The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-10-09
saved by the Doctor.

|
The episode I am going to relate oc-
Cured not far from the township OF
Horsham, Victoria, Australia. Where
the exact locality is I have no intention
of divulging; but if any of my readers
are acquainted with the part of the
| world / refer to, they will remember
that there exist one or two large streams
/ within the wide radius 1 have named.
Beside one of these rivers there was
standing, about twenty years ago, hut,
which was known at the homestead as
j the Deep Water Station, and it was here
that my lot placed me as hutkeeper.
lived at the Deep Water Station for two
years.
| remember was sitting at the hut
| (the Deep Water Hut( one summer af-
ternoon, looking for the coming of
''Long Mat" The sun was passing away
blood-red behind range of dim blue
| hills; long shadows were fast spreading;
| the deep water-hole had lost the light;
the hills behind the river were Just
tipped with o crimson glory, and stars
seemed dropping like silver specks on
the paling sky. Long Mat, the shop.
herd, was later than usual.
The darkness had not quite fallen be-
fore l recognized the bleating of the
| flock in the distance, and soon after the
white feeces of the sheep slowly ap-
| peared from out the somber shadows of
| the trees. had just walked inside the
hut to prepare supper, when the quick,
muffied fall of horses feet became audi
BILE. l knew tho canter we'll, and came
to the door to await the arrival of Mr..
s., the owner of the station. He
galloped up to the hut, with a cheerful
Good evening, Bill" and as usual came
inside to ask me if l wanted anything,
aud to light his pipe.
81 can't stay long with you this time,
Bill, 4" he said pleasantly, but with lit
tie anxiety; "the black fellows are about
again. I hope your gun is in order. Do
you want any powder or lead?"
1--WE have quite enough" replied,
"both Mat and myself; but there's no
| bullets; I'll run them tomorrow. Mats
rather late this evening; but the hocks
not far off; they'll be home in a quarter
of an hour; / saw them pass the belt be-
| fore you came"
At this instant the shadow of a man
darkened the door and Mat entered.
Good evening"" he said quietly to
Mr.. s. and myself. ''The sleeps
feedin' home all right, sir, but there's q
few missin'. One of my marked ewes is
gone, and / can't see two of the crawl
ers"
you'll pick them up tomorrow, Mat, +"
replied the strong, pleasant voice of the
squatter. bill says you've enough
powder and lead. The blacks are about;
do you know that?"
Without waiting for an answer Mr..
g IaI 10 o,N,J
was about to mount when Mat (who was
an Americanl said: 81 guess you had
better stop tonight, sir.
"Why?"
''Injuns is close up. One OF the sheep
| spoke of was speared."
Il heard there were black fellows
about, said Mr.. s., delaying to mount;
but the ride is safe enough I've got my
rife with me-"
They're too close" responded the
shepherd, after filling panikin of tea,
and, contrary to his custom, standing
his gun against the table.
| We looked at him inquiringly. He
kept his eyes wandering over and around
the focks while he explained, ''Wall, you
see, sir, after seein' the spear wound on
the crawler, looked about me purity
| sharp, but couldn't see nothin' till I was
leayin' the belt there, when l sighted
one of the yarmints wrigglin' through
| the grass like a snake. | was goin' to
give him pill, but / saw another wrig7
gle in his wake, and then another; and, "
continued the narrator, with something
like glow OF expectation, they amt
far off now, reckon"
He had scarcely uttered the words
when he lifted both hands and struck
Mr.. S-full on the chest with enough
! force to drive him to the extreme end of
the hut. At the same instant spear
whizzed through the open doorway, and
| quivered in the slabs behind.
| More remarks were drowned by loud
| quivering snort from the poor horse;. a
moment after, and lie rolled heavily
across the hut door, completely blocking
up the entrance.
Mat muttered away: 'tFirst-rate for us
coonsl Ye'd better bar the door. Bill
Doctorl Doctor Doctor! Psti psf!
Here lad" The dog leaped on the shep-
herd. BY gum,' he said, IT thought
he was outside"
By this time Mr. S-was coolly recon-
noitering through the loopholes. He
had let down the window, and was pre-
| pairing for action as unconcernedly as the
shepherd.
These quiet, brave men inspired me
with confidence, and / remember think
ing, rs / threw water on the fire so as to
extinguish the light, that the black fell
lows had met with their match. BY this
time the moon was up and the light was
gradually growing on the landscape. At
first we could discern the outlines of the
trees, and then, as the night gathered,
the white scared grass between the shad-
ows. There was long time of silence.
Mat, Mr.. s. and myself had our
barrels through the loopholes and were
closely watching for any movement out
side. The convulsive shudderlngs OF
the horse had ceased, and there was a
painful silence. The squatter and Mat
we're like two statues, and, notwithstand-
ing the quiet breathing of the dog and
the croaking of the frogs along the river,
there seemed to be frightful signif-
cance in the silence that was brooding
above these sounds. Every instant ]
was expecting rush from the outside,
but there was not sign or sound to be-
tray the presence of any enemy. The
sheep were camping quietly around the
hurdles. Silence-the bright moon-the
white feeces mingling with the color ol
the grass-the still shadows of the trees
the far black forest-the spectral tracerJ
of the branches in the moonlight. The
silence was terrible. One of the outside
wethers rose and walked forward a few
yards, then commenced stamping
quickly on the ground.
ssDarn my eyes" said Mat, for the
first time breaking silence, ..if de 'Olt
Parson amt sighted one of the niggersf
The "OIe Parson" was patriot,
wether that was afflicted with the foot
| rot, and usually fed on his knees.