The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1906-11-20
FOLLOWED HOME BY BLACKFELLOWS
BY Curtis Mulhall.

hour; nor did the gum trees afford
much shelter. for Australian foliage has
4 notable tendency 10 turn cdgewise
to the sky. This ma'tcred little. how
ever, for the thick high grass now wet
M 10 the skin az every step: but |
felt somewhat concerned for my cart
ridges.
Another shower even more violent,
succeeded the first, heIalded by blind
ing fash and a roar of thunder. In
the course OF few minutes the clay
fats were flooded What was even
worse a mist rose, following the show
crs, and it became quite impossible to
keep 10 my course or find the gums
previously seen across the lowlands
Gladly would l now have retraced my
steps 10 the pony and returned to the
ranch; but before / was really aware,
lost my way, aud was hopclessly
pushed"
Not to make bad worse, I sat down,
with my back to gum, to wait for
daylight; and wet and uncomfortable
as was, l presently fell asleep sit
ting there
Day had dawned when I walked, but
that dense mist still cnveloped every
thing. Apparently the sun was MP,
yet for tho life of me / could not tell
which was east For an hour or more
| sat there, hoping that the fog would
lift. and meanwhile made frugal
breakfast off my bread and cheese. My
general impression was that the sea
lay to my right; and | finally set off
in that direction. walking fast for an
hour or two
The thick grass thinned ont at last.
and | came to little creek. swollen
and turbid TT Is all right. now" /
thought TO myself II will follow this
creek down for had no doubt that
it flowed into the sound somewhere to
the westward of our supply shed
Then for fully three hours ! followed
that creek, expecting every minute 10
come out on the seashorc. AT last
grew quite bcwildercd could not
understand it. for knew had come a
distance OF fourteen or fifteen miles.
Presently the mystery was cleared.
Right ahead of me | suddenly saw
broad channel of deep, swiftly flowing
water, into which my wandering creek
debouched. 1t was. il could be, moth
ing else than the Fitzroy river, which
at its nearest point is twenty miles 20
The northeast of our ranch. There is
no other such large stream in north
west Australia. And all the time 7
had thought that | was going to the
west.
Now. at least. knew whore I was;
and as | was still determined not to
give up my trip, / ate what was left OF
my food, and set off to follow the river
10 salt water.
] had gone but little way, however
when ! came to a deep lagoon, or arm
of water, which opened back from the
river. a strong current was setting
into 1t. too strong to cross: and fol-
lowed it. back and round for q mile or
more. and then found that st. broaden
cd in large pool three or four hun
dred yards in diameter 49,
As stood looking across it. I esDicd
what looked like a log hut on the far
Their side; and thinking that this
might be the camp of white hunters.
naturalists or prosDectors, 1 AT first
"cooecd' across. and then. receiving
no answer. went round The pool
II proved TO lee log cabin. evident
ly constructed by whites. but had been
for some time deserted grass and a
few young oats were growing about
the doorway Except "a widowed copy
OF the London Times and two beef
tins. there was nothing whatever in
doors; and ] was about TO proceed
when. glancing across the pool T saw
four black fellows armed with spears
and kyiies. going along the other
shore, one behind another an bent
forward and moving quickly as il
tracking game.
] watched them moment: and it
then occurred to- me far more sudden
ly than was agreeable that had my
self passed along there but few min
utcs before ON my way to- the hut. and
that / was tho game
The conviction was uumisiakabie
and gave me "a most unpleasant thrill
I felt anything but certain as 90 my
cartridges
But Z was mot long rejecting that IL
was best 10 keep those spear and kylio
fellows ON the farther side of the pool
SO. stepping out In sight cooked my
carbine and shouted across AN stop
ped short and stared at me- Then I
saw one of them haifraisa his hand
oud an four dropped out of sight ir
the grass
TO let them know ! was armed as
well as to try my cartridges . took