Bunyip Land | Page 5

of news; one year had become two--then three--and it would
soon be four.
Quite a little fellow when he started, I had cried with disappointment at
being left behind. Now I had grown into a big fellow for my age; I had
dreamed incessantly of making the attempt to find my father, and now
at last the time had come.
I believe I was quite as excited over the proposed journey as Jimmy,
but I did not go about throwing a spear at gum-trees, neither did I climb
the tallest eucalyptus to try if I could see New Guinea from the topmost
branches. Moreover I did not show my delight on coming down, certain
of having seen this promised land, by picking out a low horizontal
branch and hanging from it by my toes.
All of these antics Jimmy did do, and many more, besides worrying me
every half-hour with--
"Come long--time a go find him fader."
Of course now I know that it would have been impossible for me to
have carried out my plans without the doctor, who was indefatigable,
bringing to bear as he did the ripe experience of a man who had been
all over the world pretty well before he came to Australia to make a
practice; and every day I had from him some useful hint.
He was quite as eager as I, but he met all my impatient words with--
"Let's do everything necessary first, Joe. Recollect we are going to a far

more savage land than this, and where we can renew nothing but our
store of food. Don't let's fail through being too hasty. All in good time."
But the time did seem so long, for there was a great deal to do.
Jimmy--who by the way really bore some peculiar native name that
sounded like Wulla Gurra--was fitted out with a serviceable sailor's suit,
of which he was very proud, and never prouder than when he could see
it to its best advantage.
This was in the wool barn, where, upon every opportunity, the black
used to retreat to relieve himself of the unwonted garb, and hang it up
against the shingle wall. Then he would show his teeth to the gums and
squat down, embrace his knees, and gaze at the clothes.
When satisfied with the front he would rise deliberately, go to the wall,
turn every article, and have a good look at the other side.
We ran some risks at this time, for our henchman was given his first
lessons in the use of a rifle, and for a long time, no matter how the
doctor tried, it seemed as if it was impossible for the black to hold the
piece in any other direction than pointed straight at one of his friends.
By slow degrees, though, he got over it, and wanted lessons in loading
and firing more often than his master was prepared to give them.
Jimmy had heard the report of a gun hundreds of times, but his
experience had never gone so far as holding the piece when it was fired;
and when, after being carefully shown how to take aim, he was treated
to a blank charge and pulled the trigger, the result was that I threw
myself on the ground and shrieked with laughter, while the doctor
seated himself upon a stump and held his sides, with the tears rolling
down his cheeks.
For at the flash and report Jimmy uttered a yell, dropped the rifle, and
turned and ran as hard as he could for the barn, never once looking
behind him.
A couple of minutes were, however, sufficient to let his fear evaporate,

and he came back waddy in fist, half shamefaced, half angry, and
rubbing his right shoulder the while.
"Don't do dat," he cried fiercely. "Don't do dat. Play trick, Mass Joe.
Play trick, Jimmy."
"I didn't," I cried, laughing. "Here; see me."
I took the rifle, put in a charge, and fired.
"There," I said, reloading. "Now, try again."
Jimmy had on only his curtailed trousers, into whose waistband he
cautiously stuck the waddy, the knob at the end stopping it from falling
through, and gingerly taking the rifle once more to show that he was
not afraid, he held it loosely against his shoulder and fired again.
The gun kicked more than ever, for it was growing foul, and, uttering a
yell, Jimmy dashed it down, snatched the waddy from his waistband,
and began belabouring the butt of the piece before we could stop him,
after which he stood sulkily rubbing his right shoulder, and scowling at
the inanimate enemy that had given him a couple of blows.
One or two more experiments with the piece, however, taught the black
its merits and demerits to such an