The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 144

"If I had my way, I'd do it d----d quick," he grumbled.

"We are tired, and can hardly sit on the horses. For the sake of your mothers, who were women, leave us here in the wilderness to perish, or to find shelter, as it shall please Heaven."

"Cease that whine of yours, or I'll throw you into the creek,"

threatened the ruffian of the party.

"Do so, if you dare!" exclaimed another voice, which I imagined belonged to a female of more advanced age than the first speaker; "you are ugly enough for any thing," she continued, growing excited as she proceeded, and raising her voice until it approached a scream, "but I don't believe that you have the true courage of a man. A man!" she repeated, "you are nothing but a tailor. Where's your goose?"

I could hear the bushrangers indulge in a chuckling laugh, as though the language used to their companion was relished.

"Stop your mouth, you dirty ----, or I'll stuff a goose down your throat!" shouted the ruffian, furious with rage.

"You?" she asked, contemptuously; "why, if my old man was within sound of my voice, you would run like a sheep from a dog. You are the biggest coward connected with the gang, and they only keep you 'cos you can mend their clothes. A tailor! Bah, you are only the ninth part of a man, and a botch at that."

"By G----d, woman, you shall feel the length of my knife if you don't close your mouth," shouted the ruffian, that the woman was goring to madness.

"O Nancy, do be quiet," cried her companion.

"Keep quiet for the threat of that braggart?" the shrill-voiced woman demanded; "why, if I had a bodkin I'd spit him on it." "Would you?"

cried the bushranger; "then I'll give you a taste of the same sort of stuff!"

We heard a struggle for a few seconds, and then the earnest tones of the most liberal ruffian in remonstrance.

"Put up your knife, you fool, and don't let a woman get the better of you. Don't you see that she's trying to provoke you to kill her."

"And I will do it, too," yelled the brute.

"No you won't, not as long as I've got charge of this squad. I ain't going to do all the work, and then let you act as you please, by a d----n sight. Touch that woman, and I'll make a hole in your side big enough to throw in a Bible. Put up your knife, and let us see if we can't cross the creek before daylight."

"Well, don't let her insult me again, that's all," the fellow said, in reply to the threat, although it seemed that he was prepared to obey the order, much as he disliked it.

"Insult you! you miserable specimen of a fool? why, it would be impossible to insult you, for your life is but an insult to your Maker!"

cried the shrill-voiced woman, who had been addressed by the name of Nancy.

"I'd like to hire that woman to do my scolding," whispered Mr. Wright.

"Lord, how she would make the men fly if they didn't come to dinner at the exact time."

By a flash of lightning we could see three of the bushrangers examining the banks of the creek, for the purpose of judging whether it could be forded by the horses or not.

They seemed to decide against its feasibility, for we heard them grumbling at the idea of stopping there all night, and getting sighted by "d----d old Wright" in the morning.

Our host listened to the complimentary remarks about himself with great glee, for it showed that he was a power that was respected by the robbing fraternity, and that they took good care to visit his range of land as little us possible.

"Are we to stay here in the wet all night?" grumbled Mr. Brown.

"I don't see how we are to avoid it," Mr. Wright replied.

"Let us cross the creek, and take those fellows in the rear," I whispered; "in half an hour we can have every one of them prisoners, or else _hors du combat_."

Mr. Wright didn't like the project, as he thought that it was running too great a risk. Mr. Brown meditated on the undertaking, while the ghost was pleased with the idea, and vowed that he could accomplish the project alone. As for Mike, he was in ecstasies at the plan, only he couldn't swim, which somewhat damped his ardor.

"Ask Kala if there is a place where we can cross, where the water is not over our heads?" I inquired of Mr. Wright.

He put the question, and the native replied that a few rods down the stream, at a bend, we could cross on a bar, where the water would not be more than up to our armpits.

Mr. Wright no longer hesitated, but gave the order to move down the stream to the place proposed, and as the rain had nearly ceased, and the moon was high in the heavens, we had no difficulty in finding the spot which Kala indicated.

Our only trouble was to prevent the bushrangers from seeing our movements, so that they should not be prepared for our reception. This we were enabled to do by keeping within the shade of the bushes and trees, which grew in profusion upon the banks of the stream.

"Lead the way. Mike, and find out the deep places with your spear,"

commanded Mr. Wright, but the Irishman held back.

"I couldn't think of taking advantage of my betters, and going before 'em," pleaded Mike.

"Are you afraid?" our host demanded, angrily.

"Divil a bit, master; but it's misgivings I have about the water. What it was made for, 'cept to mix with punch, I don't see."

"Kala go first," muttered the native, and without waiting for orders, he dropped quietly into the stream, followed by Iala.

"The divil! but can't I go where the nager does?" demanded Mike, and he was up to his shoulders in the brook before we could answer him.

The ghost followed Mike, and then the rest of us, leaving our oil-cloth coverings on the bank of the stream, crossed without difficulty, taking good care that our revolvers were kept dry.

"Now, I want all to keep silent, and obey my orders," whispered Mr.

Wright; "when I give the word to fire, do so, but not before.

"Now then, let us steal forward as fast as possible, and Kala, you and Iala can remain behind, if you please."

"Kala and Iala will go with you," was the prompt reply, and I marvelled at it, for the natives are dreadfully afraid of firearms when in the the hands of white men.

"Now, gentlemen, let us onward, and may the G.o.d of battles give us success. If any accident should befall either of us, we shall have the satisfaction of knowing that we suffered in a good cause. Be careful how you step, and don't be impatient."

Mr. Wright placed himself at the head of the column, and moved along carefully, and with some considerable knowledge of woodcraft, although I almost lost all patience by his continually stopping and listening, as though that part of the performance was really necessary to insure success.

The rain had now entirely ceased, and the black clouds overhead had parted, and showed light fleecy ones, tinged by the rays of the moon, which was struggling to show its face, as though angry at having been hid from the earth for such a length of time.

This circ.u.mstance required our movements to be prompt if we wished to surprise the ruffians, but Mr. Wright was not a man to be hurried by such trifles. He had a peculiar idea of how such matters should be conducted, and neither Mr. Brown nor myself were disposed to interfere with his plans.

Suddenly, when within twenty rods of the place where the bushrangers were camped we saw a light, and for a few minutes Mr. Wright was uncertain whether to advance or retreat, thinking that the light was intended as an ambush to draw us under fire.

In vain I explained that the bushrangers had kindled a fire for the purpose of cooking a sheep, or a portion of one, and Mr. Brown entertained the same idea, but Mr. Wright said we were young men, and rash at that, and that we were not to be trusted.

We were more amazed than indignant, knowing that our host regarded our safety more than his own, for he was as brave as a lion, and would have willingly fought the whole gang had it been necessary to prove his courage.

At length I volunteered to act the part of a scout, and investigate matters, but for a long time Mr. Wright would not listen to my advances, until I saw that there was a prospect of our remaining on the ground all night, and then I tore myself away, and requested my friends to remain quiet until my return.

This they promised to do, and I started on my mission, not a dangerous one, as I knew full well, for the ruffians did not suspect the presence of our force, and I felt certain that they had no sentinels posted.