The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-05-12

have been impossible 10 find the way
out OF them alone, but such Is the con
tidence IN that country In the faithful
ness and ability of tracker. He
now crawled for the greater part Oh his
hands and knees. minutely examining
twigs and branches for signs Of fresh
ly broken passageway for the fugitive
He was about ten feet aAead of the
others when he gave subdued ex
clamation of delight.
Il catch white feller ,quickr' he said
and pointed TO a scrap or cloth clinglns
to broken twig Four hours more
and river was reached. There In the
damp earth Of the bank two footprints
were plainly seen
The tracker leaped into the river
and struck out for the opposite side
Emerging upon the other bank, he ran,
dripping. for twenty feet or so. follow.
Ing footprints that had again stopped
at the waters edge.
Then the trailer paused. He was
plainly puzzled. What had become OF
the cattle thief? Had he recrossed the
river or swan down as far as he could
and landed ON either bank, then struck
into the woods again? After sharply
examining the ground the troubled
guide swan back aud landed few
yards below his party. BY his actions
they saw that he had found the tracks
again. The criminal had indeed crossed
the river, but where had he gone after
that?
Trust q tracker to solve riddles Of
that sort! Suddenly he began uncover
ing the leaves and twigs between him
and the other two men until he reach
ed them. They were sitting beneath a
huge eucalyptus tree,
white feller no fool black feller."
he said, smiling. wet and breathless.
Then it was seen that the fugitive had
carefully covered up his tracks by
walking backward. Strange to relate,
these tracks terminated under the very
tree where the party were seated. But
apparently the man hunt was finished
The game had vanished into space!
The tracker dashed into thicket
and hastily secured strong, pliable
vine, used by the natives to scale tree
trunks too smooth to climb This be
threw about the tree and began to
ascend it, The others looked on in as
constituent Up went the black until
thirty feet in the air; then those below
noticed that the main trunk Of the tree
had been broken off years before, form
ing a crotch for the new branches that
had sprung up on either side.
A most astonishing thing happened.
Reaching down into the hollow of the
half dead tree trunk, the tracker seized
at the same time shouting
to the officer beneath: Boss. boss, |
catch white feller! He play possum!
Out of the opening appeared a mans
head, and a more wretched object
could never have been seen. He was
tousIed, dirty, gaunt, half starved.
In due course he paid the penalty of
his crime. He said that, knowing a
tracker would be put upon his trail, he
had hoped 10 give him the impression
that he had been drowned while swim
ming the river
Trackers have a horror Of travelling
after dark, being constantly in fear Of
meeting the bunyip, a fearful monster
with glaring eyes. which they believe
to be the spirit Of an old aboriginal
king who Toams around the swampy
land at night to catch black men.
You can frighten trackers half out of
their wits by telling them you will send
the bunyip after them. They also be-
lieve that n giant lives on mountain
tops, waiting to kill them with club;
hence they never sleep on top of a
mountain or near a swamp, always
pitching their brush tents, or minis,
near dry and level spot. Their only
religious belief is that a big god who
has been asleep for ages will one day
awaken and eat up the whole world
Pearson's Weekly.