Part 2 (1/2)
As riding on, in advance of the dray, they reached the door, a stout, hearty-looking old gentleman came out to meet them, and welcomed them in the most cordial manner Their horses were quickly unsaddled and turned into a paddock, and they themselves conducted into the house, and introduced to the members of the family as late arrivals from the old country All welcomed them; and they were soon seated at a well-covered supper-table, surrounded by the various iners were surprised to find that the letter of introduction they brought had not been read, and that the kindness they were receiving was quite independent of anything that ht be said in their favour It was not till the next day that the old Mr Prentiss alluded to it ”We received you, young gentleht howfrom injury, if not death, those so dear to reed that their ”lines had fallen to them in pleasant places” They were treated as reatest consequence to the settlers, they were shown all the operations taking place on the far they saw, they rapidly acquired a sufficient knowledge of agriculture and of the ement of sheep and cattle, as practised in Australia, to enable theland, to co on their own account
While, however, they were in search of a station to suit theentleement of a sheep and cattle farhbourhood, as we measure distances in this country,” he re Gilpins that they should accept the post ”You will be allowed to keep a proportion of sheep and cattle on your own account, and receive wages for looking after those of your eain in both ways You will find also an established systeood one, tiladly find you ee It was hoped, I believe, that one of reed to accept the offer
CHAPTER THREE
The Gilpins no longer felt like newly arrived i, the station of which they had undertaken charge They were far, however, fro their eence and perseverance for their want of experience, and Mr Prentiss assured the well Sa good wages froht be allowed to accoive hi by this tihly trustworthy servant in Australia, they were very glad to accept his offer They, as well as Sam, had been furnished with excellent horses; and, much to his own satisfaction as well as theirs, Larry Killock was sent with a light cart to convey their luggage and various luxuries, which had been provided through the kindness of Mrs Prentiss A native black, partly civilised, and able to speak broken English, accouide, and formed the fifth person of this party He either travelled in the cart or ran on foot beside it
”I should think that very few settlers begin a life in the bush with so es as we possess,” observed Arthur, as he rode on with his brother, a little ahead of the cart; ”we appear to have jumped over all difficulties, and to have arrived at a point which many only reach after years of toil”
”I am not quite certain that it will prove to our pere,”
answered Jaun as we proposed, and worked our way upward; we should the better be able to encounter difficulties or ru; ”we shall have plenty to do, depend on that”
There was no great variety of scenery in that part of the country over which they travelled, but for the want of it the beauty of the climate, and the sense of present freedoe they ht have performed the journey in three days, but with the cart, twenty or, at the ot over in the day Even supposing that they could have found their way alone, it would not have been altogether safe to leave the cart without protection Bushrangers were occasionally, though rarely, heard of, and would probably, if they fell in with the cart,off with it, and perhaps ht also pillage the cart, and most probably kill poor Larry
Larry had been entertaining Sam Green with an account of the depredations coone days of the colony, when the dick Turpins, who had obtained a short-lived celebrity on the highway of Old England, laid the settlers in this new land under contribution; and the white stockmen shot down the black natives with as little coaroos; the blacks, in retaliation,the the wide-mouthed interest created by his narratives, went on till poor Saain They were crossing a wide plain, with a light soil thickly covered with grass A cloud of dust was seen to the right of the direction in which they were travelling; it increased in extent, and rose higher and higher
”Be theht
”If the ones, ular, pounding sound was heard, and at length dark for from the cloud of dust--a few first, and thenthe on and belloith ht and main Horsemen appeared on either side, like officers on a parade, and with their long whips, which they kept on cracking like pistol-shots, they kept order aalloped round fro back any beast which showed an intention of straying away, their dogs sagaciously rendering the at the heels of the ani the of the cattle and the tra of their whips, the barking of the dogs, the dust froround, and the stea tails, they tore onwards, jostling each other in their course, their sharp horns lowered for the charge, the approaching herd appeared like so on to meet their foes in battle To draw up out of their as impossible, and the travellers soon found themselves surrounded by the herd; the creatures, however, turned their horns aside, while the shape of their own heads and the width of their backs prevented the them into their coly confused way in which they were hurrying on The herd had passed, when two of the principal drivers, who, in spite of their rough dress and hair-covered countenances, appeared to be gentlemen, drew up and saluted the Gilpins with ”Good day, friends; whither bound?”
”To Warragong, to take charge of the station,” said Jaers; ”you will have no easy task, I take it A sad scoundrel has had theonce employed hiets about hiers informed them that they were bound south to the Port Philip district, where there was a great de, the parties agreed to cales erected, and the pots were soon boiling, while the quicklymeal None of the party, however, could keep their seats by the fire long, without being often summoned to their feet, and so bullocks It see as to drive them forward, but neither master nor men were disconcerted; they rushed here and there with shout and song and laughter, till they had brought back the straying cattle, and then they sat down by the fire, or rolled the had happened The Gilpins were sorry to part from their new friends, whose frank, heartybeen discussed, they rode off in opposite directions
”Not pleasant inforht,” said Arthur ”What can we do?”
”Wait events,” answered his brother; ”forewarned is forearh it will be necessary to advise Green not to trust to any of the men, so as to be led into mischief by thegerated”
Travelling in Australia has its disagreeables as well as its agreeables: there are heavy rains and fogs and sharp winds in winter; and in suing insects, flying, and crawling, and hopping, and dust and s trees, and want, at ti these occasional drawbacks, so delightful is the perfect freedoeneral healthfulness of the clireatly preponderate
The brothers had expected to reach the station in the afternoon, but an accident to the cart caused soht Their black guide, however, assured the country was tolerably level and easy, and that as there were certain woods he kneell, and a river on the other side, they could not h it becaan to wish that they had camped at the usual hour
Suddenly, as they reached the confines of a wood, their horses snorted and started, and refused to proceed--those in the cart very nearly upsetting it by turning rapidly round; and, had not Saalloped off in an opposite direction Directly afterwards, a bright light burst forth from the wood and a spectacle appeared sufficient to make even a stout heart, with any tendency to superstitious feelings, treht, appeared, flitting in and out, so their bony arreatest rapidity into every conceivable attitude Now they disappeared in the darkness, now again they darted into light; round and round they went, now see into the air, and often turning head over heels All the ti dancers The Gilpins could scarcely help fancying themselves under some delusion They rubbed their eyes
”What is it?” exclaimed Arthur ”Horrible! most horrible! Do you see the skeletons?”
”Indeed I do,” answered his brother; ”but such things cannot be--are not--at all events”
Saed with the horses; he now came up to the point where the hideous spectacle was visible, and no sooner did his eyes rest on it than he exclaimed, ”Run, squires, run! If it was mortal foes I'd stick by ye; but that's more than any mortal man can dare to face Oh! this is a terrible country, where the people cannot lie quiet in graves, butabout without any flesh on their bones”