The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-07-27
AN AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE.
CONTINUED

so little darker tnan the night lLSclI,
Bush, tree, farming implements, all In
their turn were magnifed into me-
mics performing the same duty as the
inmates of the hut, and waiting to spy
out their weakness and the best place
for the morrow's assault. But as the
night wore on, and the watchful stars
still shed their peaceful light change
came over the Wakeful ones, and OBJ
jects that had before been looked upon
as enemies, were taken for the figure
of her whose absence had created such
q void in more than one heart. But
though Anderson started hopefully
again and again, and reused the
sleeping black by his side,
there was no rustling, gliding step, no
eager, light form OF the far young
girl, who, with beating heart, had
threaded her way amid her sleeping
enemies, and bounded toward
the hut for shelter.
Anderson groaned, and could have
torn his hair, as disappointed, feverish
and restless he once more walked
round the hut, listening attentively
for some sound where all was still in
the vast region around, eve to solem-
nifty. But In vain; and could he have
done so he might have sought in sleep
hat rest and refreshing his jaded
body needed.
Morning at last; first. the pale,
pearly gray; then the far upfaint pink
tinge; then the blushiDe, glowing
clouds; then the gorgeous golden ar
rows darting to the zenith and lastly,
as if with a bound, came the glorious
sun himself, to beam upon the earth
"a IL ID. kE.-r-k Ill 90
and sorrow q thing unknown. But
there was neither rest nor peace, Tor
with a series of frantic yells the blacks
again showed themselves, crying, leap
ing, dancing, shouting. partly TO
alarm their enemies, partly to work
themselves up to the lighting pitch.
Their faces we're streaked with q kind
Of red ochre and pipe clay, while upon
the little bark shields they carried,
grotesquely hideous human faces were
depicted, to intimidate those whom
they attacked. Nude, save for the
oppossom skin strip knotted loosely
round their loins, they once more
came boldly up to their attack upon
the nut, hurliag spear and boomerang
those singular weapons, which fail
irg to strike the object aimed at, re-
turned to the thrower'e hand.
There was nothing forit,so far as the
inmates were concerned, but to FIRE
till the last bullet and grain of powder
should be expended, and then trust to
such weapons as they could muster
for close quarters, giving up being q
question never once mooted; and now,
as shot after shot was fired, it was
pitiful to see the effect in the bright
red spot or long cash in the flesh,
where q bullet had struck obliquely.
But when fighting in defense OF life,
men have but little compunetion for
those who would rob them of the gift,
and it was with a grim feeling of sat-
isfaction that savage after savage was
seen to fall, till a tall. daring fellow,
who had dashed up to the hut, clap
pedshis hand TO his chest, leaped in
the air, and fell m~otionless, when An
derson threw down his rifle, saying,
That's the last charge"
A gloomy silence ensued. Men
gazed from one to the other; then
fixed long and anxious looks upon
those who had been their leaders In
the fight. as If expecting them to hit
upon some plan of escape from the
death that seemed imminent. Now
they swept the approaches to the hut,
In hopes that some strong party OF
settlers might be on the way to them,
either bound for a new station, or,
knowing them to be attacked, with a
mission for their rescue. But In a
place where a fresh face was not seen
once in three months, they knew well
that such succor was next to impos-
sible.
Mrs. Harris, patient and calmer
than any one present, still lay with
her little ones hidden In the wool
loft; but as from time to time, when
she came to the edge, her eye met
that of Anderson, there was a mutual
reading of the agony each suffered,
hidden though it was beneath the
semblance of stoicism.
The s~tillness that followed upon the
excitement of the fight seemed at
length to have grown unbearable;
men felt that treachery was at work
somewhere, and m~omentarily expected
an attack from some unguarded part.
they grew distrustful, and more than
once Anderson caught himself going
from window to window to see that a
proper watch was kept where he an
Iicipated danger.
At length, half maddened by the
mental pain he suffered, Anderson
cast himselfdesrafriDgly upon thefoor
of the hut, turning his face from those
around that they might not see Its
workings.
The young mans action was moi
without its effect; for his companion.
the friend who had escaped with him
from the blacks assault upon the pre-
vious day, now broke the silence, say
ing, In utter f~orgetfulness of the wo-
men and children:
Its all over my men; we may as
we'll shake hands all round, and make
a rush for it, right into the black mob
as stop here and be burnt out like
SQUIRRELS in a tree. / can't bear thil
standing still any longer"
But though he looked from face tt
face, no man answered him, but on the
whole avoided his gaze, and watched
on at the dusky figures of the savagel
as they moved necessarily to and fro
When, seeing that his words were o.
none effect, he coolly laid aside hi
rifle, rolled up his shirt sleeve, anC
opening a large knife. began to rut
and sharpen it upon the hearth. stone
The mental anxiety was frightful
for let alone the thoughts of poo
Mary's fate, it was as though deati
was about to descend upon the watch
ers from moment to moment, Will
they were debarred from making
struggle for life.
The morning fed, and noon came
and still there was no further attack
and wounded figures had been seen t
struggle, and gradually stiffcn into tn
rigidity of death within their sight
others to crawl by slow degrees int
the shelter of the bushes, unReede
By their savage companions. But still
no further attack was made, it seemin
IL. IL A. hlnnkr mara hnldin