"But I'm sure he did, my dear, for there were the marks of his black feet."

"Baal teal flour," cried Shanter again; and drawing himself up he was turning away, but Norman caught his arm.

"Look here, Shanter," he said. "You brother. Baal go in storehouse."

"Yohi," said the black, nodding. "Big white Mary pialla. Shanter carry tub."

"Then you have been in the storehouse sometimes."

"Yohi. Baal teal flour."

He wrenched himself free and walked away.

"I don't believe he took it, aunt," said Norman.

"Nor I," said the others eagerly.

"Well, I wish I was sure, my dears, as you are, for I don't like to suspect the poor fellow."

"But if he had taken it, aunt," cried Rifle, "he is such a big stupid boy of a fellow he couldn't have kept it secret. He'd have made a lot of damper at a fire in the scrub, and asked us to come and help to eat the nasty stuff all full of ashes."

"Well," said Aunt Georgie, drawing her lips tight, "we shall see.

n.o.body else could have stolen it but the black or German."

"What, old Sourkrout?" cried Tim, laughing. "Oh, aunt!"

"And it's oh, Artemus!" said the old lady. "For I do wish you boys would not be so fond of nicknames."

"All right, aunt."

The incident pa.s.sed off and so did Shanter, for he disappeared altogether for a couple of days, and was a good deal missed.

"Never mind," said Norman, "he'll come back loaded with grubs, or bring honey or 'possums."

"I believe he is too much offended to come back," said Tim. "No fellow, whatever his colour may be, likes to be called a thief."

"No," said Rifle; "and I believe aunt used her flour in her sleep."

"Here, boys," cried the captain just then; "take the horses and go round and fetch up that lot of bullocks from the plain. I fancy they have gone right away some distance, or the dingoes have scared them; it will be a good ride for you."

"And no Shanter here," said Norman, as they went off to catch and saddle their horses.

"I wonder father hasn't made a bother about it. He doesn't seem to have missed him."

"Too busy over getting down that big gum over yonder," observed Rifle.

"My word, what a time it seems to take!"

"Nice bit of amus.e.m.e.nt for Uncle Jack and old Sam. He is getting too fat."

The others laughed, and then after they had caught, saddled, and bridled their horses, they walked them up to where the captain was examining the edge of a felling-axe, Uncle Jack and German being similarly armed.

"Off you go, boys," said the captain.

"And let's see whether you'll be back before we get down the great gum-tree," said their uncle, smiling.

"We shall be back," said Rifle. "You will not get down the big gum for a week."

German chuckled, and the boys sprang into their saddles.

"You'll have a long ride, boys," said the captain. "I was up on the big rock yesterday," he continued, nodding toward the top of the precipice whence Norman had seen the black fellows, "and I could not see them with the gla.s.s."

"We'll find 'em, father," said Norman, confidently.

"Off then," said the captain; and away they went, riding now with wonderful ease and skill; while, bent on getting down the great gum-tree by the creek because it impeded part of the view from the house, and in addition its trunk being wanted for boards and its branches for fuel, the captain led his little force of axemen to the a.s.sault.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

"BUNYIP! BUNYIP!"

That same afternoon, soon after dinner, the captain and his fellow-wielders of the axe again went down to carry on their wood-cutting. The boys were not back, nor expected, and in the course of the afternoon the girls proposed that Mrs Bedford and Aunt George should go with them for a walk, and to take some refreshment to the wood-cutters.

They refused, of course, and then gave way, and soon after the little party left the house, and strolled slowly away toward the creek, all enjoying the delightfully fresh breeze which came across the plains and sent the blood dancing in the young girls' veins.

Hardly had they walked a couple of hundred yards away, when one of the cows in the fenced-in paddock raised her head from grazing, and uttered a deep-toned bellow. She ceased munching the rich gra.s.s, and whisked her tail about, as if trying to tie it in knots, for she saw a black approaching the paddock, and that black was one she did not know.

The black came cautiously on, crawling from tree to bush, and from bush to tree, and always getting nearer to the house. Finally, he reached the fence, and along by this he crept like a great black slug, till he was at the end, and within a dozen yards of the store.

Fifty yards away a couple of dozen of his fellows, all spear and club armed, lay hidden among the shrubs and trees which the captain and Uncle Jack were unwilling to cut down, and these men watched intently every movement of their companion, and in perfect silence, till they saw him raise himself very slightly, and then almost run on all fours across the s.p.a.ce which divided him from the storehouse, the movement being upon his hands and toes.

Then a low murmur of satisfaction ran through them, and they turned to look in the other direction, where the ladies were all making their way, basket-laden, toward where the captain and Uncle Jack were continuing their attack upon the great tree.

No fear of interruption in that direction; no fear of any one coming in the other, for the boys had been seen to ride right off over the hills, as if on a long expedition.

The black fellow disappeared from his companions' sight; and as soon as he was well inside, he rose up, detached a bark bag from his 'possum-skin waistband, and grinned with satisfaction as he ran his eyes round among the casks, packages, and tins upon the rough shelves.

Then he stopped short, and stared at the cask before him, for there was something suspicious about it. That was not the cask from which he had filled his meal-bag last time, and carried off such a glorious haul. It looked wider and bigger, and he hesitated, and pa.s.sing his right hand behind him, carefully drew out his club, ready for that tub if it should be dangerous.

But the tub stood there perfectly innocent-looking, and the head had evidently lately been moved by floury fingers, which had left their marks. In addition, there was a dusting of flour on the top, and a tiny sprinkle of the same on the rough boards in front.

All this rea.s.sured him, and tucking his nulla-nulla back in his band, he gave the bag a shake, took a cautious look round, and then advanced to the tub, and with one quick movement, thrust the head off, so that it fell behind upon the floor.

Then, bag in one hand, his other resting on the edge of the barrel, he stood perfectly still, as if turned to stone. His eyes were starting, his mouth open, and his lips drawn back in a ghastly grin, as he stood gazing at a hideous-looking face rising slowly out of the flour, red, as if covered with blood, and dashed with patches of white meal. Nearer and nearer this object approached him, till, with a yell of horror, he dragged himself away, and dashed out of the storehouse, shouting "Bunyip! bunyip!" as he ran to where his companions were waiting for his spoil.

Then a low whispering followed, and the result was that six of the party crawled in the same manner as that in which the first black had approached.

An observer would have said that they were evidently doubtful of the truth of their companion's statement, and had agreed to go together and test it.