<h2><SPAN name="CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII. <br/><span class="cheaderfont">TIME FLIES.</span></SPAN></h2>
<p>The hands at Yanda marvelled greatly at the tale
Edgar told of their adventures, and they marvelled
still more when the treasure they brought with them
was shown.</p>
<p>‘And to think that black fellow knew all about it,
and kept the secret so long,’ said Ben Brody. ‘I can<span class="pagenum">[205]</span>
hardly believe it is true. You must have travelled
thousands of miles. All I can say is you deserve
what you have got.’</p>
<p>After staying a few weeks at Yanda, where he received
letters from home, and from Wal Jessop, Edgar
decided to go to Sydney and see Eva again. Will
Brown remained at Yanda, in order to gain more
experience of station life.</p>
<p>When Edgar arrived in Sydney, he at once went to
Watson’s Bay. Wal Jessop did not know Edgar had
left Yanda. Eva had constantly inquired for Edgar
during his absence, and been comforted by the assurance
he would return to her.</p>
<p>Edgar walked up the steep path to the cottage,
intending to give the inmates a surprise, but Eva,
who was looking out of the window, recognised him,
and gave a joyful cry that brought Mrs. Jessop to
her. Together they rushed out to greet Edgar, and
he soon had little Eva crowing delightedly in his
arms, Mrs. Jessop looking on, her motherly face
beaming with satisfaction.</p>
<p>‘How you have grown, Eva!’ said Edgar, holding
her up in his arms to have a better look at her. ‘You
have had a good home, and Mrs. Jessop has taken
great care of you.’</p>
<p>Eva began to prattle in her pretty childish way,
and asked Edgar numerous questions, some of which
he found a difficulty in answering.</p>
<p>When Wal Jessop returned home and found Edgar
installed in the cottage he was delighted. He had<span class="pagenum">[206]</span>
been longing to see him again, and to hear all about
his adventures. These Edgar had to relate over and
over again, and little Eva, too, was interested in
hearing about Yacka and the blacks, and the White
Spirit in the wonderful cave. When she saw the
precious stones and gold Edgar brought with him, she
clapped her hands with joy, and wanted to play with
all the pretty things.</p>
<p>‘You’ll not be short of money for a time with such
rubies as these to sell,’ said Wal Jessop, as he took
some of the stones in his hand. ‘They are the finest
I ever saw. You’ll get more for them in London than
you will here.’</p>
<p>‘I shall keep the bulk of them,’ said Edgar; ‘but
we must dispose of some of them, Wal, in order to
keep things going.’</p>
<p>‘Captain Fife will be able to do that for you,’ said
Wal. ‘He knows the best market for such things.
What a wonderful chap that black must be! There
are not many like him here.’</p>
<p>‘You will see him before long,’ said Edgar. ‘He
has promised to come to Sydney when his wound
has quite healed.’</p>
<p>‘A knife-thrust like that will take some time to
get well,’ said Wal. ‘I wonder if he will ever take
you back again to find more of the treasure?’</p>
<p>‘I shall not go,’ said Edgar; ‘but I have no
doubt there will be search made for it, even if Yacka
declines to lead the way.’</p>
<p>The evening of Edgar’s arrival at the cottage he<span class="pagenum">[207]</span>
had a walk on the cliffs with Wal Jessop, and again
looked down upon the terrible rocks where the
<em>Distant Shore</em> was dashed to pieces, and himself and
Eva were so miraculously saved. As he looked into
the depths below, the scene came vividly to mind
again, and he could not resist grasping Wal Jessop
by the hand, while the tears stood in his eyes.</p>
<p>Wal Jessop knew what he meant better than if he
had spoken, and returned the pressure of his hand.
They walked back to the cottage, and once more
talked over the scenes of that awful night.</p>
<p>When Edgar saw Captain Fife that gentleman
received him cordially, and promised to dispose of
some of the rubies to the best advantage.</p>
<p>‘They are wonderfully good stones,’ said Captain
Fife, ‘and there will be no difficulty in obtaining a
stiff price for them. By the way, what are you
going to do with yourself now? Are you returning
to the station, or would you prefer to remain in
Sydney?’</p>
<p>‘If I can obtain a suitable billet,’ said Edgar, ‘I
should like to remain here.’</p>
<p>Captain Fife had been on the look-out for a private
secretary for some time, and he offered Edgar the
post, which he willingly accepted, thinking himself
fortunate, as indeed he was, to gain such a position.</p>
<p>Time flies quickly, and when Edgar Foster had
been private secretary to Captain Fife for over two
years, he had become quite at home in Sydney, and
was recognised as one of the best of good fellows.<span class="pagenum">[208]</span>
Edgar was fond of sports of all kinds, and he liked
fun as well as any young fellow of his age, but he
shunned the fast sets in the city, and one of his
constant companions was Wal Jessop. Two or three
times a week he went to Wal’s cottage to see Eva,
who was rapidly growing into a very pretty girl. He
heard regularly from home, and also had news from
Yanda—for Will Brown was still there. Yacka had
tried Sydney life, but quickly tired of it, and returned
to the West.</p>
<p>Two or three expeditions had been fitted out to
try and find the Cave of Enooma, as it was called, for
the adventures of Edgar Foster and Will Brown had
been related in the <cite>Sydney Mail</cite>, and naturally there
was a desire to obtain the wealth stated to be there.
These expeditions had, however, been failures, and
nothing came of them. Yacka refused to lead anyone
into the Enooma country, and Edgar and Will,
when approached upon the subject, expressed their
inability to do so. When the second expedition
failed in its object, people said the discovery was a
myth, but others knew better, and Edgar only smiled
when he heard disparaging remarks made.</p>
<p>Although Edgar stuck well to his work during the
time he had been with Captain Fife, he found ample
opportunity to indulge in his favourite pastime,
cricket, and, much to his delight, had been selected
captain of the South Sydney team. In this capacity
he not only proved himself a good all-round cricketer,
but a splendid leader, and no one, it was generally<span class="pagenum">[209]</span>
acknowledged, placed his men to more advantage in
the field. He was selected to play for New South
Wales against Victoria, but, like many a good
cricketer before him, he failed at his first attempt.
There was, however, no doubt about his ability, and
he now stood an excellent chance of being selected
as one of the next Australian eleven. This is the
height of every cricketer’s ambition in the colonies,
and Edgar felt anxious as to whether his performances
during the season would warrant the selection
committee including him in the team. So far he had
done fairly well. There remained one inter-Colonial
match to play against South Australia, and Edgar
knew upon this match would depend the final decision
as to his being a member of the Australian
eleven.</p>
<p>He had practised steadily, and felt confident, and
was encouraged by Wal Jessop and Captain Fife.
Will Brown wrote from Yanda, saying they were
coming down in force to see him play, and Ben
Brody added a postscript to the effect that the honour
of the Yanda boys was in Edgar’s hands.</p>
<p>When the eventful day arrived Edgar’s feelings
can be imagined. The match took place on the
Association ground at Sydney, and the South Australians
placed a formidable team on the field.
Several men on either side were on their best mettle
and playing for a place in the Australian eleven.</p>
<p>Ben Brody appeared on the ground resplendent in
a new cabbage-tree hat, which he had bought in<span class="pagenum">[210]</span>
honour of the occasion. He was as anxious as anyone
to see Edgar successful. Will Brown vowed if
Edgar Foster went home with the team, he should go
by the same boat. Will Henton, Harry Noke, and
Jim Lee all came up from Yanda for the match, and
consequently there was a family party on the ground.
In Wal Jessop Ben Brody found a man after his own
heart, and they got on well together.</p>
<p>Edgar felt encouraged by their presence to do his
best, and something seemed to tell him he would
succeed.</p>
<p>The New South Wales captain won the toss and
elected to bat. This gave Edgar a chance to sit and
chat with his friends. He hardly knew how popular
he had become in Sydney, owing to his numerous
adventures and his sterling character, until he saw
the number of people who were only too proud to
recognise him.</p>
<p>‘You must be a favourite with the ladies,’ said
Ben Brody. ‘All the pretty girls are smiling at you.
Lucky dog!’</p>
<p>It was true Edgar knew several nice girls, but he
had not yet found one he preferred to any of the
others. He thought there was time enough for that
in another five or six years.</p>
<p>The home team commenced badly, and lost two
wickets for thirty runs. At the fall of the fourth
wicket Edgar Foster went in, and his appearance on
the ground, from the pavilion, was the signal for a
loud outburst of applause. As he walked to the<span class="pagenum">[211]</span>
crease Edgar vowed he would do his utmost to merit
this reception. He was cool and collected, and had
seldom felt so confident. He commenced well by
making a couple of boundary hits in his first over.
His partner, Frank Highdale, was well set, and the
pair looked like making a big stand.</p>
<p>Edgar roused the spectators by hitting a ball into
the pavilion, and Highdale had completely mastered
the bowling. Runs came rapidly, and the South
Australian captain seemed puzzled to know how to
effect a separation.</p>
<p>Although Highdale had been batting some time
before Edgar came in, the latter was first to reach
the coveted fifty. When this number of runs appeared
to Edgar’s name on the scoring-board, Ben
Brody, to use his own expression, ‘broke loose.’ He
cheered in the most frantic manner, and waved his
huge hat in delight.</p>
<p>The New South Wales eleven were at the wickets
all day, and when stumps were drawn Edgar Foster
was ‘not out, one hundred and nine’! He was congratulated
on all sides, and Captain Fife said, as he
shook hands with him:</p>
<p>‘Your place in the team is assured. I shall cable
to your father as soon as the selection is made. He
will be mighty proud of his son.’</p>
<p>On the renewal of the match next day, Edgar
added another fifty to his score, and was clean
bowled, after making one hundred and fifty-nine, a
magnificent innings.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum">[212]</span></p>
<p>The match ended in a win for the home colony by
two hundred runs. In the second innings Edgar
Foster placed fifty-six to his credit; he also bowled
well during the match, and came out with a very
good average.</p>
<p>Consequently, it was no surprise when he found
his name amongst the favoured thirteen cricketers
picked to make up the Australian team. He received
a cablegram from his father congratulating
him, and this gave him more pleasure than anything
else.</p>
<p>As usual, there was some grumbling about the
composition of the team, but no one had anything to
say about Edgar Foster’s inclusion.</p>
<p>‘We are to go home in the <em>Cuzco</em>,’ said Edgar
to Will Brown; ‘so you had better book your
passage.’</p>
<p>‘You bet!’ said Will; ‘and who do you think is
going home for a trip with us?’</p>
<p>‘Don’t know,’ said Edgar. ‘I wish we could take
Yacka. He would create a sensation there.’</p>
<p>‘Yacka is far happier camping out at Yanda,’ said
Will. ‘Ben Brody is going home with us. He says
he has never had a holiday since he was a lad, over
forty years ago, and he thinks it is about time he
took one now.’</p>
<p>‘I am glad,’ said Edgar. ‘Ben Brody is a real
good sort; he’s a rough diamond, but I like him
better than if he were polished.’</p>
<p>The hands on Yanda were in high glee about<span class="pagenum">[213]</span>
Ben leaving them for a time. They fancied the
mutton diet would be knocked off, but Ben said he
should leave strict injunctions behind about that.</p>
<p>The time passed quickly, and the morning the
<em>Cuzco</em> was to leave Circular Quay a large crowd of
people assembled to see the New South Wales
members of the team leave for London. There
was so much hand-shaking, and so many parting
good-byes, that Edgar felt sure some of them would
be left behind.</p>
<p>Wal Jessop and his wife brought Eva down to see
Edgar off, and the child did not like to see him leave
her in the big steamer.</p>
<p>‘I will come back for you, Eva,’ said Edgar; ‘I
promise you I will come back. Be a good girl while
I am away, and I will bring you back the best doll I
can find in London.’</p>
<p>‘With brown hair, and blue eyes?’ said Eva.</p>
<p>‘Yes,’ said Edgar. ‘It shall have bonny blue
eyes, and bright brown hair like yours, Eva.’</p>
<p>He took her in his arms, and kissed her over and
over again, and then handed her to Mrs. Jessop.
Just as the gangway was about to be raised they
saw a tall figure flying up it with long strides. It
was Ben Brody.</p>
<p>‘You nearly missed us,’ said Edgar, laughing.
‘Where have you been? I thought I saw you on
board some time back.’</p>
<p>‘So I was,’ said Ben, gasping for breath; ‘but I
left my ‘bacca behind in a box at the hotel, and I’d<span class="pagenum">[214]</span>
sooner have gone back to Yanda than been on board
without my usual brand.’</p>
<p>The <em>Cuzco</em> had now cast off, and as she left the
wharf Edgar singled out Eva, hoisted high on Wal
Jessop’s shoulder, and waved her a hearty farewell.</p>
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