The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 146

We answered back that we were ready, and dashed forward just as the ruffians had decided that to hang the woman would be a more pleasant spectacle than to burn her.

"Hurrah for Ireland," shouted Mike, springing into the clearing where the enemy were encamped.

The bushrangers were so taken by surprise that they had no chance to gain possession of their weapons, or to beat a retreat. One fellow, when he saw us emerge from the bushes, drew his knife and struck at Mike; but it was the last blow that he ever made, for the enraged Irishman shortened his spear, so that he could use it to more advantage, and then drove it through the body of his opponent, and from the squirming wretch's back protruded the barbed point. The fellow threw his arms wildly over his head, and fell to the ground, and with his last breath cursed his slayer and the whole of mankind.

There was not much for us to do, although every man present, including the two natives, performed the limited part a.s.signed with fidelity and despatch.

The ghost, whose true English instincts would not allow him to be outdone by Mike, made the welkin ring with shouts for England and himself at the grand charge, and then had deliberately knocked down the most burly of the robbers, and placed his foot upon his breast, and hold him there until the melee was ended.

Of course, the other robbers were easily disposed of, for we were two to one; but even after we had them securely pinioned, they taunted us with cowardice, and dared us to meet them in open fight, where they could stand some chance for their lives. Their complaints were unheeded, although Mike and the ghost both expressed a wish to meet two of the men, and give them fair play, according to the well-known rules of the prize ring of London, of which inst.i.tution the shepherd professed to have vast admiration. The idea was not to be thought of, and the two champions were discontented.

The women had remained spectators of the scene without offering to escape, for they knew into whatever hands they fell they could not be treated much worse than they had been, and just at the moment we made our appearance a change was quite desirable.

I thought that once I heard the shrill voice of Nancy raised in thanksgiving to the Lord for the rescue, and the death of the bushranger, but was so busy at the moment that I did not pay much attention.

"Ladies," said Mr. Wright, "we have rescued you from your unpleasant company, and I shall take great pleasure in offering you a portion of my house until you can make arrangements to join your friends. My name is Wright, and I reside but a short distance from this fording place."

"I told you we should meet with some of old Wright's folks," grumbled Bill, who was extended upon the ground, his hands secured behind his back.

"Yes, you scamp, I am 'old Wright,' as you termed me, and believe me, I never felt prouder of the name than at this moment, when I have helped rescue the women from your clutches, and feel that there is a chance of seeing you hanged."

"G.o.d be praised," cried Nancy; "we have met with Christians at last.

When men speak of the gibbet, I know that they have served the Lord and will fight the devil. To-night you have fought four devils instead of one, and like angels have overcome them."

"Do you hear that, Bill? The old wench calls Wright an angel," exclaimed one of the scamps, turning his head towards his companion as well as he was able.

"If we had him on the mountain we would make an angel of him d----d quick, by singeing off his hair," replied the fellow addressed as Bill.

"Who is the woman by your side?" Mr. Brown asked Nancy.

"Ah, poor thing, she was on her way to the mines with her husband, when these devils set upon us, killed the men, and made us prisoners. If my old man had been there it wouldn't have happened, I know," was Nancy's confident reply.

"Why so?" I asked.

"Because he can lick half a dozen such cowards as these, and one glance of his eye would have been sufficient to have frightened them."

"That is so, Nance," laughed one of the prisoners; "he is frightfully cross-eyed, and as homely as a hedgehog."

"The Lord be thankful for it, for I know that if his eyes are not right his heart is."

"Keep your remarks to yourself," said Mr. Wright, sternly, addressing the prostrate man; but that they had no intention of doing, for, like all desperadoes, they were determined to appear "game" to the last.

"Don't you think, master, dear, that I'd better string 'em on me spear like herring? 'Twould save a dale of trouble," asked Mike.

"That death would be too easy for them. They must die on the gallows,"

Mr. Wright said, impressively.

"And how do you know which is the easiest, old c.o.c.k?" demanded Bill.

"Was you ever hung for sheep stealing, or skewered for house breaking?"

"Pay no attention to them, sir," Nancy exclaimed. "They are demons from the other world, and will soon be at home."

"Amen," piously e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the ghost.

We managed, after some little persuasion, to get the women upon their feet, and inspire them with energy enough to undertake the journey to the house.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Don't harm her!" exclaimed the younger woman, removing her hands from her face, and endeavoring to shelter the person of her companion; but the bushrangers were regardless of her entreaties, and pushed her aside with rudeness.]

As for the horses and the dead bushranger, we left them at the ford until morning, when Mr. Wright proposed to send men out to bury the one, and secure the others, and, if possible, return them to their owners.

As we walked along, Nancy related to me the adventures which she had encountered since leaving Melbourne. She was an old campaigner in Australia, and was on her way to Tares Creek to join her husband, who had been mining in that location ever since gold was first discovered.

He had intrusted her with a few hundred pounds to visit the city and purchase provisions and articles of daily use sufficient to last them through the wet season, and she had performed her mission, and instead of waiting for one of the regular freighting teams to take her to the creek, she had engaged pa.s.sage with two miners, one of whom had his wife with him, and who owned a pair of horses and a wagon. Luckily Nancy had left her goods in the city, with orders to forward them by the freight wagons, so that she lost nothing personally, even if the ruffians did search her person, disbelieving her a.s.sertion that she was dest.i.tute of money and valuables.

The bushrangers had ambushed the party and shot them at their leisure, and did the business as coolly and with as much indifference as though the poor fellows had been sheep, and the ruffians hungry and in want of mutton. They didn't seem to think that they had done a cruel action; and when the younger female, whose name was Betsey Trueman, shed bitter tears at her loss, the brutes jested at her grief, and promised to supply his place with a fresher and more active husband. They couldn't understand why a woman should mourn for one man when there were others ready to take his place.

"The onfeeling wretches," Nancy said, concluding her story, "they had the impudence to put their hands not only in Betsey's pocket, but mine, too. I boxed the puppy's ears, and he had to bear it, although he did draw his knife and threaten to cut me to pieces. I wish that my old man had been there when he made the attempt. He would have broken every bone in his body, and then tore him limb from limb."

"That would have been rather a cruel fate," I remarked, somewhat amused at her eulogistic description of her husband's strength.

"Well, he could do it," was her confident answer, and I have no doubt that she thought so.

We reached the bend of the stream, where we had crossed an hour before, without accident, for the moon was s.h.i.+ning full and bright, but when we intimated to our prisoners that it was desirable that they should wade through the water, which already began to subside, they doggedly refused, and all our urging was useless. They feared that we intended to drown them; and even when we sent Kala to the other side of the creek to prove that the water was not deep, they still remained sulky and obstinate.

"Let me argue the point wid 'em," Mike said, appealing to Mr. Wright, who reluctantly gave his consent.

"Step up, ye divils, the Irishman shouted, applying his sharp-pointed spear to the sides of the most obstinate robber.

"Go to the devil, you Irish bogtrotter!" was the reply.

"Did ye hear him, master, dear, call me names? O, that the ruffians should abuse a dacent lad, who has worked night and day for the paraties that he ates, and the meat that he drinks."

"Whiskey, more like," grunted Bill.

"I'll whiskey ye, ye devils; start at once, or by St. Patrick I'll drive ye into the water like the holy man did the toads and snakes--long life to him."

Still the ruffians held back, and swore roundly, that they would not stir, unless carried across the stream; and at this display of obstinacy, Mike lost all mercy.

"Ye won't go, hey?" he shouted, bringing his spear fair against the broadest portion of one of the bushranger's bodies; "of coorse ye won't move, hey?"

As he spoke, he pressed harder and harder, but the ruffian stood his ground remarkably well, although he must have suffered considerably.

"Is that one of the poisoned spear points?" Mr. Brown asked, carelessly.

"Of coorse it is," replied Mike, promptly, seeing the pertinence of the question.

"You Irish thief, do you mean to say that the spear is pisened?"

demanded the robber, eagerly.