The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-31

UWENVcCUElIF
appears 10 be a deserted house. lie enters and
stumbes across tho body Of a man who has
been murdered by a native. spear S head
sticking out Of the dead mans breast. lie re-
solves to adopt the child and takes II nome,
calling it 'Elice. ~
CHAPTER ".
For miles and miles, as far, indeed, as the
the eye could see, the country was covered
with a sparse open growing scrub which
rarely rose higher than a mans shoulder
The district was void OF water, the heat
was broiling, the dry earth gaped. A soli-
tary swagsman toiled along a family de-
fne4 track which ran with many zigzsgs
through the whole length Of this barren
end prodieious wilderness. His bare arms,
his huge hands. his exposed chest and neck,
his very beard and hair were sunburned. His
face was so darkened by exposure to SUI
and air that at fin st glance his nationality
might have seemed doubtful, but his eyes
were of a bright and CHEEKY blue, and where
the sun had left any color to speak of in his
beard the tingue was yellow. The mans
swag was heavy, and the wav broken and
toilsome, but he marched on with an ap-
parent unbroken cheerfulness. The desert
rose and sank before him in long undula-
tons, and presented an eternity Of same
ness. Not another insect appeared in sight,
but he moved in the midst of whirling
pillar OF flies which, with the Indifference
bred of long custom, he stoically disre-
gsrded.
After long hours Of marching he reached
the top of knoll which be had alternately
lost and sighted since early morning, and
there stood moment to press the stream-
ing perspiration from his forehead with the
palm of a sunburned hand. Then he drew a
great breath brushed aside the cloud OF in
sects for a clearer view, and waved his
right arm with a gesture of greeting. Two
miles away or whereabouts lay homestead
with titled fields about it, aud here and
there a patch of green. These scattered
patches looked each no larger than hand
kerchief from that distance, but they were
wonderfully rich ana vivid by contrast
with the surrounding yellows and blush
grays, and as they grew in size with his
nearer approach, the wayfarer kept con-
slant eye upon one or the other of them,
absorbing all the refreshment they afforded,
In the FENCED yard, beside the homestead,
which the wayfarer reached some half hour
after his first sight of it, burly man sat In
shadow and smoked his pipe. A fat hog
slumbered at his feet, and now and then the
burly man scratched the porker's well
heshed ribs with a bit of lath. The swags-
man leaning his brown arms on the fence
in the baking sunlight, looked on at this
scene of sweet domesticity in silence for
full minute. The burly man heard his foot
step and was conscious Of his presence, but
never raised an eye. He scratched his hog,
and the hog responded to this friendly at
tention by grunt OF sleepy contentment
There was something almost idylhc in the
scene, and the swagsman seemed loath to
break upon its sentiment.
al say, mate" he said at length.
"Hullo," the burly man responded, still
placidly scratching the placid porker.
You'd have a call, l fancy, four weeks
ago to-day. Man in a buggy. Had kid
with him. A little girl"
That's so,n said the burly man, looking
round for the first time. what about
bimm
"He came from out Yallala way,n says
the swagsman, uoddiug his head to indicate
the direction from which he himself had
Travelled.
$50 he said" the burly man responded.
Went straight on" the swGgsmen
asked
straight on" said the burly man.
"hGVe hquorE
Gold tea" said the swagsman, inter
negatively.
''If you like" the other answered.
The swagsmaa Strengthened himself with
little air Of effort, and walked to the
gate. His host opened IL and motioned him
toward the Swallowed veranda, and himself
disappearing into the house, presently re-
turned with great billy Of cold tea, two
tin panOikins, and black bottle. He made
II second entry, and came back with bowl
of coarse brown sugar. The swagsmau
threw down his burden and sat upon it,
smearing the sweat from his face with the
inside Of his great arm.
Its warm" he said, tanning himself
with his tattered cit broad brin.
SOS HILL" the burly man responded
and filled the pennikins. Have a stick in
itF be asked holding up the black bottle tc
illustrate metaphor already clear to his
companions understanding.
"Not a stick" returned the swagsman
"a twig if you like, and little 'un O.
that. "
The host handed the bottle, and drawing
the cork with his teeth, the visitor helped
himself less modestly than his speech hac
seemed to promise.
Smoker said the host, holding up plug
of very black tobacco.
The visitor nodded, and drawing a short
well-blacked clay from his waistband
knocked out the ashes it contained into thu
palm of his great hand, and then drawing
forth heavy clasp knife shredded a portion
of tobacco from the preferred stick anC
filed his pipe. He set the old ashes care
fully on top and pressed them down to thu
last grain. The host watched him with al
air Of approval, and nodded when th,
packing of the pipe was finished.
at lights easier that way" he said, will
great gravity, land, besides that, it's "a say
ing.n
Then be in turn filled his own pipe, anC
the two smoked and slipped iii silence fo
several minutes.
"Chap you're after" said the host, una,
be longsh way ahead by this time"
YES" said the other, "longish way
most likely. shall come across him though
I've no manner of doubt. Did you pu
him up here"
''Yes, he stayed the night"
''You saw the kidr the visitor asked
somewhat eagerly.
The other nodded.