alongside of him. "Those bushrangers have noted the road we have taken, and will seek to cut off our retreat. Our only safety now lies in getting through the ravine before they can gain a position to fire at us. Ah, I thought so. Look there."

The inspector pointed to the hill top, and there we saw all six of the robbers running at a rapid rate towards the edge of the ravine. The latter was about six feet deep, and it was easy to see the advantage such a position would give them; for while they could fire at us with awful accuracy, we could not return a shot with any hope of success.

"We are with you," cried Fred, striking his horse with his spurs, and forward we all went at a killing pace.

The bushrangers saw that they were discovered, and raised a shout of triumph, as though certain that we were within their toils. I heard the inspector utter a bitter curse at his stupidity in leaving his powder and bullets behind, and that was the only answer to the challenge.

The ravine was about thirty feet wide, and like all places where a large body of water has forced its way, was rugged, and difficult for horses to tread. Huge rocks and deep gullies wore met at every step, and the utmost caution was requisite to prevent our animals from breaking their legs, or refusing to move forward at a pace faster than a walk.

For the first few minutes after entering the pa.s.sage we antic.i.p.ated a discharge over our heads every moment; but finding that the bushrangers did not take advantage of our situation, and that, we were unmolested, we had time to wonder at their forbearance, and to suggest to Mr. Brown that perhaps we were more frightened than hurt.

"Not a bit of it," he rejoined. "I tell you that the scamps have not given up the chase so easy, and that all our trouble is to come at the outlet of the ravine. The only reason we have escaped so far, is because we were too quick to enable them to reach the edge of the bluff at the entrance. We shall hear from the devils, never fear, and before long, I am thinking.

"Press on," cried the inspector, as the outlet of the ravine came in view; "we may defeat the devils yet."

Unlucky words, for hardly had he uttered them when a sharp crack from the top of the cliff was heard, and a ball whizzed within a few inches of my face, and struck the nag upon which the inspector was mounted, the animal plunged forward for a few steps, and then suddenly rearing, fell back heavily, crushing the left leg of Mr. Brown, and jamming it between the saddle and the earth. "On," cried the wounded man, faintly; "save yourselves, if possible, and leave me."

"You must have a poor opinion of Americans if you expect us to do that,"

cried Fred, with as much coolness as I ever saw him exhibit in my life.

And even while my friend was speaking, to my great admiration he dismounted, letting his horse go wherever it desired to wander--for he knew that no shot would be aimed at that which the bushrangers most desired--and rushed to aid the fallen inspector.

I could do no less than follow his example, although I confess that I considered my time as having nearly arrived, when I got off my horse, and even when attempting to roll the dying animal from the body of the inspector, I wondered why the deuse the bushrangers did not pick us off without mercy. We were certainly in their power; but I afterwards understood that five of the bushrangers were, at that particular moment, engaged in d.a.m.ning the sixth, who had, by his aim, killed a horse instead of a man. Although I don't approve of swearing, yet I must confess that after this I must consider that there is some virtue in oaths, for they saved not only my life, but my friend's.

Luckily for Mr. Brown, the horse died very quickly, and did not struggle, or the body of the inspector would have been ground to powder, and Ballarat would have required the services of another police commissioner. We rolled the animal off, and then quickly lifted the wounded man in our arms, and carried him for shelter under the bank, where the villains overhead could not get sight of us.

"How fares it with you?" asked Fred, making an examination of the injured limb.

"Bad enough," replied Mr. Brown, with a sigh. "I don't think that any bones are broken, but the flesh is awfully bruised."

"That is true enough," answered Fred, tearing his handkerchief into strips, and binding up the bleeding limb with as much coolness as a professional surgeon; "the flesh is mangled, but it will heal in less time than a broken limb, and I must congratulate you on your lucky escape."

"Lucky escape?" repeated the inspector, bitterly; "you talk as though we were not surrounded by six bloodthirsty scamps, who will greatly rejoice to make a prisoner of me. Why did you not escape when my horse fell? You could have done so."

"We grant that; yet we Americans have peculiar notions regarding some things, and we are apt to call a man a coward who deserts a friend in distress. We sink or swim in the same boat, to-day."

The inspector faintly squeezed our hands, and a gratified expression beamed upon his face, yet his pain was too great to allow him to reply; and Fred and myself began to consult how we could bring into play the early lessons which we had learned while mining in California, and surrounded by tribes of hostile Indians.

We were no longer bound to regard the advice of the inspector, even if he had been disposed to offer it, which he was not, and after a slight deliberation we came to a conclusion, and resolved to act upon it. For this purpose we removed Mr. Brown to a place of greater security, and after informing him that we should not be far off, and that he was to remain silent until our return, we crept along under the bank for some distance, stopping every few minutes for the purpose of listening, yet making no noise by our movements.

The ravine, as I said before, led between two high hills, and each bank was perpendicular, and covered, at the edges, with small gum trees.

There was only one place on the left bank, where the bushrangers were stationed, that could be descended, and unless the ruffians made an attempt to reach us by that single place, they would be compelled to go a mile or two to descend the hill, and then enter the ravine at the outlet. By attempting to surprise us by entering the ravine the way that we did, the distance would be greater and more difficult. We therefore reasoned that the bushrangers, after waiting an hour or more, and finding that we made no stir, would attempt to secure the two horses that were quietly grazing nearly opposite the place where the bank was most shelving, and that they would seek for the quickest way of accomplishing their object. We therefore resolved to station ourselves near the animals, and see what would happen.

By good fortune we found a large ridge of earth, formed like a shelf, about four feet wide, which the water had gullied out when rushing through the ravine, during the winter months--and under this we stationed ourselves, and waited patiently, well aware that we were secure from observation from our enemies, unless some of them happened to be on the opposite bank, which we did not expect.