in search of the castaways-第66章

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Mangles　to　the　quartermaster。　〃I　know　no　more　about　him　than　you　do；　captain；〃　said　Ayrton。　〃But　we　shall　see。〃　The　blacksmith　set　to　work。　　Evidently　that　was　his　trade；　as　they　could　plainly　see　from　the　way　he　set　about　repairing　the　forepart　of　the　wagon。　　He　worked　skilfully　and　with　uncommon　energy。　The　Major　observed　that　the　flesh　of　his　wrists　was　deeply　furrowed；　showing　a　ring　of　extravasated　blood。　　It　was　the　mark　of　a　recent　injury；　which　the　sleeve　of　an　old　woolen　shirt　could　not　conceal。　McNabbs　questioned　the　blacksmith　about　those　sores　which　looked　so　painful。　　The　man　continued　his　work　without　answering。　Two　hours　more　and　the　damage　the　carriage　had　sustained　was　made　good。　　As　to　Glenarvan's　horse；　it　was　soon　disposed　of。　The　blacksmith　had　had　the　forethought　to　bring　the　shoes　with　him。　These　shoes　had　a　peculiarity　which　did　not　escape　the　Major；　it　was　a　trefoil　clumsily　cut　on　the　back　part。　　McNabbs　pointed　it　out　to　Ayrton。　〃It　is　the　Black…Point　brand；〃　said　the　quartermaster。　〃That　enables　them　to　track　any　horses　that　may　stray　from　the　station；　and　prevents　their　being　mixed　with　other　herds。〃　The　horse　was　soon　shod。　　The　blacksmith　claimed　his　wage；　and　went　off　without　uttering　four　words。　Half　an　hour　later；　the　travelers　were　on　the　road。　Beyond　the　grove　of　mimosas　was　a　stretch　of　sparsely　timbered　country；　which　quite　deserved　its　name　of　〃open　plain。〃　Some　fragments　of　quartz　and　ferruginous　rock　lay　among　the　scrub　and　the　tall　grass；　where　numerous　flocks　were　feeding。　Some　miles　farther　the　wheels　of　the　wagon　plowed　deep　into　the　alluvial　soil；　where　irregular　creeks　murmured　in　their　beds；　half　hidden　among　giant　reeds。　　By…and…by　they　skirted　vast　salt　lakes；　rapidly　evaporating。　　The　journey　was　accomplished　without　trouble；　and；　indeed；　without　fatigue。　Lady　Helena　invited　the　horsemen　of　the　party　to　pay　her　a　visit　in　turns；　as　her　reception…room　was　but　small；　and　in　pleasant　converse　with　this　amiable　woman　they　forgot　the　fatigue　of　their　day's　ride。　Lady　Helena；　seconded　by　Miss　Mary；　did　the　honors　of　their　ambulatory　house　with　perfect　grace。　　John　Mangles　was　not　forgotten　in　these　daily　invitations；　and　his　somewhat　serious　conversation　was　not　unpleasing。　The　party　crossed；　in　a　diagonal　direction；　the　mail…coach　road　from　Crowland　to　Horsham；　which　was　a　very　dusty　one；　and　little　used　by　pedestrians。　The　spurs　of　some　low　hills　were　skirted　at　the　boundary　of　Talbot　County；　and　in　the　evening　the　travelers　reached　a　point　about　three　miles　from　Maryborough。　　The　fine　rain　was　falling；　which；　in　any　other　country；　would　have　soaked　the　ground；　but　here　the　air　absorbed　the　moisture　so　wonderfully　that　the　camp　did　not　suffer　in　the　least。　Next　day；　the　29th　of　December；　the　march　was　delayed　somewhat　by　a　succession　of　little　hills；　resembling　a　miniature　Switzerland。　　It　was　a　constant　repetition　of　up　and　down　hill；　and　many　a　jolt　besides；　all　of　which　were　scarcely　pleasant。　　The　travelers　walked　part　of　the　way；　and　thought　it　no　hardship。　At　eleven　o'clock　they　arrived　at　Carisbrook；　rather　an　important　municipality。　　Ayrton　was　for　passing　outside　the　town　without　going　through　it；　in　order；　he　said；　to　save　time。　Glenarvan　concurred　with　him；　but　Paganel；　always　eager　for　novelties；　was　for　visiting　Carisbrook。　　They　gave　him　his　way；　and　the　wagon　went　on　slowly。　Paganel；　as　was　his　custom；　took　Robert　with　him。　　His　visit　to　the　town　was　very　short；　but　it　sufficed　to　give　him　an　exact　idea　of　Australian　towns。　　There　was　a　bank；　a　court…house；　a　market；　a　church；　and　a　hundred　or　so　of　brick　houses；　all　exactly　alike。　　The　whole　town　was　laid　out　in　squares；　crossed　with　parallel　streets　in　the　English　fashion。　Nothing　could　be　more　simple；　nothing　less　attractive。　As　the　town　grows；　they　lengthen　the　streets　as　we　lengthen　the　trousers　of　a　growing　child；　and　thus　the　original　symmetry　is　undisturbed。　Carisbrook　was　full　of　activity；　a　remarkable　feature　in　these　towns　of　yesterday。　　It　seems　in　Australia　as　if　towns　shot　up　like　trees；　owing　to　the　heat　of　the　sun。　　Men　of　business　were　hurrying　along　the　streets；　gold　buyers　were　hastening　to　meet　the　in…coming　escort；　the　precious　metal；　guarded　by　the　local　police；　was　coming　from　the　mines　at　Bendigo　and　Mount　Alexander。　　All　the　little　world　was　so　absorbed　in　its　own　interests；　that　the　strangers　passed　unobserved　amid　the　laborious　inhabitants。　After　an　hour　devoted　to　visiting　Carisbrook；　the　two　visitors　rejoined　their　companions；　and　crossed　a　highly　cultivated　district。　Long　stretches　of　prairie；　known　as　the　〃Low　Level　Plains；〃　next　met　their　gaze；　dotted　with　countless　sheep；　and　shepherds'　huts。　And　then　came　a　sandy　tract；　without　any　transition；　but　with　the　abruptness　of　change　so　characteristic　of　Australian　scenery。　Mount　Simpson　and　Mount　Terrengower　marked　the　southern　point　where　the　boundary　of　the　Loddon　district　cuts　the　144th　meridian。　As　yet　they　had　not　met　with　any　of　the　aboriginal　tribes　living　in　the　savage　state。　　Glenarvan　wondered　if　the　Australians　were　wanting　in　Australia；　as　the　Indians　had　been　wanting　in　the　Pampas　of　the　Argentine　district；　but　Paganel　told　him　that；　in　that　latitude；　the　natives　frequented　chiefly　the　Murray　Plains；　about　one　hundred　miles　to　the　eastward。　〃We　are　now　approaching　the　gold　district；〃　said　he；　〃in　a　day　or　two　we　shall　cross　the　rich　region　of　Mount　Alexander。　　It　was　here　that　the　swarm　of　diggers　alighted　in　1852；　the　natives　had　to　fly　to　the　interior。　We　are　in　civilized　districts　without　seeing　any　sign　of　it；　but　our　road　will；　before　the　day　is　over；　cross　the　railway　which　connects　the　Murray　with　the　sea。　　Well；　I　must　confess；　a　railway　in　Australia　does　seem　to　me　an　astonishing　thing！〃　〃And　pray；　why；　Paganel？〃　said　Glenarvan。　〃Why？　because　it　jars　on　one's　ideas。　　Oh！　　I　know　you　English　are　so　used　to　colonizing　distant　possessions。　　You；　who　have　electric　telegraphs　and　universal　exhibitions　in　New　Zealand；　you　think　it　is　all　quite　natural。　But　it　dumb…founders　the　mind　of　a　Frenchman　like　myself；　and　confuses　all　one's　notions　of　Australia！〃　〃Because　you　look　at　the　past；　and　not　at　the　present；〃　said　John　Mangles。　A　loud　whistle　interrupted　the　discussion。　　The　party　were　within　a　mile　of　the　railway。　　Quite　a　number　of　persons　were　hastening　toward　the　railway　bridge。　　The　people　from　the　neighboring　stations　left　their　houses；　and　the　shepherds　their　flocks；　and　crowded　the　approaches　to　the　railway。　Every　now　and　then　there　was　a　shout；　〃The　railway！　the　railway！〃　Something　serious　must　have　occurred　to　produce　such　an　agitation。　Perhaps　some　terrible　accident。　Glenarvan；　followed　by　the　rest；　urged　on　his　horse。　In　a　few　minutes　he　arrived　at　Camden　Bridge　and　then　he　became　aware　of　the　cause　of　such　an　excitement。　A　fearful　accident　had　occurred；　not　a　collision；　but　a　train　had　gone　off　the　line；　and　then　there　had　been　a　fall。　The　affair　recalled　the　worst　disasters　of　American　railways。　The　river　crossed　by　the　railway　was　full　of　broken　carriages　and　the　engine。　　Whether　the　weight　of　the　train　had　been　too　much　for　the　bridge；　or　whether　the　train　had　gone　off　the　rails；　the　fact　remained　that　five　car