Bunyip Land | Page 6

extent that he was never so happy as
when he was allowed to shoulder the formidable weapon, with which
he would have liked to go and fight some native tribe; and his constant
demand to me was for me to put in an extra charge so that he might
have what he called "big-bang."
The doctor took care that we should both be well furnished with every
necessary in arms, ammunition, and camp equipments, such as were
light and would go into a small space. He got down from Sydney, too, a
quantity of showy electro-gilt jewellery and fancy beads, with common
knives, pistols, guns, and hatchets for presents, saying to me that a
showy present would work our way better with a savage chief than a
great deal of fighting, and he proved to be quite right in all he said.

Taken altogether we had an excellent outfit for the journey, my mother
eagerly placing funds at the doctor's disposal. And then came the
question of how we were to get to the great northern island, for as a
rule facilities for touching there were not very great; but somehow this
proved to be no difficulty, all that we undertook being easily mastered,
every obstacle melting away at the first attack. In fact the journey to
New Guinea was like a walk into a trap--wonderfully easy. The
difficulty was how to get out again.
Perhaps had I known of the dangers we were to encounter I might have
shrunk from the task--I say might, but I hope I should not. Still it was
better that I was in ignorance when, with the doctor, I set about making
inquiries at the harbour, and soon found a captain who was in the habit
of trading to the island for shells and trepang, which he afterwards took
on to Hongkong.
For a fairly liberal consideration he expressed himself willing to go out
of his way and land us where we liked, but he shook his head all the
same.
"You've cut out your work, youngster," he said; "and I doubt whether
you're going to sew it together so as to make a job."
"I'm going to try, captain," I said.
"That's your style," he said heartily, as he gave me a slap on the
shoulder. "That's the word that moves everything, my boy--that word
`try.' My brains and butter! what a lot `try' has done, and will always
keep doing. Lor', it's enough to make a man wish he was lost, and his
son coming to look after him."
"Then you have a son, captain?" I said, looking at him wistfully.
"Me? Not a bit of it. My wife never had no little 'uns, for we always
buys the boats, they arn't young ships. I married my schooner, my lad;
she's my wife. But there, I'm talking away with a tongue like an old
woman. Send your traps aboard whenever you like, and--there, I like
you--you're a good lad, and I'll help you as much as ever I can. Shake

hands."
It was like a fierce order, and he quite hurt me when we did shake
hands, even the doctor saying it was like putting your fist in a
screw-wrench.
Then we parted, the doctor and I to complete our preparations; the
various things we meant to take were placed on board, and now at last
the time had come when we must say Good-bye!
For the first time in my life I began to think very seriously of money
matters. Up to this money had not been an object of much desire with
me. A few shillings to send into Sydney for some special object now
and then was all I had required; but now I had to think about my
mother during my absence, and what she would do, and for the first
time I learned that there was no need for anxiety on that score; that my
father's private income was ample to place us beyond thought for the
future. I found, too, that our nearest neighbour had undertaken to watch
over my mother's safety, not that there was much occasion for
watchfulness, the days gliding by at our place in the most perfect peace,
but it was satisfactory to feel that there were friends near at hand.
I was for saying good-bye at the little farm, but my mother insisted
upon accompanying us to Sydney, where I noticed that in spite of her
weakness and delicate looks, she was full of energy and excitement,
talking to me of my journey, begging me to be prudent and careful, and
on no account to expose myself to danger.
"And tell your father how anxiously I am looking forward to his
return," she said to me on the last evening together; words that