"It doesn"t look like it," said Harry, shaking his head.
"I don"t think I should mind much being caught and carried back by the bushrangers, if they would give me a good supper," said Jack ruefully.
"Poor Jack!" said Harry compa.s.sionately; "I do believe you are suffering for food."
"I told you so, Harry."
"My appet.i.te no doubt will come later. At present I am not very uncomfortable. Well, Jack, there is only one thing to do. We must explore further and see if we can find any trace of a human habitation.
Suppose you go to yonder knoll, and climb the tree at the top. Then use your eyes for all they are worth. They are better than mine, at any rate, for you are accustomed to use them at sea. All sailors, I have heard, are farsighted."
Jack was ready to obey Harry, feeling much more confidence in his judgment and discretion than in his own. He accordingly followed his advice, and with a sailor"s agility mounted the tree. Then shading his eyes with his hand, he looked earnestly, first in one direction, then in another.
"Well, Jack?" inquired Harry anxiously, for he, too, appreciated the gravity of their situation.
There was a pause; then Jack called out joyfully: "I see a light: yes, I am sure I see a light."
"Whereaway?"
"Straight ahead, or a little to the left."
"Take a good look, Jack, so as to be sure of your bearings. Then we will make our way toward it with the best speed we can muster."
Jack scrambled down from the tree with his face actually cheerful. The prospect of a meal had put new life into him.
"Follow me!" he said. "I don"t think it can be more than a mile away."
CHAPTER XVI.
THE SHEPHERD"S HUT.
Not feeling their fatigue so much now that they were buoyed up by the hope of shelter and food, the two boys plodded on. The way was at times difficult, and there was no glimpse of the light which Jack had seen from the tree-top.
"Do you think you are on the right track, Jack?" asked Harry anxiously.
"Yes, I feel sure of it," answered the young sailor.
"It would be very unlucky if we had wandered from the right direction."
"Yes, I should feel like lying down and giving up, but I am sure I am right."
Events proved that Jack was right. They came to an open place, from which they could distinctly see the light gleaming from a dwelling only forty rods away.
"There, what did I tell you?" demanded Jack triumphantly.
"You are right, Jack. I am glad enough to admit it. Now the question is, will the people who occupy the house let us in?"
"They can"t be so inhuman as to refuse. Pa.s.s on, Harry."
They were not long in reaching the hut. It was one of those slab huts which are used by shepherds. They are lonely enough, the stations being in some instances twenty miles from the nearest dwelling. This was a single dwelling, the home of one of the out keepers. The chief stations are usually an aggregation of dwellings. In the yard was a pile of wood for fuel. Close at hand was a paddock surrounded by a rail fence, over which hung a number of sheepskins. All these evidences of habitation cheered the hearts of the lonely boys.
Harry went up to the door and knocked.
His knock appeared to create some commotion inside. A voice was heard, and then there was audible the barking of a dog, but no one came to the door.
"Suppose you knock again, Harry," said Jack.
"They must have heard my first knock. Perhaps they don"t want to let us in."
However, Harry knocked again.
Again the dog inside barked, this time with fierce emphasis.
"Is there no one inside but the dog?" thought Harry anxiously. Having no weapon with him, he took a piece of a broken rail, so that in case of necessity he might have a means of defence.
He was about to venture on a third knock when a tremulous voice, which the boys at once recognized as that of a girl, was heard from within.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"We are two boys who have lost our way, and are almost starved,"
answered Harry. "For Heaven"s sake let us in, and give us something to eat."
There was a pause, the girl being evidently undecided.
"Are there only two of you?" she asked.
"Only two."
"You are sure there is no one with you?"
"No one."
"And you are boys?"
"Yes."
"What brings you here--in this lonely place, at this hour?"
"We are on our way to the gold-fields of Bendigo."
"But this is off the road."
"I know it. The fact is, we were captured by the bushrangers, and have made our escape. We plunged into the woods, thinking we were less likely to be caught and carried back."
There was a change in the girl"s tone as she said: "Is this really true?
You are not bushrangers yourselves?"