Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-06-27
CHAPTER VIII.
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CHAPTER VIII
AN UGLY INCIDENT.
Il did not take Jack and me long d
complete our personal preparations Ton
the Macarthur river trip We helped
| the teamsters to look over the harness.
grease the wagons weigh ont some ra.
tions. and on the following morning
shortly after daybreak we were steering
north again down the creek. Savile was
in the lead; Norah Mackenzie, with
Elsie and Gordon. rode behind him.
while SNOWFALL and another black fel-
low brought up the rear Of the caval.
cade. which included a few spare horses
The squatter had started ont that morn
ing to certain point where he expect
ed 10 meet the Surveyor l felt sorry
for him as caught sight Of his anxious
face when he babe his daughter goodby.
Jack and | rode our own horses. and
DAILY rode with one Of the teamsters In
| the front wagon
II was n glorious morning. and ~ 4
faint breeze was blowing not unpleas-
antly warm. II was toward the end OF
August now The cool weather such
as il was would be over before another
month had passed
rode on until my horse was abreast
Of Norah Mackenxie'S
.'By the way. Mis- Mackenzie.
asked "what'll you do il the police
magistrates wife has not come round
with her husband TO the Macarthur
riverr'' II was question that was
causing me some anxiety just then.
"why. I'll take the place Of the poor
mans wife. " she answered. trying to
look as II she really meant Il when she
saw the look Of horror come into Elsie
Gordon's face
.'But soberly speaking. she contin-
ned after pause. II do hope the good
lady has staid behind at Port Darwin
don't know why 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, il she has not arrived III 90
back again with you 10 the station and
wait until he comes ! was sorry to
leave; it Is such beautiful place. and
~ wished that we might have been
able TO explore those great cliffs which
father said were like Sydney heada
I'll tell you what-if we have TO 60
back to the station. we'll make mp .
party and 20 there It's such pity
that my father had to go away on that
trip.
Then, IL is to be feared. betrayed
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 wittsd girl interpreted
Alright the uncalled for earnestneas that
marked tho expression Of the wish. II
was impossible 10 tell As il was, she
changed the subject by remarking that
she was glad had received good news
on the previous day. She was sorry Mr..
Tyndall had not got any. Tor that was
hard 10 bear. despite what they said
about mo news being good news
We talked about many things. and ]
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 miserable fund Of % 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
md writhed a. II In agony st the slight
st touch. like living things, and dow
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
q still more wonderful type Of Austria
ian fora.
Despite false alarm Of blacks ON the
second night ont, caused by the horses
stampeding into the camp, We reached
the Macarthur river In three days with
ont mishap We camped 1t the cross-
ing, about two miles above the town.
ship. Gordon forded the river and rode
into it. He'had asked Jack 10 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.
"The de'il's in that Macarthur. b.
neve. said Gordon 10 me - fetched
Aim pair Of hobblea ''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 boats 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 10 bother about hie
horse, but to throw some fresh ten into
the billy that had just started to boil
The new townshipo Of Booroolooloo a.
Gordon told lie, had earned most I'M
enviable notoriety.
Sleep was somewhat tickle In her min
istrations that night Jack and I pitch
ed our mosquito curtains within . few
yards Of one another. where we could
see Daly's cleaning white in the noon
light some 80 yards or 90 Oh, alongside
little patch Of golden waffle. 1t might
have been fancy that once during the
night led me to think some Of the horne
bells were ringing. Getting up cried
to DAILY and went over in his direction.
II was always wise to make your pres
ence known If you stirred about after
nightfall. for more than one man had
been shot in mistake for . predatory
black fellow through neglecting thu
precaution. As DAILY did not answer. !
concluded he must Be asleep The bells
stopped ringing. and / turned in again
In the morning we had the greatest
dificulty in awakening DAILY. When b
did get up. he looked - II he had never
taken Oh his clothes and had tired ap-
pearance.
As the ketch lay soms miles farther
down the river. We decided to get to Il
q once, but remain on the same side--
| the eastern--as We were q present b.
cause this would mve the additional