The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-15


since the disappearance and the finding
of ienry Powell, on Mooroolooloo station
New South Wales, and rather less since
the subsequent case in which ] myself
was perhaps the principal witness. And
think that the time has arrived for con-
Tossing that the evidence which gave on
that occasion, though indeed nothing but
the truth" was nevertheless not "the
whole truth at all.
did not and l do not believe there was
a single being in that colonial court WHO
would have credited the whole truth had
1 told it there and then upon my oath.
Nor was it essential to the case. Nor did
1 care to return TO the station, new chum
as 1 still was, with yet another handle for
natIve-born buffoonery. But I am no
longer the storekeeper Of Mooroolooloo;
and believe the public mind to be broader
than it was in the matter of so-cailed
ghosts. At all events I am going to tell
YOU for the first time what my own eyes
saw. on day and night in January in
the year 1884
had been some six weeks in the River
ina. and l was alone at our home station
for the night. The owner was paying us
a visit. He and the manager were camp
ing at an out-station nineteen miles away.
The overseer was absent on his holiday. |
had the homestead entirely 10 myself, for
there was neither woman nor child upon
the place. Suddenly, between and 10
O'Clock, as 1 sat smoking and thinking
on the back veranda. a spur jingled. and
I made out the crinkled moleskin and the
felt wideawake of one of the men,
Powell. the rabbiter, is lost in the bush'
mister" SAID he.
I sprang to my feet, for the news was
like that of a man overheard at sea.
How long has he been out?"
"since yesterday morning"
but l thought he camped with OLD
Wylie at the Five-mile whim?"
80 he does
oThen why didn't Wylie come in soon
err"
"Ah! there you hit it," said my man.
"Thats what we've all been asking him,
bnt Wylie says his mate was given to
cAmns. and he never though anything of
it till he didn't turn up this evening. Even
If he had he couldn't have left the whim,
Wylie couldn't with no other water any
where near. and the sheep drawing to the
troughs from four paddocks. But he's
come in now, and he's up at the hut II
YOU like to see him"
Ana at the mems hut found the whim-
driver the center still of an attentive
group but no longer, thought, the tar
: get of questions and cross-questions I'M
Diving criticism and blame. On the con-
trary, there was now every token OF sym
pathy with the anxiety and distress OF
mind from which Wylie was obviously suf-
fering. and at the sight of which l also
could spare him some of the pity when
felt for the missing rabbiter.
The Whim-driVer was an elderly man,
with brown wrinkles all over his face and
gray whisBers parting at baggy throat;
but he was still powerfully built, and
tvpical bushman with his eagle eye anu
mis- strong bare arms. His eye, however
was hot with horror and remorse as 1t
met mine, and the whole man was witch
ing as he told me his tale.
IF only l had guessed anything was
wrong, sir" he cried, Il would have left
the sheep in a minute. though my billet
depended upon it. But he's so often stop
ped away one night that it ever bother
ed me till the day wore on and he dIdn
come back God forgive me, never even
thought of telling the bosses when they
passed this morning on their way to the
out-station. Yet l might ha' KNOWN
might ha' known! He was sailor poor
Powell was and sailors are always the
worst bushmen I'VE known him get BUSH
ed before, but for only an hour or two
And to think of him being out all this
time-in this heat, with not a drop OF
water in the crab-holesi He maybe may
be dead already-my poor mattel my poor
mate"
With that he turned his back upon us, in
The most evident agitation, so that we
thought it kindest not to refer to him an
the brief council of war which the men
and now held together. 1t was prompt
ly decided that all hands should form a
search party to start at daybreak, with
the exception of Wylie and myself. wy
lie must return to his within.
My knowledge of the country was as
vet very limited, and therefore, was the
one who could best be spared TO ride az
once 10 the out-station, and inform the
bosses of what had occurred. The night
horse was the only animal in the yard,
but / took it to save time, and shortly
after 10 o'clock rode off with Wylie, our
way coinciding as far as the Five mile
whim
There was no moon, and the night was
ANYTHING but clear, for that land of bright
Stars and cloudless skies. A hot north
wind of several days duration had flown
suddenly into the south. whence it was
now blowing hard and chill so that but
toned my coat up as we cantered side
by side and took off my eyeglasses lest
the rushing wind should lift them from
my nose. We spoke very little as we rode
nv companion reproached himself for not
having given an earlier alarm.
1t was impossible not TO feel sorry for
him. but equally impossible 10 acquit hin,
of blame, SO / said very little in reply,
When we came 90 the hut a dull red glow
burnt steady within, and Wylie sighed
bitterly as he explained that he had built
up the fire before leaving, that his poor
mate might find all comfortable If some
happy chance should bring him back. He
added that he supposed ! would push
straight on without dismounting; but ]
was cold and the glow looked grateful, and
] had slipped from the saddle before the
words. were out of his mouth. Next mo.
ment uttered loud cry.
The door of the hut was at one end tc
the left of The dying fire, and at the oppo-
site end were two low rude hunks. one