Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (91 page)

             
With
a
grin,
Jacko
lost
no
time
in
scrambling
up
the
tree,
a
rather
young
member
of
the
stand.
At
first
the
'
bears
'
showed
no
signs
of
concern.
But,
as
he
scrambled
upward,
those
lower
down
began
to
seek
to
get
higher
up
or
to
edge
out
along
branches
toward
other
trees.
Jacko
reached
up
and
seized
a
branch
directly
beneath
one
of
the
larger
animals
–
which
immediately
emptied
its
bladder
over
the
startled
sailor.
With
an
oath
he
slipped
downward
and
frantically
scrabbled
for
a
grip
with
hands
now
slick
with
foul
smelling
liquid.

             
""
e
got
you
there
mate,
"
called
another
of
the
men.

             
"
You
goin
'
ter
let
'
im
get
away
wif
that?
"
called
another.

             
The
laughter
of
his
mates
spurred
him
on
and
he
renewed
his
assault
on
the
tree,
aided
by
the
fact
that
the
'
bear
'
which
had
marked
him
had
now
evacuated
its
roost
and
moved
upwards.
The
young
tree
stood
straight
and
tall.
Handholds
were
few,
but
Jacko
was
an
expert
at
climbing.
Several
of
the
'
bears
'
had
now
removed
themselves
to
the
outer
ends
of
branches
now
bending
alarmingly
under
their
weight.
Added
to
this,
the
combined
weight
of
Jacko
and
the
remaining
animals
was
starting
to
make
the
tree
bend
as
the
thinning
trunk
began
to
sway
violently
under
the
strain.
Jacko
reached
the
bears,
the
combined
'
family
'
used
their
natural
defence
on
this
interloper.
Fortunately
for
him,
most
missed,
showering
those
below
as
the
tree,
now
seriously
overstressed,
began
to
bend
toward
the
ground.
With
a
loud
crack
it
gave
way.
The
watching
seamen
scattered
as
"
bears
'
Jacko
and
tree
crashed
to
the
ground.
Several
of
the
furry
animals
landed
on
the
winded
and
bruised
seaman
and
added
to
his
discomfort
before
scrambling
away.
Only
one,
perhaps
stunned
by
the
fall,
succumbed
to
a
quick-witted
sailor
who
clubbed
it
with
a
stout
branch.

             
Harry
and
Tom,
now
finished
with
their
own
task,
were
just
in
time
to
see
the
climax
of
this
impromptu
'
hunt
'
and
joined
the
general
laughter
as
the
chastened
Jacko
tried,
unsuccessfully,
to
rid
himself
of
the
pungent
odour
clinging
to
his
person.

***

             
Poacher
Tom,
as
one
of
the
men
was
known,
expertly
skinned
the
animal
and
then
roasted
it
slowly
over
the
fire.
The
meat
proved
to
have
a
strange
taste
not
at
all
to
the
sailors
'
liking.

             
"
Cor,
"
one
of
the
men
complained,
"
This
fing
is
tender
enough
–
but
tastes
of
lamp
oil
or
summat!
"

             
"
Yeah,
Nobby,
"
one
of
his
mates
replied,
"
But
don
'
tell
Jacko
there
–
he
'
s
still
tryin
'
ter
get
the
smell
o
'
the
little
bugger
offen
'
im.
"

             
The
flavour,
unfortunately,
did
not
reward
the
effort
or
the
bruised
ego
of
its
pursuer.

             
Kangaroo
meat
and
fish
on
the
other
hand,
proved
plentiful
and
popular,
so
much
so
that
very
little
of
the
salt
beef
brought
with
them
was,
in
the
end,
consumed.
But,
as
is
always
the
case
in
such
situations,
they
found
themselves
with
more
to
achieve
than
they
had
time
in
which
to
achieve
it
and
the
Lieutenant
reluctantly
had
to
call
a
halt.

***

             
For
the
full
two
weeks
the
weather
had
been
kind.
It
was
hot
and
humid
by
day,
but
thankfully
cooler
by
night.
They
had
soon
found
it
expedient
to
sleep
in
the
boats
under
an
awning
rigged
over
the
booms,
since,
at
sundown,
the
mosquito
swarms
descended
on
every
living
creature,
man
and
animal.
Harry
had
found
it
in
his
heart
to
pity
the
poor
wretches
sent
here
as
convicts.
Their
lot
was
indeed
a
miserable
one
as
he
had
had
occasion
to
observe.
It
had
hurt
him
deeply
too,
to
know
that
so
many
were
fellow
countrymen.
Transported,
most
of
them,
for
seemingly
trivial
offences,
although
some
were
rebels
taken
in
open
rebellion
–
an
endemic
feature
of
Ireland.