Chapter V.

Otago Witness, Issue 2286, 23 December 1897, Page 50

Chapter V.

We now return to Helen and May. The tea-hour came and went, but no Lionel Forrester, and as the time passed they became anxious. 14 Wfaat can have become of him, May ?" asked Helen. " I am afraid what to think," returned May seriously. "I suppose, finding it late, be is spending the night with Munro." " No, Helen, I am sure he would not do that," replied May. "He knows we have no one bere but poor old Nicbolls, and I heard Dad tell him to take care of ue. No, he would return if possible. lam afraid he has lost the track; he was so beastly cockeure 1" "Oh, well, he will find it again to-morrow," returned Helen tranquilly. "Mother of 'Moses 1" cried May, "it is easy to see you don't know what it ie to be bushed, Helen. Why, euro, if he is not found soon be is a gone coon I " " Nonsense I " cried HeleD, startled out of her indifference by May's vehemence. " You don't mean he will die ? Why, he is close j byl" " i " Yes, he may be now; but where will he j be to-morrow, if not found 1 Gud only knows J Perhaps 50 miles away from all help." " What shall w« do, Ma* p fi«nd old Nicholls to find him ? " " Nicbolls! No, the poor old man couldn't climb into the saddle 1 I must go myself, and with Jimmy to help me liiope we may find him —please God 1" " You will never go yourself, May J What, all alone with the black boy ? No woman could do it —it's cot ladylike, not proper." " Proper 1 " cried May »g«in. " What would you have me do ? Let him die in the bush because it's not proper for a Jady to ride after a youcg man ? " she added with ecorn, and then hastily left the room. In the early morning, as Boon as the waning moon had ripen, ehe saddled up her bonse, roused up Jimmy —who was most reluctant to quit his bed, and, indeed, was only induced to rise by threats of what the boss would do —and laden with rugs, tea, sugar, damper, and billy, she rode off towards Munro's hut. At daybreak, as soon as it was light enough to see the mark*, sbe and Jimmy wers at work alor g the edge of the treck to see where Forrester bad quitted it, but it was .not until come hours bad passed that they found his horse's trucks leading away into the busb^_Tnrning Jimmy's horse loose to fipd bis way home, they peeked a clow and tedious hour &r two following the spoor, until at length they reached the spot whs-re he had passed tbe night, "Here urn camp," faid Jimmy, pointing to a t-pot witli boof-marke all ronud it; " sit urn sol" suiting tbe action to tbe word, and theo he threw bimgelf down on the ground. " Wb«r.e «m go after, Jimmy ?" asked May . - " That way 'urn go," returned Jimmy, lnzily tLrmvicg a bit of slfck to *ho*r th# direction, j " Big f«ilotv foal that white maw,'' he added, yavfiiiDg. "Ouuef, jnmjp up, Jimmy* im ua& flfttch hinv

Bat Jimmy thought he bad done enough for one day. "Me big fellow hungry ; big fellow tired — no walk 'am," he said.

" Look 1 You catch 'urn white man, he give big fellow 'bacca ; no catch 'urn, boss give you big fellow stockwhip."

"Give 'urn me big fellow 'bacca ?" aeked Jimmy, ignoring the latter part of her sentence. " I find 'urn quick — qa'ck I " and rising once moze he began the tedious tracking. Presently he looked up and said, " Big fellow fool that white man ! See ! him gallop." And bo it was; the deeply-imprinted marks showed that Forrester had urged his horse to a gallop, thus making it more difficult to find him, as his followers could not move out of a walk. Fortunately for them, at the end of another hour or two Jimmy pointed to a spot where another track crossed the one they were following, showing that Forrester in his bewilderment had ridden in a circle. Quitting the former, they now followed the latter, and May felt more hopeful that. God would lead them to the poor wanderer. The horse's hoof marks showed that he was stumbling and weary, but they were fresher and fresher, until at last Jimmy i aid, " Got 'urn close now," and gave vent to a tremendous " cooee," which after a moment's interval was answered by a faint and distant echo. May's heart was lifted in joycus gratitude to God, and they quickly followed the sound, now and again cooeeing and receiving replies, thcugh in no case very loud ones. At length, on turning a clump of scrub, they came in sight of poor Forrester seated at the foot of a tall bluegum on the edge of a deep gully, from the bottom of .which could be heard the trickling Of a stream. As May cantered up two large ravens, or carrion crow?, rose from a dead branch of the tree and flapped lazily away. She threw herself off her horse by his side, when from his parched mouth and swollen tongue came tbe words : " God be thanked 1 How good of you, May I Oh, May 1 May I "—and he broke into hysterical sobs and tears. He had had no food nor even a drop of water *ince noon of the day before ; and it' was now evening. He had been ridipg — ridiDg with an Australian sun blazing on him all day, and his heart, from the fir^t full of anxiety and dietress, bad at last failed entirely, and hope had quite died within him. When he did come across water it was, though within hearing, quite beyond his reach in his weak and worn state. It was useless, he felt, to struggle any longer ; he must die — die alone, and his body possibly never be found by man. Hark! What is that? A caoee! And as far as his swollen and cracked lips would permit, he shouted back, yet still could hardly believe it true that friends were near; acd then, through bis red and bleared eyes, be saw May. She had never once entered bis thoughts. He had thought of bis prospects blighted — of Helen lost— at d the thought had added to the bitterness of death ; but of. Hay he had never thought, and yet hero she was, as an angel of light, oome to bis rescue, and then — then he broke down altogether. May hastened to give him a few -drops of weak brandy and water she had brought with her, and then bustled about to allow him time to recover himself. Sbe sent Jimmy off with the billy to fill with water from the cr,eek, gathered sticks and started a fire, on which the billy was placed to boil, and soon bad a bushman'a supper ready of muttoD, damper, and tea, with plenty of sugar in it. At length she once more approached Forrester. " Here you are, Mi- Fomster ; here is some tucker at last. Just dip your damper it) the tea and it will be softer for you. Yes, you must try and swallow it down. I know it hurtF, poolfellow ; but keep your pecker up, and by tomorrow you will be all right again/ No, don't talk ; I know what you would say. You are not strong enough for the lide home, and it is getting late, so we must just camp here for to-night. I have a rug for you. There, now, roll yourself up in it, put your head on your saddle, and enjoy a real busbman's night out."

The next mornjog May was up early and had the billy boiling, and after breakfast, as Forrester was better and stronger, they made a late start ; but, thanks to Jimmy's knowledge of the country, they found a more direct route co r» to arrive home during the afternoon.

As they rode up to the bouse Helen appeared on the verandah.

"So bere you are 1 Ob, May,. May I what onxiety you t have given me. How ooald you — could you ! Out all night, too. Where did you slee p, May 2 " ehe scolded.

"Sleep I " laughed May. " Why we camped in tbe bush after we found Mr Forrester."

" Found him I Of course you found him. Why did yon not come back, at pnee, Mr Forrester ? See the trouble you have brought. What will yonr father gay, May, when he bean you .have been out all eight in the bush ? " she queried half hysterically. » Why, lie will say ij was the only thica I could do under the circumstance*. 1 *

■ "Miss Mainwaring, I don't think you quite understand," put in Forrester gravely. " Miss Somers has saved my life. I was quite lost in the bush, and in a few hours I Bhould have lean a dead man. The crows knew this— there were two which followed me, waiting and expeoting me to die. They were sitting high up on the tree nnder which I was when Miss Somers found me, an<R none can tell my thankfulness when I saw them fly away with a disappointed caw. Then I knew I was saved from a horrible death." " From death ! " whispered Helen, horrified »nd quickly extending a band to each.