The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-09-22
FOLLOWED HOME BY BLACKFELLOWS :
BY Curtis Mulhall.

! pony hitahcd out in the grass ana &c
on. SO securing the brumby. shoul-
dered my gun ami set OF ato0t. my
| provision for the jOurne. being merely
smack" Of bread and cheese in q
/ leather wallet
| had proceeded but little way
across the green fats when the moon
1T sky darkened Clouds had risen,
and soon hollow growl of thunder
burst forth. Within three minutes it
was raining copiously
The downpour continued FOR half an
hour; nor did the gum trees afford
much shelter, for Australian foliage has
notable tendency to turn edgewise
to the sky. This mattered little. how
ever, for the thick high grass now wet
me to the skin at every step: but |
felt somewhat concerned for nv cart
ridges
Another shower, even more violent.
succeeded the first. heralded by blind
ing flash and a roar OF thunder. In
the course Of few minutes the clay
fats were flooded. What was even
worse a nit rose, following the show
ers, and i; :s@came quite impossible to
keep to my course or find the gums
previously seen across the lowlands.
Gladly would | now have retraoed nv
steps to the pony and returned TO the
ranch; but before was really aware.
lost my way, ard was hopelessly
pushed"
Not to make bad worse. | sat down,
with my back to a gum. to wait for
daylight; and wet and uncomfortable
IS | was, | presently fell asleep sit
ting there.
Day had dawned when | walked. but
that dense mist still enveloDed every
thing. Apparently the sun was I'D.
J ct for the 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 a frugal
breakfast off my bread and cheese NV
general impression was that the sea
lay to my right; and finally set off
IN that direction, walking fast for an
hour or two.
Inc thick grass thirned out at last,
ana | came to a little creek. swollen
ana turbid. 1T is all right. now" I
thought to myself. Il will follow this
creek down. for had no doubt that
il flowed into the sound somewhere to
the westward of our supply shed.
l hen for fully three hours | followed
tnat creek, expecting every minute to
come out on the seashore. At last |
grew quite bewiGered | could not
it, for knew | had come a
Of fourteen or fifteen miles,
Presently the mystery was cleared.
Right ahead of me | suddenly saw a
broad channel of deep, swiftly flowing
water. into which my wandering creek
1eEouched. 1t was, it could be, moth
ng else than the Fitzroy river, which
It its nearest point is twenty miles 10
he northeast of our ranch. There is
10 other such large stream in north
vest Australia. And all the time |
lad thought that was going to the
vest!
Now, at least. | knew where | was:
md as l was still determined not to
give up my trip, | ate what was left of
ny food, apd set of to follow the river
O salt water
l had gone but little way however |
when l came to a deep lagoon, or arm
II water, which opened back from the |
liver. A strong. current was setting
nto it, too strong to cross: and | fol-
owed it back and round for a mile or
more, and then found that it broaden
d in a large pool three or four hun
red yards in diameter.
AS stood looking across it, espied
What looked like log hut or the far
her side; and thinking that this
1ignt be the camp of white hunters,
aturaiis;s or prospectors, at first
cooeed' across, and then, receiving
o answer, went round the pool.
1t proved to be a log cabin, evident
7 constructed by whites, but had been
Or some time deserted; grass and a
ew young oats were growing about
ne doorway. Except widowed copy
the London Times and two beef
ms, there was nothing whatever in
oors; and l was about to proceed
hen. glancing across the pool. / ssv