Part 8 (2/2)

In a short time we arrived at the blacks' camp It consisted of a number of rude bowers, such as I have before described, tenanted by a feo out hunting in the lagoon which appeared just beyond

Riding on we caught sight of a nued in knocking doith their booe birds perched on the withered branches of the trees overhanging the water

Our friends brought us one of the boos to examine It was a curved piece of wood about two feet two inches from tip to tip, rathertowards the tips

We saw bird after bird knocked off the trees with this remarkable weapon When it first left the hand of the throe could not decide in what direction it was going, but afternumberless circles in the air, it never failed to hit the object intended

Most of the birdsstruck were cormorants, which, as they fell into the water, the blacks seized and wrung their necks Soht, and attacked the naked bodies of their assailants with their sharp beaks We witnessed the sport for so alar hunters, who hted

As we did not wish to delay, we thanked our friends, ith the prospect of an ample feast before them, showed no inclination to accompany us One of them, however, had a talk with Bracewell just before we started

”What was the black fellow saying?” I asked as we rode along

”He told me that a hbourhood, and that we must take care not to fall in with theht, or, should we be off our guard, murder us”

”What had we better do then?” I enquired

”Be on our guard and not let the

”I have no fear of the blacks, provided they know that we are prepared to give them a warm reception We will, however, keep a look-out for the fellows, and as soon as we get back to the regular track, I'll leave a note fixed to a tree for Hector, telling hi hiht on their horses, as I don't think it's worth while waiting for the what our black friend said, the chances are that we shall not fall in with the mob of bad natives,” he added; and as he knew the country uided by his opinion

We soon again got into theout his pocketbook, wrote a few lines, warning Hector that a hbourhood, and telling hi some thorns, he pinned it to a tree in a conspicuous place

”Hector will not fail to observe it,” he said, as he did so

”But if the blacks see it they'll tear it down surely,” I remarked

”They'll not do that,” he answered, ”they'll fancy it is some charm, and will not venture to touch it”

This done, we pushed forward, rather faster than we had hitherto been going, in order to arrive at a spot at which Bracewell advised that we should cah there were several stations scattered over the country in various directions, the traffic between them was so limited, that no inns or even liquor stores had been established; and travellers had consequently to ca towards the interior

We found doing this was no hardshi+p, and infinitely preferred sleeping by our ca up our quarters in a shepherd's hut or grog shop

We were approaching the end of our day's journey, when I caught sight of a black figure flitting a the trees in the distance Presently another, and another appeared They did not co in the same direction that ere

I pointed them out to Bracewell

”I saw the rascals,” he answered ”They are up to mischief very likely, and think it prudent to keep at a distance from us I'll soon make them vanish”