The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-08-09

aim at the trunk Of large gum-tree
over there, and fired. The well-crlmp-
eG cartridge proved effective, and fol-
lowing the report l heard the bullet
spat against the trunk of the gum.
Instantly the blacks sprang to their
feet with a defiant "Ooo-arrh!" and
disappeared among the trees.
But there had been an accent Of exul-
tant hostility in the shout which made
me think there might be more to come
of it. | now took serious thought as
to what l had better do, and was not
long in deciding that our ranch would
be a good place for me-before they
raised the whole black country! |
knew the general direction of our
place from the river, and striking into
fve-mile-an hour jc.;;, l soon lett hut
and pool behind.
had not gone far, however, when
found myself growing exceedingly
weary. l had not eaten much for
twenty-four hours; and falling asleep
in wet clothes the previous night had
been very unwise. l had felt feverish
all the morning, and now headache
and giddiness beset me.
kept on for an hour, however, COM
ing at last to rocky uplands, where lay
great numbers of immense toulders of
mica schist. Some of these were as
large as small house.
climbed on one of them and sat
down, where the dropping limbs OF a
gum brushed the top of it. l felt nei-
ther energy or care for what might
happen. To 60 on seemed insupport-
able e~ertion; an unconquerable i'm
l must have dropped asleep there.
The sound of low voices reused me,
and raising my head off the hard
rock. l saw something which instantly
awoke me.
A little way back on my trail were
what looked to he ten or twelve skel-
etons, stealing forward. These skel-
etons carried shields, spears and ky
| lies, however. They. were black fel-
lows, painted according to their GUS
tom for war or a corroboree, outlining
their ribs and other bones in white
daub.
The pendent foliage of the gum had
prevented them from seeing me.
drew back the hammer Of my carbine,
and under other circumstances it
would have been amusing, at the click,
to see those skeleton fellows stop short
and look about them.
They saw me now; but instead
of throwing their spears, they dropped
in the grass and wriggled away like
snakes-in dread of the white mans
deadly rifle.
Watching them disappear I slid down
from the rock and made off as fast as
l could.
By this time it was three o'clock Of
9. hot and lowery afternoon; the mists
had wholly lifted. My head ached
very severely; but 1 went on for two
hours or more, over sterile, rocky hills
to the west Of the Fitzroy. Toward
the northeast could see the river low
lands and the clumps of lofty, flooded
gums which marked it's course I was
thus enabled to keep to the direction
in which l knew our ranch lay. But
it was evidently long way off still;
and as evening drew on, grew quite
oc i11nacc
lack Of strength as fear of my pur-
suers.
My plight, indeed, was an unenvia-
BILE one. If l went on after nightfall
I was almost certain to be pushed"
again, and If lay down and fell
asleep, the black fellows might steal
up and spear me. But coming before
long to a brook, I hit on ruse for
throwing them of my trail. l first
crossed the brook, and went on for fif-
ty or sixty PAGES, then came back on
my own tracks and waded along the
bed OF the brook for a hundred yards
or so, and finally emerged in thick
ct of scrub and weeds on the bank.
Here 1 determined to lie up till
morning.
Night set in; the moon was not yet
up. Bandicoots we're scurrying about,
giving vent to their harsh squeaks,
but otherwise nothing was stirring;
and after lying there in much discom-
fort for some time, I lapsed first into
one uneasy browse, then another, and
another, for several hours.
A splashing Of feet in the brook
reused me at last, and raised myself
to peer out from my covert. The
clouds had broken away, the moon was
up; and there was my painted pursu-
ers again, still looking for me!
Little trail as left, they had folio
ed on it to the brook and crossed over,
but were now at loss. For some
time they stood, making signs to one
another, without speaking; and any
thing more weird than their strange
white-outlined bodies, like so many
walking skeletons, have never seen.
With my gun well in hand, I lay in