the grinding rush of the wheels in the sand had scarcely died away when the shadow appeared ready for his journey. he carried a water-bag in his hand, and his meagre commissariat outfit was tied up in a glazed cloth slung over his shoulder. he was not impeded by a superabundance of garments; a torn shirt flung open at the neck, a much frayed soft hat turned down all around the brim to keep the scorching sun from his eyes, and a light pair of much-worn khaki pants, held in position by a narrow belt, completed his sartorial glory. his sockless feet were thrust loosely into shoes that had, by their appearance, seen considerable service; he had chosen them because of their once heavy soles being ground down to comparative lightness. he waited impatiently while mackay drew out a rough sketch of the mines and their position, which was to give the warden the necessary information for registration.
"and mind, shadow," said mackay, handing him the paper amid an impressive silence, "ye must steer in by the south; it will mean a longer journey, but if you don't go wide o' macguire to the extent o' five miles or so, he's bound to see you, and you could never hope to get in afore him then."
[pg 113]
the shadow tucked the note carefully away in a lurking corner of his flowing shirt.
"you leave the circus to me, an' don't worry," he said, with a grin. "ta, ta, boys, i'm off. how's this for the flying dutchman?" he set his face to the west and dashed away into the desert at an odd uneven trot.
"he can't keep that up, surely?" said bob, watching the runner in astonishment.
"i'll bet he jig-jogs like that all day," said emu bill. "he's got the real bushman's style o' gettin' over ground, he has."
mackay watched the fleeing figure doubtfully for a time, then a satisfied look lit up his face as he noted the unerring course the shadow was making.
"he'll hit the township straight as a die," said he. "that ugly sinner, macguire, was heading too far to north'ard or i'm very much mistaken."
macguire's associates at the end of the flat were now observed to be in a state of considerable confusion. they could not fail to realize that the mission had been dispatched for one purpose, and they glared after the disappearing messenger with anger and dismay on their hardened countenances.
"keep an eye on them, boys," warned mackay. "we'll soon know whether we were richt in our ideas."
he walked back to the tent with bob, and when they arrived there two of the suspected gang approached apparently in deep sorrow.
"why didn't you give your message to hawkins?" said one. "though he's driving macguire, he'd have done anything you wanted in the township. we doesn't bear no grudge, we don't."
[pg 114]
"the fact is, we don't trust you worth a cent," answered mackay, shortly.
at this stage emu bill hurried up in a state of some perturbation. wholly ignoring the presence of the innocent twain, he burst out—
"there's wan o' them cusses just dodged into the bush carrying a saddle an' bridle!"
at this the protesting pair seemed to realize that their cunning ruse was up.
"an' ye can bet," cried the one who had not yet spoken, "that harkins'll catch up on the boss afore sundown, an' they'll be in kalgoorlie by mornin'. he's goin' to ride macguire's furious, he is," he snarled triumphantly.
he hopped out of the way just in time to avoid being gripped in the clutches of the man he so wholesomely dreaded; but his neighbour was not quite so alert, and, as he turned to run, a well-directed kick lent impetus to his flight.
"i suppose the skunks'll beat us, after all," said mackay, grimly, "their horse bells are sounding quite close. where's jack?"
emu bill grinned. "i think the young'un anticipated you, mac," said he. "he vanished into the bush when he noticed the cuss walking off wi' the saddle."
"if he can unhitch the bells and drive the horses north a bit, it'll take friend harkins a day to find them," grunted mackay, in great good humour.
"you can rely on jack," said bob, decisively; and just then a confused jangling of the horse bells rang out, followed by an absolute stillness.
a few moments later the crackling of the bush in the far distance, and the thudding of many hoofs in[pg 115] the sand, intimated that jack knew his work to the letter.
"by thunder!" roared emu bill, excitedly. "the youngster has taken off their hobbles."
so it turned out. jack had grasped the situation at once when he saw the man slink off with saddle and bridle in the direction of the horses. his intuitive powers were wonderfully bright, and his actions followed quickly on his thoughts.
"i've got to get there first," he muttered to himself, as he dashed impetuously through the bush.
he found the horses clustered together under the shade of a coolibah tree. poor animals, their owners had hobbled their forefeet very tightly in order to keep them from straying far, and after vainly trying to find some edible substance amid the inhospitable sands, they huddled together in a piteous group, and bit nervously at the parched eucalyptus twigs over their heads. it was a country for camels only—these wiry brutes can eat anything; but for horses it was a barren wilderness. jack had no difficulty in approaching them, and he quickly undid their bell straps and flung the noisy tell-tales on the ground, but when he attempted to drive the tired creatures they simply would not move, their hobble straps were too closely fixed to allow of them even making much of an effort. there was little time for delay, already the confident whistle of harkins sounded perilously near. jack would have no half measures, unhesitatingly he undid the binding thongs, and at once the entire mob with wild neighs galloped off.
"as mackay would say, it won't be judicious for me to wait here long," the wily youth soliloquized. "let me see, the sun was on my right hand when i left camp; that[pg 116] means i've got to keep it on my left now." and he vanished speedily, missing harkins, the horse hunter, by but a few yards. his welcome when he returned was hearty in the extreme.
nuggety dick laughed uproariously. "why, look at the brutes," said he, pointing westward across the plain where the still galloping horses were visible. "they're right off home, they are. blow me tight, jack, i'll give you one of my best nuggets for that when the battery comes along."
mackay's tribute was characteristic. "your power o' observation is developing real well, my laddie," he said, "an' your calculative propensities are grand. it's a great thing to hae the gift o' initiative, jack. you see, if you had waited to tell me about your plan, it would hae been too late to act on it. i'll gie ye a tootle on the flute for that the nicht, i will." and jack felt more than amply repaid for his adventure.
ere long the weary harkins returned to his associates, still carrying the saddle and bridle, and feeling very wroth indeed. the disgust and chagrin of the checkmated crew was full and deep, and they sulked in their tent all day, nor once again ventured to approach their smiling neighbours.
and all this time the happy-go-lucky shadow was plugging along over the thirsty desert sands, looking neither to the right nor left, yet instinctively steering a straight course for his goal beyond the distant horizon. mile after mile he traversed with dogged determination, nor did he once falter in his peculiar ambling gait. and the sun rose high in the heavens, and the burning rays smote fiercely on the crown of the shadow's dilapidated[pg 117] hat, while the roasting sands scorched through his flimsy shoes. yet still he never halted.
"i'll show them what i kin do," he repeated to himself as he ran, with savage joy. "i'll show them that the knockabout, hard-up, down-on-his-uppers shadow can keep his end up wi' any one." then the finer trait would show itself in his musings. "it's mackay's last rise. i knows he is all broke up since bentley went under, an' he's been good to me. hang it! i must get in before that cross-eyed, lop-eared bully," and his lithe body would spring forward with renewed energy. a long pull at the water-bag, and a hasty bite at the unpalatable damper he carried in his little wallet, delayed him scarce five minutes. but when, crossing a dry gully, a long sand snake wriggled across his path, he could not resist the temptation of slaying it. "there's two things i never sees use for in this world," he ruminated, as he set down to work again, "an' these is snakes an' muskitties. i wonder what old noah meant by putting them in the ark.... i must have covered 'bout thirty miles by now. i wonder if i kin keep it up all night, an'—an' i wonder if my boots'll hold out."
at sundown he halted to fix his bearings afresh. "i'm afraid i is gettin' too far north," said he, "an' mackay warned me to keep to south'ard. i'd better wait till the cross gets up. i feel sort o' bushed without the sun, an' them hanged little stars never seem to be in the same place. no, i'd be safer to sit tight an' wait for the cross." he had another drink from the water-bag, and munched contentedly at his hard damper for a while; then his head began to nod drowsily, and in a few moments the shadow was fast asleep in the sand, his[pg 118] face upturned to the myriad stars which now began to twinkle in the sky.
how long he slept he knew not, but he awoke with a start, vaguely conscious of some disturbing element in the air. the southern cross shone radiantly far over the horizon, and the constellation of orion glittered placidly in the eastern sky. "i ought to be kicked," said the shadow, in intense disgust with himself. "i calc'late it must be after midnight now, an' i has lost four hours; bother my sleepy old hide." he arose wearily, and gripped the precious water-bag, but he was no sooner on his feet than he dropped again with alacrity, and lay flat on the sand, the muffled sound of hoof-beats had reached his ear, and coming in his direction.
"i'm a gone coon if they see me," he murmured. "why in blazes didn't i keep further to the south?" the shadow did not doubt for a moment that it was macguire and his buggy which was approaching. "the miserable sweep must have camped to give the horses a spell," he reasoned with sinking heart. nearer and nearer came the ghost-like echoes, then suddenly they stopped, and a plaintive whinny rang out through the night. it was answered by another, and yet another, but no sound of voices came to the eager listener's ears. "that is mighty strange," thought he. "macguire should be cursing like a bullock-driver by now. i wonder what's happened?" he raised himself cautiously on hands and knees and peered into the eerie gloom, and as he gazed, half a dozen or so riderless horses came forward at a gentle trot. "brumbies!" grunted the shadow. "wo-ah, my beauties!" to his surprise they halted, and whinnied feebly, and the shadow continued addressing endearing words to them[pg 119] while he cautiously struggled to his feet. they were not brumbies, that was certain, or they would have shied off in affright at once; but the weary youth was not long in discovering what they were, and a chuckle of huge delight issued from his lips as he at last got his hand on the mane of one of his midnight visitors, and patted its trembling nostrils. indeed he could scarcely contain himself, so deep was the joy he felt; he wanted to roll over in the sand and howl in his ecstasy, but he could not very well do that and still keep a grip of his charger's mane, so he contented himself by indulging in a running commentary on his extraordinary luck while he quickly unslipped the thin belt from his waist and deftly insinuated the same into the wondering animal's mouth. "i wonder how they managed to break their hobbles," said he. then a light seemed to dawn on him. "i'll swear mackay had something to do wi' it. or jack—jack's got some savvy, he has. the animals was goin' straight home, they was. well, i reckon macguire's furious will carry the poor weary blown-out shadow, whether he wants to or no."
to his annoyance his improvised bridle proved too short to join over the high arched neck of the commandeered steed, and with a rueful sigh the resourceful lad proceeded to rip off the sleeves of his shirt and cut them into ribbons. this operation was conducted under great difficulties, for furious now seemed to regret his former weakness, and was making strenuous efforts to justify its name. he plunged and reared and kicked viciously, with the result that he startled the other horses into flight. then ensued a tug of war; in vain the frantic horse strove to follow its neighbours; the shadow's grip on the leathern thongs was vice-like in its tenacity.[pg 120] round and round they struggled, but the odd bridle held fast, and at length the fiery steed was brought to a standstill. in a trice a thick stranded cord of shirt ribbons was added to the novel reins, then with a whoop of triumph the daring youngster leaped to furious's back and clutched like a limpet.
to ride an intractable horse, bareback, is at no time a very easy matter, and to ride a noted buckjumper like furious with a makeshift bridle and no saddle was a feat which few of the finest horsemen in australia would have cared to attempt. but lightly recked the shadow of disaster. born and brought up on a far back station in victoria, he had been accustomed to horses since his childhood, and no more daring rider could be found throughout the length and breadth of the land. down went furious's head between his knees, and his high back curved convulsively, as he strove by all his fiery tactics to rid himself of his encumbrance. but the shadow rocked easily in his perch throughout it all; then, suddenly asserting the mastery, he took his battered hat from his head, and with it smote the beast lightly across the ears. for a moment the infuriated animal stood stock still, trembling in every fibre, then, with a snort of rage, he stretched out his long neck and, like an arrow from the bow, darted off across the desert, taking the interposing gullies at a leap, and crashing through narrow timber belts like a thing possessed. the shadow did not once attempt to break its headlong pace, he knew the weakness of his bridle too well for that; gently, insidiously, he tightened the pressure on the off rein and brought his charger round on to the course he wished to go.
"now i reckon i'm on the rails all right," he said at[pg 121] length, when the southern cross shone brightly on his left, and slightly behind; "but blow me for a cross-eyed jackass if i haven't forgotten the water-bag!"
his annoyance at this neglect was keen, though he did not seem to consider that he could not have carried it with him in any case, both of his hands having been very much occupied at the start in controlling his unwilling mount. they had cleared the softer desert country now, and had entered upon the hard-baked, ironshot plains which frequently intervene in these latitudes, and now furious showed signs of failing in his stride, his unshod hoofs were ill able to bear the pressing contact of the rounded diorite pebbles. then for the first time the shadow tested the strength of the doubtful reins, and pulled steadily and strongly. they held firm, and the weary steed slowed down to an easy canter, and finally to a walk.
"whew!" ejaculated the reckless rider, mopping his damp brow. "i reckon this one-man circus is a bit trying on the nerves. if the hanged brute had tripped on a stump, or dived into a snag hole, it would have been 'good-bye, shadow, and the crows will weep for ye in the morning.' but it's a jolly long sight better'n walkin'. hillo, hillo! what has we struck now? wo-ah, my pet lamb, wo-ah."
out of the darkness, almost straight ahead, the red glow of hot ashes had become visible. while he watched the gentle night breezes fanned the dying embers into feeble momentary flame, and there, silhouetted against the blackness, was the buggy which had left golden flat immediately in advance of the shadow. the two horses were dimly observable standing motionless and asleep among the sparse scrub some little way off, while, wrapped in[pg 122] their blankets beside the fire lay the huddled figures of macguire and hawkins evidently also in deep slumber. the watcher whistled softly to himself.
"by smoke," he murmured, "them beggars must have covered fifty miles yesterday. the howlin' sneak has been skeert o' some one comin' after. gee whiz! what a be-eautiful shock he'll get——"
his reflections were arrested by a sudden movement of one of the reclining men, and the harsh voice of macguire reached his ears as he strove to awaken his associate.
"get up, ye dreamin' idiot, an' see if the horses are keepin' handy. i want to get in when the warden's office opens in the mornin'."
a drowsy protesting murmur was all the shadow could hear of the reply. then macguire's unmusical accents were raised in angry abuse.
"ye doesn't think we can do it?" he snarled. "but i say we shall, though the horses drop dead when we get there. i'll show that infernal scotsman what it means to run up agin macguire. we'll get a move on by sunrise, that'll give us three hours to get in by nine o'clock."
he arose painfully to throw some brushwood on the fire, while hawkins, grumbling heartily, went in search of the horses. silently the shadow swung furious's head round, and made a wide detour.
"i reckon ye'll get left this time, ye yelping baboons," he muttered, when he considered himself well out of range of the now spreading firelight. "ye'll move out by sunrise, will ye? i wonder what time it is now." he surveyed the heavens intently; then his gaze rested on a star of exceeding brilliance which had made its appearance just over the horizon. "i calc'late that there shiner is the[pg 123] star mackay called canopus," he said, "an' that means i've just an hour afore the old sun pops his head up. now, old thunder and lightning, ye bold bad quadruped, ye hustled along fur yer own pleasure, i reckon ye can do a bit of a spurt for mine." he leaned forward and dug his heels into furious's flanks; with a bound the noble animal started forward, and once again the twain proceeded on their headlong course.
the stars one by one vanished from the sky, and a wonderful rosy glow gradually enveloped the silent bushland; it heralded the approach of dawn. and now far in the western sky the watchful rider began to perceive the smoke of the ever active smelters near the township, and soon the white-roofed houses of the settlement were plainly visible. sure enough the shadow had steered an unerring course. he slowed down to a walk, and looked cautiously all round. nothing in the shape of man or beast was observable in the near distance, but far off in the township the little street was crowded with miners coming from and going to their work in the shafts.
"shadow," murmured the contemplative youth, "i reckon ye'd better get off an' walk if ye doesn't want to get collared for horse stealing."
he prepared to slide down from his perch, but just then furious, having recognized his own stable so comparatively close at hand, felt imbued with fresh energy. he pricked up his ears, gathered his feet together for one ferocious buck, and was off like the wind. the shadow sat in the sand where he had been unceremoniously deposited, still gripping fast the broken ribbons of the bridle which had served him so well, and gazed reproachfully at the departing steed.
[pg 124]
"ye're a mean, ungrateful hoss," he cried after it, severely. "after me takin' ye back to your own stable, too, an'—an' i didn't think there was a kick left in you." words failed him, and he gathered himself up, and weary and sore and stiff walked slowly into the township.
it was about eight o'clock when he entered the main street which was still an hour before the warden's office opened; but the shadow had no intention of delaying his mission an instant longer than he could help. a lively memory of macguire's emphatically spoken resolve to arrive at nine compelled him to adopt unusual tactics. heedless of the strange glances cast at him by the ultra respectable gold-mining fraternity, he made his way to the exchange hotel, where, as every one knew, the warden was in the habit of breakfasting, and hesitating not an instant, he entered the doorway and turned into the fashionable room reserved for the cream of the goldfields' aristocracy.
but his dilapidated attire and general aspect was too much for the proprietor of the establishment, for it must be remembered that the shadow's shirt had already been largely used in the manufacture of bridle reins. his toes, too, were peeping from sundry crevices in his boots, and from head to foot he was covered with the grime and dust of his long desert journey.
"what do ye want in here, ye young scarecrow?" demanded that important personage, laying an unfriendly grasp on his visitor's shoulder.
the shadow sidled round, leaving another part of his unfortunate garment in the hands of the spoiler.
"i want to see the warden," he cried loudly, his temper considerably ruffled, "an' i'll flatten ye out if ye[pg 125] try to stop me.... it's a matter o' life an' death," he added impressively.
"i am the warden, my lad," spoke a kindly voice from the end of the room, "but i'm not a doctor. let the boy come up, jackson"—this to the proprietor. "good honest sand won't hurt any one, and you know water is scarce in this drought-stricken country. why, the man's hurt!" the kindly official was gazing at a nasty gash on his visitor's bare arm from which the blood was slowly trickling.
the shadow looked and noticed his wound for the first time.
"it must have been that buster i got that did it," he reflected quickly; "but i can't very well bring the horse into this here conversation." aloud he said, "oh, that's nothin'; i tripped on a stump in the dark, that's all."
the warden examined the rent again closely and smiled incredulously.
"all right, young man," said he; "now fire along with your story, for i must be over at the office in half an hour."
there was no one else in the room at the moment, so pulling mackay's sketch plan of the mines from its hiding-place and putting it on the table before the warden, he reeled off the story of the finding of golden flat and the attempted jumping of the mines by macguire and his party. the warden listened patiently through it all, nor did he once interrupt the narrator.
"so that's where the redoubtable macguire went the other day," he commented, when the shadow had finished. "and mackay dished him at his own game, did he? i[pg 126] tell you what, young fellow, i'd have given a fiver to see that fight, i would."
"an' it would hiv been worth it," agreed the shadow, complacently. "but say, is ye goin' to make the claims right for the boys at golden flat? macguire'll be along in a minute——"
"stop right there, my lad. you've done your mates a great service by getting in first, for if macguire had seen me before you i would have had no option but to make out the leases in his name. but when you come to me from men like mackay, emu bill, and nuggety dick, pioneers every one, and tell me the story you have done, i feel that my language won't be full enough to express my feelings when i see that scoundrelly trickster, macguire. but come, tell me how you managed to get in ahead of him. you know i can scarcely swallow that yarn about walking all the way. why, it must be close on an eighty-mile trail!"
then the shadow unburdened himself. "i was a bit skeert o' bein' boosted up for horse stealin'," he explained finally, "so i climbed off the savage critter 'bout half a mile back, an' blow me, if he didn't do a buck at the last minute an' landed me on my back instead o' my feet. i reckon that's how i got this here scratch."
the warden rang a small handbell on the table, and in due course the landlord appeared.
"jackson, let this young man have breakfast. he's come a long way, and i guess he needs it." then, when the man departed, "how were you to know they weren't brumbies?" said he, quizzically.
a noisy demonstration in the street now attracted their attention, and looking out through the window, behold,[pg 127] there was macguire's buggy proceeding past at a walk, though the lather of foam on the horses' heaving flanks showed at what pace they had been driven. round the slowly moving conveyance several men were clustered, and to them macguire was talking eagerly, and apparently much to their satisfaction, for at intervals they broke into lusty cheers.
"these are some more of the loafers and deadbeats of the place," said the warden. "macguire will be telling them of his new discovery. well, it's nearly nine o'clock, i must be off. just sign your name across this plan of yours; yes, that's right. now i'll just scribble a line underneath." he took a blue pencil from his pocket and wrote hastily, "handed to me, the warden of the eastern goldfields district, duly certified, at 8 a.m., august —th, 1899." this he signed. "now, i guess that's all right," he said cheerily, reaching for his hat, "and i don't suppose i need tell you, young man, that some one may be thirsting for your gore before long."
the shadow grinned. "let him thirst," said he. "i reckon i kin bounce any man o' the crowd exceptin' the boss bruiser hissel', and i calc'late mackay's fixed him safe enough for a day or so."
the warden departed, and the light-hearted youth attacked the breakfast which was brought to him with the ardour borne of a long fast and an extremely hearty appetite.
while he was thus engaged, his erstwhile enemy, in the shape of jackson the hotel proprietor, came in and sat down beside him.
"i say, young 'un," he began in amiable tones, "did i hear you say you were one of mackay's party?"
[pg 128]
"you didn't, unless you were listening at the door," came the quick response.
jackson's brows contracted; but he laughed not unpleasantly.
"there's no call for you to be so mighty slick wi' your speech," he said. "i was in the passage way, and heard you mention the name of an old friend of mine, but i was not listening at the door. why, mackay stayed with me a night when he passed through about a month or so ago. he and i were mates in the good old roaring days."
the shadow's face assumed an expression of grave concern.
"i climbs down, boss," said he, contritely. "i thought you might have been trying to pump me for macguire's benefit."
jackson uttered an expression of deep disgust. "why, that skunk! i wouldn't be seen dead alongside o' him. he's the meanest, rottenest——"
the shadow bolted the final portion of his breakfast in a hurry, and held out a grimy paw. "shake, boss," he said laconically. they shook; and the now refreshed youth went once more into the history of golden flat, retailing with gusto the wonderful encounter between macguire and mackay. "his silly old bones cracked like pipe shanks," he concluded, with reminiscent accurateness.
"by thunder!" ejaculated the appreciative listener, aroused to a sudden sense of duty. "that broken-ribbed bruiser will have your life if he sees you now. how do you mean to get back?"
"walk," answered the shadow, shortly.
"walk be hanged. i'll lend you a horse; but you[pg 129] must look slippy an' get away. i will come out myself an' see if i can get a decent claim before the whole population rushes you; i can fetch the horse back when i come." he arose hurriedly, evidently intent on seeking out a steed right away, but at the door he stopped and looked back. "what was that life-and-death racquet you worked on my tender feelings?" he asked sternly.
"dead sure thing," returned the shadow, unabashed. "if macguire had got ahead o' me, mackay would have squelched the life outen him first chance. see?"
jackson evidently saw, for he departed on his quest, laughing heartily.
left to himself the shadow carelessly walked out into the street, and as luck would have it blundered right into the trouble his friends had been so anxious for him to avoid. returning from the warden's office came macguire and his aide-de-camp driving furiously, and the roar of pent-up anger which burst from the bully's lips on seeing the imperturbable shadow step forth from the hotel would have done credit to a full-grown grizzly bear that had just been cheated of its supper. the buggy stopped with a jerk, and as if by magic a motley throng crowded round.
"that's him! that's the young demon!" howled the discomfited man in a perfect paroxysm of rage. "he stole my horse, he—he—get out and kill the young cub, hawkins. get out i say!"
"if i were you i reckon i'd sit tight," advised the shadow, serenely. "i could pretty well squash you in one act, i could."
and hawkins was evidently of the same opinion, for he absolutely refused to make any movement. with a baleful glitter in his bloodshot eyes, macguire himself[pg 130] stepped down; had the great hulking brute but known it, he was at that moment no match for his lithe and muscular adversary, who, in his conscious strength, stood his ground unafraid. but there came a sudden interruption from the outside of the interested crowd.
"none of that, macguire, or i'll be forced to explain some things you won't like."
it was a sharp authoritative warning, and it issued from the warden who now pushed his way to the front.
"he stole my horse," began the baulked ruffian in a voice hoarse with suppressed passion.
"that's too thin, sir. from what i have heard, all your horses returned home of their own accord this morning. in any case, if you have a complaint to make, the public street is not a court house."
a suppressed cheer broke from some of the bystanders, who had no cause to love macguire. he scowled fiercely at them as he climbed back to his seat.
"i'll get even with you, you young thief, when there are no interferin' wardens about," he cried as he drove away, glaring with impotent rage at the object of his exceeding wrath.
the shadow smilingly waved him a polite adieu.
