Part 14 (1/2)

On the following , the 1st Noveh of course there was neither frost nor ice, because there was nothing fluid orsuch a sensation of intense cold The day was delightfully cool; I was ot at the junction of the two creeks just left Mr Tietkens and Gibson took three fresh horses, and the shovel, on Monday, the 3rd of Nove at the ca; a strong as blowing from the eastwards, and the camp was in a continual cloud of sand and dust

The next day was again windy and dusty, but not quite so hot as yesterday Jis were at the cas' noses, and it was only when they squealed that I sahat he was doing; to-day cocky was the victi's nose for, you in,” said Jiin?” I said, ”Yes, any part of the body of an” ”Well,” he said, ”I never knew that dogs carried horgins about with the any of theain” Ji fellow On one occasion further back, a good many croere about, and they became the subject of discussion I remarked, ”I've travelled about in the bush as much as most people, and I never yet saw a little crow that couldn't fly;” then Ji a little crow hin a hague hin?” I said, ”What's hin a hague hin?” To which he replied, ”I didn't say ”hin a hague hin,” I says ”Hand her hague hin” After this, whenever ent hunting for water, and found it, if there was a sufficient quantity for us ays said, ”Oh, there's enough to boil a hague in anyhow” Late in the evening of the next day, Jieons, when the three horses Mr

Tietkens took away came up to drink; this of course informed me they had returned The horses looked fearfully hollow, and I could see at a glance that they could not possibly have had any water since they left Mr Tietkens reported that no water was to be got anywhere, and the country to the west appeared entirely waterless

I was, however, deter two horses ater, I intended to carry it out to the creek, which is fortythe remainder of the water in a tree, and follow the creek channel to see what beca at the caer creek, we followed down the channel and in five ions should be surprised at nothing, we co triodia, sandhills, and scrubby reatly disappointed at this turn of affairs, as I had thought from its size it would at least have led raphical features Except where we struck it, the country had all been burnt, and we had to return to that spot to get grass to cas which we carried with us I gave the horse I intend riding to-morrow a couple of buckets of water I suppose he would have drank a dozen--the others got none The three of us encaether here

CHAPTER 25 FROM 9TH NOVEMBER TO 23RD DECEMBER, 1873

Alone

Native signs

A stinking pit

Ninety hes's Creek

The Colonel's range

Rae

Hills to the north-east

Jae

Return to Fort Mueller

Rain

Start for the Shoeing Ca like leather

Pharaoh's inflictions

Photophobists

Hot weather

Fever and philosophy

Tietkens's tank

Gibson taken ill

Mysterious disappearance of water

Earthquake shock

Concussions and falling rocks

The glen

Cut an approach to the water

Another earthquake shock

A bough-house