Year: 1875

Billy Merriman was cattle-boy" at
stock farm in the "bush" in South
Australia. He was happy-go-lucky sort
of lad, and, from all accounts a rather
graceless one.


1t was his business, in company with
half-a-dozen other stockmen, to watch
that had their pasturage in the valley of
small river called the Wirrum, flowing
into the Murray.


This pasture, or rum" extended for
many miles along the south bank Of the
stream. No fences enclosed it. To the
southwark it stretched off to the almost
boundless deserts of sand and "scrub," /"
where roam the wild black tribes, the
aborigines of this strange southern conti-
nent. The stockmen are in the saddle
all day long, and lead a rough life, full
of adventure and peril.


One day wild young bullock belong
ing to Billy's "division" made "bolt !"
that is to say, he put up head and tail,
uttered vicious below, and dashed off
over the hills toward the scrub. In q
mement Billy was following him with a
whoop and hallOo, his long whip coiled,
ready for stinging cast.


But the willy brute gained covert in a
ravine full of tangled grass-trees, which
led up.out of the valley on to the desert.
To turn him back, Billy was obliged to
make long detoar over the hills. In the
plain and ran from thicket to thicket,
darting in and out of the tangled scrub,
where it was impossible to follow him on
horseback.


Halfa score of miles are soon gone over
in such chase. The half-wild Australian
cattle are very feet, and have remarkable
endurance; but Billy overlook the run
away at last. Tired out and breathless,
the steer stumbled and fell heavily.
There he lay palpitating, with the whites
of his wicked little eyes glaring at his
pursuer.


cpl teach you lesson !" cried Billy,
galloping alongside and leaping off his
horse. "I'll take the quirks out of you,
sir - and the heavy lash came cruelty
down with sounding crack, which made
the hair fly up in a long line, and drew a
wild below of pain from the PROSTATE
animal.


The wild, rough boy had no pity in his
heart. One stroke by no means satisfied
his temper. A score of lashes fell fast
and heavy, and when his arm ached, he
rested few moments, then commenced
afresh and, to tell the truth, kept fog
ging the poor animal till the hair was
nearly all off its back, and not only the
hair, but the hide with it.


Just at this stage of the performance,
an unexpected event happened. Billy's
horse-a native-bred and a rather wild
creature, named Understanding his
masters attention occupied, concluded to
forage for himself, and SO trotted briskly
away. No very good understanding ex-
listed between Billy and Blinker. There
frequently arose antagonism betwixt
them, which Billy generally settled with
few sound cuts of his whip.


The horse took no notice of Billy's
angry shout of "Whoa, Blinker !" other
than to display both his hind hoofs, and
move away at increased speed.


Billy threw down his whip and set
off after his faithless steed, exhorting him
to stop, in very strong terms. Blu
Blinker, having got the start, kept it,
and the boy soon lost sight Of him amidst
the thickets and sand-knolls.


To add to the lads discomfort, a
"scud" had arisen. 1t began to rain
furiously. To escape drenching, he
-crept under grass-tree, the long, droop-
ing leaves of which depended nearly to the
ground.


1t continued to rain-as it rains only in
Australia-for an hour or two. A violent
wind drove the binding sheets of water.
Billy could only remain where he was,
and wait for the shower to pass When
at length the tornado slackened, it was
late i'm the afternoon, and owing to the
black, rolling clouds, it was rapidly grow
ing dark. The boy crept out from his
shelter, however, and ret off at round
pace, knowing that if he would reach the
rancho that night, he had no time to lose.


His thoughts were occupied rather
with the prodigious hogging he meant to
give Blinker than the course homeward,
and IL is not surprising that in little
time he had lost his way.


He was on an almost level plain, sur
rounded on all sides by scattered scrub
and by sand-hills that looked bewilder-
ingly alike. Along the whole dim
horizon there was no mountain to serve
as landmark. Billy was puzzled and
lost, but not frightened. He ran on at a
venture past thicket and hillock, till it
had grown dark 40, dark, indeed, that
he could scarcely see, and had no longer
the least idea toward what point of the
compass he was going.


The desert Is not comfortable place to
be lost in, and Billy's sensations were far
from pleasant. To fall into the hands of