The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) by William H. Thomes (books to read in your 30s TXT) 📕

Could Not Hear All That Passed, I Thought How Materially We Could Be

Aided By The Shepherd, If He Was So Disposed.

I Was Almost Fearful That Mr. Brown's Suspicions Were Correct, And That

He Left Us To Take Care Of Ourselves, While He Made His Escape On My

Friend's Valuable Horse, Worth, At Any Station, About Fifty Pounds.

"Look," Cried My Companion, Nudging Me With His Elbow; "The Devils Have

Made Up Their Minds To Run The Risk, And Search For The Horse In The

Shadow Of The Palm Trees."

As He Spoke, I Saw The Gang Move Forward In A Compact Body, As Though

Borrowing Encouragement From Each Other, And One Or Two Pretended To

Laugh, As If Scorning All Apprehensions, But I Thought That The Mirth

Did Not Come From Their Hearts.

When About Midway Between The Trees And The Bridge, I Observed Them Halt

Suddenly, And While I Was Wondering For What, Forth, From Amid The

Leaves And Branches Of The Palms, Rode A Figure That Loomed Up In The

Moonlight In Colossal Proportions.

For A Moment I Forgot That The Shepherd Was Acting The Part Of A Ghost,

And I Felt, A Little Of The Old Symptoms Return, But They Were Soon

Banished, And Then I Was Prepared To Enjoy The Rich Treat Of Seeing How

Other Men Acted When Dealing With What Was Supposed To Be A Visitant

From The Other World.

For A Moment Not A Sound Escaped The Group, As The Tall Figure Of The

Shepherd, Mounted On The Gray Horse, Moved Slowly And Majestically

Towards Them. Presently I Heard One Fellow Utter A Yell Of Terror, And

Break Away From His Companions, And Run Wildly Towards The Camp--Then

Another Followed, And Then Another, Until The Remaining Ones Turned,

And, With Shrieks And Yells Of Horror, Followed The First Fugitive As

Rapidly As Their Legs Could Carry Them.

A Number Of The Most Timid Threw Away Their Guns, And Every Thing That

Impeded Flight, And Although The Ghost Did Not Depart From His Grave And

Dignified Bearing, And Solemn Walk, Yet In Less Than Five Minutes No One

Was In Sight Except The Cause Of The Fright, Our New Friend, Day.

As Soon As We Saw The Result Of The Shepherd's Ruse, We Crossed The

Bridge And Joined Him.

"Didn't I Do That In Good Style?" He Asked. "Did You Ever Hear Of A

Ghost That Was More Successful Than Me?"

I Complimented Him By Replying In The Negative, And Also Assuring Him

That I Considered He Was At The Height Of His Profession.

"You May Well Call It A Trade," He Exclaimed, Removing His Heavy

Headdress And Wiping His Moist Brow, "For There Ain't A Man In The

Country Who Knows How To Do Such Things In Shape Unless He Has Been In

The Funeral Line, Like Me. Did You See 'Em Run?"

I Assured Him That The Retreat Of The Bushrangers Was So Sudden That We

Could Not Help Noticing The Fact.

"I Didn't Believe That Coveys Could Cut So; And They Threw Away Their

Guns, Too, That Shows How Skeert They Was," Continued Day, Apparently So

Overjoyed At His Success That He Could Talk Of Nothing Else.

"But It Will Not Do For Us To Stand Here And Talk When The Bushrangers

Are Liable To Come Back At Any Moment And Surprise You Holding

Communication With Beings Of This Earth," I Said. "Let Us Get Under The

Shadow Of The Trees, Where We Can Talk Without Danger."

My Suggestion Was Agreed To, And In A Few Seconds We Were On Our Old

Camping Ground And Debating What We Should Do Next. I Was In Favor Of An

Immediate Retreat To The Banks Of The Loddon, Which River I Proposed To

Cross, And Find Refuge At Hawswood Station, Where We Could Remain For A

Few Days, And Then Return For Another Examination Of The Earth For The

Treasure. Mr. Brown, Whether Fearful To Trust To Day's Honesty, Or The

Bushrangers' Superstitious Feelings, Did Not Coincide With Me, And Was

For Remaining Until Daylight At Any Rate, And During That Time Make

Further Search For The Gold, And If Not Found In That Period, He

Proposed Giving Up The Expedition Altogether And Returning To Ballarat.

The Shepherd Heard Us Discuss The Merits Of Our Several Propositions

Without Interruption, And While We Were Still Uncertain What To

Do,--Avarice Bidding Us To Stay, And Caution And Prudence To Fly,--He

Spoke,--"I Have No Wish To Advise You Coveys In Any Course That Ain't

Right, But If You Will Listen To Me I'll Get You Out Of This Affair In

Safety, And With The Money That Is Buried."

"How?" I Asked.

"By Still Playing The Ghost," He Replied, With A Grin.

"You Have Done So, And Successfully," I Said; "Can't You Think Of Some

Other Dodge?"

"Don't Want Any Other," He Returned, Patting The Bullock's Head In An

Affectionate Manner. "Men Can Always Be Moved By Their Fears And Guilty

Consciences."

We Agreed With Him In That Respect, But Didn't See How He Could Serve Us

Further By Assuming The Ghost Line.

"Then I'll Tell You," The Shepherd Said. "One Half Of The Coveys Who Saw

Me By This Time Think That They Have Been Frightened By A Shadow, A

White Bullock, Or A Horse. They Won't Acknowledge That They Saw A Ghost,

While The Other Portion Will Contend Stoutly That I Had Fire Issuing

From My Mouth, And That I Was The Devil Or His Imp. With This Question

Unsettled I Shouldn't Be Surprised If They Made These Parts Another

Visit To Solve Their Doubts, For The Bushrangers Who Haven't Seen Me

Will Only Deride Those Who Have, And Disbelieve All The Statements

Made."

We Acknowledged That There Was Some Truth In The Remark, And Day, Highly

Delighted With The Admission, Continued:

"Now I Think That The Best Way Would Be For Me To Show Myself Once More

And Give The Coveys Another And A Greater Fright. I Can Steal Up To

Their Camping Ground, And While They Are Quarrelling, Walk Into Their

Midst Without Waiting For The Formalities Of An Introduction."

"But You May Lose Your Life In Making The Experiment," I Said.

"There's No Fear Of That--Who Ever Heard Of A Man Firing With A Steady

Hand While In The Presence Of A Ghost?"

I Reminded Him That I Had Tried The Experiment, And That If The Ball Had

Struck A Few Inches Lower Down He Would Never Have Played The Ghost A

Second Time.

"That Just Proves What I Said. Can't You Hit A Man At Two Rods'

Distance, And Place The Ball Just Where You Like?"

I Flattered Myself That I Was A Good Pistol Shot, And Could Do So Under

Ordinary Circumstances.

"Yet Your Hand Must Have Shook, Or I Should Have Been Hit."

There Was No Denying The Truth Of That Assertion, For I Remembered The

Circumstance Perfectly Well.

"If I Don't Frighten Them Coveys So That They Will Avoid This Place

Hereafter, Then I Don't Know Much About Ghosts, And How They Act," Day

Continued.

We Tried To Urge The Fellow To Be Content With The Triumph Which He Had

Already Accomplished, But He Was Mad For Another Exhibition Of His

Powers, And All That We Could Say Had No Effect. Go He Would, And At

Length We Determined To Accompany Him For The Purpose Of Rendering

Assistance In Case He Wanted It, Or To See How The Bushrangers Would

Bear Themselves Upon A Second Exhibition.

The Shepherd Was So Well Acquainted With The Country That He Guided Us

By A Short Route Towards The Camping Ground, Stealing Along Between The

Bushes And Trees So Quietly And Rapidly That, With All My Knowledge Of

Woodcraft, I Had Difficulty In Following Him And Keeping Close To His

Heels. At Length We Saw The Reflection Of A Camp Fire, And Then We Grew

More Cautious In Our Movements, Frequently Stopping For A Few Minutes To

Listen If We Could Hear Other Sounds Besides Our Footsteps. But We

Encountered No One, For The Bushrangers Had Apparently Fallen Back Upon

The Main Body, Convinced That The Coast Was Clear Of All Earthly

Intruders. The Shepherd Stopped When He Thought That We Were Within

Sound Of The Camp, And Beckoned Us To His Side.

"There's No Use In You Coveys Getting Your Necks In Halters Follering

Close Arter Me, 'Cos 'Tain't Any Use. We Ain't Going To Fight The

Fellers, But To Frighten 'Em. You Jist Keep A Little Back And Watch Me,

And If Any Thing Happens, Why, Don't Stop To See How It Terminates. Get

Off The Best Way That You Can."

"That Would Be Ungenerous," I Replied. "You Are Now Risking Your Life To

Serve Us, And We Should Not Desert You To Save Ourselves."

"Don't You Be Afeard Of Me," The Shepherd Said, Quite Coolly. "I Can

Take Care Of Myself, And If The Bushrangers Finds Out The Cheat I Can

Explain It To 'Em Some Way Or Other That Will Satisfy 'Em. Is It All

Right?"

We Assured Him That We Would Be Governed By His Wishes, And With This

Declaration He Led The Way Towards The Camp, First Taking The Precaution

Of Putting On His Head Gear, In Case He Should Meet With Stragglers. We

Followed In His Footsteps At Some Distance Until We Reached The Edge Of

The Woods, When The Ghost Motioned For Us To Take Up A Position In A

Clump Of Bushes, While He