Chapter VI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2287, 30 December 1897, Page 42

Chapter VI.

Continued.)

The hours passed slowly until it was 4 p.m., and tben the blacks began to stir. They gathered together, talking and gesticulating, and then with spears and waddies in hand they opened out so as to approach the house from three sides. The defenders watched their movements carefully, a^d were prepared to give them a warm reception, when suddenly they were seen first to stop, and then with loud cries turn and fly towards the river belt, the only cover in the neighbourhood.

Aa the beseiged looked wonderingly at each ether, loud shouts and the cracks of stockwhips were, heard, followed shortly by the cracks of revolvers, and half a dozen horsemen.at full speed were seen chasing the blacks into the busb. Hugh Someis and Captain Mainwaring rode straight for the house, and in 'a few minutes both girls were in their fathers' arms ; but for a minute only, for as soon as they were satisfied that all was well they were off again. The blacks were hunted for mileF, one or two being shot as an example, but the greater part psrmitted to escape into the bush, never to show their I faces again at Tawoomba. When it was all over May asked : " How did you find M'Donald, dad ? " " Oh, he was all right. The blacks never ! attacked him at all; they speared a few sheep and tben pushed on here. I fancy it was Jimmy they were after. I know he killed one of the tribe about a year ago, and they want to kill him in return. Bat they won't forget the lesson they have had in a hurry." "You don't mean to say my friend Jimmy is a murderer 1 " exclaimed Captain Mainwaring. " Well, he would hardly look on it in that light. Bat I'll tell you what I know about it. It is now some years since Jimmy first attached himself to Tawoomba, and except for occasional jaunts' into the bush he has been here ever since. You know that when the spirit movos him a black must discard bis trousers and jumper and return to his native state until, tired of no work and hard living, he once more elects to do a little work for regular meals. However, all was well until about 18 months ago, when I saw a couple of blacks prowling round, and was about to hunt them away when Jimmy caught sight of them. I saw the meeting, j and it astonished me not a little. They collared him, and after a wrestling match they got him down, but before I could reach them I saw that it was all right, and that their greeting was evidently quite understood by Jimmy. All three started the most unearthly howls, then danced round each other, again finishing off with a wrestle. I watched them for some time, and then called for Jimmy and asked who they were. He said j they were men of his own tribe who had been on the lookout for him — that they had news to tell him : his brother was dead. He had got on to the land of the Woodang tribe, had been caught poaching, and bad got a rap on the head from a waddy which stopped his poaching for good. Well, I told him to take his friends to the store and get some mutton and flour for them, and thought no more about it. The next ur>rnsng I found that Jimmy had gone off with his friends, and that was the last I saw of him for nearly six months. He had never been away so long before, and I came to the conclusion that the attractions of tribe life were too great for him and he would never don trousers any more. Oae day I saw a miserable-looking devil crawling up to the house, and this was my friend Jimmy. He was thin and emaciated, dirty and weary, but said he wanted to come back to work. I asked where he had been and what be had been doing, and with some reluctance he told me that he had been in the Woodang country hidiDg and following the tribe about, fearful of killing anything for food lest his presence should be detected, and living on grubs and fruit such as he could find ; that at last his opportunity had come — he had followed one of the tribe until he was far away from the others ; had stolen behind him and given him a whack on the head with his waddy ; and then having avenged his brother's death his duty was done, and he had come back. For a long time I had been fearful that his presence might bring the Woodangs about us ; but as they never turned up I concluded that they did not care to follow up Jimmy into white men's ground. But I was wrong, you see. By the bye, Forrester, who shot the big fellow we found dead in the verandah 1 " And then the whole story had to be told.

" Well, Forrester, that was a new chnm trick to open the shutter I Why, man, do you know that my little girl there saved your life. In another minute that big buck nigger would have had another spear into you." " Ye's, I know, Mr Somers," said Lionel gravely, "and I shall never forget what I owe her," he added as he took her hand and raised it to his lips.

" Nonsense, it was nothing," she answered, flushing scarlet as she withdrew her hand, whilst Forrester gazed silently on her flashing cheeks and pondered her courage and modesty.