The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-06-06
Seletted Sf(istellang,
THE BRAVE SHEPHERD.
q IrQo Story of thc australian Bush.

| u drug SIVfy " IH0 UVpHdhdH OQSH'
Some years ago two men, Charles and
Edward Ladpury, had charge of an
outlaying sheep.station, belonging to
Mr.. John Hassall, wealthy Australian
squatter. The first named was the
shepherd, the second the hutkceper.
Their hut stood in the midst of a scene
OF primitive nature. Except the folds
Tor the fiocks, there were'no Enclosures
Of any description. The country was an
expanse Of grass, with few undulations
dotted sparsely with evergreen trees,
mostly Of the stringy'bark species. The
walls of the lint were built of rough
stakes, with mud and reeds between
them other long poles formed the
roof, which was covered with rushes.
The fire place was constructed Of stones
collected from the neighborhood, and
in this the men baked their daily dam
per, composed of flour and water and
salt, and boiled their kettle of tea. Their
stores consisted OF salt beef and pork
flour and rice in casks, chest of tea,
some sugar and raisins, and few other
articles. Tin cups and plates, and two
or three knives and forks, formed their
dinner and tea service a kettle and
saucepan and gridlron were their chief
utensils some rough slabs of the
stringy-bark trees on tresscls. ticking
filed with wool, a couple of blankets,
and kangaroo>skin rug apiece formed
their bed
Such life as they led, in spite of its
sameness, its solitude, and danger, has
its charms for many men. They were
contented. May be, their early days
had been spent in poverty and starva
tiOn in some crowded city, amid scenes
of profgacy, squalor, and suffering.
Here they enjoyed pure air, bright
sky, and abundance of food, and were
removed from the temptations which
once beset them. Those who have
once occupied nearly every position in
life will he found among the shepherds
and hut>keopers of Australia brought
to poverty either through their own
faults or the faults or others. Few like
to speak of their early lives. What.
ever had been the position of Storey
and Ladbury, they were now steadily
performing their duty. Having de-
spatched their early breakfast, the two
men counted and examined the sheep
as they came out of the fold, and picked
out those requiring any particular treat
ment. Storey then started with the
flock to distant pasture.
Ladbury had no lack of duties
There was the fold to repair here and
there, some~sick sheep to doctor, tho
roof Of The hut to patch, and piece o
garden ground, which he had wisely
begun to cultivate to attend to. His
dinner was quickly dispatched. His
usual companion favorite dog, haC
disappeared he could not tell how, bu
much feared it had been bitten by
snake and had died in the bush. H,
lit his pipe, and smoked and Though
awhile. Again he busted himself on
Of doors, and once more returned to tn,
hut to ptepare the. evening meal 70
himself and his companion. He wa
about to hook the freshly made damper
out Of the ashes, when he heard lov
moan, He listened-the sound wa
repeated. He hurried out and locke,
about him. 1t must have been fancy
) he thought, and was about to return t
the hut, when the same sound agai
reached his ears, 1t came from
cluster Of bushes at a little distance of
With an anxious heart he ran to tn
place, and there found his companio
lying on the ground, bleeding fror
numerous wounds, and with a spear
$ head still sticking in his BODY. Liftin
Storey in his arms, he carried him t
? the hut and laid him on his bed.
It's the work of those black fe
lows" said Ladbury, looking out roun
, the hut. None were in sight. Ii
came back, and warming some watel
bathed poor Storey's wounds; then h
carefully cut ont the baroed head {
the spear, and continued bathing tn
c wound, except for short time, whe
1 he poured some warm .ea down th
j. sufferers throat. Every moment Will
n thus employed he expected the native
n to attac k the hut. He had no lOngC
IS Rover to give him warning of the al
pIoach of toe. There was little dout
y that his poor dog had also been spearec
q The pain being soothed, Storey
!, length, to Ladbury's great Joy, returne
N to consciousness, and explained thi
: he had been attacked early, in the da
l. by natives. lie had run from the
after receiving several wounds, but ha
n been speared again half mile or so fro
the hut, and had erawled the re
IS of the distance, till he tainted FROM lo
:, of blood and the pain he was suiferin
&c Sad indeed was the condition
these two poor fellows, with no viii
man nearer than twenty miles, al
no surgeon within, probably, ty
hundred. Night at length came o
when, as the natayies never mo