The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-02-03

the village baker. 50 that need 400
bother writing any more, unless !
cared to ret urn her letters.
That kind of settled me as far as any
laundering after the old country was
concerned, SO, after reading all her let
tiers over again, and, am ashamed to
confess, wetting few of them with
some womanish tears. packed them
up, and, getting the few small nuggets
] had left made into brooch, sent
them home to her. with the brooch, as
wedding present, and then turned
my back on my chums and civilization
and made for the never. never land.
by myself
At the end of my fifteen years So
journ in Australia, had a sum of six
hundred pounds in the bank. and was
looking forward to purchasing a selec.
ton and settling down as farmer
after another year or two of wandering.
At this time l was making a bigger
journey than had attempted before,
and found myself hundreds of miles
from civilization. in the very heart of
hot and arid district of upper Queens
land.
l was thirty-five now, but looked
with my season-baked face and griz-
zled beard fully ten years older, and
had been tramping, half-starved and
thirsty, over a desert without sign of
water or life of any kind, for the last
two days, when came about shutdown
to one of those strange ant cities which
are sometimes found in the dry por-
tions of this country.
For miles in front of me stretched
long streets and countless huts, rang
ing from four feet to eight in height,
all deserted and silent-clay huts look
ing in the distance like dry corn stacks,
and close at hand like human habita-
tions. A weird effect they had upon
me, tired out and exhausted as was
from want of food.
Fortunately, had plentiful supply
of tobacco and with my flint and steel
/ comforted myself with prolonged
smoke before lay down to sleep un.
der the shelter of one of these huts.
There with the moon rising over the
horizon and casting long shadows
about me from these cone buildings. I
gradually lost consciousness, and had
the dream which altered all my plans
of life.
/ dreamt that / saw five men strup-
Cling along the moonlit st.eet in which
] lay, each with q heavy load on his
back-diggers they appeared to be,
bringing ON their finds; they came on
until they reached the mound against
which leaned, into which one of them
began TO dig, while the others, pitching
their bundles down beside the digger.
formed themselves into guard with
their rifles out and facing the north.
l soon discovered why they we're
guarding the digger, for looking past
them saw large tribe of aboriginals
lodging amongst the other huts and
to attack the white men.
who stood there in a close ring until
their mate had hidden the gold they
had brought.
A few vigorous digs with the pick-ax
and spade and a portion Of the clay hut
was laid bare, while the five heavy |
bags were hastily crammed inside and |
the outer clay replaced. as the rifles !
played on the ferocious but timid ma
tives. who seemed too frightened to adj |
vance, after which the white men began
to retreat into the open plain. leaving
their swags behind them, while the
savages glided past me with their
spears in their hands.
saw the fight begin and end in the
open, and my five countrymen fall
pierced with the shafts, while l still |
ay unable to move and help them.
What happened afterwards was too
horrible to relate in detail, but can be
;onjectured by any anthropologist who
Knows the revolving customs of those
lerocious and untamable cannibals of
,orthern Queensland. 1t is sufficient
% tell You that even the bones were
Utilized. after which the demons re-
'urned the way they had come to the
forth, taking with them the five swags,
but paying no heed to the ant hill
which held the treasure.
The morning sun was warming the
country when l awoke, and with my
lream still vivid in my mind, began
With an eager heart to demolish my
heller of the night, and there, as /
lad seen them laid, discovered the
I've bags laden with gold dust and mug
tets, enough to make me a wealthy
nan at last.
I took what could carry with me,
md after reaching the nearest town.
hip. came back with couple Of horses
A. lk6,l!Sl |.