The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-09-09
generally settled with few sound cuts

OF his whip.
The horse took no notice of Billy's
angry shout of Whoa, Blinker |" Other
than to display both his hind hoofs, and
move away at increased speed.
Billy threw down his whip and set of
after his faithless steed, exhorting him
to stop, in very strong terms. But
Blinker, having got the start, kept it,
and the boy soon lost sight of him amidst
the thickets and sand-knolls.
To add to the lads discomfort, q
"scud had arisen. 1t began to rain
furiously. To escape a drenching, he
crept under grass-tree, the long, droop.
ing leaves of which depended nearly to
the ground.
1t continued to rain-as it rains only
III Australia-for an hour or two. A
violent wind drove the binding sheets
OF water. Billy could only remain where
he was, aud wait for the shower to pass.
When at length the tornado slackened,
1T was late in the afternoon, and owing
to the black, rolling clouds, it was rap,
idly growing dark. The boy crept out
from his shelter, however, and set off at
a round pace, knowing that if he would
reach the rancho that night, he had NO
time to lose.
bis thoughts were occupied rather
with the prodigious fogging he meant
to give Blinker than with the course
homeward, and it is not surprising that
IN little time he, found he had lost his
way.
lie was on an almost level plain, sur
rounded on all sides by scattered scrub
and by bare sand-hills that looked be-
wilderingly alike. Along the whole dim
horizon there was no mountain to serve
as Landmark. Billy was puzzled and
lost, but not frightened. He ran on at a
venture past thicket and hillock, till it
had grown dark; so dark, indeed, that
he could scarcely see, and had no longer
the least idea towards what point of the
compass he was going.
The desert is not comfortable place
to be lost in, and Billy's sensations were
far from pleasant. To fall into the
hands of the blacks and be kept pris-
oner, or perhaps be roasted and eaten,
were among the chances of remaining
long in the locality in which he found
himself
On horseback there was little danger
OF being caught by the natives. On foot,
however, few Europeans would care to
try race with these long legged blacks,
with their boomerangs whistling about
his ears.
A kind of large black snake, very ac-
tive, and deadly bitter, is common in
the scrub. Billy dreaded the snakes
almost as much as the blacks. Then,
too, he was wet, and the night was
chilly.
lie had, however, bit of "damper !"
bread in the leathern pocket of his
jacket. This he ate while peering about
for some nook or sheltered spot, where
he might creep to escape the cold wind
and to pass the night.
At the foot of one of the bare hillocks
close at hand, he presently saw large
rock half hidden by the shaggy grass
trees. Pushing through the shrubbery,
he found that the rock overhung on the
lower side, offering partial shelter.
Here he sat down and determined to
remain till daylight. 1t was a dreary
evening, and the slow hours dragged on
still drearier night.
At first Billy was not inclined to sleep.
Once a kangaroo passed at little dis.
tance, making the ground jar heavily at
each of its unwieldy leaps. Later, he
heard the low, shrill "pheet of snake
close at hand, and hastily threw stones,
sticks and dirt, to frighten off so unde-
sirable visitor.
Two or three times he fancied he
heard queer sound of snuffing further
up under the rock, and concluded that
there was burrow of wombats behind
the bowlder, who were dissatisfied be-
cause he had taken possession of their
front doorstep. But though somewhat
large animals, Billy had very little fear
of wombats.
Towards morning he grew drowsy, and
at length fell asleep. At broad daylight
he awoke. Starting hastily, a sudden
rumble caught his ear, and, turning, he
cspied big mottled tail disappearing in
n rather large black hole, that seemed to
lead back under the rock. Heconcluded
the animal was a wombat that had proba-
bly, been observing him curiously.
"Ill dig you out of here some day."
was Billy's mental comment. Then he
bethought himself of his situation, and
sat up to consider it. He felt hungry,
and by careful search he found few
dirty crumbs of damper" in his leather
pouch, and ate them one by one.
While thus engaged, a sharp swapping
of twigs drew his attention. It came
nearer, and moment later there burst
through the trailing leaves the lean,
black paws, and gray, wolfish head of
native dog.
At sight of him, Billy jumped up in
sudden apprehension. The dog snarled,
then barked noisily. Immediately there
arose a low, peculiar cry, apparently not
hundred yards off. 1t was answered
from all about" Cooel cooe I"
The blacks were abroad on hunt.
Billy's heart almost came through his
ribs. If he ran, the dog would follow
him, and the whole pack of natives
would soon be at his heels.
He glanced helplessly around. The
wombat hole met his eye. The blacks
were coming. There was no time to
think twice. Billy instantly resolved to
take his chances with the wombats, and
dived into the hole.
The dog snapped and tore at his boots,
but he wormed his way in. The hole
led straight back under the rock eight or
ten feet, into the very heart of the hill
lock, where it expanded into sort of
den as big as bakers oven.
Seeing him coming, the wombats sniff
ed noisily, and went scrambling further
back under the hillock. Here Billy had
the satisfaction OF being able to turn
over.
Tho doc, ,yoo St;Il ,yor,x,;no, b;S baals +.