Part 4 (1/2)
”Well, if youto my promise I intend to ride part of the ith you,” he answered ”I wish however that you could do without your baggage, and ould see how fast we could get over the ground; but as you have to take that, we must be content with a steady pace, and I'll ht”
As there was a round, ere in our saddles long before day-break, carrying with us our breakfast and kettle in which the tea could easily be made at the camp-fire
We had perfor the cool fresh air of earlysun gains his power over the world
We camped near a water-hole, fro'sround on the opposite side, when Bracewell exclaimed--”The blacks have been here See, here are the re
They cannot have left it very long Weany spot from which they may hurl their lances should they be badly disposed; not that that is likely to be the case, and they certainly will not venture to attack us in the open”
Toby, who had exaone away to the northwards and that, being probably on a hunting expedition, they would be too intent on attacking their gaht, and in about half an hour, just as we reached the top of a slight ridge or elevation which had before hidden theures, each holding in his hand a throwing-stick with a long spear attached to it One of thehs which concealed his body as he crept towards a group of kangaroos feeding in the grassy bottom As the hunters did not perceive us and we had ti or throw-stick, is to serve the purpose of a sling for casting the spear A heavy flat piece of wood, between two and three feet long, has at one end a slight hollow into which the end of the spear is fitted while at the other is a heavy weight, thus assisting the hunter in the act of throwing the spear Except a srass the natives wore not a particle of clothing, though there were several scarifications on their bodies; and what sailors call a spritsail-yard run through their nostrils which added to the ferocity of their appearance
As anted to see how they would proceed, we kept as e, and as the wind caaroos to us, ere not discovered by the ani forward, concealing theh to the game to hurl their spears with effect
One fellow crept forward, holding his shi+eld of boughs, until it seearoos Then his spear flew fro-stick with so treround Not a spear aroos were killed Three others hopped away, but were pursued by the ni-sticks as clubs, despatched the animals with reiterated blows on the head
Not until the hunt was over did we show ourselves, e astonished the savages standing over their slain ga their spears in their sticks they threatened to launch theainst us should we atte this we directed Toby to say that we had no intention of interfering with them Whether or not they understood hi their position, and not wishi+ng to have an encounter with them which must have ended in bloodshed, we made a wide circuit beyond the reach of their weapons When we looked backthee nu off the bodies of the kangaroos
”I aer from them on your return,” I observed to Bracewell
”No fear of that,” he answered ”They will be too busy in gorging thearoos; besides they will not be on the look-out for me, and a well-mounted man, provided he doesn't come unexpectedly on a mob, need have no fear of the-sticks, a fact of which they are well aware”
We soon lost sight of the blacks, and after riding on several miles further, our friend told us that he , however, to ride over to Mr Strong's station, should he find he could leave ho on ”And relad if one or both of you can join me, should you not find yourselves comfortable at your relative's; and if he has , to another station, coh probably, if he expects you, he will have left word that you e faive you a description of theht as you have hitherto done, and to avoid either blacks or suspicious looking white h I do not mean to say that you are to look upon every traveller you ain thanked Bracewell for his advice and the hospitality he had shown us, he turned his horse's head towards his home, and we proceeded on our journey
CHAPTER FOUR
We had already, according to our calculation, perforns of it could we discover The heat was oppressive, and seeing a wood on our left, ere assured from the nature of the trees, that either a water-hole or a streareed to camp there for a couple of hours to let our horses feed and to take our dinner, hoping then by pushi+ng on that we should before evening at all events arrive at the station I had ridden forward to look out for the water, when just as I caught sight of the glitter of a pool, I sao persons ee fros and had guns in their hands So intent were they on some object before them that they did not perceive me One of them fired at an opossum which they had, I concluded, driven out of its hole The aniround, when they dashed forward to save it fros As they did so, one of the them
”Hallo! Where do you coland,” I answered ”We want to reach Mr Strong's station, and shall be obliged if you will help us to find it”
”That's where we live, so we can take you to it,” replied the lad ”You have, however, come soht”
I thanked hi's sons,” he replied ”We came here to look for some stray cattle which are hid in this scrub, so we shall first have to drive the We left our horses hobbled close at hand while we stopped, intending to take our dinner, as we have been out since theto do the same,” I observed ”Here comes my brother Guy; if you haven't eaten your dinner you'll join us, won't you?”
”Of course!” he said laughing ”And I conclude that you are Guy and Maurice Thurston, our cousins we have been expecting out from the old country for some months past My name is Hector That is my brother Oliver I suppose you have heard of us?”