The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-01-05

VatlOn that lies between Fiery Creek
and Magoari, in Southern Australia.
No precious metal had then been found
in the district, though the hillsides
from a distance looked as if they were
covered with snow, owing to the large
quantity of broken quartz that lay
scattered about on the surface of the
ground in every direction.
My friend had a notion that gold
was the metallic base of quartz, and
that where there was so much of the
latter substance about, there must of
necessity be some of the former too,
if one could but be fortunate enough
to find it.
His theory was quite erroneous, of
course, as L afterwards learned, for
silicon, not gold, is the base of quartz,
but at the time when we met with the
adventure | am about to relate, | had
no doubt in my mind that Jim was
right, and gladly followed him to
Mount Cole. There we encamped by
the side of Il limpid flowing stream,
under the lee of huge boulder of
granite, but all around was to be seen
an immense quantity of broken white
quartz, sure indication, as Jim then
believed, that gold was to be found at
no great distance.
A month or six weeks trial of the
place convinced us, however, that if
any of the precious metal existed there
we were not destined to be its discov-
erers. We sunk shaft after shaft in
flat, and gully, and on hillside in vain;
not even the color" did we find, and
gave up the search in disgust.
Before removing to fresh quarters
we-thought we would enjoy days
shooting or two, for the woods abound
ed with parakeets and cockatoos of
every kind, from huge white fellows
with lemon crests down to the tiny
green and blue lorikeets that clung in
such swarms to the towering branches
of the gum trees.
There were kangaroos in the ravines
and on the slopes of the mountain, as
well as opossums and flying squirrels
of all sorts and sizes in the trees, and
bandicoots in the grass grown gullies.
The entire district swarmed with birds
of every description, and there were
eels and crayfish in the rivulets and
brooks, and especially in the larger
stream by the side of which we had
pitched our tent, while vast herds of
hills, where they encamped in COM
panies, or should say families, con-
sisting of dozen or two of cows with
ii eir calves of various ages, and one
old bull, hich made the midnight hid
eous by his believing, and fairly
drowned every other sound in the for
est.
On the Sunday before we were to re-
move for good from the vicinity of
Mount Cole we went out for stroll in
the afternoon. We never did any work
OF carried our guns on that day, if we
observed it in no other manner.
Rambling rather farther than we in
tended, we were overtaken by the
darkness that almost immediately fol-
lows the setting of the sun in Australia
We ere not alarmed, for we knew
the lay of the country, and could,
moreover. catch glimpse of star
here and there through the branches
of the trees. This enabled us to pro-
ceed in the right direction for our
camp, of which we had taken the bear
ings from the first.
As we CROPPED our way along, we
suddenly perceived something white
Just before us in a clump of bushes that
grew in. the center of one of the gullles
we had to cross before we could arrive
at the site of our encampment.
"a quartz boulder" l suggested.
mo, | saw it move-it's an animal
OF some kind" said Jim; ''may be an
albino kangaroo"
"It's a calf few hours oldr' I re-
marked. as put down my hand to
| touch the little animal, which lmmedi-
ately staggered to its feet, and began
to low in a piteous tone for its mother.
| Before either of us could realize the
danger we ran, that exemplary bovine
parent was down upon us with rush
that would inevitably have put final
stop to our career, had we not instinc-
| lively lodged her behind tree, round
which she followed us many times,
with perseverance worthy of better
| cause.
"What's to be done, Jim?" / asked,
as for the fiftieth time at least we
waltzed, so to speak, round that tree,
| to the music of the old cows angry
believing, and the young calfs piteOus
cries for help, which last were quite
superfluous. for no one had meant to
harm it, and its fears therefore were
utterly groundless.
| If that old COW could only have be-
| lieyed it, we were but too anxious tC
get away from her and her precious
offspring; but she thought we had fel,
onous intentions in its regard, and de-
clined to let us go without first bring
ing us into contact with her horns
which were particularly long and
pointed, us we had ample opportunity
| - u
ious to get away; but she was not /;
reasonable COW, and kept following u:
round and round that tree until we
were almost ready to drop with giddi
ness and fatigue.
whats to be done, Jim? This can
90 on for ever"
mo" said my mate. ''Pve beel
thinking. suppose you make run TO
another tree, and I'll dodge her TO
bit while you get away, and then II
make Il bolt; think can run as fas
as she can, and | shall have the start.
This was good advice. but l woul'
not 90 first, and while we were dOdg
ing round, and each wishing the othe
to escape, there was sound of man
feet approaching, and a dark mas
seemed to detach itself from the hill
side, and move toward us at a rapi
rate. We might dodge one COW al
night. but the whole herd, whose camp
ing ground we had unwittingly invad
ed, was charging down upon US! W
should be trampled to death in, an IL
slant.
The old COW heard lie friends AZ
preaching as well as we did, and turn
ing her head in their direction, love
to them to make haste.
.'Climb for your life" said my mate
in an earnest whisper, and instructive
ly grasped at the trunk of the tret
bv which we stood, while Jim did til
same. In less time than it has take
me to write this sentence, we wei
some ten feet mp the tree, which hal
pened to be an ironbark, and the pr