<h2><SPAN name="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV. <br/><span class="cheaderfont">ON THE OVERLAND LINE.</span></SPAN></h2>
<p>A couple of days after their meeting with the
telegraph repairers the party arrived at Alice Springs—the
most interesting of all the stations on the overland
telegraph line. Alice Springs stands high above
the sea-level, and there is magnificent and interesting
scenery in the district, the valley in which it lies being
of exceptional beauty.</p>
<p>As Edgar looked at the scene mapped out before
him, he could not help expressing astonishment at<span class="pagenum">[130]</span>
what he saw. Alice Springs he had imagined as
a bare, desolate spot, and here he saw the great
MacDonnell Ranges lying to the north, the source of
rivers, creeks, and springs, the valley stretching far
away to east and west. The River Todd, running
close by, lends a picturesque charm to the scene.</p>
<p>There were numerous people about when the party
arrived, as Alice Springs is the repeating station on
the line, and consequently a considerable number of
officers were employed. The buildings were not particularly
enchanting, but they were useful and commodious.
Several trees were scattered about, affording
a comfortable shade, and the hot winds had not
scorched up all vegetation.</p>
<p>The officers employed at Alice Springs Station
were a genial, jovial lot of fellows; and when Edgar
and Will had been duly introduced by Walter Hepburn,
they were at once made at home. After
travelling so many miles, and living on the produce
of their guns and Yacka’s ingenuity, it was a treat
for them once more to come across civilization. They
were feasted and made much of, and the inevitable
race-meeting was got up in their honour.</p>
<p>Edgar noticed there were a good many men about
besides the officers employed on the station, and he
did not like the look of some of them. They had
a hang-dog expression on their faces, and a lazy,
loafing way of idling about that spoke ill for the
manner in which they managed to knock out a
living.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum">[131]</span></p>
<p>‘You have some queer customers about here,’ said
Edgar to Walter Hepburn.</p>
<p>‘You mean those fellows over yonder,’ he replied.</p>
<p>‘I guess you’re about right—they are queer customers.
They are out-and-out “spielers,” and you generally
find them loafing about in the interior wherever
there is a new settlement. They are always in
fairly strong force around here, and when we have
races they are only too ready to make wagers which
they have no intention of paying. Some of our
fellows are foolish enough to bet with them, and out
of sheer despair at getting up a game of cards, I
have known them play with these men. Needless to
say, our fellows never win. These “spielers” know too
much for them. In my opinion, they are worse than
the blacks, and a greater danger to settlers. Horse-stealing
and swindling they are always ready for;
but they are cowards when fairly tackled, and soon
seek fresh fields when a place becomes too hot to
hold them.’</p>
<p>‘Strange how such men can find occupation here,’
said Edgar.</p>
<p>‘Well, you see, it’s this way,’ said Walter Hepburn.
‘Settlers in a new country, where white men
are scarce, and blacks are dangerous and hostile, are
only too glad to give a white man a welcome. No
questions are asked as to who or what the white man
may be, but they take it for granted his company
must be an improvement on their black, quarrelsome
neighbours. I’ve known blackguards like those you<span class="pagenum">[132]</span>
see over yonder stay at a place for a week, and then
clear out with the best horses and anything else they
could conveniently take away.’</p>
<p>‘I saw a couple of them eyeing our horses over
a short time back,’ said Will Brown, who came up
and heard the conversation. ‘Yacka says we had
better leave our horses behind when we go beyond
the Ranges, and call for them as we return; that is,
if they will care to have them here.’</p>
<p>‘You can leave them with pleasure if you wish,’
said Walter Hepburn, ‘and I’ll promise to look after
them for you as well as I can. You will certainly not
have much use for horses if you are going west after
you cross the ranges. It is, so far as we know, very
little else but desert between here and West Australia.
As I told you before, I am afraid you are undertaking
a great risk, and all to very little purpose. You may
as well remain here a week or two, and then return
south towards Adelaide. You’ll have had enough of
it when you reach there, without going farther north.’</p>
<p>‘I’ll consult Yacka, and hear what he has to say,’
said Edgar, and walked towards the black, leaving
Will with Walter Hepburn.</p>
<p>Edgar explained what Hepburn had said, and
Yacka replied:</p>
<p>‘I will go with you to Adelaide, if you wish; but
you will be sorry for it. We have come so far, let us
go on. These men know nothing of Enooma’s
country. They have been lost in the desert and
never found the green land. Come with me, and I<span class="pagenum">[133]</span>
will show you much. Yacka has said he will make
you rich. Come and see if the son of Enooma speaks
true.’</p>
<p>‘You say we had better leave our horses here until
we return,’ said Edgar. ‘How far have we to go
beyond the ranges?’</p>
<p>‘Long way,’ said Yacka, ‘but fine country. We
soon leave the sand behind, and then you will see
much better place than Yanda.’</p>
<p>‘I will go with you,’ said Edgar, and Yacka was
pleased. ‘We will leave here in a few days.’</p>
<p>During the time they remained at Alice Springs
there was plenty of amusement. Local races, and a
cricket match filled in the time, and Edgar managed
to impress it upon them that he could handle a bat.</p>
<p>Yacka amused himself in various ways. He kept
aloof from everyone, and sat looking on at the
various games in a contemplative style that amused
Edgar.</p>
<p>The numerous ‘spielers’ about the place found
time hang heavily on their hands, and two or three
of them thought to pass a few hours away by teasing
Yacka, and trying to work him into a frenzy. These
vile wretches were adepts in the art of ill-using and
insulting not only blacks, but white men, when they
got the chance, and when there was but little danger
connected with it.</p>
<p>Yacka was quietly carving a stick, when three of
these vagabonds came up to him. One jerked the
stick out of his hand and flung it away, another<span class="pagenum">[134]</span>
upset the log upon which he was sitting, and the
third kicked him in the ribs as he lay on the floor.</p>
<p>Then these three white men with black hearts got
a surprise from the black man with a white heart.
Yacka sprang to his feet with a yell. He seized the
nearest man round the waist, lifted him off his feet,
and flung him over his shoulder, as easily as only a
practised wrestler could. The man fell with a heavy
thud upon the ground and lay there. Yacka bounded
upon the next man before he had recovered from his
surprise, and would have treated him in a similar
way. The noise, however, attracted the attention of
the ‘spielers’ mates, who came running up, and Yacka
was surrounded by enemies.</p>
<p>The black’s eyes fairly blazed as he looked round
at the cowardly crew hemming him in on every side.
He could not see a loophole of escape, so he determined
to fight for liberty. Yacka knew well enough
if these men got him down he would probably be
kicked to death.</p>
<p>A blow on the back of his head warned him his
persecutors meant business. Yacka could see no
weapon handy, so he used his fists, and struck out
right and left with tremendous effect. Three of the
crew measured their full length on the ground in
almost as many seconds. Yacka’s blows fell fast, but
he could not guard himself at the rear as well as in
the front. Blows fell upon his head and made him
dizzy, and he knew he could not hold out much
longer.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum">[135]</span></p>
<p>‘There’s a row going on outside,’ said Walter
Hepburn, as he got up from the table where they had
just been refreshing themselves, and went to the
door.</p>
<p>‘Hang me if it is not that black chap of yours!
The “spielers” are on to him. Come along, quick,
or they’ll do for him!’</p>
<p>Edgar and Will jumped up, and the three ran towards
the scene of the encounter.</p>
<p>They were only just in time. One of the gang of
cowards attacking Yacka struck him a severe blow
on the head with a heavy stick, and the black fell on
to his knees. No sooner was he down than a brutal
assault was made upon him. Edgar outstripped his
companions and was first on the scene. He said
nothing, but he began to knock the ‘spielers’ about
in a manner that left no doubt as to his hitting
powers.</p>
<p>Will Brown and Walter Hepburn were not slow to
follow his example, and although they were opposed
to more than double their own number, the trio
quickly drove the ‘spielers’ away, some of them
much the worse for the encounter.</p>
<p>Edgar knelt down beside Yacka, who was lying on
the ground half stunned.</p>
<p>‘The brutes!’ said Edgar. ‘They have mauled
him badly. How do you feel, Yacka? Any bones
broken?’</p>
<p>The black smiled feebly and said:</p>
<p>‘No bones broken, Master Edgar, but I have got<span class="pagenum">[136]</span>
a bad head. I could have beaten the first three, but
more came up and they got at me from behind.’
Seeing Hepburn, he added significantly: ‘That is
what causes revenge, and the killing of white men.’</p>
<p>‘I’m not surprised,’ said Will. ‘You cannot expect
a blackfellow to stand such brutal conduct as
this.’</p>
<p>‘No,’ said Hepburn, ‘but the worst of it is the
innocent suffer for the guilty. These brutes get off
scot-free, and some poor settler meets with his
death.’</p>
<p>‘Yacka has never killed a man what you call a
settler,’ said the black.</p>
<p>‘No one supposes you have,’ said Edgar. ‘Can
you walk?’</p>
<p>Yacka managed to stand on his feet, but his head
swam, and he felt dizzy.</p>
<p>‘Bring him into my shanty,’ said Hepburn. ‘I
can’t stand even a blackfellow being knocked about
in this style.’</p>
<p>The ‘spielers’ were hanging about as they led
Yacka into Hepburn’s house. As he entered the
door the black turned and shook his fist at them, and
a cruel look came into his eyes.</p>
<p>Hepburn saw it and whispered to Edgar:</p>
<p>‘I would not give much for one of those fellows’
chances of salvation if Yacka got him alone.’</p>
<p>Had it been a white man the ‘spielers’ had set
upon, they would have been hustled out of the place
quickly enough, but a blackfellow more or less did<span class="pagenum">[137]</span>
not seem to matter with the bulk of the men. The
majority of them would have knocked a ‘spieler’
down with the greatest of satisfaction, but even in
such a case as the assault upon Yacka they were inclined
to regard the black as the aggressor. This
feeling naturally aroused Edgar’s indignation. He
had not lived amongst savage blacks as most of these
men had, and gone with his life in his hands every
time he went a few miles up country. The blacks in
many cases undoubtedly attacked peaceful settlers
and murdered them in a treacherous manner. This
naturally aroused a feeling of intense hatred against
the original inhabitants of the country, and all blackfellows
were treated alike. When the settlers treated
the blacks kindly it was regarded by them as a sign
of weakness, and an encouragement to attack them.
Arguments such as these Hepburn used to convince
Edgar the white men had good reason for hating the
black.</p>
<p>‘The Finke blacks,’ said Hepburn, ‘are a peaceable
lot; but when you get into the Musgrave and
MacDonnell Ranges, and farther north, it is necessary
to be well armed if you wish to come back again.
I have been there and know, and that is the main
reason I have endeavoured to persuade you not to
go with Yacka.’</p>
<p>‘It would be cowardly on our part to desert Yacka
now,’ said Edgar, ‘nor have we any inclination to do
so. I would sooner trust a whole tribe of blacks
than the brutal fellows who attacked him.’</p>
<p><span class="pagenum">[138]</span></p>
<p>Hepburn saw it was useless to argue more, so he
said good-naturedly:</p>
<p>‘If you are bent upon proceeding, you must let
me supply you with more ammunition. You will
want it, I am afraid, unless Yacka is well-known to
the northern tribes.’</p>
<p>‘You’re a brick!’ said Will enthusiastically, ‘and I
for one will accept your gift.’</p>
<p>‘It’s a good while since I heard that expression,’
said Hepburn. ‘It reminds me of my school-days.’</p>
<p>‘Where were you put in training?’ asked Edgar
with a smile.</p>
<p>‘At a grand old school, which I dare say you
have heard of,’ said Hepburn. ‘I was educated at
Redbank.’</p>
<p>Edgar and Will gave a whoop that startled Hepburn,
and before he could realize what had happened,
he felt both his arms being worked up and down in
a rapid style that took his breath away.</p>
<p>‘Hold on, lads!’ he gasped; ‘you’ll have my arms
off. What the deuce is the matter with you?’</p>
<p>‘This is the most extraordinary thing I ever heard
of,’ said Edgar.</p>
<p>‘I see nothing very extraordinary in my having
been educated at Redbank,’ said Hepburn, ‘except
the fact that I might have done the school more
credit, considering the training I received.’</p>
<p>‘We are Redbank boys,’ said Edgar.</p>
<p>It was Hepburn’s turn now, and the pumping
process recommenced. They almost danced for joy,<span class="pagenum">[139]</span>
and Yacka, who was lying on the camp-bed, thought
they had gone suddenly mad.</p>
<p>‘Bless my soul! it is remarkable after all,’ said
Hepburn. ‘To think we Redbank fellows should
all meet in this outlandish spot! The world is very
small.’</p>
<p>What a night they made of it, and they were still
talking over the glories of Redbank when the morning
light made the lamp grow dim.</p>
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