The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-23

Ead seen some DlTdS passing ONeIHtdh anu
that if she followed in the same direction
she was almost certain to come up with
water sooner or later.
Ask Yamba to XIII Ne.
7 could not speak; I could not answer,
but I felt it was truly hopeless enter
prise on her part, and as / did not want
her 10 leave me. I remember l held out
my tomahawk feeby toward her and
signed to her to come md strike me on
the head with it, and put an end TO my
Indescribable agOnies. The heroic crea-
ture smiled sadly and shook her mead
emphatically. She took The prOffered
weapon, however, and after putting
some distinguishing marks on my tree
with it, she hurled it some distance
away from me. She then stopped and
propped me against the trunk of the tree
and leaving my poor, suffering dog to keep
me company, she set out on her lonely
search with long, Looping strides of amaz-
ing vigor.
Il was late in the afternoon when she
took her departure and l lay there hour
after hour, sometimes franucally deliri-
GUS and at others in a state of semi
consciousness, fancying she was by my
side, with shells trimming over with the
precious fluid. l would rouse myself
with a start from time to time, but, alas
my Yamba was not near me. During
the long and deathly stiffness of the night
the dew came down heavily, and as IL
enveloped my bed l fell into a sound sleep
from which ! was awakened some hours
later by the same clear and ringing voice
that had addressed me on that still night
on my island sandpit. out upon the i'm
pressiye stiffness of the air rang the earn
est words. Coupe Parbre. Coupe iarbre."
| was quite conscious and much refresh
ed by my sleep, but the message puzzled
me a great deal. At first l thought IL
how fla
membered that she did not know a word
of French and as l looked round there
was no one to be seen. The mysterious
message stil rang In my ears, but l was
far too weak to attempt TO cut the tree
myself. so l lay there in a sort of inert
drowsiness, until, rousing myself, / heard
the familiar footsteps of Yamba approach
ing the spot where l lay. Her face ex-
pressed anxiety, earnestness and JOY.
My Ministering Angel.
In her trembling hands she bore a big
leaf containing two or three ounces of
Ife-giving water. This / drank with gasp
ing eagerness, as you may suppose My
delirium had now entirely left me, al
though l was still unable to speak. l
signed to her TO cut the tree, as the voice
in my dream had directed me. Without
a word of question Yamba picked up the
tomahawk from where she had hurled it
and then cut vigorously into the tree,
making a hole three or four inches deep.
Ii may seem astonishing TO you, but II
surprised me in no wise, when out from
the hole there trickled clear uncertain
stream of water, under which famoa
promptly held my feVered head This mad
o wonderfully refreshing effect upon me,
and in a short time 1 was able 10 speak
feebly but nationally, greatly to the de-
light of my faithful companion. AS, how
ever, l was still too weak TO move in
dulged in another and far sounder sleep.
All through that terrible night, while
Yamba was far away searching for water,
Bruno had never left my side, looking
into my face wistfully, and occasionally
licking my body alphabetically with his
poor, parched tongue.
Whilst 1 was asleep the second time,
Yamba had gone off with the dog in
search OF food, and had returned with a
young opossum, which was soon frizzling
in an appetizing way on a tripod of
sticks over blazing fire. l was able to
eat a little of the flesh, and we OBJ
tanned all the water We wanted from
our wonderful tree. 1 have since learned
that my life was saved by the we'll
known Australian "bottle-tree," So
called from the shape of the trunk. OF
course, Yamba was unacquainted with
the fact that water was stored in its in
terror, because this wonderful tree was
unknown in her country. AS a rule her
instinct might be depended upon inn
plicitly, and even after years of her com
panionship 1 used to be filled with wonder
at the way in which she would track down
game.
How Xambn Caught OpOssum.
She would glance at a tree casually and
| discern on the bark certain minute
scratches, which were quite invisible to
me even when pointed out. She would
| then climb up like a monkey, and would
| return to the earth with a good-sized
| cpossum, which would be roasted in its
| skin and accompanied with many differ
ent varieties of delicious roots When l
| had recovered Yamba told me she had
walked many miles during the night
| ana had finally discovered a fun water
| hole in a new country for which she said
| we must make as soon as l was sufficient
| ly strong. Fortunately this did not take
| very long, and on reaching the brink of
| the water-hole We camped beside ii for
| several days, in order to recuperate.
must say that the liquid we found here
| did not look very inviting-it was, in fact,
| very Shiny and green in color; but by the
| time we took our departure there was not
| a drop left. Yamba had a method of fill
| tration which excited my admiration. She
dug another hole alongside the one con-
tanning the water, leaving a few inches of
earth between them, and then forced a
| stick through the partition. When We
wished to drink, this stick was Withdrawn.
| A stream of comparatively clear water
| then spurted through the opening. She
| would also filter the water by letting il
drain from the water hole into another
hole dug at the side.
The Water Witch.
AT other times, when no ordinary hui
man being could detect the presence OF
water, she would point out to me a lit
tie knob of clay on the ground. This, she
told me, denoted the presence of a frog
and she would al once thrust down a reed
about eighteen inches long and invite me
to suck the upper end, with the result that
l imbibed copious drafts of delicious cold
water.
At the water-hole described above birds
were rather plentiful, and when they came
down to drink Yamba Knocked them over
without difficulty, and they formed very
welcome addition to our daily bill of fare
In this way we had a very pleasant resi-
for four or five days Continuing our jour
ney once more, we pushed on tin we came