Flourishing his hatchet, which he drew from his belt, he proceeded to cut away the vines and any branches which impeded their way.

Their progress was of course slow, but Rob a.s.serted that they would soon come out into a more open spot, when they would be able to walk as fast as they liked. The air beneath the shade of the tall trees was deliciously cool compared to the hot atmosphere of the open ground; and even Evelina acknowledged that it was very pleasant. She had not gone far, however, before she shrieked out to Mary--

"You said there were no savage creatures! Look at this monster; it will kill us all!"

"Why, that's only an iguana. It has no teeth, and wouldn't bite you if it had. I'll try and catch it, and you shall have it for dinner; it makes an excellent stew," exclaimed Rob, who heard her cry out.

The iguana, a large species of lizard, was, however, far too quick for Rob, and was away out of sight before he got up to the tree on which he had seen it. Edgar manfully kept up with him, but having no weapon except a clasp knife, he could render but little service in clearing the road. Rob was shouting to the girls to "come on," when suddenly he himself stopped short.

"Edgar, did you see any one?" he asked, in a low voice.

"Yes, a hideous black face; it popped down immediately behind the bushes."

"We had better not go on, then; for though many of the blacks are friendly hereabouts, yet others who come from a distance are very treacherous."

Not stopping to hear more, Edgar scampered away to tell the ladies, who, as soon as they heard the alarming intelligence, began to beat a retreat. They were quickly overtaken by Rob, who had not only seen a black man, but a bundle of spears, and was fully satisfied of the danger of remaining longer in the scrub.

Mary was the first to recover herself. "After all, the boys may have mistaken the stump of a tree for a native; or if they did see a black, he may have come with no bad intentions," she observed; "we need not give up our walk in consequence."

However, her cousins looked so frightened that she led them directly out of the scrub towards the kitchen, garden, intending to go round under a trellis work, which had a thick hedge on the outside, and at that hour of the day afforded a pleasant shady walk. They were pa.s.sing along that part which was nearest the open ground when they heard the tramp of a horse's hoofs galloping at fall speed, and directly afterwards Paul shouting out to Harry--

"Where's our father?"

"He has gone off with Uncle Frank to Gibson's station," answered Harry.

"But what's in the wind?"

"The blacks have shown their ugly faces again, not far off. I caught sight of a mob of them just before I pa.s.sed Jenkins's hut, and when stopping to leave a message I could nowhere find him. The blacks have evidently been there, and, I am afraid, have killed him. I did not stop to search longer, but came on to tell father, that he might send over to Ogilvie to set the police after them."

"I'll ride Bolter, and get Reginald to come with me," answered Harry.

"Reginald! He's no use; he will never keep up with you, and the chances are that he is pitched off before you have galloped a mile. Get Mr Hayward or Sandy to go with you," said Paul.

"They are both away just now," answered Harry; "but why can't you get a fresh horse and go yourself?"

"Look here," the girls heard Paul say; "one of the black fellows dashed a spear, and gave me this ugly scratch on the side, and I should be foolish to attempt riding so far. I must go in and get mother to doctor it."

The young ladies, on hearing this, were naturally much alarmed. Mary was about to call to her brothers, but they were already beyond hearing; so she, followed by the rest of the party, hastened to the house that she might break the intelligence to her mother.

CHAPTER FIVE.

PAUL COMES HOME WOUNDED--PREPARE FOR AN EXPECTED ATTACK--HECTOR MISSING--THE BOYS GO IN SEARCH OF HIM--BIDDY GIVES THE ALARM--ROB AND EDGAR AGREE TO KEEP WATCH--THE WAY THEY DO SO--ARRIVAL OF THE BLACK POLICE AND THEIR OFFICER.

As soon as Mary arrived at home she told her mother what she had heard; and lint, salve, and bandages were speedily got ready.

Paul's pale cheek when he arrived showed that he was suffering considerably, though he made light of the wound.

"Oh! it's nothing!" he said, trying to laugh. "A black fellow's spear merely grazed my side, though had not Polly swerved at that moment it would have stuck into her neck."

"It is a mercy, my boy, that it did not strike you in the back," said Mrs Hugh Berrington, examining the wound, which she thought far more severe than Paul was inclined to suppose it.

"I had been looking after some cattle which had strayed from one of the herdsmen, a new hand," he said, "when I suddenly found myself close to a mob of strange blacks, the very same, I suspect, Harry and I met with when hunting up Old Bolter. Knowing the imprudence of trusting myself among them, I immediately turned my horse's head and galloped off, but not until several spears had been hurled at me. I felt one pop through my clothes, but I thought that it had given me only a slight scratch.

On reaching Jenkins's station, wishing to warn him of the vicinity of the black fellows, I looked about everywhere, but could not find him, and therefore came on that information might be sent to the police without delay, in order that they might proceed in search of the strangers and drive them away. Before returning home I found Mr Hayward, who, with Harry, has gone over to Ogilvie to give information of the blacks being in the neighbourhood."

"But what if they should come here while our husbands are away?"

exclaimed Mrs Berrington, trembling with alarm.

"I am here, and this slight hurt won't prevent me from defending you,"

exclaimed Paul, feeling not a little indignant at his aunt's remark, "and there are Reginald, and Hector, and Sandy, and the other men will be back before long."

"And _we_ can fight too," exclaimed Janet. "I know how to fire a pistol, so does Mary."

"What a fearful state of things!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Mrs Berrington.

"Oh, aunt, you'll soon get accustomed to it," said Janet, who often spoke very like Harry.

"I hope that we shall not be reduced to such extremities," said Aunt Emily. "But where are Reginald and Hector?"

"I saw Reginald at our hut; I told him to come on here in case he might be wanted, but as to Hector, I do not know where he is."

"Suppose he should be fishing by the river, and the blacks should find him. They may kill the poor boy," exclaimed Mrs Berrington.

Though Paul thought this more than possible, should Hector have gone to any distance, he tried to rea.s.sure his aunt, intending to go himself and try and find his cousin.

When, however, he attempted to move, he discovered that he could not do so without great pain and difficulty. He was thankful when Reginald came in, and Rob at the same time making his appearance, he sent the two off in search of Hector, warning them to keep away from any place which might conceal a lurking enemy. He then held a consultation with Mary and Janet, and arranged with them how they might best prepare the house for defence, should the blacks attack it. They all knew that there was not much real danger provided that they were not taken by surprise, as the natives, unaccustomed to the use of fire-arms, were sure to run away if st.u.r.dily withstood. He knew he could depend upon his two elder sisters, though he suspected that his cousins would not prove heroines.

The day wore on, the captain and his brother were not expected until late. Reginald and Rob had not returned from their search for Hector, and Sandy, whom they expected, had not yet made his appearance.

The sun set, and darkness came on; the girls agreed to watch in different directions, from whence they could command the approaches to the house. Biddy was naturally stationed at the kitchen end of the house, which looked towards the bush. Poor Mrs Berrington's alarm became greater and greater.

Mrs Hugh and her daughters were doing their best to keep her from fainting by the due application of sal volatile, though they themselves could scarcely restrain their own fears.

Suddenly a fearful shriek ran through the house; it came from Biddy.

Mary and Janet hurried round, shutting the doors opening on the verandah where they had been stationed, and rushed towards her.

"Sure, the nagers are coming! the nagers are coming!" they heard her again and again shriek out. She was, however, at her post at the door, but had thrown her ap.r.o.n over her head. Before closing the door, the courageous girls looked out to ascertain how far off the natives were from the house. There, sure enough, they saw three figures approaching with what looked like long spears in their hands.

"Arrah! come in, me darlin's, and don't let the nagers catch ye!"

shrieked Biddy.

"What's all that hullabaloo about?" exclaimed one of the figures, approaching, and Hector, and Reginald, and Rob came up to the door.

Biddy, however, who had stopped her ears as well as hid her face, still fancied that they were blacks, and continued shrieking as loudly as ever.

"Run, Rob, and tell mother and aunt that you have come back safe, while we try and bring this foolish girl to her senses," said Mary.

It was, however, some minutes before Biddy could be quieted, and a.s.sured by the sight of the young masters that it was they whom she had seen, and that no natives had shown themselves.