Year: 1875




A kind of large black snake, very


active, and a deadly bitter, is common il


the scrub. Billy dreaded the snakes


almost as much as the blacks. Then, too


he was wet, and the night was chilly.


He had, however, bit of dampe,


bread in the leathern pocket of his jacket
This he ate while peering about for some
nook or sheltered spot, into which he
might creep to escape the cold wind and


to pass the night.


At first Billy was not inclined to sleep
Once a kangaroo passed at little dis
tance, making the ground jar heavily al
each of its unwieldy leaps. Later, he
heard the low, shrill pheet of snake close
at hand, and hastily threw stones, sticks
and dirt, to frighten off SO undesirable a
visitor.


Two or three times he fancied he heard
a queer sound of snu6ing farther up under
the rock, and concluded that there was a
burrow of wombats behind the bowlder
who were dissatisfied because he had
taken possession of their front door step.
But though somewhat afraid of large
animals, Billy had very little fear OF
wembats.


Toward morning he grew drowsy, and
at length fell asleep. At broad daylight
he awoke. Starting hastily, a sudden
rumble caught his ear, and, turning, he
espied big mottled tail disappearing in
a rather large black hole, that seemed to
lead back under the rock. He concluded
the animal was wombat that had
probably been observing him curiOusly.


cpl dig you out of here some day."
was Billy's mental comment. Then he
bethought himself of his situation, and
sat up to consider it. He felt hungry
and by careful search he found a few
dirty crumbs of damper in his leather
pouch, and ate them one by one.


While thus engaged, a sharp swapping
of twigs drew his attention. 1t came
nearer, and moment later there burst
through the trailing leaves the lean
black paws, and gray, wolfsh head of a
native dog.


At sight of him, Billy jumped up in
sudden apprehension. The dog snarled,
then barked noisily. Immediately there
arose a low peculiar cry, apparently not
hundred yards off. 1t was answered
from all about-"Cooep "cooeP'


The blacks were abroad on hunt.
Billy's heart almost came through his
ribs. If he ran, the dog would follow
him, and the whole pack of natives would
soon be at his heels.


He glanced helplessly around. The
wombat hole met his eye. The blacks
were coming. There was no time to
think twice. Billy instantly resolved to
take his chances with the wombats, and
dived into the hule.


The dog snapped and tore at his boots,
but he wOrmed his way in. The hole led
straight back under the rock eight or ten
feet, into the very heart of the hillock,
where it expanded into sort of den, as
big as bakers oven.


Seeing him coming, the wombats
shifted noisily, and went scrambling
farther back under the hillock. Here
Billy had the satisfaction of being able to
turn over.


The dog was still worrying his heels; /;
but taking stone, he struck at the
brute's head with such effect that it
backed hastily out, bowling with pain.


Meanwhile, he heard a jabbering out
side. The blacks had come up. Several
other dogs rushed successfully into the
hole, but on getting within range of
Billy's heavy boot-heel, beat speedy
retreat.


There is no need to remark that he
listened intently to hear what the natives
were about. They were chattering
eagerly, but in jargon quite unintelligi-
BILE.


Presently the hole darkened. Some
thing had been pushed up into the
mouth of it. At first Billy thought that
the blacks were stopping it up; but
after an ominous cracking, &C
by smothered roaring, be-
gan. The natives had placed fire at
the entrance of the burrow.


1t flashed to Billy's mind that he had
heard that the natives captured wombats
by smoking them out An agony of
terror seized him. Ten times rather
would he have preferred a race on the
open plain, with the whole tribe after him.


AT first only little smoke worked back
to where he lay, and he hoped that he
might yet escape suffocation. Meantime
he could hear the blacks shouting, sing
ing, and beating on the rock with their
to frighten out the wombats,
probably, for they evidently had no idea
that there was larger game in the burrow.


AS soon as the first bundle of leaves
and grass was burned out, another was
brought. Billy now thought of driving
put the wombats, and of saving himself
by sacrificing them But on his trying
to seize the animals they retreated into
smaller holes leading of from the main
len, where it was impossible to reach
them.


Gradually the smoke found its way
back into the burrow; yet by holding
his face close down to the earth, Billy
to breathe. But it grew more
1ense. His eyes began to smart, and it
was difficult for him to breathe. A
horrible death stared him in the face.


Under ordinary circumstances / am
sure that Billy seldom prayed. But he
thought he was at deaths door. SufFoca-
lion had its fearful grip on his throat.


40 Lord" he cried out, his nose
pressed into the dirt, "take pity on me
D, dear Lord, put out that fire, and
lrive away those heather niggersW and
hen, fairly beside himself with terror,
ne repeated it Overland over with all hi
strength.


The effect of this petition on the blacks
outside seems to have been instantaneous.
The jabbering and shouting ceased as if
by magic. There was moments
silence, then scampering.


With his mouth to the ground and his
eyes tightly shut, Billy lay and listened.
An utter stiffness had taken the place of
he noisy jollifcation. The fire Of dry
grass burned out, and the hole began to
clear of the smoke. But for a while
Billy had no thought that the natives
lad gone. He knew nothing of their SUI
,erstitions. He lay quiet and waited.


The wombats came out of their leth-
,rgy and commenced to sneeze prodig-
ously. They even tried to creep out
past him, but Billy drove them back.


An hour or two passed, and the boy
was about mastering courage to crawl
,ut, when slight noise on the rock con-
ginced him that some OF the blacks were
till near the place; NO he waited two or
,hree hours more, rs he thinks, then very
cautiously crept down To the mouth of