silently the two men clasped hands. mackay could not trust himself to speak, so strong was his emotion at meeting his old leader in the flesh after having given him up as dead for over a year.
"yes, i knew you would come, jim," repeated richard bentley, the explorer, "and month after month i have watched for you on the mountain-top, hoping yet fearing for your coming."
"but the bones?" murmured mackay, questioningly. "i—saw—the bones?"
bentley smiled. "i wouldn't have thought it of you, jim," he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "but i see you must have fallen into the error you used to preach so much against. where were your powers of observation? i am sure you would have known the difference between camels' bones and human bones if you had examined them. but i know how you must have felt, old man, and i don't wonder at your mistake at such a terrible moment. they burnt the camels, jim, because they could never take them through the passage in the mountain——"
"whaur is ma auld enemy?" roared an interrupting voice, and a lithe figure in savage habiliments spun into the[pg 343] midst of the group, blowing tempestuously. the impetus of his flight down the steep hillside was only brought to a close when he bounced against mackay like a weighty stone from a catapult.
"i kent it was you! i kent it was you!" he cried, in honest delight; "i couldna mistak' that sweet visage o' yours even though it's half changed its colour."
"stewart, you red-heided rascal, you've knocked the wind clean oot o' me," replied mackay, sternly, shaking his aggressor's hand nevertheless with hearty warmth. "i might have known that nothing could have killed you."
two others now pressed up, their sun-tanned and bearded features fairly glowing with delight. they were phil, the geologist, and pioneer bill, the bushman of bentley's party, and their joy at seeing their lost comrade again was affecting in its sincerity.
emu bill was the next to approach. "i knew you wouldn't be long after me, mac," he said, "but i'm blowed if i expected you to bounce through so sudden. bentley, here, mesmerized the nigs that scooped me in, or i should have been dead meat by this time. they seemed mighty unwilling to let me go, all the same, an' i was a bit anxious 'bout your reception, i was."
meanwhile bob stood a little way apart, his heart filled with gladness at the happy reunion. jack and the shadow were calmly leaning on their rifles, and keeping a watchful glance on the old chief, who in turn was eyeing the boys with a smile on his wrinkled countenance. about a hundred yards behind him his massed warriors stood, silent and grim.
"i reckon we should go an' wash the filthy black off our faces," said the shadow to jack; "it feels mighty[pg 344] uncomfortable, it does." then he gazed at his companion in surprise. "why," he cried, "you're face is marked like the bars o' a cage. what has you been doin' to it?"
jack laughed. "i had forgotten that we ought to be black," said he, "or i could have told you that yours was like the moon under partial eclipse."
"and how about mine?" asked bob.
"clean washed off," answered jack. "but look at mackay; isn't his a treat? it's striped like the zebra in a circus."
mackay heard the remark, and put up his hand to his cheek. "well, well," he said, in disgust, "here i was fancyin' myself to be black as the ace o' spades. no wonder the niggers thought there was something no' right about our get-up. it must have been the water dripping from the roof o' the passage." then he turned to bob. "it's a good thing we passed that last batch inside the tunnel, bob."
bob nodded gravely, then discarded his cumbersome robe, and straightened out his sinewy form with a sigh of relief.
"now, boys," said mackay, quietly, addressing himself to bentley and his comrades, "i want to introduce to you my three young comrades, who have stuck by me on a journey that has tried the nerves and beaten some o' the finest explorers who ever tackled the desert. come forward, shadow, an' you, jack—a pair o' reckless young rascals, true as steel, an' without fear——"
"i say, boss," protested the shadow, "do let me have a scrimmage wi' a nigger or two, just to show how brave i really is. i is just burstin' wi' bravery——"
jack at this stage dragged him aside.
[pg 345]
"and you, bob," continued mackay, and his voice unconsciously became softened, "what can i say for you? only this, my lad, that without you this expedition would never have reached the mountain. to you belongs a' the credit that my auld friends here shower upon me——"
"no, no," broke in bob, hastily; "it is just like you to say so, but i'll not allow it. i was only the navigator under your supervision."
mackay placed his hand on the youth's shoulder. "bob," he said gently, "i have a confession to make. i'll admit that i ken how to handle a sextant an' read the vernier, but beyond that i canna go. i wasna able to check your observations, my laddie, but i was afraid to tell you before, lest it might make you nervous to ken that a' our lives depended on your skill. here now, at the end o' our journey, i wish to give you the credit which is your due."
bentley smiled as he grasped bob's hand. "sextant or no sextant," he said, "you couldn't go far out in mackay's company, my boy. i know him of old. but why, your face seems strangely familiar to me; surely——"
mackay shrugged his broad shoulders, and smiled a happy smile.
"you hand on a bit, dick," he said. "i have a few words to say to bob which i hesitated to speak earlier, for—for obvious reasons. do you remember when i first met jack and you, bob?" he asked.
"i should say so," answered bob, fervently. "i have had cause to thank——"
the big man shook his head deprecatingly. "and do you know why i, who am a—a very unsociable individual[pg 346] at the best, encouraged you in your wish to go out to australia, an' even offered you the extraordinar' advantage o' my company on the journey? no, of course you don't. it was because i knew that uncle you spoke of, my lad."
"you knew him?" cried bob. "but you didn't say——"
"i thought he was dead," broke in mackay, gravely; "but i was mistaken. he was, an' is, vera much alive—an' his name is richard bentley wentworth."
"great heavens!" ejaculated bentley, gazing at bob earnestly. "can it be true? but of course it is. how could i have been so blind."
then the scales fell from bob's eyes. "uncle dick!" he cried, rushing forward.
"my dear, dear lad," murmured the explorer, clasping him in his arms. "this is the first happiness i have had for ten years. you are a worthy son of a worthy father, my boy. thank god i have lived to see you."
to say that the onlookers to this strange scene were surprised would ill express the state of their feelings. they were simply thunderstruck. then jack found his voice. "hurrah!" he shouted, in an ecstasy of glee, and hurried to clasp his comrade's hand. eagerly they all crowded round to offer their congratulations, and mackay stood alone, a smile of peaceful contentment stealing over his grim old features.
"yes," he muttered, "there is some satisfaction in the wanderer's life after a'. bob steered us here, which was right, but mackay will be the man to lead the back trail through the mountain."
"i fully believe you, jim," said a voice at his elbow, and bentley laid an affectionate grasp upon his arm.
[pg 347]
the whole of the little drama had been enacted within the space of a few minutes, and the actors therein had apparently become oblivious to the fact that a band of impatient blacks were drawn up in aggressive order at no great distance. they were not allowed to remain long in this blissful state, however, for the aged chief suddenly hastened forward, and shrilled a few words to bentley, which had the effect of arousing that happy man to a true sense of his responsibilities. he answered the old warrior in an odd monosyllabic language, which he spoke with perfect ease, much to the astonishment of the youthful members of the group, who had never before heard a white man converse so fluently in the savage tongue. for some moments they held high consultation thus, and bob was quick to observe a shade of dire uneasiness steal over the features of his newly found relative; and he noticed, too, that the natives in the background were gradually drawing nearer and nearer, while loud, angry mutterings filled their ranks.
it was at this stage that stewart whispered something into mackay's ear which made that gentleman frown deeply, hesitate for a brief instant, then surreptitiously remove the magazine of his rifle; and his three companions, obeying a signal from his eye, quickly unloaded their weapons and secreted the cartridges. bentley seemed to have been conscious of these proceedings, for it was only when the firearms had been rendered harmless that he turned and addressed the party.
"i don't wish to alarm you, boys," he said, "but the king, who has always been a good friend of mine, tells me that his warriors are getting beyond his control, and nothing short of a miracle can save us. you killed four[pg 348] of them, you see, and wounded about a dozen more, and, by their law, a life must pay for a life."
"that's vera comforting," grunted mackay, preparing to reload his rifle afresh, and glaring savagely at stewart the while.
"don't! for heaven's sake don't do that, jim," exclaimed bentley. "lay down your rifles, and i'll try and talk them over."
reluctantly each proffered his deadly weapon to the king, who received it with unconcealed joy.
"we've still got our revolvers," whispered jack to stewart, who was looking very sorrowful indeed.
yet still the warriors came surging on, despite their old king's frenzied expostulations. in vain he displayed the trophies he had received in proof of the good intentions of the visitors, and as his followers crowded heedlessly forward, his wrath at his own impotence was terrible to witness.
mackay was deciding on the bold stroke of retaking the weapons from the king's grasp, when bentley stepped slowly out to meet the angry mob. he was greeted with shrill yells, the dominant note of which seemed to be fear and expectancy rather than fury.
"he'll be killed! he'll be killed!" cried jack, making as if to dash to his assistance.
the shadow restrained him. "i reckon he's all right," said he. "them nigs is howlin' wi' terror, they are."
"what power can he have over them?" asked bob, in awe, as he watched the single man sway the fiery multitude with his calm words. phil, the geologist, who was by his side, answered him.
"your uncle's knowledge of aboriginal tribes has[pg 349] stood us all in good stead before this," he said quietly. "listen to that cry. can you make anything of it?"
"it sounds like bilya backan," bob said, straining his ears to catch the prevailing shouts.
"bilya backan!" exclaimed mackay. "has dick got that position here? ah, well, it means that we are safe enough so long as he keeps his power; but i can see trouble ahead when he tries to get away."
"why, what does it mean?" questioned bob, in wonder.
"mean? it means that he is the sorcerer o' this tribe, and will be guarded night and day if they think he wants to clear out. but, hallo! he doesna seem to be succeeding just as well as he should. it seems to me i'd better be sorcerer number two, an' devise an opportune miracle."
bentley, indeed, appeared to have great difficulty in quelling the unruly spirit of the savage warriors. they crowded around him almost threateningly, and brandished their bows and clubs in half-restrained fury. the unhappy king had joined his more powerful friend, and was lending his high-pitched voice to the uproar. mackay unconcernedly chipped at something he held in his hand with the point of his sheath-knife, then stalked jauntily towards the gesticulating throng.
"keep back, jim! keep back!" warned bentley. "you are the man they want principally. keep back, if you value your life."
"you canna kill me, dick," laughed mackay. "i've come over to work a miracle to that effect."
yet to all appearances it seemed as if the resourceful scot was tempting providence to too great a degree in the present instance. the blacks redoubled their clamour at[pg 350] his approach, and one false move on the part of bentley at this juncture would assuredly have brought about his companion's doom, but he did not once turn his back on the truculent band.
"what wild idea have you got?" he cried over his shoulder. "i think i'll manage them all right. i'm telling them that the spirit of the thunder killed their brethren for their own misdeeds."
"that's good enough," said mackay. "but you'd better tell them you've decided to slaughter me right off now, only that you're afraid wangul, the maist powerful god in their calendar, will protect me, seein' i'm an auld friend o' his. get my rifle from old methuselah, dick; let me load it, an' shoot me with the first cartridge. savvy?"
bentley pretended not to hear, but he spoke out several sentences rapidly, which evidently pleased the warriors mightily, then he signed to the king to fetch the rifles.
"the long-barrelled one's mine, dick," cautioned mackay. "ah, that's right."
he seized his treasured weapon, and in a trice had inserted two cartridges, and closed the breech, leaving one in the barrel. bentley received back the deadly firearm with evident trepidation, and once more addressed the multitude.
"hear ye, o my people," he cried, in their own weird tongue. "the friend of wangul, the mighty dweller in the waters, whose breath dries up the land and makes it desolate, stands before you and dares the strength of the big thunder. if it so be that he dies by the spirit which issueth forth when the thunder speaks, then shall you work your will upon the others. but if he lives and[pg 351] defies the spirit, then surely is he indeed in the guarding care of wangul, and must be permitted to go unhurt with his brethren to partake of food with me in my home by the hillside."
mackay smiled grimly as he gathered the text of the speech, but a great roar from the assembled blacks indicated that the arrangement met with their full approval. bentley raised the rifle with an obvious effort, and at the action a wild cry of alarm broke from the lips of the little group in the rear, who had never dreamt that mackay's promised miracle was to take on such a deadly aspect of reality. and now the withered old chief created a diversion. with a gurgle of joy he sprang forward and took the rifle from bentley's unresisting hands, and levelling it almost against mackay's broad chest, pulled the trigger. a terrific explosion followed, and bentley uttered a groan of anguish. the miracle, as he had understood it, was to have been accomplished by his firing wide, and he had relinquished the firearm, never thinking that the wily king of the savages meant to do other than lay it aside with the others. to his intense astonishment, however, and to the amazement of the massed blacks, the "friend of wangul" stood erect and smiling after the thunderous reverberation had died away.
a loud cheer from his comrades behind showed how truly thankful they were at his marvellous escape from what had looked like certain death, but the most astounded of all present was, undoubtedly, the dusky individual who had fired the shot; he pranced about with the reeking rifle still in his hands, shrieking out all sorts of incantations. suddenly he stopped short, opened and closed the breech of the gun, thereby forcing another[pg 352] cartridge into position, and, with a crafty smile on his lips, directed the long tube at a stalwart savage standing near, and fired. the unoffending victim uttered a yell like a wounded dingo, and sprang several feet into the air, then subsided on the ground, and writhed in torment with a bullet-hole clean through his shoulder. that was enough. with droning wails of fear the natives drew back in alarm, gazing at the man who had withstood a similar shock with wild, staring eyes. bentley knelt down and examined the wounded native, then, calling two of his brethren, who came forward reluctantly, he gave them some directions for his treatment. the king meanwhile was grovelling on the ground, his head beating the dust, and his voice raised in feeble lamentation; and, while he was thus prostrated, jack crept stealthily up and gathered in the rifles lying near.
"that will be another miracle for the old beggar to explain," said he, when he rejoined his companions.
"you've fairly frightened the old fellow to death, jim," remarked bentley, stooping over the fallen monarch. "i'll tell you about him afterwards; but he was proof against all sorts of sorceries, and now i shouldn't winder if he turns over a new leaf, and goes in for the extremest forms of savagery. but come with us to our retreat. there are many things we have to talk over to-night. this day has been a wonderful one for all of us."
"you might tell me, boss, how you dodged the bullet?" pleaded the shadow, as they all walked along together.
"yes, that is a matter i should like to understand," added bentley.
[pg 353]
the big man laughed. "the explanation is vera simple," said he. "there wasna any bullet in the first cartridge; i took it oot aforehand!"
"you're just the same auld deceitfu' schemer you used to be," murmured stewart, sorrowfully. "i'm fair shocked at your woefu' depravity. you would actually bamboozle the puir heathen!"
"what's that you've got inside your cloak?" demanded mackay, slyly, noting an odd protuberance in his corrector's garment.
stewart beamed. "that's a vera dangerous gun, mac, ma man," he answered solemnly, "an' i'm takin' it awa' in case the unfortunate niggers might dae themselves damage wi' it."
they had been so engrossed in their mutual recriminations that mackay had not noticed the odd logged structure which now appeared before them; it was half hidden amid a splendid group of lime and cedar trees which occurred in the valley, about two hundred yards to the north of the tunnel entrance, and the waters of the beautiful lake lapped the white sands within a few paces of it. mackay gave a rough glance round to make sure of his position. the sun had descended behind the frowning barrier range, and a gloom was settling over the valley.
bentley guessed his thoughts. "i know every foot of the country, jim," he said quietly. "we'll talk over our plans to-night. what have we got in the larder, stewart?"
"i caught ane or twa fish this morning," answered that individual, smilingly. "i thought we might have some visitors to keep us company."
[pg 354]
"and there's bread made from wild bananas," added phil. "it's not half bad, though it will take you a little time to get accustomed to it."
bentley pushed open the door, which was an airy contrivance composed of light saplings interlaced with long tendril forest growths, and it swung from above by stout plaited grassy cords.
"enter, boys," he said, "and welcome, most heartily welcome, to the white man's dwelling in the mystic valley of the never never."
mackay mechanically raised his hand to his head as he stepped between the portals, and a grunt of disgust forced itself from his lips when, instead of the hat he expected to find, a few muddy feathers broke off in his grasp. the boys, following close behind, saw the action and laughed, yet immediately proceeded to copy his example, so strong was the habit of civilization upon them.
the single large room within was bare, save for a rough logged table in the middle of the floor, and sundry rude but comfortable chairs which were scattered about.
"we sleep on the ground," explained bentley; "we've never had the heart to attempt building proper bunks. have you a match, jim?"
mackay sought in his pocket and produced the small corked bottle in which he carried his supply so that it might be preserved from damp, and bentley, with a sigh of thankfulness, applied a light to a torch of fine fibrous sticks stuck in a crevice in the table. bob watched him with many questions surging on his lips.
"how do you usually get a light?" he asked at length.
"you are anticipating me, bob," laughed bentley.[pg 355] "at night we use the flints, in the old primitive way, but in the daytime i use the lens of my pocket microscope which was left to me. if i hold it in the sun's rays it will light a fire of these twigs in less than sixty seconds. that was the first thing the natives saw me do that made them marvel. they couldn't understand how i could call down fire from heaven, and it's one of the few things which that knowing old king of theirs hasn't grasped yet."
in a few minutes stewart and pioneer bill were busy preparing supper. there seemed to be no lack of cooking utensils, and each vessel was most peculiarly marked, as if it had been stamped out of the solid. mackay, who had thrown off his encumbering outer garb, sat gazing into the fire, apparently lost in the depths of his thoughts; bentley and phil were talking earnestly together in a subdued voice; emu bill roamed aimlessly about the room; bob, jack, and the shadow were glaring with wide-open eyes at the thin metal platters with which stewart had adorned the table;—not one of them could find words to speak.
"is—is it another mirage?" muttered the shadow, at length, stretching out a hesitating hand; then a whoop of delight burst from his lips. "say, boss," he cried, shaking mackay energetically by the shoulder. "look! look at this!"
mackay awoke from his reverie with a start, and turned his head.
"ay, it's gold, shadow," said he, calmly. "i am no' vera surprised."
bentley gave a whistle of annoyance. "well, boys," he explained, "i absolutely forgot to mention the matter,[pg 356] but gold is so plentiful in this quarter that i have got quite accustomed to it, and i do believe i had also forgotten that the stuff has such a powerful value——"
"spin us your yarn after supper, dick," said mackay. "i'm as hungry as a starved dingo just now."
"i've felt a bit sick ever since i saw them plates an' things," said emu bill, pausing in his perambulations. "howlin' blazes! i wish we could cart the whole mountain away wi' us."
"i don't suppose you've got a bit o' tea in your pocket?" interjected stewart, eyeing mackay pathetically. "no? weel, i'll just have to mak' up my ain concoction. it's no' vera bad when you get accustomed to it; but i'm sair wearyin' for a ceevilized drink. i hope the flavour o' the leaves winna disagree wi' ye; i gather them off a wee bush that grows in the forest, but the taste is naething like the real article."
stewart's tea, however, proved to be a wonderfully palatable beverage, and the accompanying fare of such a highly appetizing nature that mackay's little party soon felt revived to their fullest energies.
"it will be something to remember that we've eaten out of golden dishes," jack remarked with much satisfaction. "i think i'll appropriate a spoon as a memento."
bentley sighed wearily. "you may be tired enough of these same spoons before you leave here, jack," he said.
mackay gave a snort of disapproval, and rose from his chair.
"load up these rifles, shadow," he directed. "and now, dick"—seating himself once more—"fire away wi' your story. what sort o' place have we struck, an' how[pg 357] do ye account for the natives being so different from others? an' tell me how in the name o' a' that's wonderful, you havena escaped long syne wi' your pockets fu' o' nuggets?"
without hesitation, bentley plunged into his narrative. "when you had been about an hour away, jim," he began, "chasing up that confounded camel, and while we were loading the team, we were suddenly surrounded by an army of the oddest-looking warriors imaginable. they must have been hiding in the scrub near by us for some time, for we had no warning whatever of their coming, and, to make matters worse, not one of us had a rifle ready. they bore down on us without a word, and, of course, quickly had the best of it, for they were ten to one, and were armed with clubs and arrows. they seemed quite peaceably inclined, however, and did not appear to be in any way anxious to exterminate us at once, though stewart got a crack on the head which nearly finished him."
"i did that," murmured that individual, patting the back of his skull tenderly. "but ye shid mak' mention o' hoo i squelched a wheen o' them wi' ma naked fist aforehand."
"they carried us away," continued bentley, reminiscently, "though not before they had built a huge fire beside our camp. i thought they meant it for us; but when i saw them unloading the poor camels i knew at once what was going to happen. it is a common custom among the most knowing savages to burn the bodies of animals or men so as to give the impression that the expedition had died of thirst years before. they have deceived government search-parties many times by that[pg 358] ruse, and frightened off explorers from tackling the same supposedly droughty quarter again. anyhow, our captors made short work of the unfortunate camels, scooped up every bit of our outfit, and marched on. i don't need to speak of our surprise when we passed through the choking fumes of the sulphur springs. we all know about them, and probably you know more than we do, for you were camped alongside, and we scarcely got a glimpse of the wonderful craters. the passage, too, you know possibly better than we, for we have never been allowed to go back to the entrance, and twenty warriors guard it night and day when there are any signs of danger, or a strange tribe is in the vicinity. but the biggest surprise of all came when we had an opportunity of studying the valley and its formations, and we got that very speedily, for that curious old king of the tribe released us almost as soon as we were brought in."
"i can remember he had some difficulty with his followers then, too," interjected phil, gravely. "they weren't quite so wild as they were to-day, but they were bad enough until you talked to them in their own lingo."
bentley smiled. "i could see even then," he said, "that their aged leader had some strange scheme in hand, though it was several weeks later before he laid his views quite clearly before me."
"and do you mean to say that you waited here o' your ain free will as prisoners?" snorted mackay.
"for the first little while we were interested to know what sort of country we had reached, and then, when even the riches of the valley began to pall on us, we suddenly realized that we could not help ourselves. the tunnel[pg 359] was always well watched, but even had we got safely through the mountain, where were we then? on the edge of an enormous desert without food or means of transport. you must recollect, jim, that the camels had been killed, as probably yours have been by this time."
mackay started to his feet, but resumed his seat with a smile.
"it would be dark before they could venture out," he said, musingly. "we have a good ten hours' grace yet. hurry up wi' your story, dick; i want to know whether we should stay here, an' get rich quick wi' the gold oot o' the mountain, or clear out while we have a chance."
"you forget, jim," said bentley, quietly, "that your chance has gone. i tried to warn you from the summit in every conceivable manner, but you wouldn't understand. i even scribbled charcoal messages on pieces of wood and threw them down, and you paid no attention."
"we thought you were throwing stones at us," said bob. "you looked so very like a native at that distance."
"it was a miracle we didn't pop you over with our rifles," commented emu bill, shortly.
"i dinna see that our chance has vanished just yet, if we care to take it," mackay observed, with undiminished assurance. "but go on wi' your yarn, dick; what i'm anxious to know is, who made that tunnel and for what purpose?"
"first of all, let me tell you," said bentley, "that this valley is almost impregnable from every direction but one. away to the north-east there is a slight break in the circular range, but the country in that quarter is so broken and desolate that it is almost impassable, and certainly no[pg 360] explorer making an east or west course would dream of altering his route to the south at that point. he would rather give the mountain—if he happened to see it then—as wide a berth as possible. on the west, as you know, nature guards her secret very effectually, and it might have remained undiscovered for another hundred years if you had not escaped from the expedition as you did, and so been able to track up the mysterious mountain afresh, and with greater caution. but now that you are here, you may take it as a surety that you will never be allowed to leave with the knowledge you have gained. the fact is, boys, this valley in the heart of the never never land is a perfect treasure-house of gold and gems, and it is inhabited by the remnants of a once truly remarkable tribe. they are still infinitely superior in knowledge and intellect to any other aboriginal race that i know, but they have been degenerating slowly these last many centuries, ever since the upheaval, i should imagine, which altered the aspect of central australia, and separated it from polynesia. their environment has protected them to an enormous degree, for their home in this natural paradise is surely all that could be desired, but, from what i have been able to gather from the king, they have inherited a policy of isolation, which is now almost a part of their creed. any unsuspecting tribe that wanders near is attacked with the utmost ferocity, as i have myself witnessed on more than one occasion. the early rulers of this strange little kingdom were undoubtedly wise men, and it seems to me they were struggling towards a kind of civilization. the tunnel was driven in their time, but whether it was intended to provide a means of exterminating[pg 361] their savage neighbours of the plains, or gradually pushed through in the course of their excavations for gold, i haven't been able to discover, though i rather fancy both reasons came into play. the gold has been used for all sorts of purposes, because it can be hammered into any shape so very easily. its value in the outside world is wholly incomprehensible to them."
"do you think they have ever heard of the great world beyond the desert?" asked bob, who had been listening with keen interest.
"there can be no doubt about that, my lad. it's simply marvellous how remote native races acquire their news; but they invariably get it, though in this case there is nothing inexplicable about it, for the cunning old king has his scouts wandering all over the country. the dangers of the vast salt tracks have little meaning to them, for they seem to have cultivated an instinct for smelling out any water there may be within miles of them, and they can travel a very long way without it if necessity arises. their system of navigation is beyond my understanding altogether."
"an' what do you think made the old chap so tenderhearted when you came along, dick?" asked mackay.
bentley shook his head. "i know why he didn't demolish us at first," he said. "the tunnel had been commencing to cave in about the centre, where the dripping water had weakened the walls, and all his warriors' efforts at timbering it were without avail. you see, they hadn't grasped the necessary principle of locking the timber to prevent lateral strain. i suppose he thought the white man could make things right."
"an' it was a terrible hard job too," grunted stewart,[pg 362] "for we had to do the maist o' it in the dark. a light wouldna' burn five minutes in the place, an' the air was enough to poison a nigger."
"after that," continued bentley, "i seemed to get into his good graces somewhat. i talked to him of other tribes i had met, and generally showed such a keen interest in the welfare of his kingdom, that i believe he altered his purpose to kill us, greatly against the wishes of his subjects. it was then he gave out that i was the direct representative of one of their most dreaded gods, and i've had to live up to my reputation ever since. you saw the result of my influence over the king to-day. yet i've noticed the more i have tried to civilize him, the less his warriors like him, and, to tell the truth, i expected an open revolt against his ruling long before this. if i hadn't arrived in time to-day i shouldn't like to think what might have happened. i didn't expect you could possibly get through the passage, for when i rescued bill from the warriors they went straight back, and we climbed the mountain to make another effort to warn you against trying. they were so savage when i took bill from them, that i believe they would have killed you right away if they had met you. i don't know yet how you escaped."
"as it happened," said mackay, dryly, "the darkness saved us when they first came through, an' when they were returning we had fortunately made a mistake in our direction, and got into a cross drive."
"thank goodness we made these drives," cried bentley, fervently.
"you made them?" echoed mackay, incredulously.
"yes, we made them, jim. i tried to get the natives[pg 363] to help, but they very quickly tired of the work, and contented themselves watching us instead. i felt curious to know the width of the lode, and we just managed to strike the walls of the giant fissure, when our picks, which we had recovered, were worn almost to the wooden handles. i scarcely fancied continuing operations with flint-headed implements, such as must have been used in the main work of excavation, and, besides, i didn't see any hope of us being able to carry away the gold we got, even if an opportunity of escape had offered. we washed the stuff in the lake here by hand; it decomposed very rapidly on contact with the air, and hardly required any crushing. stewart made all our cooking utensils out of the results of our work, and i melted what was left. you will see it lying over there in the corner."
mackay looked casually in the direction indicated, but the three boys made a dash towards the golden treasure, and after a first glance the usually imperturbable scot arose with a bound and followed them. there, lying carelessly on the damp clay, were half a dozen huge irregularly shaped masses, which glistened yellow in the dull light. jack lifted one in his hand with some difficulty.
"i reckon i want to lie down an' die somewhere," muttered emu bill, feebly blinking his eyes at the dazzling spectacle.
"how much do you think you've got here, dick?" said mackay, calmly.
bentley smiled. "just about a hundredweight, i calculate," he answered. "but it is no earthly good to us. we can't carry it away, even if we had the chance."
[pg 364]
mackay looked perplexed, and for a few moments seemed to be struggling with a mighty problem.
"the weight wouldna' be much among the lot o' us," he murmured at length, "but—but it hurts me sair to think o' leaving a' that stuff in the mountain."
"don't let that worry you, old man," broke in bentley hastily. "if you've got a scheme for escape, let us act upon it without delay; there's more than any of us will ever need in this shanty besides gold. show him the collection, phil."
without a word phil drew forth a short, deep case made of plaited twigs from a recess under the table, and threw open the lid, exposing a mass of red, blue, and yellow tinted pebbles.
"there you are, mac," said he, "they don't look anything special in their present rough state, but they're worth a long way more than a hundredweight of gold, and certainly very much more portable. they are rubies and sapphires, and i think there are some diamonds among them. there's surely enough here to go round without bothering about more, though i can show you where to get them to-morrow if you want a bigger stock."
"to-morrow, phil," said mackay, with decision, "we'll be marching along homeward bound, if we're no' lying perforated wi' arrows in some corner o' the tunnel. we'll help you to carry the treasure, an' maybe afterwards we'll come back an' get some for oursel's. isn't that right, bob?"
bob nodded, then quickly dived into his pocket, and extricated therefrom sundry rounded stones, and showed them to phil.
"are these any good?" he asked. "i picked them up[pg 365] on the other side of the mountain the first day we arrived, and had forgotten all about them."
"they're exactly the same, bob," returned the geologist, with a smile, "and they come from the same source, apparently."
"let us know your plan, jim, and we'll make an effort to get away if it is possible," urged bentley. "but i won't budge unless we agree to make an even divide of the treasure of the never never." and the sharing of the spoil was insisted upon with happy unanimity.
it was now about ten o'clock in the evening and mackay pushed open the door and looked out; the air was close and sultry as if presaging a thunderstorm, and a heavy, dark cloud suspended over the little valley; in the gloom near the tunnel several forms were to be seen flitting about. he returned into the room with a smile on his lips.
"we're goin' to have rain, i think," he announced, "an' i shouldn't wonder if there's a bit o' thunder along wi' it. the elements will fight on our side, boys; we'll just give them a bit o' a start. an' now, dick," he added, eyeing his old leader quizzically, "did i no' see you lookin' at us when we were blowing chunks o' australia into the air this morning?"
"i saw you making a tomb for poor never never dave," answered bentley, sadly.
emu bill groaned and mackay sighed deeply.
"but that was yesterday, dick. what about this morning?"
"yes, i noticed you this morning, too; but i only heard one explosion, and didn't think anything of it."
"where were your powers o' observation, dick? we[pg 366] were bursting a new entrance into the mountain." but mackay's satisfaction at his sally was clouded by the sad recollections aroused by his friend's first remark. "you tell him, bob," he added weakly. "tell him o' our precautionary arrangements which should stand us in good stead now."
a few minutes later a series of great pattering drops on the bark roof of the dwelling intimated that the expected storm had burst; slowly they came at first, then louder and louder hissed the growing deluge until it seemed as if the floodgates of the heavens had broken loose, and a dull, tearing roar echoed across the vale as the thunder-cloud rent in twain.
"if that doesna frighten the niggers they ought to be ashamed o' themselves," grunted mackay. "now we'll go, lads, an' trust to providence an' our rifles for a safe journey."
they gathered up their precious freight, each taking a goodly share so that nothing was left, and silently they filed out into the raging night, and, with bentley leading, groped a cautious course towards the underground passage. through the beating torrent they caught glimpses of many lights in the native camps bordering the lake near at hand, and the droning intonation of a most melancholy chant reached their ears in occasional snatches as they hurried on their way. the natives were invoking the favour of the mighty thunder-god who that day had smitten one of their warriors so cruelly. at last they arrived at the opening from which mackay and his companions had first gazed out in wonder, and with a united breath of thankfulness entered the yawning darkness of the cavern.
[pg 367]
yet, even as they disappeared, a shrill cry of alarm sounded out above the storm from the vicinity of the home they had just vacated, and a chorus of answering yells showed too truly that their flight had been discovered.
"that was the old king's voice," whispered bentley, as the fugitives paused for a moment to listen. "he probably called to get you to stay the thunder. we just got away in time."
"the other end is where our danger lies," muttered mackay. "now, lads, follow me, an' be as slippery as you can. those howlin' hyenas will be at our backs in a minute."
blindly they stumbled on, staggering from wall to wall in their feverish eagerness; but before they had even reached the cross-drives, the cries of their savage pursuers were echoing along the passage close in their rear. on, on they laboured, and now mackay began to hesitate in his course, so that his comrades kept pushing up in a confused mass behind him. in the excitement which reigned they could not well understand why their doughty leader should pause at such an inopportune moment. but that level-headed individual knew exactly what he was doing; in another instant he had found the rope which hung over the treacherous pit.
"now, my bonnie boys," said he, "over you go. you, bob, take the lead, and walk quietly on. i'll be after you in a jiff."
"i never knew of this death-trap," breathed bentley, hoarsely. "jim, old man, heaven knows how you managed to negotiate this terrible place at first."
"my power o' observation is strong even in the dark,"[pg 368] chuckled the brawny scot. "now, grip the rope, dick, an' get across. here's old methuselah's gang almost beside us, an' i want to stop their progress a bit."
bentley delayed no further, and in a flash mackay too had leapt the gully, but, ere he hastened after the others, he leaned out over the unseen chasm and smote at the thick cord high overhead with his sheath-knife, then he gathered up his burden and struggled after his companions. he overtook them while they were yet some distance from the sudden bend which occurred just opposite the entrance the gelignite had made, for bob was treading cautiously, expecting each moment to be assailed by the warriors whose duty it was to abide by the rocking stone. and that his fears in that direction were by no means groundless was proved by the excited mutterings which at this moment issued from the end of the passage, and the ominous snap of the great rock as it closed into position was distinctly heard. the watchful blacks had evidently been investigating matters outside, and had just returned to their post. the clamour of the pursuing band was now most demoralizingly loud and fierce. they seemed to be already rejoicing at the pleasing prospect before them: their enemy was neatly caught between two fires; little wonder that they sent out shriek after shriek of delirious acclamation. and in the mean time the escaping party, trudging heavily through the mire, rejoiced also that the noisy exuberance of the warriors so effectually drowned their own hastening footsteps, and thus prevented their near approach to safety from being made known to the awaiting savages.
then a yell, louder and more dismal than ever, suddenly echoed through the cavern; it was followed by a dull[pg 369] plunge, and immediately a succession of similar disturbances intimated that the all too eager warriors had experienced a rude and ardour-cooling check. mackay chuckled right heartily when the success of his scheme was thus revealed to him.
"there has been more than one o' the beggars who has jumped for the rope an' missed," he whispered, with ill-suppressed mirth; and then only did his comrades guess the part he had played in the natives' discomfiture.
by this time they had reached the quick turn of the passage, and bob felt carefully for the saving gap that would lead to freedom. the cries of the baffled warriors in the rear now rang out through the darkness like the wails of coyotes cheated of their prey, and their brethren ahead, by their hoarse exclamations of dismay, were apparently considerably exercised over the strange happening which had taken place.
"quick, boys," said mackay, when bob had laid bare the opening. "up ye go in a hurry, an' hang on to your treasure; i'll send the rifles aloft when you're a' through."
bentley would have remonstrated, but the imperturbable director of affairs was obdurate.
"i'm engineering this circus," he said sternly. "now, out you go. whoop-la!"
in his own hearty exuberance he seemed utterly to have forgotten the near presence of a part of the enemy, and his voice sounded out boisterously as he cheered each of his companions on his way to the outside world. for a brief instant there was absolute silence from the extreme end of the tunnel, and mackay knew that the inevitable rush would speedily follow. nor was he mistaken. with screams of rage the blacks advanced, and the reckless man[pg 370] laughed aloud as they came. he caught jack, who alone remained, in his powerful arms and literally hurled him into the embrace of stewart, who stood ready to receive him.
"and now, my lads, here's the rifles," he cried, thrusting the collected weapons out through the aperture.
"hang the rifles! come oot yersel'!" howled stewart, reaching down a massive bony fist, and grasping his comrade by the shoulder; and in this way mackay, clutching fast to the armoury of the expedition, was hauled to the surface, even as the foremost of the vengeful warriors dashed their heads impotently into the aperture through which he had been yanked so rigorously forth.
mackay, clutching fast to the armoury of the expedition, was hauled to the surface
"mackay, clutching fast to the armoury of the
expedition, was hauled to the surface"
"there was no need for you exertin' your muscular powers in that vera drastic fashion," reproved the latest arrival, turning, and thrusting the stock of his rifle down into the gap with calm forcefulness.
the response which greeted his action seemed to soothe him somewhat.
"all's well that ends well," he remarked philosophically; "but before we start congratulating oorsel's we'd better lock these twa doors an' leave the keys on the ootside."
in a short time a very effective boulder barricade was arranged before both entrances, the enormous rocks used for the purpose being rolled and carried to their positions by the united strength of the party; only when this work was completed, when the yells of the baulked warriors sounded dull and subdued behind the solid barriers, only then did the earnest toilers pause.
the night was beautifully clear, not a cloud was visible in the sky, and the stars shone down with steady radiance.[pg 371] the rising mists from the bubbling caldrons spread like a ghostly white veil in the near westward distance, and ever and anon a heavy rumbling would run along the line of the deep cavities, and fresh vapoury puffs from the craters ascended towards the heavens. for fully a minute no one spoke; the extreme tension on their nerves for the last half-hour had been most trying to all, and their silence was now more eloquent of their thankfulness than words.
"there has been no rain on this side of the mountain," said bob, at length, examining the rubbly surface of the ground intently.
"it would all condense inside the valley, bob," answered bentley. "we are back once more in the thirsty desert of the never never, and"—turning to mackay—"we owe our escape to you, jim; we owe our lives to you——"
"we'll no' dwell on the subject," interrupted that gentleman, cheerily. "i have no doubt we'll a' find oursel's in tighter corners on some other expedition. it's fair surprisin' how often a man can warstle oot o' a difficulty by the skin o' his teeth. i'm just a wee bit afraid that the skin o' my teeth is gettin' sair worn at the game, but it's grand fun, a' the same. however," he continued hastily, as an upward glance revealed to him several dark forms on the summit outlined against the sky, "i think i'll go and round up the camels now, so that we can start on the homeward trail without any unnecessary delay. i've a dim idea that the climate o' the country nearer fortunate spring will be healthier for us than this."
"i is comin' wi' you, boss," cried the shadow. "i think i know where the leather-hided animiles are."
[pg 372]
"all right, my lad; an' you, jack, might unearth the stores an' the water-bag, so as to be ready when we come back. never mind the heavy tools. i see the niggers have shifted the case o' gelignite we left in sight. i hope it gives them indigestion pretty bad."
"have ye no' got an extra pair o' breeks in the camp?" inquired stewart, appealingly. "i dinna like waltzin' aboot like a gorilla oot o' a circus."
mackay laughed. "i'm vera pleased to see you've got some sense o' shame left in ye, my man," he said sternly. "mak' free o' the wardrobe o' the expedition, boys, every one o' you. bob will dispense it out, though i don't think there's enough to go round. anyhow, there's lots o' string in the outfit, an' you can easily mak' yoursel's vera presentable garments out o' the empty bags when we get further on; but i can see we'll a' be in an outward state o' advanced disintegration before we reach civilization."
it was nearly two months later, and the sun stared pitilessly down on a struggling camel-train that was wearily forcing its way outwards from the grim desert of the interior. the animals comprising the team were but four in all, surely much too inadequate a number to be the mainstay of the nine strangely garbed figures who accompanied them; yet, judging by the light packs on their backs, it was very apparent that the outfit of the returning expedition did not greatly impede their movements. slowly, slowly the great hulking creatures laboured on. at the leader's head strode a youth, who, every now and again, turned to pat the trembling nostrils of his cumbrous charge, and cheer it forward with[pg 373] endearing words. his face was deeply browned by long exposure to the scorching sun's rays. his clothing, consisting of a few shreds of what had once been a shirt, and a pair of nether garments so tattered and torn that they clung by almost miraculous means to his person, was sufficient to indicate that he had been long on the march; but if further proof were required, a glance at his boots would have been more than enough. the uppers alone were left, and they were tied to his sockless feet by numberless cords and strips of hessian cloth. but despite the dilapidated nature of his dress, it was the acme of respectability, compared with that of some of his comrades. indeed, the combined wardrobe of the party was such that the most abandoned tramp would have turned aside from it in disgust.
"keep misery moving, jack—keep him moving," cried a familiar voice; and a strongly built, yet gaunt-faced man strode up alongside the young leader of the train, and patted his shoulder in friendly encouragement.
then he stopped and awaited the coming of the rearmost camel, which was lagging painfully, and addressed its attendant in similar tones.
"an hour or so more will do it, my lad—only an hour or so more. golden flat should be just over the horizon."
"say, boss," came the answer, "this here fiery animile is 'bout busted; but i reckon i'll pull him in somehow."
he groped about in some hidden recess of his well-ventilated shirt, and extricated a small shining instrument, which he placed to his lips with a smile of real joy.
"now, boys," he cried, "here we goes again—one, two,[pg 374] three!" and at once the strains of a favourite melody echoed out in the air.
the bulk of his companions shuddered at the opening shock, then joined boisterously in the chorus. loudly, triumphantly, they bellowed forth in varying voices and keys, and, lo! the camels pricked up their ears and quickened their steps, and the weary-eyed singers and chief musician marched to the tune thus given with sprightly step—
"soon we'll be in london town.
sing, my lads, yo ho-o——"
again and again the cheering refrain was taken up; then suddenly a cry of astonishment burst from the lips of a lithe and wiry young man who had been on the point of consulting his note-book for the twentieth time since he took his noonday altitude.
"we've missed it!" he cried. "that must be kalgoorlie ahead."
the music stopped at once; the white, glistening roofs of a fair-sized township had suddenly appeared to view, nestling at the foot of a gentle undulation in the land surface.
"i'm afraid there has been some mistake made, bob," said a tall, grave-faced, dark-bearded man who walked by his side. "what do you make of it, jim?" he addressed the stalwart individual who had but a moment or so before been coaxing on the camels.
"i don't know, dick; it's hardly big enough for kalgoorlie. i canna think what place it is. bob, my lad, that's the first error o' navigation i've known you to make."
so did mackay's expedition, with its augmented numbers[pg 375] rescued from the far back never never land, yet with one sad depletion in the original party, see civilization once more. it would have been hard indeed to recognize them now, so marked were they by privation. the stores had been used most sparingly, for the supply had not been lavish enough to stand the additional strain imposed upon it by the extra appetites of bentley's party. so all had cheerfully pinched and starved themselves throughout the long journey. but now their sufferings were nearly over; civilization, in the form of some unknown township or city, was in sight. bob alone seemed to be grieved. he had steered an unerring course these many weeks; and now, when he fancied he was heading for golden flat, it was humiliating to feel that at the very last he had made some grave miscalculation.
"never mind, bob," said mackay, kindly. "you knew you were safe enough in your direction."
bob sighed and shook his head, and consulted his log-book again, but appeared to derive little satisfaction from his scrutiny. on, on the worn-out team staggered; and as the welcome settlement loomed up nearer and nearer the hearts of the wayfarers grew light. yet the size of the township confused them; there were several wide streets in evidence, and one great building in particular arrested their attention. and yet withal the whole scene seemed strangely familiar to mackay and his young companions, and emu bill, too, looked puzzled as he gazed at the strange city so revealed.
"i hope it ain't no mirage," he murmured, with vague discontent.
"we'll soon know what we've struck," cried jack. "here's a horseman coming out to meet us."
[pg 376]
"i thought i knew every bit o' this country," grumbled mackay, "but this certainly beats me, though somehow everything looks vera like a place i prospected before. anyhow, we'll soon see. hallo!" he called out, as the horseman drew rein in front of him and stared at the travel-worn company in curious amazement. "hallo! you bold, bad bushman; what township is this?"
the man replied only with a gaze of more intense amazement than before, until he was sternly brought to his bearings by the now irate questioner.
"say, mate," he protested weakly, "don't bounce a man so sudden. you all look like rip van winkles, you does, only worse. but you must be strangers in these parts if you don't know wentworth city. why, it's the biggest min——"
"what!"
the cry came like a roar from the lips of the nine men at once, and the startled individual on the horse jerked back in alarm; but becoming satisfied that his interrogators really desired information, he proceeded to give it to them.
"wentworth city, mates, ain't very old, but it has squatted here to stay. it boomed up like a shot after the diskivery o' a process for treating the refractory ores in the district. there's simply no end o' the stuff, an' we expect to get a railway along shortly."
"how did it get its name?" inquired mackay, calmly.
"well, i has only been a couple o' weeks here myself, an' don't know exactly how it happened; but every one will tell you that it is called after the diskiverer o' the process which sent it booming. a young chap, i believe he was, an' he went out exploring afterwards. but it's[pg 377] mighty funny you doesn't know that much. say, you must have come in from out back?"
mackay nodded briefly. "you've struck it," said he; "but now tell me if you know a man called nuggety dick, and where can we find him?"
"nuggety dick?" echoed the horseman. "why, you won't have any trouble finding him. he's the mayor, he is. go along the main street right in front o' you—it is called mackay street—an' turn down golden promise drive on your right, an'—but i'd better go in front an' show you——"
"yes, you'd better," murmured mackay, feebly; then he reached out and clasped bob's hand.
"and so you all mean to have a trip to the old country, boys?" said nuggety dick.
it was about an hour later, and the wanderers were seated in the mayor's dining-room doing ample justice to the generous fare provided by that hospitable individual, whose pleasure at meeting his old friends again had been almost boyish in its glad exuberance.
"it's over ten years since i left the dear old land, dick," answered bentley, "and now i should like to see it again. i wanted to persuade every one to come, but i found they didn't need any persuading. all but bill seemed to have taken it as a foregone conclusion that they were to have a run home as a reward for their labours."
"an' i would go quick enough, boys," said emu bill, quietly, "but i reckon i'd peg out if i lost sight o' the southern cross. i ain't no traveller, boys; i is only a simple bushman, an' somehow the grim old desert grips me tight."
[pg 378]
"i reckon i'll be able to tell you all about it when i get back, bill," said the shadow. "i is goin' with jack to see the sights, an' we'll have a rare good time——"
"i hope you've made up your mind to behave yoursel'?" interjected mackay, severely.
"surely, boss, you can trust me. i won't even squelch a policeman unless he looks at me cross-eyed. i'll be gentle as a little lamb, i will, an' i won't round up no horses nor camels nor nothin'."
"well, i hope it's only a trip you're goin' to take, boys, an' that you'll all come back an' look me up in a month or so," said nuggety dick, earnestly.
they remained talking in this strain for some time; then mackay suddenly inquired after his old enemy, macguire.
"i don't bear the man any ill will," said he. "i'm just sort o' curious to know if he rose wi' the fortunes o' wentworth city; that name must have stuck in his throat——"
"why, hasn't you heard?" exclaimed dick; "but, of course, you couldn't know. macguire cleared out 'bout two days after you, an' every one fancied he meant to follow you up, because he thought you were goin' to some new strike. he had his old crowd wi' him, an' a black tracker. he has never come back yet. i reckon he must have gone under."
"poor beggar!" murmured bob. "i hope he manages to come out all right, but——" he shook his head doubtfully.
"if by any chance he does hit our old trail into the never never, he'll be mighty sorry for it afterwards," spoke mackay, grimly, with visions of vengeful savages before his eyes.
[pg 379]
that night bob came into mackay's room at the hotel where they were all staying.
"i wanted to see you alone," he said simply, "so that i might tell you how truly i have appreciated your great kindnesses. i know now who it was that sent that letter to my mother, you dear old humbug."
mackay smiled. "my reward is more than i ever dreamed, my lad. you yourself have given me much by your friendship. i haven't been disappointed in you, bob, an' i hope our partnership will no' finish here."
"i'll be with you every time," cried bob, heartily.
"i don't know what it is, but you can count on me," came a well-known voice beyond the thin wooden partition, and immediately afterwards jack burst into the room. "i thought i heard about another threatened expedition," he said eagerly, "and i wanted to sign my name to it right away."
"i have an idea," ventured mackay, gazing at the boy with shrewd, twinkling eyes—"i have an idea, jack, that when you get home you'll find a wonderfu' magnetic influence there to restrain your wandering nature. but all the same, i shouldna wonder but you'll be allowed to mak' just another journey in my good company, for bob has promised to say a word or two in my favour, so that i won't be judged altogether as an uncouth savage from the never never——"
"is this a corroborree you're holding, jim?" said bentley, suddenly entering the doorway.
"no, dick, nothing so vera desperate; we were sort o' considerin' a future expedition, that's a'."
"already?" laughed bentley. "why, man, haven't[pg 380] you knocked around this little planet enough to last you a lifetime?"
"i am afraid there is no such thing as contentment in the world," said bob, gravely. "we have sought fortune, and we have found it——"
"ay, an' we found more than fortune, bob," added mackay, gazing at his old leader affectionately. "the gold and gems are welcome enough, but the lives o' my comrades are dearer to me than a'."
bentley laid a gentle hand on mackay's shoulder, and his voice was full as he spoke.
"yes, my lads," he said, "you will find true happiness, not in riches nor in the fulfilment of worldly ambition, for our satisfaction is ever in the striving after rather than in the attainment of our desires; but it will come to you in the realization of an unerring truth: greater by far than gold or gems is the love of our fellow-men."