CHAPTER V.

NZ Truth, Issue 79, 22 December 1906, Page 7

CHAPTER V.

A GLIMPSE AT THE SUNKEN TREASURE SHIP-A SINGLE COMBAT AND ITS RESULT-A, WIFE'S REVENGE,

Day succeeded day with startling rapidity, but our hero got no .closer to the i place he had been told the wrecked vessel lay. He dare not confide his secret to anyone, as ho felt sure that, m spite of their general density, they all possessed sufficient cunning to pass the news on to any white person they might chance to meet, m hopes of it being profitable to themselves, and this would not "suit his book at all," as he intended to compensate himself for all the hardships be had endured by having the largest . share of tbe treasure himself. He felt quite satisfied m his own mind that what old. Ben had said was true, and somewhere near tbe •pot he had pointed out the remains or the vessel. would be found. . ...... . . But Harry had a great many hard nuts to crack yet. First of all, he bad to wait for a fine day, for when the slightest breeze was blowing he was unable to see beneath the surface of the water,' and it seemed to him as though a fine day would never come. Then be must, work his way out along tho reef alone, for fear, of any other person seeing as much an himself. If he could once sight the submerged ves i sel, he would be free to work his nest move witb confidence, and. that was to choose. a suitable opportunity, and at aU risks make for the settlement on the north point of the island, which, as far as ho could make out, was about 50 miles away, From what he bad ' seen of the blacks and their indolent- ways, be felt pretty sure Jhat tbe only one who would trouble to follow him would be Mullet, and if be got a whole night's start along the beach he did not think that even that "amiable nig." could cat'eh bim up m the distance, Harry knew that if the ship had struck tho reef m beavy weather she would most likoly be broken up entirely, and nothing visible left. This would make tbe search a very difficult matter under existing conditions. On the other ha/nd, if , she bad oome upon, the reef "end on." while sailing "free," there was a chance that the vessel might have been sunk "standing," without time to break up, m which case • great portion cf the hull would be left bolding together, and tbe gold much more easily located. ' > ' The probabilities were, that 'afc tbe lump ©f gold be had m his possession bad become detached from the main bulk, 'md afterwards rolled up ou tho shore, the wssel would have been broken into fragments; but he knew that many of the aboriginals were bold divers,, and. he was also aware that the fathers, of the. men

now living were much more adventurous

than their sons, as they were practically ! wild and untrammelled, and had • not been contaminated and enervated by contact with "mean whites." There was one more idea which often crossed our hero's mind as" he laid at night almost naked, huddled up under a bush, but ho would not allow his thoughts to dwell upon it The lump might not be gold, and the whole ideas of the wreck only the creation of a diseased imagination. One morning, when the sun rose,. the sea was dead calm, and our sailor waited m a fever of impatience for the tide to fall Biifficiently for him to get a footing along the slippery reef. All the men were out hunting except one; but that one was his a\ch enemy, Mullet, who kept "the captive" well ' m sight VAt last tho tide receded far enough to leave a line of reef visible, and as Harry's impatiencq would brook no further delay, he. started and crawled from 1 rock to, rock until he feaohed the end' of the reef. Here he stopped aotid gazed lbijg and earnestly into the clear depths of water below; but nothing could be seen but a long black rock, which seemed to project at a right angle from the main reef, which latter reached from the sandy shore m a direct line seaward. The white bottom wasclear and distinct, evidently about 60ft. from the surface of the still, glassy ocean. He could see fish moving about m all directions, . also broken shells, and

beautiful clusters of coral; but nothing iio guide him towards the end he had m view.

' After gazing for some time he turned to work his way inward, when somethinsr caught his eye which made him. pause and look still more intently into the gently pulsating waters. That "something" was the long black rock I have previously mentioned, and which now seemed- to the solitary spectator to be out of place. How could such a peculiarly-formed" mass have got into such a position? The longer he looked the more certain he became that this was nothing more or less than the remains of the vessel he was looking for. There were no. signs' of masts or spars of any kind; everything but the massive, hull deemed' to have been washed away," and that lay m a perfectly' upright position, half embedded .m the. sand, with her deck 3 burst open and hatches and bulwarks completely destroyed. Long streamers of floating, tangled, seaweed were attached to the vessel's side, as also were barnacles and other shells; while myriads of small fish played m and out of ,an im- i inonse hole which had been rent m the bow, by the impact of wood against rock, for they must have come together with terrific force.

Eureka! At last, after weeks of weary waiting, and hardships, and dangers which ia.ll. to few men's lot, Harry saw • what he felt sure would mean wealth to him, laying at his feet, and he leaned b&ck against the moss-grown rocks, and allowed his 'im-. agination full play. '

Now he would clear out, and, while carefully keeping his secret, find a partner who would put up the necessary capital to recover the treasure, which undoubtedly was snugly hidden m the shapeless heap which he was looking at so intently be' neath the glossy sea. No more sea-going after this. Ha would settle down after marrying the "very best girl, m all the troTld," who was now waiting for. him. Be would also—

Thud just a single blow on the back of his head 'from a nulla which the crafty Mullet held m his hand, and Harry's day dreams were over, and he dropped, a senseless heap into the broad bosom of tbe South Pacific Ocean. "Ugh," grunted the black. "That a d good hit, anyway. No fear white pfellnr' fetchum pieeee, now. Debbie, Debbie got 'im, sure 'nough." But he hadn't. It is a vei*y . difficult thing to kill a _ilor with one hit, %nd Harry was no exce-ption to the rule. No .'looner had he baoomo thoroughly u»vmersed m the ooid water iltfin lm Mtfisea

returned, and tbe instinct of self-preser-vation impelled him to strike out witb all his strength for the shore. He was a bold swimmer, and, despite tho giddiness m bis head, caused by the blow, bad as many lives as a cat m him yet. .

Ho realised his danger fully, and knew perfectly well that the moment he landed Mullet would return to the attack; but ho was not a bit afraid; so be swam leisurely towards a grove of mangrove bushes, knowing that the blackfellow would try and prevent bim landing, and for that purpose was creeping along the reef as quickly as be could go.

No thought of avoiding tbe conflict crossed our hero's mind ; his spirit was now thoroughly roused; he had stood quite enough from Mullet, and the tiuie had at ut last arrived when they were to know once for all who was "best man." He did not for a moment lose sight of the fact, that the coming fight would be decisive: either Mullet must go under, or be should.

In the meanwhile Harry was quietly making for a place where he could land-^-in ii thick mangrove scrub. He knew that it would take Mullet some time to scramble through. This would both put hi7n out of breath and out of temper, and give him less of a handicap, besides which, the Sailor knew that m a scrub he would be m no danger from a flying nullah, or boomerang, so after leaving the water he sat down on a lag to recover his breath " and await the arrival of his enemy. He knew Mullet well enough to be sure that he would rush into the fray without calculating chances.

When Mullet arrived ad tbe place where Harry was waiting he was thoroughly out of breath with the exertion he bad gone through m dragging himself across the tangled undergrowth. No doubt he did think that tho white man would be more or .less dazed from the effect of the blow he had received, but m this the blackfellow was mistaken.

The two men were quickly "m holds," the black grinning with delight, for at least bis enemy was m his bands to do as he liked witb, and ho pressed Harry back on a stump and swung round his right arm, m which be held the spiked "nullah" which had already done bim such good service, but beforo be could get his blow home the position was reversed, and Mullet found to his astonishment and dismay that be had tackled a "snag," who was a past master m the art of 1 wrestling, and would require a lot of beating. Well the black knew that if his opponent succeeded m throwing him he would never let him 'up again, co he suddenly did tbe only thing which could have got him free from tbe "iron-bound" arms which were closing round bim like a vice, and which Harry, who had been brought up m a school of fair play, never dreamt about. Mullet twisted his head and seized one of the sailor's wrists between his immense teetli, crushing tbe small bones like so many twigs, then suddenly raising his knee he struck Harry fairly m tne pit of tho stomach witb it, and knocked him backwards over tbe mangrove stump. The now infuriated black rushed at his fallen foe and caught him round the neck with both bands, when

"Crack!"— the report of a revolver shot rang out sharp and clear, and Mullet's right arm dropped to his side helpless. "Bail up, you black swine, or I'll drop you m your tracks!" and the police sergeant from Maryborough appeared with a smoking revolver m his hand, closely followed by' the other troopers. This was enough for Mullet, so he "threw up the sponge," and quietly submitted to be handcuffed and dragged out into the open. On arriving there he was spread out on the sand and' securely legironed. Harry managed to struggle 1 out unaided, although he was sorely bruised and strained, m addition to which his left wrist was completely disabled through the severe bite he had received.

"What're you interferin' with me for?" inquired Mullet. "Why don't you take the white pfella? He no b good, I think it." '

"Don't you worry about iihe white fellow. We'll fix him up by and bye," said Sergeant Kean. "In the meantime I charge you, Mullet, with the wilful murder of John Brookbank, at Kerribee Flat, on the sixteenth pf_ May last, and I caution you that anything you now say may be used as evidence against you."

The native said nothing, but changed color from dirty black to dusky yellow, and his teeth chattered, while his head swung from side to side like that of a wounded animal. • ■ .

Suddenly ft black woman carrying an infant m her arms rushed down the sandy bank, and taking up a position m front of the manacled prisoner, she hissed out with the voice of a fury: , .

"Ah, you rotten black trash ! The pieeee have got you at last! Who put 'em on tiie track? I did— see— me!" and striking her breast frantically Agnes dropped tho screaming child to the ground. ' "You 'ammered me an' thought I'd forget it. I'm a Tamna woman, I am, an' don't forget. Look here, you black dog, if they don't hang you I'll kill you myself. D — n you, I'll do it now !" and picking up a stone with both hands, she brought it down on the helpless pan's head with fuii force. > One of the troopers pulled tho woman back and flung her to one side, and then examined the victim, expecting to find that it had about finished him. But Mullet simply rubbed his head, glaring fiercely at his new enemy, while the glitter of his eyes, and nervous twitching of his hands, showed that if circumstances compelled him to keep silent he thought a great deal. "By the great horn spoon it's a mighty good job that bit of metal hit him on the napper. If it .had struck any other part of his body he'd a-been oorpsed," said a stalwart policeman who was standing by. "Yes," replied the sergeant, who tb i told Agnes to "Clear out} you've 3 enough mischief. I've no use for a woman who gives her husband up to be hanged." But the virago bad not done yet; she wanted a more complete revenge for the years of ill-usage she had suffered at the hands of her husband. If she had been an aboriginal woman it is probable that she would not even have known that he had ill-used her, but being a South Sea Inlander she resented to the utmost what she thought was exceptionally bad treatment. Seoing him borne off by the police did not suit her; it was too slow; she wanted to do him some .injury with her own hands, and sbe glared like a wild beast and hissed like a venomous reptile. ~While this was going on the child was tugging at her ragged shirt and begging to be lifted into her arms. She paused and looked at it, and when the fact seemed to strike her that the child was his, she stooped dawn, and seizing the boy by one ankle whirled him round her head with the strength of a nianisc, and dashed his brains out on the sharp edge of a rock, and then east tho dead body from her. "TLare, you b— — ! Look at your kid now!" she shrieked. "I wish I had twenty more all tho same. -I'd kill'em all like that!" and with another. howl of rage she rushed into the bush and was never seen again. But tha* place is "taboo" and tatuntadi vreai usto thia iay.

It took some time for tbe spectators to recover from the shock caused by these proceedings. Harry was tbe first to realise the situation, and he dropped on his knees beside the lifeless child and cbaf ed its bands, but ifc was of no use; tho spirit ltad fled to that place "wheTe tbe wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest."

The good-hearted troopers buried tbe child m tbe sand, while the unhappy father's frame shook witb convulsive . sobbing as be lay face downward on the ground. With all his faults tbe blackfellow loves bis children, even as the white man loves bis— perhaps more— for bis wife and picaninnies are bis sole possessions on earth, and be is always from birth to death a homeless wanderer, with every man's band against bim.

Some such thoughts as these crossed Harry's mind as he assisted m laying tbe little one m his last home, and he would have given up all he hoped to possess if the last hour could have been lived over a£oin; he might at least have saved tho child. To the day of his death he mourned the lost opportunity.

Ah me! How many of us are free from these pangs of conscience! The word said, or the deed done m haste, or perhaps the word left unsaid, or the deed undone. But tbe chance never occurs again, and perhaps— our house is left unto us desolate.

The extemporary funeral over, our friend had time to think of his arm, which had been severely wounded by Mullet's teetli, so he asked one of the troopers to give him something to serve as a bandage, which was at once done. Then the sergeant's attention was called to the fact that -there was an extra white man present. If. he was a white man— for ' the sailor presented a truly deplorable appearance. ■- -

"With long matted hair and beard of over a month's growth, deep sunken eyes, and gaunt, hungry-looking face, his head and the upper part Of his body were entirely without covering, while his apology for. trousers had *only one leg, and that did not reach .. to the knee, whiie "Irish pennants" hungvfrom, them "fore and aft." Truly he looked a person whom j. policeman might easily suspect of anything — from unlawfully being m a "pub" on '..Sim? day to murder. .. .. '' ... ;...";'_ ■ ■..-

"What the dickens are you?". asked the sergeant. "White, black, or brindled?'*. "I'm a white man.". ■ •-. , i "Are you? Well, if I'd been betting I should have laid my money the • other way." -,-"; ' --, . •.■.-•: The. officer was puffing serenely at a welleeasonpd briar pipe, while clouds of smoke ' ascended gracefully ' from his mouth, filling our hero's sense of smell ' with the de-" liciotis perfume, and at tbe same time fill* ing his mind with envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness, for he had hot been able to obtain a "draw of the. fragrant weed" since his arrival on the island.

"Give me a smoke of tobacco, and I'll tell you all about it."

"Right oh{" and me sergeant produced a cake of "i^yrd" and a knife, while another trooper^? after knocking the ashes out of bis pipe on the beel of his boot, handed it over to the "derelict," and told him to "Smoke away, old chap, and keep tbe pipe; I shan't want it again. I should have thought a good wash was more m your Ime."

Harry lost no time getting the pipe "under weigh," after which he told his tale, only omitting the part about the sunken ship, for he did not intend to share with a lot of "land-lubbers," not he.

"Well, you've had a right down bad time .of it," said Sergeant Kean, when, he had finished. "You had better come across the island with us. There is a small steamer waiting at Bogimbafi. f 'dare say we shall be able to tog you .up among us. You can tell your tale to 1 the postmaster m Maryborough ; he's a right down good sort, and will fix you up aU right; But before we start just tell, me if there's a blackf ellow hanging about here who answers to the name of Bendigo. If he's not here we needn't trouble to look for him, but if he is we'll just take him with his mate Mullet, as they're wanted for the same job."

"Look here,' sergeant! I'm a-shipwreck-ed sailor, and one of the poorest Hle<n m the wide world at present, but I'm hot an informer. I've lived with these poor wretches over a month, and I've eaten their tucker. Excepting one man, they have all been kind to me m their way, and I will say or do nothing that will bring more trouble /unong them. No — you will have to do your work without my help." f

"All right, mate. Don't* get excited. I only asked you as a matter of form, and, without meaning to, you've answered me. If Bendigo was not here you would have sa : .d so, instead of treating us to a long lecture on man's duty to man, etc." Then turning to his comrades the -sergeant added: "You Wilson and Stone can come back here after we've put Mr. Mullet oh the boat and pick up Bendigo. It won't be a long job; just catch the first blackfellow you see, and give him a job tracking. Amy of them would track his own father down, for a shilling."

This might have been Sergeant Kean's honest opinion, but it is not that of the writer. As a matter pf fact it took half a dozen police over two months to capture Bendigo, and then he was not given up, but fairly run down by white men. Judas Iscariot was not an Australian black; m fact, it is very long qdds he was not a colored man at all. "Honi soit gui mal y pense."