“But surely you must have made some sort of a track leading away from it,” said Jim, “unless you fly out!”
The Hermit laughed.
“I’ll show you later how I manage that,” he said.
The bush grew denser as the little party, led by the Hermit, pushed along, and Jim was somewhat surprised at the easy certainty with which their guide led the way, since there was no sign of a track. Being a silent youth, he held his tongue on the matter; but Wally was not so reserved.
“However d’you find your way along here?” he asked. “I don’t even know whether we’re near the creek or not.”
“If we kept still a moment you’d know,” the Hermit said. “Listen!” He held up his hand and they all stood still. There came faintly to their ears a musical splash of water.
“There’s a little waterfall just in there,” the Hermit said, “nothing much, unless the creek is very low, and then there is a greater drop for the water. So you see we haven’t got far from the creek. How do I know the way? Why, I feel it mostly, and if I couldn’t feel it, there are plenty of landmarks. Every big tree is as good as a signpost once you know the way a bit, and I’ve been along here pretty often, so there’s nothing in it, you see, Wally.”
“Do you like the bush, Mr. Hermit?” Norah asked.
The Hermit hesitated.
“Sometimes I hate it, I think, Miss Norah,” he said, “when the loneliness of it comes over me, and all the queer sounds of it bother me and keep me awake. Then I realise that I’m really a good way from anywhere, and I get what are familiarly called the blues. However, that’s not at all times, and indeed mostly I love it very much, its great quietness and its beauty; and then it’s so companionable, though perhaps you’re a bit young to understand that. Anyhow, I have my mates, not only old Turpentine, my snake, but others—wallabies that have come to recognise me as harmless, for I never hunt anywhere near home, the laughing jackasses, two of them, that come and guffaw to me every morning, the pheasants that I watch capering and strutting on the logs hidden in the scrub. Even the plants become friends; there are creepers near my camp that I’ve watched from babyhood, and more than one big tree with which I’ve at least a nodding acquaintance!”