in search of the castaways-第70章

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bmit。　　Ah；　well；　Toline；　my　boy；　does　the　moon　belong　to　England；　too？〃　〃She　will；　some　day；〃　replied　the　young　savage；　gravely。　This　was　the　climax。　　Paganel　could　not　stand　any　more。　He　was　obliged　to　go　away　and　take　his　laugh　out；　for　he　was　actually　exploding　with　mirth；　and　he　went　fully　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　encampment　before　his　equilibrium　was　restored。　Meanwhile；　Glenarvan　looked　up　a　geography　they　had　brought　among　their　books。　　It　was　〃Richardson's　Compendium；〃　a　work　in　great　repute　in　England；　and　more　in　agreement　with　modern　science　than　the　manual　in　use　in　the　Normal　School　in　Melbourne。　〃Here；　my　child；〃　he　said　to　Toline；　〃take　this　book　and　keep　it。　You　have　a　few　wrong　ideas　about　geography；　which　it　would　be　well　for　you　to　rectify。　　I　will　give　you　this　as　a　keepsake　from　me。〃　Toline　took　the　book　silently；　but；　after　examining　it　attentively；　he　shook　his　head　with　an　air　of　incredulity；　and　could　not　even　make　up　his　mind　to　put　it　in　his　pocket。　By　this　time　night　had　closed　in；　it　was　10　P。　M。　and　time　to　think　of　rest；　if　they　were　to　start　betimes　next　day。　　Robert　offered　his　friend　Toline　half　his　bed；　and　the　little　fellow　accepted　it。　Lady　Helena　and　Mary　Grant　withdrew　to　the　wagon；　and　the　others　lay　down　in　the　tent；　Paganel's　merry　peals　still　mingling　with　the　low；　sweet　song　of　the　wild　magpie。　But　in　the　morning　at　six　o'clock；　when　the　sunshine　wakened　the　sleepers；　they　looked　in　vain　for　the　little　Australian。　　Toline　had　disappeared。　Was　he　in　haste　to　get　to　the　Lachlan　district？　or　was　he　hurt　by　Paganel's　laughter？　　No　one　could　say。　But　when　Lady　Helena　opened　her　eyes　she　discovered　a　fresh　branch　of　mimosa　leaves　lying　across　her；　and　Paganel　found　a　book　in　his　vest　pocket；　which　turned　out　to　be　〃Richardson's　Geography。〃

CHAPTER　XIII　A　WARNING

ON　the　2d　of　January；　at　sunrise；　the　travelers　forded　the　Colban　and　the　Caupespe　rivers。　　The　half　of　their　journey　was　now　accomplished。　In　fifteen　days　more；　should　their　journey　continue　to　be　prosperous；　the　little　party　would　reach　Twofold　Bay。　They　were　all　in　good　health。　　All　that　Paganel　said　of　the　hygienic　qualities　of　the　climate　was　realized。　There　was　little　or　no　humidity；　and　the　heat　was　quite　bearable。　Neither　horses　nor　bullocks　could　complain　of　it　any　more　than　human　beings。　　The　order　of　the　march　had　been　changed　in　one　respect　since　the　affair　of　Camden　Bridge。　　That　criminal　catastrophe　on　the　railway　made　Ayrton　take　sundry　precautions；　which　had　hitherto　been　unnecessary。　　The　hunters　never　lost　sight　of　the　wagon；　and　whenever　they　camped；　one　was　always　placed　on　watch。　Morning　and　evening　the　firearms　were　primed　afresh。　It　was　certain　that　a　gang　of　ruffians　was　prowling　about　the　country；　and　though　there　was　no　cause　for　actual　fear；　it　was　well　to　be　ready　for　whatever　might　happen。　It　need　hardly　be　said　these　precautions　were　adopted　without　the　knowledge　of　Lady　Helena　and　Mary　Grant；　as　Lord　Glenarvan　did　not　wish　to　alarm　them。　They　were　by　no　means　unnecessary；　however；　for　any　imprudence　or　carelessness　might　have　cost　the　travelers　dear。　Others　beside　Glenarvan　were　on　their　guard。　　In　lonely　settlements　and　on　stations；　the　inhabitants　and　the　squatters　prepared　carefully　against　any　attack　or　surprise。　　Houses　are　closed　at　nightfall；　the　dogs　let　loose　inside　the　fences；　barked　at　the　slightest　sound。　Not　a　single　shepherd　on　horseback　gathered　his　numerous　flocks　together　at　close　of　day；　without　having　a　carbine　slung　from　his　saddle。　The　outrage　at　Camden　Bridge　was　the　reason　for　all　this；　and　many　a　colonist　fastened　himself　in　with　bolts　and　bars　now　at　dusk；　who　used　to　sleep　with　open　doors　and　windows。　The　Government　itself　displayed　zeal　and　prudence；　especially　in　the　Post…office　department。　　On　this　very　day；　just　as　Glenarvan　and　his　party　were　on　their　way　from　Kilmore　to　Heathcote；　the　mail　dashed　by　at　full　speed；　but　though　the　horses　were　at　a　gallop；　Glenarvan　caught　sight　of　the　glittering　weapons　of　the　mounted　police　that　rode　by　its　side；　as　they　swept　past　in　a　cloud　of　dust。　The　travelers　might　have　fancied　themselves　back　in　those　lawless　times　when　the　discovery　of　the　first　gold…fields　deluged　the　Australian　continent　with　the　scum　of　Europe。　A　mile　beyond　the　road　to　Kilmore；　the　wagon；　for　the　first　time　since　leaving　Cape　Bernouilli；　struck　into　one　of　those　forests　of　gigantic　trees　which　extend　over　a　super…fices　of　several　degrees。　A　cry　of　admiration　escaped　the　travelers　at　the　sight　of　the　eucalyptus　trees；　two　hundred　feet　high；　with　tough　bark　five　inches　thick。　The　trunks；　measuring　twenty　feet　round；　and　furrowed　with　foamy　streaks　of　an　odorous　resin；　rose　one　hundred　and　fifty　feet　above　the　soil。　Not　a　branch；　not　a　twig；　not　a　stray　shoot；　not　even　a　knot；　spoilt　the　regularity　of　their　outline。　　They　could　not　have　come　out　smoother　from　the　hands　of　a　turner。　　They　stood　like　pillars　all　molded　exactly　alike；　and　could　be　counted　by　hundreds。　At　an　enormous　height　they　spread　out　in　chaplets　of　branches；　rounded　and　adorned　at　their　extremity　with　alternate　leaves。　At　the　axle　of　these　leaves　solitary　flowers　drooped　down；　the　calyx　of　which　resembles　an　inverted　urn。　Under　this　leafy　dome；　which　never　lost　its　greenness；　the　air　circulated　freely；　and　dried　up　the　dampness　of　the　ground。　Horses；　cattle；　and　wagon　could　easily　pass　between　the　trees；　for　they　were　standing　in　wide　rows；　and　parceled　out　like　a　wood　that　was　being　felled。　　This　was　neither　like　the　densely…packed　woods　choked　up　with　brambles；　nor　the　virgin　forest　barricaded　with　the　trunks　of　fallen　trees；　and　overgrown　with　inextricable　tangles　of　creepers；　where　only　iron　and　fire　could　open　up　a　track。　A　grassy　carpet　at　the　foot　of　the　trees；　and　a　canopy　of　verdure　above；　long　perspectives　of　bold　colors；　little　shade；　little　freshness　at　all；　a　peculiar　light；　as　if　the　rays　came　through　a　thin　veil；　dappled　lights　and　shades　sharply　reflected　on　the　ground；　made　up　a　whole；　and　constituted　a　peculiar　spectacle　rich　in　novel　effects。　The　forests　of　the　Oceanic　continent　do　not　in　the　least　resemble　the　forests　of　the　New　World；　and　the　Eucalyptus；　the　〃Tara〃　of　the　aborigines；　belonging　to　the　family　of　MYRTACEA；　the　different　varieties　of　which　can　hardly　be　enumerated；　is　the　tree　_par　excellence_　of　the　Australian　flora。　The　reason　of　the　shade　not　being　deep；　nor　the　darkness　profound；　under　these　domes　of　verdure；　was　that　these　trees　presented　a　curious　anomaly　in　the　disposition　of　the　leaves。　　Instead　of　presenting　their　broad　surface　to　the　sunlight；　only　the　side　is　turned。　Only　the　profile　of　the　leaves　is　seen　in　this　singular　foliage。　Consequently　the　sun's　rays　slant　down　them　to　the　earth；　as　if　through　the　open　slants　of　a　Venetian　blind。　Glenarvan　expressed　his　surprise　at　this　circumstance；　and　wondered　what　could　be　the　cause　of　it。　　Paganel；　who　was　never　at　a　loss　for　an　answer；　immediately　replied：　〃What　astonishes　me　is　not　the　caprice　of　nature。　　She　knows　what　she　is　about；　but　botanists　don't　always　know　what　they　are　saying。　Nature　made　no　mistake　in　giving　this　peculiar　foliage　to　the　tree；　but　men　have　erred　in　calling　them　EUCALYP