It Is Never Too Late to Mend Part 143

"No doubt. Then, Tom, it was not an enemy, after all!"

Jacky came back with Jem, who, at sight of them alive and well, burst into extravagances. He waved his hat round his head several times and then flung it into a tree; then danced a _pas seul_ consisting of steps not one of them known at the opera house, and chanted a song of triumph the words of which were, Ri tol de riddy iddydol, and the ditty naught; finally he shook hands with both.

"Never say die!"

"Well, that is hearty! and how thoughtful of him to come after us, and above all to bring Jacky!"

"That it was," replied George. "Jem," said he, with feeling, "I don't know but what you have saved two men's lives."

"If I don't it shan't be my fault, farmer."

George. "Oh, Jacky, I am so hungry! I have been twenty-four hours without food."

Kalingalunga. "You stupid fellow to go widout food, always a good deal food in bush."

George. "Is there? then for Heaven's sake go and get us some of it."

Kalingalunga. "No need go, food here." He stepped up to the very tree against which George was standing, showed him an excrescence on the bark, made two clean cuts with his tomahawk, pulled out a huge white worm and offered it George. George turned from it in disgust; the wild chief grinned superior and ate it himself, and smacked his lips with infinite gusto.

Meantime his quick eye had caught sight of something else. "A good deal dinner in dis tree," said he, and he made the white men observe some slight scratches on the bark. "Possum claws go up tree." Then he showed them that there were no marks with the claw reversed, a clear proof the animal had not come down. "Possum in tree."

The white men looked up into the bare tree with a mixture of wonder and incredulity. Jacky cut steps with his tomahawk and went up the main stem, which was short, and then up a fork, one out of about twelve; among all these he jumped about like a monkey till he found one that was hollow at the top.

"Throw Kalingalunga a stone, den he find possum a good deal quick."

They could not find a stone for their lives, so, being hungry, Robinson threw a small nugget of gold he had in his pocket. Jacky caught it, placed it at the top of the hollow fork and let it drop. Listening keenly, his fine ear heard the nugget go down the fork, striking the wood first one side then another, and then at a certain part sound no more. Down he slips to that silent part, makes a deep cut with his tomahawk just above the spot, thrusts in his hand and pulls out a large opossum, yelling and scratching and emitting a delicious scent in an agony of fear. The tomahawk soon silenced him, and the carca.s.s fell among the applauding whites. Now it was Robinson's turn. He carved the raw animal for greater expedition, and George helped him to wrap each limb and carca.s.s in a thin covering of clay. Thus prepared, it was thrust into the great pile of burning ashes.

"Look yonder, do! look at that Jem! Why, Jem, what are you up to, patroling like a sentinel out there?"

"Never you heed Jem," was the dry reply; "you mind the roast, captain, and I'll mind--my business;" and Jem continued to parade up and down with his gun c.o.c.ked and his eye piercing the wood.

To Robinson's repeated and uneasy inquiries what meant this pantomime, Jem persisted in returning no answer but this: "You want your dinner, captain; eat your dinner, and then I'll hoffer a hobservation; meantime, as these woods are queer places, a little hextra caution is no sin."

The pie dishes were now drawn out of the ashes and broken, and the meat baked with all its juices was greedily devoured. "It tastes like a rabbit stuffed with peppermint," said George, "and uncommon nice it is.

Now I am another man."

"So am I; Jacky forever!"

"Now, Jem, I have dined. Your story, if you please. Why are you here?

for you are a good fellow, but you haven't got gumption enough to say to yourself, 'These two will get lost in the bush, I'll take Jacky and pull them out.'"

"You are right, captain, that wasn't the way at all; and, since your belly is full and your courage up, you will be able to enjoy my story better than you could afore."

"Yes, so let us have it;" and Robinson leaned back luxuriously, being filled and warmed.

"First and foremost," commenced this artful narrator, "there is a chap prowling in this wood at the present time with a double-barreled gun to blow out your brains, captain."

"The devil," cried Robinson, starting to his feet.

"And yours, farmer."

"How do you know?" asked George, without moving.

"That is what I am going to tell you. That Mary McDogherty came crying to my tent all through the snow. 'What is up?' says I; says she, 'Murder is up.' Then she told me her cousin, an Irish boy, was at Bevan's store and he heard some queer talk, and he looked through a c.h.i.n.k in the wall and saw two rascals putting their heads together, and he soon made out they were driving a bargain to rob you two. One was to do it, the other was a-egging him on. 'I must have fifty pounds first,' says this one.

'Why?' says the other. 'Because he has been and locked my pal up that was to be in it with me.'"

"Ah!" cried Robinson. "Go on, Jem--there is a clew anyway."

"I have got a thicker one behind. Says the other, 'Agreed! when will you have it?' 'Why, now,' says t'other. Then this one gave him a note. Pat couldn't see that it was a fifty, but no doubt it was, but he saw the man take it and put it in a little tin box and shove it in his bosom."

"That note was the price of blood," said Robinson. "Oh, the black-hearted villains. Tell me who they were, that is all; tell me but who they were!"

"The boy didn't know."

"There! it is always so. The fools! they never know."

"Stop a bit, captain, there is a clew (your own word)."

"Ay, and what is the clew?"

"As soon as ever the note was safe in his bosom he says: 'I sold you, blind mate; I'd have given fifty sooner than not done this job. Look here!' says he, 'I have sworn to have a life for each of these;' and, captain," said Jem, suddenly lowering his voice, "with that it seems he held up his right hand."

"Well, yes! yes! eh!"

"And there were two fingers a-missing on it!"

"Ah!"

"Now those two fingers are the ones you chopped off with your cutla.s.s the night when the tent was attacked."

"Why, Tom, what is this? you never told me of this," cried George.

"And which are in my pocket."

"In your pocket?" said George, drawing away from him.

"Ay, farmer! wrapped up in silver paper, and they shall never leave my pocket till I have fitted them on the man, and seen him hung or shot with them two pickers and stealers tied round his bloodthirsty, mercenairy, aa.s.s-aa.s.sinating neck, say that I said it."

George. "Jacky, show us the way out of this wood."

Kalingalunga bowed a.s.sent, but he expressed a wish to take with him some of the ashes of the wambiloa. George helped him.

Robinson drew Jem aside. "You shouldn't have mentioned that before George; you have disgusted him properly."

"Oh, hang him! he needn't be so squeamish; why, I've had 'em salt--"

"There, there! drop it, Jem, do!"