Are worse than devils.”
The Tempest.
T
AKING advantage of the storm whose parting fusillade has left Claude hors de combat for the time being, Manager Browne’s “rounding-up” party, under the skilful1 generalship of Inspector2 Puttis and Sub-Inspector Morth, has completely invested the native village upon the rocky promontory3.
It is made up of strange constituents4, this murderous shooting party. Squatter5 J.P.’s are there; youthful “rouse-abouts,” some of these youngsters only a few years released from the sanctified thraldom6 of a Christian7 home in the old country; reckless, godless 373 stockmen; a colonial legislator, who has made a name by howling for separation from England; and numerous blacks, oiled, naked, and anxious for their work to begin.
There, in the darkness, around the unconscious villagers, amongst wet, dripping rocks and slimy brushwood, crouches8 a bloodthirsty circle of Native Constables9, naked, save for a cartridge-belt and a red band round the head, and armed with Snider carbines and tomahawks; and with them are a number of no less sanguinary white men.
Regardless of the majestic10 fury of the roaring elements overhead, of the heavy, drenching11 rain, of dangerous snakes and poisonous thorns, and with the fierce, sweet love of slaughter12 warming each individual’s heart with its terrible excitement, the cruel cordon13 has shrunk its wreath of death nearer and nearer around its slumbering14 prey15; and now some thirty pair of eyes are watching the small glimmer16 of the black camp-fire, and thirty fingers itch17 to pull the smooth, cold triggers against which they rest.
On all sides is the noisy dropping of water from the leaves, and occasionally a dead bough18, sodden19 with moisture, and thus suddenly grown heavy, breaks from its parent tree, and crashes through the underwoood with startling echoes.
But it is not our purpose to describe the sickening scene of murder and rapine that follows, when towards four o’clock Inspector Puttis gives the revolver shot signal to commence the holocaust20. We have already rendered to our readers a faithful account of a similar occurrence in an earlier chapter. To those gentlemen who, taking a special interest in such kinds of sport, 374 have honoured our pages by perusing21 the same, we will respectfully point out that they can obtain their fill of it by making their way to up-country Australia. Partly for the benefit of such “sports,” and partly for another class of reader, our publishers have deemed the late Dr. Dyesart’s map of the “Wicked Island” worthy22 of reproduction with this our narrative23 of his nephew’s adventures.
So, instead of “potting” a few “buck” niggers, or tomahawking a woman or child, or otherwise assisting the police (Queensland Native Mounted) in the execution of their duty, let us follow Mr. Wilson Giles and watch his movements and actions, which more nearly affect our story.
It having been reported to Mr. Morth that a party of runaway24 “boys” are encamped a few miles from where he is assisting his senior officer in the development of his plan of attack, the sub-inspector, taking a few native troopers with him, starts off to investigate matters in this new direction, being accompanied by Mr. Giles and a few other gentlemen.
After a dark ride of an hour the party reach the cliffs which Claude Angland has descended25 only a few hours before, and, leaving their horses with a couple of station-hands, creep silently through the shadows after their black guide.
Presently each man feels, rather than hears, the whispered order to halt, and Mr. Morth glides27 forward like a snake to reconnoitre.
As ill-luck would have it, at the time when the police officer raises his keen eyes above the edge of a sheltering rock that commands a view of the camp, the only members of Angland’s party in sight are 375 General Gordon and the Myall black, whose friends, a short distance off in the village, are in like imminent28 peril29 to themselves. Both are naked; for having discovered Claude’s absence, and guessing something of what has happened, they are about to set forth30 in search of him. Don and Joe lie in the deep shadow of the rock and are invisible; neither does the feeble illumination afforded by the wood embers reach the blankets, pack-bags, and other civilized31 impedimenta, and warn the scout32 that what he takes for a warragal camp is at present occupied by the “boys” and belongings33 of a white man.
On the other hand, Morth recognizes Gordon, as he stoops over the fire for an instant to light his pipe, as a runaway from Murdaro Station. So crawling backwards34 to his waiting friends and troopers, he commences to arrange them quietly round his intended prey.
The early morning sky is now clear and star-studded, and in another hour or two another day will have begun.
The men creep forward amongst spiny35 grass trees, rocks, and tree-stems, but are not yet in position, when, above the roar of the creek36 hard by and multitudinous noises of a water-laden scrub,—all veiling the approach of the foe37 from the occupants of the granite38 shelter,—comes the muffled39 sound of a distant rifle volley.
The stalkers hear it as they slink through the darkness, and know that their friends have commenced their work of destruction at the village. The runaway “boy” Gordon and his Myall friend hear it also, and guessing its fearful import spring to their feet and 376 stand trembling to listen, as the faint echoings of a few more single shots follow the first discharge.
The tall black forms of the aborigines before the firelit granite background offer too tempting40 a pair of targets for certain of the younger members of the attacking party to be able to further restrain their sportsmanlike proclivities41.
Out from the blackness two rifles spit forth their ringing, sparkling tongues of flame, and Gordon, leaping upwards42 without a cry, tumbles forward into the shadow of the rocks below the camp.
Then the crash and blaze of many rifles follow, as other figures, startled and hesitating in which direction to escape, are seen moving past the fire.
Mr. Giles, who is the nearest of Morth’s party, covers one black form rapidly and pulls the trigger. As he does so the cliff echoes with a wild, boyish scream of mingled43 agony and terror.
There is something so piercing in that note of anguish44, something that seems so like some echo from the past, that hardened as the squatter is by a large previous experience of such scenes, he feels a passing pang45 of remorse46 tapping at his heart strings47.
Morth and the other men are scrambling48 back down the hill; some making for the horses, others for the creek. For, as though bearing a charmed life, the Myall, having hitherto escaped unhurt from the hail of bullets aimed at him, is now bounding over the plain with the speed of an antelope49 towards the river’s angry tide.
Giles thus left alone—for he is not the kind of man to hurry after the others—reloads, and then377 turns to descend26 the cliff; but something makes him alter his mind, and without knowing exactly why, he clambers up to the ledge50 whereon his victim is lying.
As the squatter’s head rises on a level with the camp, he starts as if he had been bitten by a snake; for the dull-red glare of the fire shines upon pack-bags, blankets, billies, and other objects, that tell him at once that a terrible mistake has been made, and that this is no wild blacks’ camp, but that of some party of travellers.
Then fearful thoughts begin to paint a vivid prophecy in his mind of what is to follow.
And forgetful of his age and the stiffness of his limbs, he drags himself frantically51 upwards, till, upon the granite platform, he sinks upon his knees where two little forms lie almost side by side before the glowing embers.
Then, as if mocking the horrified52 wretch’s agonizing53 fears, the fire flares54 up before the rising morning breeze, and upon the side of a leathern satchel55 suspended from a bough hard by he reads the name of Claude Angland.
A sickening odour, resembling roasting pork, is beginning to make the air heavy around, and a little pulseless black hand lies cooking on the ashes. But Giles sees nothing with his staring eyeballs but one small, pallid56 face, that even in the ruddy light of the fire lies white as marble upon the dead body of a ragged-coated dog.
No need for Giles to search for the marks by means of which Billy and Claude had discovered the identity of the long-lost child.
378
With fearful, awful clearness the distracted man sees his dead wife’s features in those childish ones now gasping57 at his feet.
A groan59 bursts from his lips,—the deep moan of a soul too paralyzed with torture to feel further torment60 for a time.
Raising the child into a sitting posture61, Giles madly tries, with shaking fingers, to wipe away the dreadful froth that is oozing62 from poor Georgie’s mouth.
As he does so, his touch seems to rekindle63, for a moment, the waning64 spark of life within the boy’s fragile frame. The pallid lips open to gasp58 out their last words on earth, and Giles, bending to catch them, hears Don murmur,—
“Don’t ’it me. Ain’t doin’——”
Then the expression of pain fades off the child’s features, and a smile of peaceful restfulness comes to take its place, as with a sigh the curly head falls back on Giles’s arm, and the spirit takes its flight. And at that moment Giles—as Giles—dies too. His feeble brain, whirling round with a wild and ever wilder rush of fearful changing scenes and thoughts, suddenly breaks down.
A madman lifts the dead child from the ground, and, leaping over stocks and stones with a fearful, ape-like agility65, vanishes into the darkness.
And none witness the false step in the dark or hear the maniacal66 howl, as, from a cliff hard by, a form resembling that of Murdaro’s owner, clasping something to its breast, spins downwards67 into the angry waters of Agate68 Creek.
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1
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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promontory
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| n.海角；岬 | |
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constituents
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| n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素 | |
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squatter
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| n.擅自占地者 | |
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thraldom
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| n.奴隶的身份，奴役，束缚 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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crouches
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| n.蹲着的姿势( crouch的名词复数 )v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的第三人称单数 ) | |
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constables
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| n.警察( constable的名词复数 ) | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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drenching
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| n.湿透v.使湿透( drench的现在分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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cordon
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| n.警戒线，哨兵线 | |
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slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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itch
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| n.痒，渴望，疥癣；vi.发痒，渴望 | |
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bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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holocaust
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| n.大破坏；大屠杀 | |
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perusing
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| v.读（某篇文字）( peruse的现在分词 )；（尤指）细阅；审阅；匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览（某篇文字） | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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runaway
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| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
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25
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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27
glides
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| n.滑行( glide的名词复数 )；滑音；音渡；过渡音v.滑动( glide的第三人称单数 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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spiny
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| adj.多刺的，刺状的；n.多刺的东西 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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proclivities
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| n.倾向，癖性( proclivity的名词复数 ) | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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50
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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51
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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52
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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agonizing
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| adj.痛苦难忍的；使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦；折磨(agonize的ing形式) | |
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54
flares
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| n.喇叭裤v.（使）闪耀( flare的第三人称单数 )；（使）（船舷）外倾；（使）鼻孔张大；（使）（衣裙、酒杯等）呈喇叭形展开 | |
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55
satchel
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| n.(皮或帆布的)书包 | |
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56
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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57
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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59
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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oozing
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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63
rekindle
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| v.使再振作；再点火 | |
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64
waning
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| adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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maniacal
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| adj.发疯的 | |
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downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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agate
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| n.玛瑙 | |
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