in search of the castaways-第84章

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and　chest　well　raised；　and　Lady　Helena　succeeded　in　making　him　swallow　a　few　drops　of　water。　After　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　the　wounded　man；　who　till　then　had　lain　motionless；　made　a　slight　movement。　His　eyes　unclosed；　his　lips　muttered　incoherent　words；　and　the　Major；　bending　toward　him；　heard　him　repeating：　〃My　Lordthe　letterBen　Joyce。〃　The　Major　repeated　these　words；　and　looked　at　his　companions。　What　did　Mulrady　mean？　　Ben　Joyce　had　been　the　attacking　party；　of　course；　but　why？　　Surely　for　the　express　purpose　of　intercepting　him；　and　preventing　his　arrival　at　the　DUNCAN。　　This　letter　Glenarvan　searched　Mulrady's　pockets。　　The　letter　addressed　to　Tom　Austin　was　gone！　The　night　wore　away　amid　anxiety　and　distress；　every　moment；　they　feared；　would　be　poor　Mulrady's　last。　　He　suffered　from　acute　fever。　The　Sisters　of　Charity；　Lady　Helena　and　Mary　Grant；　never　left　him。　Never　was　patient　so　well　tended；　nor　by　such　sympathetic　hands。　Day　came；　and　the　rain　had　ceased。　　Great　clouds　filled　the　sky　still；　the　ground　was　strewn　with　broken　branches；　the　marly　soil；　soaked　by　the　torrents　of　rain；　had　yielded　still　more；　the　approaches　to　the　wagon　became　difficult；　but　it　could　not　sink　any　deeper。　John　Mangles；　Paganel；　and　Glenarvan　went；　as　soon　as　it　was　light　enough；　to　reconnoiter　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　encampment。　They　revisited　the　track；　which　was　still　stained　with　blood。　They　saw　no　vestige　of　Ben　Joyce；　nor　of　his　band。　They　penetrated　as　far　as　the　scene　of　the　attack。　　Here　two　corpses　lay　on　the　ground；　struck　down　by　Mulrady's　bullets。　One　was　the　blacksmith　of　Blackpoint。　　His　face；　already　changed　by　death；　was　a　dreadful　spectacle。　　Glenarvan　searched　no　further。　　Prudence　forbade　him　to　wander　from　the　camp。　He　returned　to　the　wagon；　deeply　absorbed　by　the　critical　position　of　affairs。　〃We　must　not　think　of　sending　another　messenger　to　Melbourne；〃　said　he。　〃But　we　must；〃　said　John　Mangles；　〃and　I　must　try　to　pass　where　my　sailor　could　not　succeed。〃　〃No；　John！　it　is　out　of　the　question。　　You　have　not　even　a　horse　for　the　journey；　which　is　full　two　hundred　miles！〃　This　was　true；　for　Mulrady's　horse；　the　only　one　that　remained；　had　not　returned。　　Had　he　fallen　during　the　attack　on　his　rider；　or　was　he　straying　in　the　bush；　or　had　the　convicts　carried　him　off？　〃Come　what　will；〃　replied　Glenarvan；　〃we　will　not　separate　again。　Let　us　wait　a　week；　or　a　fortnight；　till　the　Snowy　falls　to　its　normal　level。　　We　can　then　reach　Twofold　Bay　by　short　stages；　and　from　there　we　can　send　on　to　the　DUNCAN；　by　a　safer　channel；　the　order　to　meet　us。〃　〃That　seems　the　only　plan；〃　said　Paganel。　〃Therefore；　my　friends；〃　rejoined　Glenarvan；　〃no　more　parting。　It　is　too　great　a　risk　for　one　man　to　venture　alone　into　a　robber…haunted　waste。　　And　now；　may　God　save　our　poor　sailor；　and　protect　the　rest　of　us！〃　Glenarvan　was　right　in　both　points；　first　in　prohibiting　all　isolated　attempts；　and　second；　in　deciding　to　wait　till　the　passage　of　the　Snowy　River　was　practicable。　　He　was　scarcely　thirty　miles　from　Delegete；　the　first　frontier　village　of　New　South　Wales；　where　he　would　easily　find　the　means　of　transport　to　Twofold　Bay；　and　from　there　he　could　telegraph　to　Melbourne　his　orders　about　the　DUNCAN。　These　measures　were　wise；　but　how　late！　　If　Glenarvan　had　not　sent　Mulrady　to　Lucknow　what　misfortunes　would　have　been　averted；　not　to　speak　of　the　assassination　of　the　sailor！　When　he　reached　the　camp　he　found　his　companions　in　better　spirits。　They　seemed　more　hopeful　than　before。　　〃He　is　better！　he　is　better！〃　cried　Robert；　running　out　to　meet　Lord　Glenarvan。　〃Mulrady？〃　〃Yes；　Edward；〃　answered　Lady　Helena。　　〃A　reaction　has　set　in。　The　Major　is　more　confident。　　Our　sailor　will　live。〃　〃Where　is　McNabbs？〃　asked　Glenarvan。　〃With　him。　　Mulrady　wanted　to　speak　to　him；　and　they　must　not　be　disturbed。〃　He　then　learned　that　about　an　hour　since；　the　wounded　man　had　awakened　from　his　lethargy；　and　the　fever　had　abated。　But　the　first　thing　he　did　on　recovering　his　memory　and　speech　was　to　ask　for　Lord　Glenarvan；　or；　failing　him；　the　Major。　　McNabbs　seeing　him　so　weak；　would　have　forbidden　any　conversation；　but　Mulrady　insisted　with　such　energy　that　the　Major　had　to　give　in。　The　interview　had　already　lasted　some　minutes　when　Glenarvan　returned。　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　await　the　return　of　McNabbs。　Presently　the　leather　curtains　of　the　wagon　moved；　and　the　Major　appeared。　　He　rejoined　his　friends　at　the　foot　of　a　gum…tree；　where　the　tent　was　placed。　　His　face；　usually　so　stolid；　showed　that　something　disturbed　him。　When　his　eyes　fell　on　Lady　Helena　and　the　young　girl；　his　glance　was　full　of　sorrow。　Glenarvan　questioned　him；　and　extracted　the　following　information：　When　he　left　the　camp　Mulrady　followed　one　of　the　paths　indicated　by　Paganel。　　He　made　as　good　speed　as　the　darkness　of　the　night　would　allow。　　He　reckoned　that　he　had　gone　about　two　miles　when　several　menfive；　he　thoughtsprang　to　his　horse's　head。　The　animal　reared；　Mulrady　seized　his　revolver　and　fired。　He　thought　he　saw　two　of　his　assailants　fall。　By　the　flash　he　recognized　Ben　Joyce。　　But　that　was　all。　He　had　not　time　to　fire　all　the　barrels。　　He　felt　a　violent　blow　on　his　side　and　was　thrown　to　the　ground。　Still　he　did　not　lose　consciousness。　　The　murderers　thought　he　was　dead。　He　felt　them　search　his　pockets；　and　then　heard　one　of　them　say：　〃I　have　the　letter。〃　〃Give　it　to　me；〃　returned　Ben　Joyce；　〃and　now　the　DUNCAN　is　ours。〃　At　this　point　of　the　story；　Glenarvan　could　not　help　uttering　a　cry。　McNabbs　continued：　　〃'Now　you　fellows；'　added　Ben　Joyce；　'catch　the　horse。　　In　two　days　I　shall　be　on　board　the　DUNCAN；　and　in　six　I　shall　reach　Twofold　Bay。　　This　is　to　be　the　rendezvous。　My　Lord　and　his　party　will　be　still　stuck　in　the　marshes　of　the　Snowy　River。　　Cross　the　river　at　the　bridge　of　Kemple　Pier；　proceed　to　the　coast；　and　wait　for　me。　　I　will　easily　manage　to　get　you　on　board。　Once　at　sea　in　a　craft　like　the　DUNCAN；　we　shall　be　masters　of　the　Indian　Ocean。'　　'Hurrah　for　Ben　Joyce！'　cried　the　convicts。　Mulrady's　horse　was　brought；　and　Ben　Joyce　disappeared；　galloping　on　the　Lucknow　Road；　while　the　band　took　the　road　southeast　of　the　Snowy　River。　　Mulrady；　though　severely　wounded；　had　the　strength　to　drag　himself　to　within　three　hundred　paces　from　the　camp；　whence　we　found　him　almost　dead。　　There；〃　said　McNabbs；　〃is　the　history　of　Mulrady；　and　now　you　can　understand　why　the　brave　fellow　was　so　determined　to　speak。〃　This　revelation　terrified　Glenarvan　and　the　rest　of　the　party。　〃Pirates！　pirates！〃　cried　Glenarvan。　　〃My　crew　massacred！　my　DUNCAN　in　the　hands　of　these　bandits！〃　〃Yes；　for　Ben　Joyce　will　surprise　the　ship；〃　said　the　Major；　〃and　then〃　〃Well；　we　must　get　to　the　coast　first；〃　said　Paganel。　〃But　how　are　we　to　cross　the　Snowy　River？〃　said　Wilson。　〃As　they　will；〃　replied　Glenarvan。　　〃They　are　to　cross　at　Kemple　Pier　Bridge；　and　so　will　we。〃　〃But　about　Mulrady？〃　asked　Lady　Helena。　〃We　will　carry　him；　we　will　have　relays。　　Can　I　leave　my　crew　to　the　mercy　of　Ben　Joyce　and　his　gang？〃　To　cross　the　Snowy　River　at　Kemple　Pier　was　practicable；　but　dangerous。　The　convicts　might　entrench　themselves　at　that　point；　and　defend　it。　They　were　at　least　thirty　against　seven！　　But　there