Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-16

heart, she, as well as Colonel Marks and
Zach, was astounded at the devotion shown
to the lad by the half-breeds and Indian
guides To them this wonderful boy was
constant source of surprise and delight.
His courage, his surprising strength and
agility, his horsemanship, his marksman-
ship, his kindness and gentleness charmed
and fascinated them The daintiest
tidbits of game and the ripest fruits were
laid at the door of Godfrey's tent. And, to
add still further to the long list of the boys
accomplishments, it was discovered that
since he had been in service on the Aus
tralian coast he had picked up quite a
vocabulary of the native dialects, so that he
now had experienced no difficulty in under
standing the jargon spoken blythe native
guides.
1t might not be out of place to state here
that this was far from being the first camel
train that had been sent into the Austral-
ian wilderness 1t was in 1862 that Mr..
Elder imported from India large number
camels, together with their Afghan drivers.
These large animals have done well in Aus
tralia and beyond all doubt it was due to
the fact that Colonel Warburton made use
of these ships of the desert that he was
enabled to accomplish his daring ride from
Alice Springs station to Rockboune,
Nichol Bay, on the coast of Dewitt Land.
If David Lindsay, at a later day, sue
ceeded in crossing the continent from north
to south with the aid of pack horses only,
it was because he kept close to the Govern
ment roads and telegraph lines and did not
risk himself in the wilderness, which would
have been powerless to sustain the lie OF
his train.
The expedition reached Alice Springs
station in good form. Here halt was made
in order to transfer the baggage and sup
plies to the backs of the pack cameE. Col
onel Marks took this occasion to make
most searching examination of each member
of his band in order to weed out any who
showed signs of breaking down. A week
was thus consumed, when, at command
from Molly, the camel train moved slowly
and silently out into the sandy wastes of
the Great Victoria desert.
As Molly, from her lofty seat on the ships
of the desert, cast her eyes over this appar-
emily limitless waste her heart sank within
her for brief moment as she asked herself
the question: Am 1 not warning against
Heaven, am not rebelling against the will
of God in thus penetrating this awful soli-
tude in search of human life which only a
miracle could have kept from destruction?
Are not my attempts as foolhardy as they
are presumptious?
Godfrey made answer to these doubts
and misgivings, for at that moment his
clear, ringing voice reached her ear, carry
ing balm and comfort to her anxious heart
She hesitated no longer, she turned an en-
quiring gaze toward the horizon of this vast
ocean of sand as she had often fixed her
weary eyes upon the imitless expanse of
the sea, hoping and praying that the white
sails of the Dreadnaught might come slowly
into sight.
Upon drawing near to the Murchison and
Mcdonald ranges the native scouts made
known to Colonel Marks the appalling fact
that they had already fallen IN with strag-
glers of a native camp, from whom they had
learned that in a quarrel between one of the
chiefs and his brother a white captive had
been slain. Colonel Marks dared not make
known to Mrs. Allaire the dreadful news.
True, there was q possibility that this white
prisoner might not be Captain John, but the
name of the tribe and the additional fact
that it was accustomed to pay yearly visits
to the northwestern coast gave the awful
tidings the stamp of likelihood. 1t was
nearly two months before the camel train
reached Tenants Greek station. Several
of the wells along the route had been found
dry and the animals suffered greatly, being
barely able to drag themselves along at the
last.
Scarcely had the tents been pitched and
the exhausted men thrown themselves upon
the ground for long needed sleep, when one |
of the youngest of the native scouts crept |
past the guard and roused God
freY.
'Quick, little MASTER" he whispered,
"quick, bring gun, follow me, no talkf'
1t seems that in making choice of God
frey the native had done so solely |
on account of the youths extraordi- |
nary courage, agility and quickness of |
just as one might choose GER
tain dog or horse to attain certain end |
The child of the desert knew exactly what |
was needed He had no faith in the grown
of the band They might, in their
supposed superior knowledge, stop to
reason, rouse the band, raise voice above
a whisper, or be too slow in advancing on
their hands and knees.
Godfrey had not removed his pistol from
his belt Reaching for his rife, he Joined
the scout and stole silently out of the camp.
Once out Of sight and hearing, the scout
made known to Godfrey that white cap
tive had not been already put to death, as
at first reported, but that he had been de-
livered into the hands of the chiefs brother,
who, with several of the tribe, were to put
him to death that morning before the rescue
party should become aware of his presence
SO near at hand.
1t called for the greatest precaution on
the part of Godfrey and the native scout in
the Indian camp. A single
startled outcry of bird or beast would be
sure to warn the savages of the approach OF
an enemy. The last quarter of mile it be-
came necessary to advance by crawling
through the tall grass. Although hampered
by the weight of his rife, Godfrey, BY great
exertion, succeeded in keeping up with the
scout.
The execution was to take place at sun
rise. Already, as Godfrey and his COM
panion threw themselves on their knees In
order to reach the spot unseen by the saw
ages, the first rays of the sun shot family
upward like spectral spears.
Godfrey caught his breath as his eyes fell
upon the white prisoner seated on the
ground and encircled by half dozen of the
savages, each of whom grasped two spears
in his hand The mans face was hidden
beneath a long growth of hair, which in
matted strips hung over his brow, while q
grizzled beard, tangled and wide reaching,
covered his entire breast. His form was
pitifully emaciated, and it would seem to
have been a needless precaution to pinion
his arms, so near deaths door was this cap
tive.
AS the first ray of sunlight waved like a
sword of fame over the wilderness, one of
the savages rose from the ground where he
had been squatting, and with q terrible yell
raised his spear. But rife shot rang out
clear and sharp, and the man fell backward
like log. The others sprang to their feet
in the widest terror, and, as Godfrey and
the scout burst upon them with loud cries,
mingled with pistol shots, they fed dis
mayed from the spot, thinking that the
whole band of white men had suddenly
fallen upon them.
The white captive was quickly released
and tenderly stretched upon the ground.
Father, fatherr' cried Godfrey, "do'