Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-08-05

cred that usually vigilant parsonage, Jim call
ed loudly for him to "wake up" and help to
fold the sheep. Receiving no answer, he hur-
ried to the hut
At the entrance he beheld scene which,
| to quote his own expression, "made all the
blood in his body run cold" There was poor
Willie, lying on his face, nearly naked and be-
dabbled in gore. 1t was some time before Jim
could muster courage to approach his old chum
When he did, he found that he was dead, and
nearly cold, and broken spear in his side be-
trayed that he had been murdered by the ma
tives. The hut itself had evidently been ri
fled every particle of food, the store of -four,
sugar, and tea, the blankets, knives, and eve
ry useful movable, had been carried off But
what Jim mostly regretted was, that the pis-
tol, an old-fashoned pepper-box revolver, was
missing. Fortunately, he had taken his gun
in the morning to shoot few birds, if chance
offered during the day and Herewith, all the
powder and shot remaining on hand. Still,
six extra shots were not to be despised and
he felt that the loss of the pistol added to his
danger.
Now, all the horrors of his own position
burst upon him. The head station was fully
ten miles distant, and what enemies he might
tell. However, stay in the hut by himself he
could not so he resolved to fold the flock
and then to set off through the bush, to give
information of the event, aud obtain assistance
In pursuance of this resolution he went out,
and with the aid of the dog succeeded in fold
ing the sheep
Hoarse with shouting-for yonr true bnsh.
man can do nothing without making a great
uprOar-Jim went to the waterhoie to drink
preparatory to starting on his perlOus jour
ney. He was just rising from the recumbent
position necessary to enable him to reach the
water, when Sandie gave a loud growl and,
at the same instant, Jim saw the shadow of Il
human figure reflected in the water. Cautious
Iy gazing around, he beheld several dusky forms
moving through the thick underground Of the
opposite range. His first impulse was to fly !;
but aware of the necessity of concealing his
alarming discovery he mastered his emotion
aad ordering the dog to follow, walked quiet
ly back to the hut.
Barricadiag the door as well as circumStan-
ces would permit, Jim sat down on one of the
old stumpS which supplied the place of more
convenient seats and striving to diveSt his
mind of nntimely fear, debated within himself
the propriety of attempting to elude the willy
savageS who were in the immediate vicinity.
But the more he thought of it, the more i'm
practicable it appeared To run the gauntlet
through an unknown number of enemies was
almost certain death On the other hand, to
remain quieScent presented only the prospect
of prolonging torture, and final destruction.
However, there was no help for it at present,
and unable to form any decisive plan of escape,
Jim did the very best thing he could he made
his little fortress as secure as possible, and
awaited the result.
The hut was built in the ordinary bushfash-
ion, of huge, upright slabs of tmber-the low
er ends being inserted in the earth, and the
upper nailed to strong beams The insterSti-
ces were filed with the fbrOus coating Of the
stringy-bark- daubed over with clay to rem
| der it wind-proof The roof consisted of large
sheets of bark, and the only window was on
| aperture about foot square. This, Jim fill
ed with an old sack, which the natives had
probably overlooked The chimney occupied
nearly one side of the hut, and was built of
SodS, supported on the exterior by closely
stabbed wall to the height of six feet the up
per portion closing inward on all sides to the
top, was composed of rough pa'ings, or slips
of bush timber, split to a moderate thickness.
The interior formed only one room, about
twelve feet long and ten feet wide, which suf-
feed its inmates for all purposes.
| Night speedily closed in. and in darkness
and silence sat jim with the mangled corpse
| of the utkeeper in one of the sleeping berths
wherein he had laid it. and the dog crouching
uneasily at his feet The poor brute was with
difficulty kept from bowling aloud, and once
or twice he ran to the door and moaned un
easily He evidently comprehended that dan
ger was nigh.
How long Jim remained in this state of sus
pense he could never be positive. 1t seemed
| ike half lifetime, he said After weary
interval Sandie growled sulIenly, and sat erect;
his ears thrown back, and his eyes gstening
in the darkness like balls of fire. Listening
attentivey, Jim heard faint noise as of some
one treadng on dry twgs. Then Jim knew
that the savages were coming
Next moment the latch of the door was eau
tiously lifted, and gentle pressure made
against the fasteniugs. With a beating heart,
jim held the dog, and by gestures forbade him
to move or bark The wonderful instinct OF
the animal enabled him to comprehend these
mute commands, aud he lay down quietly on
the floor.
Soon the sack which Jim had placed in the
aperture, was noiSeessly withdrawn, and dark
visage appeared in its place. And now Jim
could scarcely hold the excited dog, who wonld
fain have sprung at the intruder. But the
hole was too small to permit the entrance Of
his foes, and feeling that every grain of pow
der in his scantiy furnished flask would be
required, he even refrained from firing, and on
the withdrawal of the intrusive head reflled
the aperture with block of wood.
Whilst so engaged the natives uttered yell
so unearthly that Jim shook with terror in
deed, he afterwards acknowledged that he was
near swooning. Almost simultaneously rusi
was made at the crazy old door, which nearly
gave way. and it appeared certain that anoth