Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-10-12

magistrate ; wire mas not Cpule IbtL!d
with her husband to the Macarthur
river Il was a question that was
causing me some anxiety just then.
why, III take the place Of the poor
mans wife, " she answered trying to
look as if she really meant it when she
saw the look of horror come into Elsie
Gordon 5 face.
But soberly speaking. she contin-
ued after pause, Il do hope the good
lady has staid behind at Port Darwin.
l don't know why l couldn't have re-
mained at the station until my father
came back, but he wished me to leave,
and of course he always does know best
However, if she has not arrived III 90
back again with you to the station and
wait until he comes l was sorry TO
leave; it is such beautiful place, and
l so wished that we might have been
able to explore those great cliffs which
father said were like Sydney heads.
I'll tell YOU what-if we have to go
back TO the station, Wen make mp
party and 90 there. It's such a pity
that my father had to go away on that
trip
IHEL, IL Is 10 W ltsltAAs L bINl Il tl
myself Just little, for | said something
about hoping that the worthy police
magistrates wife had changed her mind
about coming to the gulf. Whether or
not the quick witted girl interpreted
Alright the uncalled for earnestness that
marked the expression of the wish, it
was impossible to tell. As it was, she
changed the subject by remarking that
she was glad l had received good news
on the previous day. She was sorry Mr..
Tyndall had not got any, for that was
hard to bear despite what they said
about "no news being good news.
We talked about many things, and l
discovered that despite what she had
said about books her knowledge regard
ing them was by no means inconsider-
able; only, her practical knowledge Of
the life around Us made her infinitely
more interesting than any book. | real
lied what a miserable fund cf so called
knowledge a university man possessed
concerning natural history compared to
bush bred girl who had not only read,
but was naturally observant. She show
ed me sensitive plants that curled up
and writhed as if in agony at the slight
est touch, like living things, and flow
ers that at MONDAY folded their petals
close, so as to protect themselves from
the vertical rays of the sun. Not only
that, but she named and classified them,
showing how they were the survivals of
a still more wonderful type of Austria
liam fora.
20, ~, falga o1o of l.l1plra ~ tha
second night out. caused by the horses
stampeding into the camp, we reached
the Macarthur river in three days with
out mishap We camped at the cross
ing, about two miles above the town
ship. Gordon forded the river and rode
into it He had asked Jack to accom-
pany him, but the latter made some ex-
cuse, and one of the men went instead.
They came back by moonlight. | did
not turn in for the night until they
came back.
1.-The de'iPs in that Macarthur, l be-
leve. said Gordon to me as | fetched
him pair of hobbies. ''The govern
ment cutter has come round from Port
Darwin, but no police magistrate wife,
and don t wonder that any decent wo-
man should refuse to live in place like
that. But the boat S in the river; we
can load up in the morning, and then
take the women folk back again.
1t was news for which it was worth
having waited up. In my satisfaction |
told Gordon not to bother about his
horse, but to throw some fresh tea into
sl L. h. 81 e., hi
The new township of Booroo!ooloo, as
Gordon told me, had earned most un-
enviable notoriety.
Sleep was Somewhat tickle in her min
istrations that night. Jack and | pitch
ed our mosquito curtains within few
yards of one another, where we could
see Daly's cleaning white in the moon
light some so yards or so off, alongside
little patch of golden waffle. 1t might
have been fancy that once during the
night led me TO think some of the horse
bells We're ringing. Getting up | cried
to DAILY and went over in his direction
1t was always wise to make your pres
cree known if you stirred about after
nightfall, for more than one mN had
been shot in mistake for a predatory
black fellow through neglecting this
precaution. As DAILY did not answer, |
concluded he must be asleep. The bells
stopped ringing, and l turned in again.
In the morning we had the greatest
difficulty in awakening DAILY. When he
did get up, he looked as if he had never
taken off his clothes and had tired APP
pearance
AS the ketch lay some miles farther
down the river, we decided to get to it
at once but remain on the same side
the eastern-as we were at present, be-
cause this would save the additional
trouble of "double banking" at the
crossing. We We're soon travelling again,
and passed on the opposite side of the
river the little township of the Macar
thur, a collection of half dozen lit
tie galvanized iron huts, nesting amid
wealth Of great, spreading, shady trees
and cycas palms-a lovely little spot
truly to have such an unenviable repu-
tation. Then the river widened and
flowed still and deep in many places
We saw alligators, like huge logs, lying
motionless, basking on the sloping
UdHh, but Ol OII dpplOtCll lHtS NOuld
slide off into the water and swim away.
l had heard their peculiar below the
night before and wondered as to its
origin. We crashed through a strip of
scrub and through a meadow of cane
grass that rose high above our heads as
we sat in the saddle. Then we came to
lovely, high bank, on which grew
some giant gum trees, and underneath
in the stream lay the ketcn.
After few mutual congratulations
exchanged with the crew the boat was
moored alongside the bank; then, plac- |
ing a substantial gangway to the shore, |
we began to unload. Our intention was !
to stack goods on good high ground, |
cover them with a few sheets of gal |
vaniZed iron, leave some one in charge, |
then team the cargo up to the station |
at our leisure We started to work in /
good earnest, every one assisting, so that |
by midday we had landed several tons |
of general stores. / noticed that DAILY |
seemed in remarkably good humor. He /
worked hard and was positively defer /
ential in ais manner to Jack and me.
We had dinner at l o'clock and aft
er it were enjoying "a smoke, when |
saw Snowfall start up and listen. Sam
son also sat up, and pricking his ears |
rrhi. LODI GaH-i1a 70 ra,narlr.