The Dingo Boys | Page 7

their baggage the canister of tea and bag of sugar set apart for the journey.
Bread they had brought with them, and a fair amount of butter, but a cask of flour was so packed that it could be got at when wanted for forming into damper, in the making of which the girls had taken lessons of a settler's wife at the port.
In making his preparations Captain Bedford had, as hinted, been governed a good deal by old campaigning experience, and this he brought to bear on the journey.
"Many things may seem absurd," he said, "and out of place to you women, such for instance as my planting sentries."
"Well, yes," said Aunt Georgie, "it's like playing at soldiers. Let the boys come and have some lunch."
"No," said the captain; "it is not playing: we are invaders of a hostile country, and must be on our guard."
"Good gracious!" cried Aunt Georgic, looking nervously round; "you don't mean that we shall meet with enemies?"
"I hope not," said the captain; "but we must be prepared in case we do."
"Yes; nothing like being prepared," said Uncle Munday. "Here, give me something to eat, and I'll go on minding my beasts."
"They will not stray," said the captain, "so you may rest in peace."
It was, all declared, a delightful alfresco meal under the shade of the great tree they had selected, and ten times preferable to one on board the ship, whose cabin had of late been unbearably hot and pervaded by an unpleasant odour of molten pitch.
To the girls it was like the beginning of a delightful picnic, for they had ridden so far on a couple of well-broken horses, their path had been soft grass, and on every side nature looked beautiful in the extreme.
Their faces shone with the pleasure they felt so far, but Mrs Bedford's countenance looked sad, for she fully grasped now the step that had been taken in cutting themselves adrift from the settlers at the port. She had heard the bantering words of the man when they started, and they sent a chill through her as she pictured endless dangers, though at the same time she mentally agreed with her husband that solitude would be far preferable to living among such neighbours as the people at the port.
She tried to be cheerful under the circumstances, arguing that there were three able and brave men to defend her and her niece and daughter, while the boys were rapidly growing up; but, all the same, her face would show that she felt the risks of the bold step her husband was taking, and his precautions added to her feeling of in security and alarm.
In a very short time Rifle had finished his meal, and looked at their man German, who was seated a little way apart munching away at bread and cheese like a two-legged ruminant. He caught the boy's eye, grunted, and rose at once.
"Shall we relieve guard, father?" said Rifle.
"No, but you may carry a jug of tea to the outposts," was the reply; and after this had been well-sweetened by Aunt Georgie, the boy went off to his cousin Tim, not because he was the elder, but on account of his being a visitor in their family, though one of very old standing.
"Well," he cried, as he approached Tim, who was gazing intently at a patch of low scrubby trees a short distance off; "seen the enemy?"
"Yes," said the boy, in a low earnest whisper. "I was just going to give warning when I saw you comma."
Rifle nearly dropped the jug, and his heart beat heavily.
"I say, you don't mean it?" he whispered.
"Yes, I do. First of all I heard something rustle close by me, and I saw the grass move, and there was a snake."
"How big?" cried Rifle, excitedly; "twenty feet?"
"No. Not eight, but it looked thick, and I watched it, meaning to shoot if it showed fight, but it went away as hard as ever it could go."
"A snake--eight feet long!" cried Rifle, breathlessly. "I say, we are abroad now, Tim. Why didn't you shoot it?"
"Didn't try to do me any harm," replied Tim, "and there was something else to look at."
"Eh? What?"
"Don't look at the wood, Rifle, or they may rush out and throw spears at us."
"Who?--savages?" whispered Rifle.
"Yes; there are some of them hiding in that patch of trees."
"Nonsense! there isn't room."
"But I saw something black quite plainly. Shall I fire?"
"No," said Rifle, stoutly. "It would look so stupid if it was a false alarm. I was scared at first, but I believe now that it's all fancy."
"It isn't," said Tim in a tone full of conviction; "and it would be ever so much more stupid to be posted here as sentry and to let the enemy come on us without giving the alarm."
"Rubbish!