Part 15 (2/2)

A quarter of a mile away I came upon a scene that filled me with amazement There was Yae, ever had--struggling in theforcibly to drag her away At once I sahat had happened Ya for roots over the boundary of territory belonging to a tribe e had not yet reat cri to inviolable native law, confiscated by those who had detected her I rushed up to the blacks and began to reue, but they were both truculent and obstinate, and refused to releaseand terrified Ya to accompany the party, with their captive, back to their encampment, and there have the matter settled by the chief Fortunately we had not many miles to march, but, as I anticipated, the chief took the side of his oarriors, and promptly declared that he would appropriate Yamba for himself I explained to him, but in vain, that ly, and that had I known his tribe were encamped in the district, I would have cohts

As shohat a reh part of er Bruno, who evidently scented trouble, began on his own account to give a hurried and imperfect show

He stood on his head and tumbled backwards and forwards in a la all the time

I do not knohether the wily chief had made up his mind to see more of us or not; but at any rate he looked at h determined to carry his point, and then replied that there was but one lahich was that Ya, whether the crime was intentional on her part or not So ean to think I had really lost rew upon me, and I pondered over the terrible past, I made up my mind that if necessary I would lose my own life in her defence, and to this end I adopted a very haughty attitude, which caused the chief suddenly to discover a kind of by-law to the effect that in such cases as this one the nearest relative of the prisonerfor her This, of course, hat I wanted, above all things--particularly as the old chief had not as yet seen me use my wonderful weapons And as I felt certain he would choose throwing spears, I knew that victory was mine He selected, with a critical eye, three well-made spears, whilst I chose three arrohich I purposely brandished aloft, so as to give my opponent the impression that they were actually small spears, and were to be thrown, as such, javelin-fashi+on

The old chief and his blacks laughed heartily and pityingly at this exhibition, and ridiculed the idea that I could do any dae with such toy weapons

The deood-huonist; and a distance of twenty paces having been measured out, we took our places and prepared for the dra h outwardly cool and even haughty, I was really in a state of most terrible anxiety I fixed my eyes intently upon the spare but sinewy chief, and withouta muscle allowed him to throw his spears first The forh the air with extraordinary rapidity one after the other; but long experience of the weapon and my own nimbleness enabled me to avoid them

But no sooner had I stepped back into position for the third ti onist which I had purposelyit with fully an ounce of gold Naturally he failed to see the little feathered shaft approach, and it pierced hih--exactly where I intended The chief leaped froh suddenly possessed by an evil spirit His warriors, too, were vastly impressed As blood was drawn in this way, honour and the laere alike supposed to be satisfied, so Ya and half afraid to credit her own joyful senses

My readers will, perhaps, wonder why these cannibal savages did not go back on their bargain and refuse to give her up, even after I had vanquished their chief in fair fight; but the honourable course they adopted is attributable solely to their own innate sense of fair-play, and their admiration for superior prowess and skill

Why, when the chief had recovered froreetedthe trouble to reh! We became the very best of friends; and Yauests When at length ere obliged to leave, he gave h I were a powerful friendly chief who had done hireat service!

CHAPTER XVII

Mosquitoes and leeches--I explain pictures--An aard adreat portrait--The stomach as a deity--The portrait a success--A colossal statue of ”H R H”--Fish without eyes--A sad reflection--A strange illusion--A grave danger--I sink a well--”Universal provider”--A significant phenomenon--Bruno as accomplice--I find Bruno dead

I must say I was not very much troubled with mosquitoes in my mountain home, and as I had endured dreadful torton and other swaratulatesome low country on one occasion I was attacked by these wretched pests, whose bite penetrated even the clay covering that protected my skin Even the blacks suffered terribly, particularly about the eyes I, however, had taken the precaution to protect ton the reyish colour They flew about literally in clouds, and it was practically impossible to keep clear of them

The natives treated the bites with an ointment made fro about pests, in some parts the ants were even more terrible than the mosquitoes, and I have known one variety--a reddish-brown --to swar theerous to bathe in sooons on account of the leeches that infested the waters Often in crossing a swas, and on looking doould find my nether limbs simply coated with these loathso was, that whilst the blacks readily knehen leeches attacked therown positively faint from loss of blood Further of their attacks, but would simply crush them on their persons in the most nonchalant manner Sohted stick--a kind office which Yamba performed for me The blacks had very few real cures for ailments, and such as they had were distinctly curious One cure for rheue of a lagoon, and then bask in the blazing sun until the mud became quite caked upon the person

The question may be asked whether I ever tried to tell my cannibals about the outside world My answer is, that I only told theinations would grasp Had I told them more, I would simply have puzzled them, and what they do not understand they are apt to suspect

Thus, when I showed them pictures of horse-races and sheep farms in the copy of the Sydney _Town and Country Journal_ which I had picked up, I was obliged to tell them that horses were used only in warfare, whilst sheep were used only as food Had I spoken about horses as beasts of burden, and told them as done with the wool of the sheep, they would have been quite unable to grasp ood They had ideas of their own about astrono that the earth was perfectly flat, the sky being propped up by poles placed at the edges, and kept upright by the spirits of the departed--who, so the s of food and drink The Milky Way was a kind of Paradise of souls; whilst the sun was the centre of the whole creation

I had often puzzled es sonitude of the British Empire I always had the _British_ Empire in my mind, not only because my sympathies inclined that way, but also because I knew that the first friends to receive me on my return to civilisation ain did I tell the childish savages grouped around n of the British En _had sent reatness of the nation of which they formed part Thus you will observe I never let my blacks suspect I was a e chances Iless than this would have done Had I endeavoured to distinguish between the British Eot beyond my hearers'

depth, so to speak, and involved myself in difficulties

Half instinctively, but withoutthat the ruler of the British Empire was _a woman_, but this admission dropped fro off was there! I instantly recognised the lances of hty chieftainess, upon whose dominions the sun never set; and that she was actually the direct ruler of the blacks themselves, they repudiated her with scorn, and conte the praises of a mere woman I had to let this unfortunate matter drop for a time, but the subject was ever present in my mind, and I wondered how I could retrieveth one day Yaion, which was full of caves

Whilst exploring these we cae, flat, precipitous surface of rock, and then--hohy, I know not--the idea suddenly occurred to antic portrait of her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria_! At this period, I should nised chief, and periodically--once every new ave a kind of reception totribes At this interesting function I would always contrive to have some neonder to unfold My visitors never outstayed their welcoed to have an abundance of food for theion a feeeks after my unfortunate blunder about the Queen; and I deterreat portrait ready for the next reception day Taking some blocks of stone of handy size, I first wetted the surface of the rock and then commenced to rub it, until I had a pretty smooth face to work upon This took soot ready the necessary charcoal sticks and pigments such as the blacks decorate thee of drawing, and cli stones I co outline, what I venture to describe as the most extraordinary portrait of Queen Victoria on record The figure, which was in profile, was perhaps seven feet or eight feet high, and of ant proportions in other respects Of course, the figure had to be represented entirely without clothing, otherwise the blacks would simply have been puzzled Now to describe the portrait as much in detail as I dare The croas co hunter could obtain; and it included feathers of the lyre-bird and enarled waddy or club, such as could be used with fearful execution ae, because this areat endurance; whilst the biceps were abnorave her Majesty as ilists or ”strong men” The stomach was much distended, and when I state this fact I am sure it will excite much curiosity as to the reason why

Well, as the stoes know, and as food is often very hard to obtain, they argue that a person with a very full sto and skilful hunter, otherwise he would not be able to get much food to put into it