Jean, Our Little Australian CousinNixon-Roulet, Mary F.
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Jean, Our Little Australian Cousin
Nixon-Roulet, Mary F.
Children -- Australia -- Juvenile literature
"Debil-debil bad god, enemy of _Baiame_,"[14] he said. "_Buba_ big
kangaroo, very bad father of kangaroos, _Yo-wi_ is fever god, and
_Ya-wi_ is snake god. All very bad for little Missa," and he shook his
black head. He did not tell her there were others more to be feared than
these monsters of the Blacks' demonology, but he was worried by tracks
he saw in the sand, tracks of both Blacks and Whites. "Mounted police,
been here," he muttered to himself. "Look for little Missa. See horse's
tracks plain. Here black man's tracks. Think bad Blacks," and he knit
his brows.
Kadok was at a loss to know what to do. He did not want to take Jean
into the Bush again, fearing that hard walking such as they had had the
day before would make her too sick to go on, yet he was afraid to keep
on the beaten track. They kept on till noon, however, and he drew her
aside into the woods to rest and eat her dinner.
He gave her damper, of which she began to be tired, bits of smoked meat,
and some of the white larvae to be found in quantities on the tree
roots, and which she thought delicious. She was hungry, but Kadok gave
her some roots to chew as they walked, saying, "We eat 'gain before
long, must walk some now. 'Fraid we have big storm," and he looked
anxiously at the sky, over which heavy clouds were passing.
Obediently she followed him again, and he walked quickly, peering
through the bushes as if looking for something. The wind was so fierce
that they made slow progress. It blew so that Jean was terribly
frightened and at last Kadok stopped in his quick walk and took her
hand.
"Missa 'fraid Storm debil," he said. "I find place to hide from him.
Come!" and he pulled her into the bushes which covered a high hill.
Skirting round the hill, he pushed through a thicket which seemed almost
like a wall, dragging Jean along as the storm broke with a sudden crash
of thunder which frightened the child terribly.
"Quick!" Kadok cried to her, "We find cave now!" and he pushed aside
some close growing tree branches and showed her the entrance of a little
cave hollowed out of the rock. "Here we be safe till storm go over," he
said, and Jean gladly crouched in the shelter, watching with frightened
eyes the play of the lightning. Kadok gave her more roots to chew and
talked kindly to her to soothe her fears.
"This not much storm," he said. "See many worse than this. Soon over and
we go on. Think Missa see Mother to-morrow. Not many hours far now."
"Kadok," said Jean, "why are you so good to me?"
"What you mean?" asked Kadok.
"Why do you take me home?" she asked.
"Black boy not forget friend," he said. "Not forget enemy. Do mean to
Kadok, Kadok do mean to you, if he has to wait five, ten years. Do Kadok
good, he do good to you when he make chance."
"But I never did you any good," said Jean, puzzled.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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