Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-08-20

luAl1 iuiHeu neI empty pufet- upslu
down. "And then those dear little kan
garoos we saw just now and the bird
and the flowers and
yourself. 4" exclaimed Oswald, Civ
kzg her hearty kiss.
So far their tramp had been, it mus
be admitted, one rather Of pleasure thai
of aught else. The wonderful oschid
they found in their march alone excitet
the warm admiration of Emily AM
made Oswald calculate how rich the,
could be if only they could transpor
themselves and the flowers into Eng
land The heat, however, in even tn
tree covered regions, was tremendous
and as they went farther and farthe
they noticed that the water courses the,
encountered were more shallow. Sleep
ing out of doors is. no hardship in 81
warm a region, and both our traveller
were young and healthy, and they pos
sessed, above all, those spirits which arr
more than wine 70 the blood and make
the eyes see all things tinged with rose
ate hues.
Of the snakes and alligators whereof
they had been specially warned they
had as yet seen none, and nothing nox
ious had come in their way, but the
birds had been, so far, source of great
pleasure, especially the bright scarlet
and black finches, while Emily had
burst into loud admiration on seeing fol
the first time the splendid satin bird,
with its deep blue black plumage shin
ing out exactly like the finest satin.
If only this could last was the IN
spoken thought Of Oswald as several
days elapsed. during which, thanks to
the splendid weather, their progress was
really quite of holiday character.
They met but few wayfarers-a few
diggers, stockman and a shepherd,
like themselves bound for distant
station, and in one case dray, loaded
with the belongings of a settler, who
was going out west, and here they en-
countered the only woman they had
seen since leaving Pert Douglas, re-
markably stout Irish wench, who look
ed at Emily as at some strange animal
and called her young lady" with an
evident contempt, although not alto
gether to the annoyance of Rothwell,
who felt quite sure within himself that
if he had married beneath him his wife
was quite his equal in appearance and
manners. Occasionally they encounter
ed a rougher character, some selector
sprung from the laborer emigrant, but
nothing came in the way of adventure
until tkey had been out a full week and
the Diminishing stores began to make
Oswald secretly uneasy, for whatever
would they do, he asked himself, if
their provisions ran out before they
reached their destination, and neither
of them with coin in their pockets?
Of late he had used his gun. being a
fair shot, and they had lived ON roast
parrot and pigeons, having for dessert
the Herbert river cherries 1t was, as
Emily laughingly said 20 times q day,
an Adam and Eve life, and yet some
how each began insensibly to grow
slightly tired of the monotony
One day they met very garrulous
and impudent 'sundowner, as men
are called in the colony who arrive at
stations too late to work, but just in
time for supper and bed, which by Gus
tom is alwa-s accorded, and the fellow
who was returning, he said, to Rock
hampton made himself very familiar,
and especially so to Emily, until Os-
valid felt disposed to pick quarrel
with him. He, however, assured them
that by changing their route and Cross
ing certain range of hills they would
save 25 miles, and III this he seemed SO
earnest and sincere that after parting
company they tried the experiment and
soon found themselves in much wild
er country than any they had yet trav
ersed. The heat grew greater than ever.
The tops of the giant trees met over
head, but although thus shaded from
the tropical sunshine there was no mo-
tion in the sultry air, and they began
to suffer as they had not suffered yet
from thirst. Then, quite suddenly, the
"blazed" trees ceased 10 show the track,
and on trying to regain the road they
had come they somehow, as often hap
pens in these cases, had gone from in
stead Of toward it, and by that evening,
when darkness fell, they each came to
the conclusion that they were lost, or
bushed," as the Australians call it.
Oswald, during his brief stay at Port
Douglas, had heard some settlers talk
about being "bushed.' but had paid
little heed to the matter. Now, how
ever, as he looked at his wife. he felt
for the first time cold and sick with an
fear. The heat was now
intense, and, as Oswald said. with fee
BILE attempt at hilarity, the mercury
was boiling over A sort of mirage Of
quivering heat vibrated before our two
and they found themselves
on rough, uneven ground, often spread
with fir needles and breaking here and
there into enormous clumps of gigantic
hair tongue ferns.
Most of the trees ran up to- great
height, and now and then a big pine
cone would startle them by falling. con-
sequent on some parrot biting through
the stem, and in truth great caution
was requisite in threading a way
through these sylvan alleys. Again and
again did Oswald climb into some of the
highest trees. but at last, when they
were almost in despair, they broke out
of the forest, and, as they thought, pe-
gained the track which led to their des-
[coSTrUED.l Il