The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-02-01
CHAPTER Xxx.

CHAPTER Xxx
INTO THE HEART OF THE CONTINENT.
With q heart almost oppressed by the
Joy that had come upon it so unexpect-
edly, Mrs. Allaire, with Godfrey by her
side, took her seat in special train that
was to carry her to Farina Town, where
her arrival was now impatiently
awaited by Tom Marks and Zach
French She was also accompanied by
an intelligent half-b breed woman, Har-
riett by name, herself a child Of the
wilderness, strong, fearless and skillful
rider, who was to perform the duties of
serving woman to the captains wife.
The train made few stops, only such in
fact as became necessary to renew the
supplies of wood and water. After
leaving Adelaide the first halt was made
at Cawler, which was reached after
several hours run through a district
broken by deep gorges and narrow val
leys, varied at times by interminable for
ests Of the eucalyptus. AS the farms and
settlements were left far behind and
the country began to take on that wild
and desolate aspect so characteristic of
many portions of the Australian CONT
nent, Mrs. Allaire's eyes gradually filed
with that deep earnest look which had
been peculiar to them for many years.
She was about to put forth the strength
Of her wonderful will power for the
last time. If she failed now, it would
be necessary to bow to the DEGREES Of
heaven and give over a search which.
while it had until now commanded the
admiration of the world, would, if
pushed any further, be in the Judgment
of her fellow creatures either the wild
within Of an eccentric mind or the fool
ish purpose of disordered intellect.
From the windows of her railway car
rage the captains wife, with that calm
certainty and placid satisfaction Of one
journeying to meet beloved relative
returning from a distant voyage,
whiled away the long hours by examin-
ing the strange land through which she
was being transported at almost light
ming speed.
This was that Australia which had
been so justly called the Land of Par
adoxes,". the center of which was one
vast basin below thelocean level, whose
streams bursting up through the sandy
plains were gradually absorbed before
reaching the sea-a land in which the
air, like the soil, is lacking in humidity,
in-which the strangest of earthly an
imals are found, and in which savage
tribes, pure nomads, furnish types of
the lowest degree of human intelligence.
Away to the north and to the west
stretched those interminable deserts of
Alexan dra Land and western Australia,
the very center of which the expedition
was intended to pierce in search Of the
sole survivor of the wreck of the Dread
naught. What would there be to guide
these intrepid searchers when once the
outer line of hamlet and isolated ranch
had been passed and nothing remained
but the vague indications obtained at
Harry Skeletons death-bed? In her in
terview with the governor general Mrs.
Allaire had been called upon to answer
this supposition, to wit: How was it pos
sible that Capt. John, during the nine
long years that he had been held pris-
oner by these savages, had neve" found
an opportunity to make his escape?
Mrs. Allaire's answer had been specific
and to the point According to the
testimony of Shelton, during all this
long term of years. but one single oppor-