The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-05-10


neither OF us would ever leave the
spot Poor John, he little knew ther
what a burden he had assumed IN
finding me alivel Better for him
would II have been II had really died
then and he could have buried me
and, unhampered by a delirious man
have hastened to safety. His first
disappointment came when he stood
up to listen for the bells of the cam
els, which should have been heard
He failed to catch the faintest tinkle
His disappointment became alarm
when not three hundred yards from
the camp he found our pack camel
dead, with several spears sticking IT,
and the other two, fifty yards further
on. hopeleasly wounded.
His determination not TO leave me
placed him in this predicament: he
had first Of all to shift me to a place
OF safety before morning brought the
natives on us again; and alone ne
had then to get me into the DE Grey
depot, distance of nearly eighty
miles, the best part of it over water
less country. II was impossible for
me to move Of my own initiative TOT
that had left me and ] lay Ike log
senseless, delirious. If my lie was
to be saved had to be moved from
the spot where ! fell and be carried
to a place Of safety. That was the
conclusion Romanes arrived at ana
before another dawn broke we we're
ten miles away.
In the dark hours of the next night
Romanes carried me another twelve
miles and collapsed beside me near
an old native we'll
How long into that day he slept
Romanes never knew, but when he
awakened, probably as the result OF
my rawlings, he saw a native coming
along the fence scarcely two hundred
yards away. His first thought was
to shoot at sight, believing that the
black must be one of our old enemies,
but feeling certain that the black fell
low could not have seen US In our
retreat, he decided to wait till he
came right up. The native was ap-
parently following our tracks and was
already turning off into the bush just
where we had left the fence, when
Romanes recognized thim as native
he had seen at Turnbull's station.
"Hullo there!" he yelled.
The black fellow stopped, saw the
strange and dilapidated white man
with a rife in his hand, and turned
with a yell to bolt into the bush.
Romanes called to him to halt and
at the same time used Turnbulls
name, and dropped his rife, At the
familiar name, and seeing that he
was not to be shot instanter, the ma
tive stood still while Romanes walked
toward him and told him who he was.
The black accepted the peace over
lures, and when Romanes learned
that he was making for the De Grey
station with the news from an out
station that the warlike natives were
about, Romanes decided to trust him
and conducted him to where l was
lying.
He inspected my wounds with many
grunts and exclamations Of concern.
He made a native plaster for my
wounds, composing it of leaves and
sticking it on with wet clay, over
which was bound the piece Of shirt
sleeve which Romanes had first used
TO staunch the blood Then with a
message to both the depot and his
EMPLOYER. asking them to hasten 20
our assistance and telling them where
they would find us. dead OF alive, the
native was dispatched by Romanes,
Romanes then picked me up again,
and. footsore and exhausted as ne
was. carried me another nine miles.
There for three whole days ant
nights we lay, myself in a high state
Of fever, happily oblivious to all that
happened, and Romanes necessarily
On the watch for blacks.
On the morning of the fourth day
after our arrival at the shed, relief
came.
Three days later l awoke to con-
5cfousness and found myself in com
earative comfort at the De Grey de-
Dot. where the surveying party's cook
"a first-rate amateur surgeon--had
patched me up and doctored me in
great style from the outfits medicine
chest was still a helpless wreck,
1ut nv brain was clearing. and when
realized where l was | asked about
Romanes. They brought him to me
and it was harder work for that brave
fellow to answer my question as to
low 1 got safe in from Mount Bruce
han it had been for him to carry me
he best part Of the journey.
It was a month before l was well
enough to travel down to Geraldton
and there convalesce, but before |
eft I had the satisfaction Of knowing
hat Major and Toby had met with
heir inevitable fate. They had Stuck
10" the Turkey Greek station. and,
IN being beaten off by the stockmen,
an into the arms Of police patrol,
Who killed many of the natives, in
.luding the ringleaders, and captured
he balance. When / was able to re-
,ort to headquarters further piece
# intelligence pleased me. That was
hat my rescuer, John Romanes, had
,een promoted to the charge Of an
section and had been as
igned to one Of the best stretches
Il fence in the southern country.