The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-10

ceived it with sneer which was nothing
if not ferocious, and with shake Of the
head that the mildest man must have 40
knowledged 10 b. impatient. Julian,
however, fearing nothing, and by this
time interested In the adventure, deter
mined to maintain possession. This he
frankly told the patient, laughingly re-.
minding him that in high civilization
possession is nine points in the law. The
man here glanced toward the fowling-
pieces, and Julian pretended to under
stand that he wanted him to look at
them, liesurely took up the nearest,
which was capped. He handed it to its
owner, who stared at the intruder, and
again turned his face away, while Julian
replaced the gun against the wall. By
and-by he built fire, and boiled a quart
pot Of tea from materials he found by
rummaging the outer apartment, where
he whispered Nelson TO remain "perdu"
until further notice,-made himself, in
short, useful, and very much at home.
In the course of an hour or two the sick
man was able to move feebly about, and
Julian accom- panied him at his request
to secure the fortress by putting the stone
door into the roof. n7o !. ~
"Now, you see," said Julian, e1 am in
your power altogether" (Neilson had
efectually kept out Of sight, "Itis Like
the story-books, is it not?-giants, ogries,
dungeons, and all the rest. But dare
say you won't eat me-" eta.a rr
The person thus appealed 10 shook his
head sadly, very much, it must be con-
fessed, as if he thought be should like to
enact the role Of fee-f.fo-fum, had he but
the energy to 60 through with it. At
this time he was sitting on projection
in the WALL nature having here provid-
ed, not only dining and drawing
room finely ventilated, and on the same
floor, but any quantity Of seats whenever
the tenant required rest.
Soon, however, another humor passed
over him, and he held out his hand, Ju-
Ian, imagining he desired to be helped
to his feet, acted accordingly, but the
king of the cave shook his head decisive
ly, and uttered the one word
"Right." *''
"Then right it u.s." said Julian, sup
porting him back to the chief apart
ment.
And right it was. By degrees the
man became more talkative; then com
municative. His story was full of start
ling episodes. His history proved for
the ten thousandth time--as it does
every day in the colonies-that fact is
stranger than fiction. He had the max
ings Of one whose footprints might have
been left, honored examples, on the sands
of time, but-oh, old story!-his talents
had been converted at the outset into
the wrong channel Not until Julian
had enlisted his confidence, in exchange
for honest and transparent sympathy,
did the man open his heart. Toward af-
ternoon, the hours having meanwhile
passed with nimble heels, Julian said he
would return to camp, obtain few neces-
saries from the medical comforts of the
pack-saddle, and relieve his friend from
the alarm he would naturally feel at 30
prolonged an absence.
He tried first to obtain promise from
the sick man to give him free entrance
on his return. Though this promise was
was for while peremptorily and even
surlily refused, the desired assurance was
at length gruf1y given in the laconic ut
terance--"Right," which in the old fel-
lows philosophy seemed to be all that
was typical Of loyalty and trust. s
The hermit was now in great pain, and
being unable to move out Of bis bunk,
In which Julian mad made him comfort
able, explained how the trap-door might
be managed from the outside--a fortu-
nate occurrence in one sense, since it en-
abled Nelson to disappear from the
scene without detection. "a
Jnlian was forced into two promises
in return for the one given; he was to
say nothing to his people at the camp of
what he had seen, and WAS to secure the
circular door in the roof with religious
care-promises which, as the reader will
gree, he could make with 4 clear con-
science.
Nelson, who was leader Of the party,
did not like the idea Of wasting time, but
admitted there was no avoiding a pro-
longation Of their halt. There was a
deal Of sterling humanity amongst even
the very toughest bushmen, and the
least tutored Of their own black. fellows
would have been ashamed if they knew
that their chiefs had abandoned a sick
man to his fate.
Julian, after mature deliberation, re-
solved to spend the night with the king
of the cave. Returning, therefore, al
dusk, he found the trap-door open to vel.
come him; he ascended, replaced the bar
/ rier, and entered the inner chamber.
"Now, sir, / think we understand each
other" he said, depositing the saddle
pouch in which he brought his supplies,
and seating himself on the stool by the
| side Of the bunk. "You trust me, and
trust you" =. ta' ' 1'.' y. - p.
Though this remark was, ,hazarded al
| much in the tone Of interrogation as OF
a statement, the sick man would NOT
| treat it as such. He granted and per.
formed that fayofite trick--Kine
Hezekiah is credited with a similar
movement--of turning his face to the
| wall.