Back To Billabong - Mary Grant Bruce
An officer came in with a lady and two tiny boys--Cecilia recognized
them as having been passengers on their train. With them came an old
Irish priest, who had met them, and the officer left them in his
care while he also went off on the luggage quest. The small boys were
apparently untired by their journey; they immediately began to use the
swinging glass doors as playthings to the imminent risk of their own
necks, since they were too little to be noticed by anyone coming in
or out, and were nearly knocked flat a dozen times by the swing of the
doors. The weary mother spent a busy time in rescuing them, and was not
always entirely successful--bumps and howls testified to the doors being
occasionally quicker than the boys. Finally, the old priest gathered
up the elder, a curly-haired, slender mite, into his arms and told him
stories, while his plump and solemn brother curled up on his mother's
knee and dozed. It was clearly long after their bed-time.
The procession of people came and went unceasingly, the glass doors
always aswing. In and out, in and out, men and women hurried, and just
beyond the kaleidoscope of the platforms moved and changed restlessly
under the glaring arc lights. Cecilia's bewildered mind grew weary of it
all, and she closed her eyes. It was some time later that she woke with
a start, to find Bob beside her.
"Sleepy old thing," he said. "Oh, I've had such a wild time, Tommy; to
get information of any kind is as hard as to get one's luggage. However,
I've got both. And the first thing is we can't go on board to-night."
"Bob! What shall we do?"
"I was rather anxious about that same thing myself," said Bob, "since
everyone tells me that Liverpool is more jammed with people than even
London--which is saying something. However, we've had luck. I went to
ask in here, never imagining I had the ghost of a chance, and they'd
just had telegrams giving up two rooms. So we're quite all right; and so
is the luggage. I've had all the heavy stuff handed over to a carrier to
be put on the Nauru to-morrow morning."
"You're the great manager," said Cecilia comfortably. "Where is the
Nauru, by the way?"
"Sitting out in the river, the transport officer says. She doesn't come
alongside until the morning; and we haven't to be on board until three
o'clock. She's supposed to pull out about six. So we really needn't have
left London to-day--but I think it's as well we did."
"Yes, indeed," said Cecilia, with a shiver. "I don't think I could have
stood another night in Lancaster Gate. I've been awake for three nights
wondering what we should do if any hitch came in our plans."
"Just like a woman!" said Bob, laughing. "You always jump over your
hedges before you come to them." He pulled her gently out of her chair.
"Come along; I'll have these things sent up to our rooms, and then we'll
get some dinner--after which you'll go to bed." It was a plan which
sounded supremely attractive to his sister.
Not even the roar and rattle of the trains under the station hotel kept
Cecilia awake that night. She slept, dreamlessly at first; then she had
a dream that she was just about to embark in a great ship for Australia;
that she was going up the gangway, when suddenly behind her came her
father and her stepmother, with Avice, Wilfred and Queenie, who all
seized her, and began to drag her back. She fought and struggled with
them, and from the top of the gangway came Mr. M'Clinton and Eliza, who
tugged her upwards. Between the two parties she was beginning to think
she would be torn to pieces, when suddenly came swooping from the clouds
an areoplane, curiously like a wheelbarrow, and in it Bob, who leaned
out as he dived, grasped her by the hair, and swung her aboard with him.
They whirred away over the sea; where, she did not know, but it did not
seem greatly to matter. They were still flying between sea and sky when
she woke, to find the sunlight streaming into her room, and some one
knocking at her door.
"Are you awake, Tommy?" It was Bob's voice. "Lie still, and I'll send
you up a cup of tea."
That was very pleasant, and a happy contrast to awakening in Lancaster
Gate; and breakfast a little later was delightful, in a big sunny room,
with interesting people coming and going all the time. Bob and Cecilia
smiled at each other like two happy children. It was almost unbelievable
that they were free; away from tryanny and coldness, with no more
plotting and planning, and no more prying eyes.
Bob went off to interview the transport officer after breakfast, and
Cecilia found the officer's wife with the two little boys struggling to
attend to her luggage, while the children ran away and lost themselves
in the corridors or endeavoured to commit suicide by means of the lift.
So Cecilia took command of them and played with them until the harassed
mother had finished, and came to reclaim her offspring--this time with
the worry lines smoothed out of her face. She sat down by Cecilia and
talked, and presently it appeared that she also was sailing in the
Nauru.
"Indeed, I thought it was only wives who were going," she said. "I
didn't know sisters were permitted."
"I believe General Harran managed our passages," Cecilia said. "He has
been very kind to my brother."
"Well, you should have a merry voyage, for there will be scarcely any
young girls on board," said Mrs. Burton, her new friend. "Most of the
women on the transports are brides, of course. Ever so many of our men
have married over here."
"You are an Australian?" Cecilia asked.
"Oh, yes. My husband isn't. He was an old regular officer, and returned
to his regiment as soon as war broke out. I don't think there will be
many women on board: the Nauru isn't a family ship, you know."
"What is that?" Cecilia queried.
"Oh, a ship with hundreds of women and children--privates' wives and
families, as well as officers'. I believe they are rather awful to
travel on--they must be terrible in rough weather. The non-family ships
carry only a few officers' wives, as a rule: a much more comfortable
arrangement for the lucky few."
"And we are among the lucky few?"
"Yes. I only hope my small boys won't be a nuisance. I've never been
without a nurse for them until last night. However, I suppose I'll soon
get into their ways."
"You must let me help you," Cecilia said. "I love babies." She stroked
Tim's curly head as she spoke: Dickie, his little brother, had suddenly
fallen asleep on his mother's knee.
Mrs. Burton smiled her thanks.
"Well, it is pleasant to think we shan't go on board knowing no one,"
she said. "I hope our cabins are not far apart. Oh, here is my husband;
I hope that means all our luggage is safely on board."
Colonel Burton came up--a pleasant soldierly man, bearing the
unmistakable stamp of the regular officer. They were still chatting
when Bob arrived, to be introduced--a ceremony which appeared hardly
necessary in the case of the colonel and himself.
"We've met at intervals since last night in various places where they
hide luggage," said the colonel. "I'm beginning to turn faint at the
sight of a trunk!"
"It's the trunks I can't get sight of that make me tremble," grinned
Bob. "One of mine disappeared mysteriously this morning, and finally,
after a breathless hunt, turned up in a lamp-room--your biggest
Saratoga, Tommy! Why anyone should have put it in a lamp-room seems to
be a conundrum that is going to excite the station for ever. But there
it was."
"And have they really started for the ship?" asked Cecilia.
"Well--I saw them all on a lorry, checked over my list with the
driver's, and found everything right, and saw him start," said Bob,
laughing. "More than that no man may say."
"It would simplify matters if we knew our cabin numbers," said Colonel
Burton. "But we don't; neither does anyone, as far as I can gather,
since cabins appear to be allotted just as you go on board--a peculiar
system. Can you imagine the ghastly heap of miscellaneous luggage that
will be dumped on the Nauru, with frenzied owners wildly trying to sort
it out!"
"It doesn't bear thinking of," said Bob, laughing. "Come along, Tommy,
and we'll explore Liverpool."
They wandered about the crowded streets of the great port, where may,
perhaps, be seen a queerer mixture of races than anywhere in England,
since ships from all over the world ceaselesly come and go up and down
the Mersey. Then they boarded a tram and journeyed out of the city,
among miles of beautiful houses, and, getting down at the terminus,
walked briskly for an hour, since it would be long before there would
be any land for them to walk on again. They got back to the hotel rather
late for lunch, and very hungry; and afterwards it was time to pack up
their light luggage and get down to the docks. General Harran had warned
them to take enough hand-baggage to last them several nights, since
it was quite possible that their cabin trunks would be swept into the
baggage room, and fail to turn up for a week after sailing.
A taxi whisked them through streets that became more and more crowded.
The journey was not a long one; they turned down a slope presently, and
drew up before a great gate across the end of a pier where two policemen
were on duty to prevent the entrance of anyone without a pass. Porters
were there in singular numbers--England had grown quite used to being
without them; and Bob had just transferred their luggage to the care of
a cheerful lad with a barrow when Cecilia gave a little start of dismay.
"Bob, I've left my watch!"
"Whew!" whistled her brother. "Where?"
"I washed my hands just before I left my room," said the shamefaced
Cecilia. "I remember slipping it off my wrist beside the basin."
"Well, there's no need to worry," said Bob cheerfully. "Ten to one it's
there still. You'll have to take the taxi and go back for it, Tommy:
I can't leave the luggage, and I may be wanted to show our papers,
besides; but you won't have any difficulty. Come along, and I'll see
that the policeman lets you through when you come back."
The constable was sympathetic. He examined Cecilia's passport, declared
that he would know her anywhere again, and that she had no cause for
anxiety.
"Is it time? Sure, ye'll be tired of waitin' on the ould pier hours
afther ye get back," he said cheerfully. "I know thim transports. Why,
there's not one of the throops marched in yet. There comes the furrst
lot."
A band swung round the turn of the street playing a quickstep: behind
it, a long line of Australian soldiers, marching at ease, each man with
his pack on his shoulder. A gate with a military sentry swung wide to
admit them, and they passed on to where a high overhead bridge carried
them aboard a great liner moored to the pier.
"'Tis the soldiers have betther treatment than the officers whin it
comes to boardin' transports," said the friendly policeman. "They get
marched straight on board. The officers and their belongin's has to wait
till they've gone through hivin knows what formalities. So you needn't
worry, miss, an' take your time. The ould ship'll be there hours yet."
The taxi driver appeared only too glad of further employment, and
Cecilia, much cheered, though still considerably ashamed of herself,
leaned back comfortably in the cab as they whisked through the streets.
At the hotel good fortune awaited her, for a chambermaid had just found
her watch and had brought it to the office for safe keeping. Cecilia
left her thanks, with something more substantial, for the girl, and
hurried back to the cab.
The streets seemed more thronged than ever, and presently traffic was
blocked by a line of marching men--more "diggers" on their way to the
transport. Cecilia's chauffeur turned back into a side street, evidently
a short cut. Half-way along it the taxi jarred once or twice and came to
a standstill.
The chauffeur got out and poked his head into the bonnet, performing
mysterious rites, while Cecilia watched him, a little anxiously.
Presently he came round to the door.
"I'm awful sorry, miss," he said respectfully. "The old bus has broke
down. I'm afraid I can't get another move out of 'er--I'll 'ave to get
'er towed to a garage."
"Oh!" said Cecilia, jumping out. "Do you think I can find another near
here?"
"You oughter pick one up easy in the street up there," said the
chauffeur. "Plenty of 'em about 'ere. Even if you shouldn't, miss, you
can get a tram down to the docks--any p'liceman 'll direct you. You
could walk it, if you liked--you've loads of time." He touched his cap
as she paid him. "Very sorry to let you down like this, miss--it
ain't my fault. All the taxis in England are just about droppin' to
pieces--it'll be a mercy when repair shops get goin' again."
"It doesn't matter," Cecilia said cheerfully. She decided that she would
walk; it would be more interesting, and the long wait on the pier would
be shortened. She set off happily towards the main street where the tram
lines ran, feeling that short cuts were not for strangers in a big city.
Even in the side street the shops were interesting. She came upon a
fascinating curio shop, and stopped a moment to look at the queer medley
in its window; such a medley as may be seen in any port where sailor-men
bring home strange things from far countries. She was so engrossed
that she failed to notice a woman who passed her, and then, with an
astonished stare, turned back. A heavy hand fell on her wrist.
"Cecilia!"
She turned, with a little cry. Mrs. Rainham's face, inflamed with sudden
anger, looked into her own. The hard grasp tightened on her wrist.
"What are you doing here, you wicked girl? You've run away."
At the moment no speech was possible to Cecilia. She twisted her arm
away fiercely, freeing herself with difficulty, and turning, ran, with
her stepmother at her heels. Once, Mrs. Rainham gasped "Police!" after
which she required all the breath to keep near the flying girl. The
street was quiet; only one or two interested passers-by turned to
look at the race, and a street urchin shouted: "Go it, red 'ead--she's
beatin' yer!"
It follows naturally, when one person pursues another through city
streets, that the pursued falls under public suspicion and is liable to
be caught and held by any officious person. Cecilia felt this, and her
anxiety was keen as she darted round the corner into the next street,
looking about wildly for a means of escape. A big van, crawling across
the road, held Mrs. Rainham back for a moment, giving her a brief
respite.
Just in front of her, a block in the traffic was beginning to move. A
taxi was near her. She held up her hand desperately, trying to catch the
driver's eye. He shook his head, and she realized that he was already
engaged--there was a pile of luggage beside him with big labels, and
a familiar name struck her--"H.M.T. Nauru." A girl, leaning from the
window of the taxi, met her glance, and Cecilia took a sudden resolve.
She sprang forward, her hand on the door.
"I am a passenger by the Nauru. Could you take me in your car?" she
gasped.
"Why, of course," said the other girl. "Plenty of room, isn't there,
dad?"
"Yes, certainly," said the other occupant of the cab--a big, grizzled
man, who looked at the new-comer in blank amazement. He had half risen,
but there was no time for him to assist his self-invited guest; she had
opened the door and jumped in before his daughter had finished speaking.
Leaning forward, Cecilia saw her stepmother emerge from the traffic,
crimson-faced, casting wild and wrathful glances about her. Then her
wandering eye fell upon Cecilia, and she began to run forward. Even as
she did the chauffeur quickened his pace, and the taxi slid away, until
the running, shouting figure was lost to view.
Cecilia sat back with a gasp, and began to laugh helplessly. The others
watched her with faces that clearly showed that they began to suspect
having entertained a lunatic unawares.
"I do beg your pardon," said Cecilia, recovering. "It was inexcusable.
But I was running away."
"So it seemed," said the big man, in a slow, pleasant voice. "I hope it
wasn't from the police?"
"Oh no!" Cecilia flushed. "Only from my stepmother. My own taxi had just
broken down, and she found me, and she would have made a scene in the
street--and scenes are so vulgar, are they not? When I saw Nauru on your
luggage, you seemed to me to have dropped from heaven."
She looked at them, her pretty face pink, her eyes dancing with
excitement. There was something appealing about her, in the big childish
eyes, and in the well-bred voice with its faint hint of a French accent.
The girl she looked at could hardly have been called pretty--she was
slender and long-limbed, with honest grey eyes and a sensitive mouth
that seemed always ready to break into smiles. A little smile hovered at
its corners now, but her voice held a note of protection.
"I don't think we need bother you to tell us," she said. "In our country
it's a very ordinary thing to give anyone a lift, if you have a seat to
spare. Isn't it, daddy?"
"Of course," said her father. "And we are to be fellow-passengers, so it
was very lucky that we were there in the nick of time."
Cecilia looked at them gratefully. It might have been so different, she
thought; she might have flung herself on the mercy of people who would
have been suspicious and frigid, or of others who would have treated her
with familiarity and curious questioning. These people were pleasantly
matter-of-fact; glad to help, but plainly anxious to show her that they
considered her affairs none of their business. There was a little catch
in her throat as she answered.
"It is very good of you to take me on trust--I know I did an
unwarrantable thing. But my brother, Captain Rainham, will explain
everything, and he will be as grateful to you as I am. He is at the ship
now."
"Then we can hand you over to his care," said her host. "By the way,
is there any need to guard against the--er--lady you spoke of? Is she
likely to follow you to the docks?"
"She doesn't know I'm going," said Cecilia, dimpling. "Of course, if
it were in a novel she would leap into a swift motor and bid the driver
follow us, and be even now on our heels--"
"Goodness!" said the other girl. She twisted so that she could look out
of the tiny window at the back; turning back with a relieved face.
"Nothing near us but a carrier's van and a pony cart," she said. "I
shouldn't think you need worry."
"No. I really don't think I need. My stepmother did see me in the
taxi, but her brain doesn't move very swiftly, nor does she, for that
matter--and I'm sure she wouldn't try to follow me. She knows, too, that
if she found me she couldn't drag me away as if I were two years old.
Oh, I'm sure I'm safe from her now," finished Cecilia, with a sigh of
relief.
"At any rate, if she comes to the docks she will have your brother to
deal with," said the big man. "And here we are."
They got out at the big gate where the Irish policeman greeted Cecilia
with a friendly "Did ye find it now, miss?" and beamed upon her when she
held up her wrist, with her watch safely in its place. He examined her
companions' passports, but let her through with an airy "Sure, this
young lady's all right," which made Cecilia feel that no further proof
could be needed of her respectability. Then Bob came hurrying to meet
her.
"I was just beginning to get uneasy about you," he said. "Did you have
any trouble?"
"My taxi broke down," Cecilia answered. "But this lady and gentleman
most kindly gave me a seat, and saved me ever so much trouble. I'll tell
you my story presently."
Bob turned, saluting.
"Thanks, awfully," he said. "I wasn't too happy at letting my little
sister run about alone in a strange city, but it couldn't be helped."
"I'm very glad we were there," said the big man. "Now, can you tell me
where luggage should go? My son and a friend are somewhere on the pier,
I suppose, but it doesn't seem as though finding them would be an easy
matter."
The pier, indeed, resembled a hive in which the bees have broken loose.
Beside it lay the huge bulk of the transport, towering high above all
the dock buildings near. Already she swarmed with Australian soldiers,
and a steady stream was still passing aboard by the overhead gangway to
the blare and crash of a regimental march. The pier itself was crowded
with officers, with a sprinkling of women and children--most of them
looking impatient enough at being kept ashore instead of being allowed
to seek their quarters on the ship. Great heaps of trunks were stacked
here and there, and a crane was steadily at work swinging them aboard.
"We can't go aboard yet, nobody seems to know why," Bob said. "An
individual called an embarkation officer, or something of the kind, has
to check our passports; he was supposed to be here before three
o'clock, but there's no sign of him yet, and every one has to wait his
convenience. It's hard on the women with little children--the poor mites
are getting tired and cross. Luggage can be left in the care of the
ship's hands, to be loaded; I'll show you where, sir, if you like. Is
this yours?" His eye fell on a truck-load of trunks, wheeled up by a
porter, and lit up suddenly as he noticed the name on their labels.
"Oh--are you Mr. Linton?" he exclaimed. "I believe I've got a letter for
you, from General Harran."
"Now, I was wondering where I'd heard your name before, when your sister
happened to say you were Captain Rainham," said the big man. "How stupid
of me--of course, I met Harran at my club this week, and he told me
about you." He held out his hand, and took Bob's warmly; then he turned
to his daughter. "Norah, it's lucky that we have made friends with Miss
Rainham already, because you know she's in our care, after a fashion."
Norah Linton turned with a quick smile.
"I'm so glad," she said. "I've been wondering what you would be like,
because we didn't know of anyone else on board."
"General Harran told my brother that you would befriend us, but I did
not think you would begin so early," Cecilia said. "Just fancy, Bob,
they rescued me almost from the clutches of the she-dragon!"
Bob jumped.
"You don't mean to say you met her?"
"I did--as soon as my cab broke down. And I lost my head and ran from
her like a hare, and jumped into Mr. Linton's car!"
Bob regarded her with solemn amazement.
"So this is what happens when I let you go about alone!" he ejaculated.
"Why, you might have got yourself into an awful mess--it might have been
anybody's car--"
"Yes, but it wasn't," said his sister serenely. "You see, I looked at
Miss Linton first, and I knew it would be all right."
The Lintons laughed unrestrainedly.
"That's your look of benevolent old age, Norah," said her father. "I've
often noticed it coming on."
"I wish you'd mention it to Wally," Norah said. "He might treat me with
more respect if you did."
"I doubt it; it isn't in Wally," said her father. "Now, Rainham, shall
we see about this luggage?"
They handed it over to the care of deck hands, and watched it loaded,
with many other trunks, into a huge net, which the crane seized, swung
to an enormous height and then lowered gently upon the deck of the
Nauru. Just as the operation was finished two figures threaded their way
through the crowd towards them; immensely tall young officers, with the
badge of a British regiment on their caps.
"Hullo, dad," said the taller--a good-looking grave-faced fellow, with a
strong resemblance to Norah. "We hardly expected you down so early."
"Well, Norah and I had nothing to do, so we thought we might as well
come; though it appears that we would have been wiser not to hurry,"
said Mr. Linton. "Jim, I want to introduce you to two courageous
emigrants--Miss Rainham, Captain Rainham--my son."
Jim Linton shook hands, and introduced his companion, Captain Meadows,
who was dark and well built, with an exceedingly merry eye.
"We've been trying to get round the powers that be, to make our way on
board," he said. "The chief difficulty is that the powers that be
aren't there; everything is hung up waiting for this blessed official. I
suppose the honest man is sleeping off the effects of a heavy lunch."
"If he knew what hearty remarks are being made about him by over two
hundred angry people, it might disturb his rest," said Wally Meadows.
"Come along and see them--you're only on the fringe of the crowd here."
"Wally's been acting as nursemaid for the last half hour," Jim said, as
they made their way along the pier. "He rescued a curly-haired kid from
a watery grave--at least, it would have been in if he hadn't caught it
by the hind leg--and after that the kid refused to let him go."
"He was quite a jolly kid," said Wally. "Only he seems to have
quicksilver in him, instead of blood. I'm sorry for his mother--she'll
have a packed time for the next five weeks." He sighed. "Hide me,
Norah--there he is now!"
The curly-haired one proved to be little Tim Burton, who detached
himself from his mother on catching sight of Wally, and trotted across
to him with a shrill cry of "There's mine officer!"--whereat Wally swung
him up on his shoulder, to his infinite delight. Mrs. Burton hurried up
to claim her offspring, and was made known to every one by Cecilia.