The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-27

In feecy masses to the larger branches
which bent beneath the unaccustomed
weight. l looked round in dismay.
The grisly light from the snow mingled
with the gray light Of the dawn and
made the forest arcades seem more hope
less than even the darkness had done.
BY whatever instinct Jacky had been
able to track the man we were in pursuit
of it must be at fault now. looked at
him and his eye met mine, but he seemed
only to crouch the closer.
The sergeant nwoke with a start just
as my eyes rested on him. "Hallo!
What the devil?" he exclaimed, as he
shook himself and rose to his feet.
"Snow, as I'm o living sinner. i didn't
think we were high enough up for that
Then he glanced round him with q
look of surprise and disgust till his
eyes rested on JaclSy. "Ah!" he contin-
ued: ~ thought so. That comes of
using these confounded Queensland
blacks. You might as we'll put croc-
odile in an ice pond as expect any good
of one In the sncw. Here, Jacky, you
make look wood, burn plenty smoke"
Jacky shook his big head but didn't
move. "Yes, that's your Sort" he
added, contemptuously. "Youd sit
there and freeze sooner than face IL.
Well, youngster, 1t can't be helped, for
there's one mercy-the chances are
Mixes at least as badly off rs we are"
There was, as the sergeant said no
help for il. He and / collected wood
enough to keep our fire burning, and
then there was nothing to be done bu.
keep as close TO 1t as we could
and wait for a change. IL was more
than lucky we had some food left,
though as the day went slowly on we
found that we had none too much OF
that, and by the time the gray daylight
had given place once more to the darker
shades of night we--or ut any rate /
could have wished for n bigger suPper
than the last of the damper afforded.
l heard no footsteps in the forest that
night during my watch, nor was my
imagination troubled by visions of hos
tile eyes. sand when my turn came to
rest I slep, soundly.
1t was bright daylight when Iawolke,
and the moment did so knew thnt the
change had come. IL was warm.
Jacky had let the fire go low, and l
could see his small active figure wall:-
ing slowly round. his eyes fixed on the
ground, though still keeping clear OF
the spots where the snow had not fully
melted. The sergeant was sitting on
stone examining his carbine with
much interest. well, youngster." he
said, "if you've had sleep enough it's
about time we were moving, for we may
have a long tramp before we get any
thing TO eat" The recollection was
ono calculated 10 hasten our move
ments, and i'm less than -G.e minutes
we had started.
Jaclsy went slowly at first, for moth
ing would induce him 90 set foot on the
remains Of the snow which still lin
gercd in patches in tho shadier hollows,
but as the sun rose higher these became !
less common and we got on better. lie |
was n little way ahead Of US when he |
suddenly stopped. When we reached |
him he stood at the edge Of one OF the
hollows through which, during the
rains, the mountain streams run down
To swell the tributaries of the Muir
iumbidgec. The snow had fallen
thickly here. and in the bottom. still
partly imheddcd in the drift, there lay
dark body which we at once rccog-
nized as that Of n horse. A hasty ex-
animation showed that my shot had
avenged Cossnck. Jacky examined the
ground carefully, and NJ last crossed
the hollow and penetrated farther into
the forest, but after traveiing for
nearly an hour We found that we had
come back ogaln TO the spot from which
we started. And 50 II went ON for what