Or: 
 
 P 
 
 
 Fb\)cr>c 
 
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 LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY Of 
 CALIKKNIA 
 
M64 
 
 THE LAST OF THE BLOODTHIRSTY WARLATTAS. 
 
THE SECRET 
 
 OF THE 
 
 AUSTRALIAN DESERT 
 
 BY 
 
 ERNEST FAVENC 
 
 Author of " The History of Australian Exploration", "Tales of the Austral 
 Tropics ", &c. &c. 
 
 WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS BY PERCY F. S. SPENCE 
 AND A MAP 
 
 LONDON 
 
 BLACKIE & SON, LIMITED, 50 OLD BAILEY, E.G. 
 GLASGOW AND DUBLIN 
 
F273 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Although the interior of the continent of Australia 
 is singularly deficient in the more picturesque elements 
 of romance, it was, for nearly two-thirds of a century, 
 a most attractive lure to men of adventurous char- 
 acter. 
 
 Oxley, Sturt, Mitchell, Kennedy, and Stuart have 
 left deathless names on the roll of Australian explorers, 
 but the unknown fate of Ludwig Leichhardt has al- 
 ways centred most of the romance of story about his 
 memory. 
 
 In April, 1848, he left Macpherson's Station, Cogoon 
 River, situated in the southern portion of what is 
 now the colony of Queensland, with the intention of 
 endeavouring to reach Perth, on the west coast, the 
 capital of Western Australia, by traversing, if possible, 
 the then unknown heart of the continent. 
 
 From that day to this, no clue to the disappearance 
 of the whole party has ever been discovered. Several 
 expeditions have been fruitlessly despatched in search 
 of the missing men; and many false reports as to the 
 finding of relics of the party have been brought in at 
 various times. Even the rapid advance of settlement, 
 and the comparatively full knowledge now possessed 
 
v PREFACE. 
 
 of the interior, have thrown no light on the subject. 
 This, the great mystery of Australian exploration, I 
 have taken for the groundwork of my story. 
 
 The view I have adopted of the probable course 
 pursued by Leichhardt and his party, is the one that 
 commends itself to the majority of experienced bush- 
 men. Turned back by the dry country west of the 
 Diamantina River, the explorer probably followed that 
 river up, and crossed the main watershed on to the 
 head of some river running north into the Gulf of 
 Carpentaria; in fact, the same track afterwards followed 
 by the ill-fated Burke and Wills. Leichhardt could 
 then easily reach the route he pursued on his first 
 expedition to Port Essington, the only successful one 
 he made, and on which his reputation is based. This 
 course would then lead him around the foot of the 
 Gulf to the Roper River, where he would leave his 
 old route, follow the Roper, or a tributary, to its head, 
 and strike south-west, into the scantily- watered waste 
 of the interior. This view is borne out by the fact 
 that trees, marked with what appears to be a letter 
 L, have been found on or near this supposititious 
 line of travel; and A. C. Gregory, the leader of one 
 of the search expeditions, discovered the framework of 
 a small hut, seemingly built by white men, on a creek 
 he called the Elsie, a tributary of the Roper River. 
 
 Another unexplained riddle I have introduced 
 points to the possible early occupation of Australia 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 by an ancient and partly civilized race. In 1838, 
 Lieutenant, now Sir George Grey, when on an ex- 
 pedition in north-west Australia, discovered some 
 remarkable paintings in a cave on the Glenelg Eiver, 
 evidently not the work of the present inhabitants. 
 He describes the principal one as " The figure of a 
 man, ten feet six inches in height, clothed from the 
 chin downwards in a red garment which reached to 
 the wrists and ankles ". The head of this figure was 
 encircled by a halo or turban, and on it strange 
 characters were inscribed, like a written name. Grey 
 says "I was certainly surprised at the moment I 
 first saw this gigantic head and upper part of a body 
 bending over and staring grimly down on me ". Al- 
 though the dress and accessories so plainly prove that 
 these paintings were not the work of the Australian 
 aborigines, the locality, strange to say, has not been 
 again investigated. I have taken the liberty of trans- 
 planting these cave paintings from the north-west 
 coast to the interior, and also of changing the names 
 of some of the members of Leichhardt's party. The 
 descriptions of the physical features of the country 
 are faithful records from personal experience. 
 
 EKNEST FAVENC. 
 
 SYDNEY, N.S.W., September, 1894. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Chap. Page 
 
 I. SAND AND SCRUB, 11 
 
 II. A STRANGE ROAD, 19 
 
 III. A MYSTERIOUS PROCESSION, 26 
 
 IV. THE DEVIL'S TRACKS, 34 
 
 V. A LIFELESS SWAMP, 41 
 
 VI. THE BURNING MOUNTAIN AT LAST, .... 46 
 
 VII. CANNIBALS, 55 
 
 VIII. THE FIGHT IN THE CAVE, 68 
 
 IX. AN EXCITING DISCOVERY, 80 
 
 X. THE MISSING EXPEDITION, ....... 87 
 
 XI. STUART'S JOURNAL, 93 
 
 XII. CHARLIE'S ADVENTURE, 102 
 
 XIII. THE TRIP SOUTH, 112 
 
 XIV. IN THE SPINIFEX DESERT, ..;.... 120 
 XV. THE FATE OF COLUMBUS, 128 
 
 XVI. THE SLAUGHTER CHAMBER, 134 
 
 XVII. A HOPELESS SITUATION, 141 
 
Vlll CONTENTS. 
 
 Chap. Page 
 
 XVIII. THE ANCIENT AUSTRALIANS, 149 
 
 XIX. CHARLIE FALLS SICK, 156 
 
 XX. A FURTHER DISCOVERT, 163 
 
 XXI. THE FINAL DEPARTURE, ........ 171 
 
 XXII. THE GOLD REEF DISCOVERED, 180 
 
 XXIII. A SOLITARY CAMP, 187 
 
 XXIV. MORE DRY CREEKS, 196 
 
 XXV. THE LAST or THE CANNIBALS, 204 
 
 XXVI. A FALSE ALARM, 212 
 
 XXVII. HOME AGAIN, 220 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Page 
 THEY FIND THE DEVIL'S TRACK ON THE HOCK-PLAIN, . 35 
 
 THE DEATH OF DR. LEICHHARDT IN THE DESERT, . . 95 
 
 MORTON AND HIS PARTY EXAMINE THE SLAUGHTER- 
 CHAMBER, 151 
 
 THE LAST OF THE BLOODTHIRSTY WARLATTAS, Frontis. 206 
 
 Route Map, 15 
 
THE SECEET OP 
 THE AUSTEALIAN DESERT. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Start for the Burning Mountain Sand and Scrub. 
 
 is the beginning of November No- 
 vember in the Southern hemisphere, 
 not the raw, foggy month of the 
 North November in Central Australia, where 
 the sun rises hot and red in a breathless morn, 
 and sinks at night in a heated haze, hovering 
 around the level horizon. 
 
 It has been a day to doze in the shade if 
 possible, and dream of icebergs. The short 
 twilight is rapidly fading into the darkness of 
 a moonless night. Scarcely darkness, however, 
 for the brilliant constellations of the south and 
 the radiant evening star in the west lend their 
 rays to light up the scene. Under the verandah 
 
12 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 of a rough hut mud walls with galvanized iron 
 roof, three men are sitting indolently smoking 
 the evening pipe that usually follows the last 
 meal of the day. It is far up in the north of 
 South Australia, in fact almost on the boundary 
 line that divides that colony from its dependency, 
 known as the Northern Territory. The hut is 
 the principal building on a cattle-station, where, 
 as on most other outside stations, the improve- 
 ments are of a very primitive kind. The three 
 occupants of the verandah are the owner of the 
 station; a young relation staying with him to 
 gain that much-talked-of commodity, "colonial 
 experience"; and a friend, a squatter from a 
 neighbouring run. 
 
 " Well," says Morton, the owner, a sun-tanned, 
 wiry little fellow, addressing his neighbour, 
 " what do you say, Brown, to having a look for 
 the burning mountain?" 
 
 "Umph!" grunts Brown, who differs consider- 
 ably in size, owning as he does some six feet 
 two inches of humanity; "isn't this weather hot 
 enough for you without looking for burning 
 mountains?" 
 
 " We've nothing much to do for two or three 
 months, and I've made up my mind to see if 
 there's any truth in this yarn the niggers have." 
 
 " I never could make head or tail of it," said 
 Brown. 
 
 " Nor I," returned Morton ; " but although 
 
SAND AND SCRUB. 13 
 
 everybody puts it down as a burning mountain, 
 I am not of that opinion. I have questioned 
 them very patiently, and can only find out that 
 there is a big fire always burning in the same 
 place, but when I ask about a mountain, they 
 say no. None of them have ever been there; 
 they have only heard of it from others, and they 
 seem almost frightened to speak of it." 
 
 "They use much the same word for rocks, 
 stones, and mountains." 
 
 " Yes ; and I think it is rocks that they mean." 
 
 "What has your boy, Billy Button, to say 
 about it?" 
 
 "Billy comes from a tribe nearly a hundred 
 miles from here. He has heard the yarn, but has 
 never seen any blacks who have been there." 
 
 " Let's see. It is supposed to lie rather north 
 of west from here. How far have you been in 
 that direction, Morton?" 
 
 " Some fifty miles. It's all scrub and sand. The 
 niggers, however, get across in some seasons of 
 the year, and I think this is the time; there have 
 been plenty of thunder-storms that way lately." 
 
 " Well, I'll make one ; a little scorching more 
 or less does not matter much up here. You 
 ought to have kept some of the camels back the 
 last time the team was up here." 
 
 " Didn't think of it. But I fancy horses will 
 be handier, we have a thunder-storm nearly every 
 day." 
 
14 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 "And shall have until we start," replied 
 Brown, "then you see they will knock off at 
 once. How many of us will there be?" 
 
 "The pair of us, and what do you say, 
 Charlie? Are you anxious to distinguish your- 
 self?" 
 
 " I certainly hope you won't leave me behind," 
 returned his young cousin, in an injured tone. 
 
 " All right. Billy Button will make four, and 
 that will be enough. To-morrow we'll have all 
 the horses in and get ready for a start the next 
 day." 
 
 "How long shall we be away?" asked Charlie, 
 who bore upon his shoulders the onerous duties of 
 storekeeper. 
 
 "Can't say. What do you think, Brown? 
 Six weeks? Two months?" 
 
 "We surely ought to find something in that 
 time, if it's only the remains of Leichhardt." 
 
 "Make up three months' rations for four, 
 Charlie; I hate to run short. Lucky we killed 
 the other day, the beef will be just right for 
 carrying." 
 
 On an outside cattle-station, where so much 
 camping-out has to be constantly done, the pre- 
 parations for such a trip do not take long, and 
 the morning of the second day found everything 
 in readiness. Brown had sent over to his place 
 for his own horses, and they started with four- 
 teen in all. Two apiece for riding, four packed 
 
Jf$ v 
 
 LEICHHAttOf^ATnCKED BY 
 ^^.cx ffjj-j V ES 
 
 ft? LCE'S CAMP 
 'fW.H.HENTIG'S GRAVE 
 
 -/LEICHHHRDT 'wi &**? Forest 
 
 Downs' f+ DIED HERE ' * 5 i" , 
 
 BLA.CKIE & 3 ON, LIMITS 
 
SAND AND SCRUB. 15 
 
 with rations, and two with canvas water-bags 
 and the necessary blankets, tent, &c. At the 
 last moment the blacks about the station tried to 
 dissuade Billy from going by telling him horrible 
 tales of the fate surely awaiting him at the 
 dreaded burning mountain, but Billy stoutly 
 refused to be frightened, and scorned to remain, 
 although given the option by Morton. 
 
 The first thirty miles of the journey was over 
 familiar country, and they camped that night at 
 a small water-hole lately filled by a thunder- 
 storm. Beyond them now stretched a waste of 
 sand ridges and mulga scrub, into which Morton 
 had once penetrated for some twenty miles. 
 With full water-bags, and a determination not to 
 be beaten back without a struggle, our adven- 
 turers commenced the second day's journey with 
 light hearts. 
 
 During the whole of the day the sombre scrub 
 and heavy sand continued, without break or 
 change in their depressing monotony. Scarcely the 
 note of a bird or insect broke the silence, as they 
 toiled on without much heart for conversation. 
 Towards evening a piece of good fortune befell 
 them. On a small flat between two sand ridges 
 they crossed a patch of short green grass, the 
 result of a recent thunder-storm. No water could 
 be found, the hot summer sun having evaporated 
 all that had been caught in the shallow clay pans. 
 The green grass was, however, a boon to the 
 
16 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 horses, who did not feel the want of water so 
 much on the soft young feed. 
 
 Next morning they were saddled and packed 
 up, ready to start by sunrise. About ten o'clock 
 they ascended a sand ridge somewhat higher 
 than those they had formerly crossed, and from 
 its crest they were able to look around on the 
 sea of scrub that surrounded them. Not far 
 off, in the direction in which they were going, 
 Morton drew the attention of his companions to 
 a thin column of smoke. 
 
 "Burning mountain already?" queried Brown. 
 
 "Niggers travelling and hunting," replied 
 Morton. " The scrub looks thinner there. They 
 won't be far from camp at this time in the 
 morning; but I expect the water is only a soak- 
 hole, of no use to us." 
 
 In less than an hour they were riding over 
 patches of still-burning grass, thinly scattered 
 through a forest of bloodwood-trees; but neither 
 the sharp eyes of Morton or Billy could detect 
 a sign of the hunters. After searching for some 
 time the boy found the tracks of a blackfellow, 
 two gins, 1 and some pickaninnies 2 coming from 
 the westward, and these they followed back for 
 about a mile to a freshly-abandoned camp. It 
 was situated on a fairly open piece of country, 
 partly covered with coarse drift sand. Not far 
 from the camp was a ragged old shell of a gum- 
 
 1 Women. * Children. 
 
 (M64) 
 
SAND AND SCRUB. 17 
 
 tree, covered with tomahawk marks. Billy, who 
 had at once gone to this tree, gave a low whistle, 
 and the others came up. He pointed to a small 
 hole near the butt, and dismounting put his arm 
 down and then peered into it. 
 
 "Water long way down," he said. "Gone 
 bung, mine think it." By which they understood 
 that the supply had dried up. After some search- 
 ing about, a long sapling was procured and thrust 
 down. The hole was about ten feet deep, and the 
 end of the sapling brought up some wet mud. 
 
 " How did the blacks get down for the water, 
 Billy?" asked Brown. 
 
 " Pickaninny go down," replied the boy, point- 
 ing to a tiny foothold in the side of the hole. 
 
 " Well, boys," said Morton, who had been pok- 
 ing the sapling down vigorously and examining 
 the point, "I don't see much to be got out of 
 this. Evidently there's been one little family 
 living on this hole, and now they've been dried 
 out. It would take us two hours to open up 
 this hole, and then we should probably get 
 nothing for our pains." 
 
 " Water gone bung," repeated Billy. 
 
 " What do you say to following this flat? It's 
 going partly in our direction, and may lead to 
 something." 
 
 No one having anything better to suggest 
 they resumed their journey once more, until 
 a mid-day halt was made. 
 
 0- (M64) B 
 
18 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 "Well, respected leader," remarked Brown, 
 after the meal was finished and pipes were lit, 
 "I'm afraid our horses will look mighty dicky 
 to-morrow morning unless we get them a drink 
 to-night." 
 
 Morton glanced lazily at them, where they 
 stood grouped under whatever scanty shade they 
 could obtain. 
 
 "They are beginning to look tucked up," he 
 replied, "but we'll pull up something before 
 dark." 
 
 " I sincerely hope so," said Brown as he stood 
 up. " Go ahead once more, Captain Cook." 
 
 About four o'clock the open flat which they 
 had followed grew narrower, until at last the 
 scrub closed in entirely and they found them- 
 selves confronted by a thicker growth than any 
 they had yet met with. The mulga having 
 given place to a species of mallee. 
 
 Morton, who was leading, stopped. 
 
 " We must push through," he said. " It may 
 be only a belt, and if we start to follow it round 
 we shall be all night in it." 
 
 "Bight," replied Brown. "I'll take a turn 
 ahead if you like. I prefer being first in a 
 scrub." 
 
 Morton laughed and dropped behind, and for 
 about an hour very slow progress was made, the 
 scrub getting worse and worse. The sun was 
 sinking low, and the cheerful prospect of a night 
 
A STRANGE ROAD. 19 
 
 in the scrub was before them, when, to the relief 
 of all, Brown suddenly called out: 
 "Hurrah! we're out of it!" 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 A Native Cemetery Billy's Explanation Stopped once 
 more by Dense Scrub Discovery of a Strange Road. 
 
 AS the party emerged, one after another, from 
 the scrub, their eyes were delighted by a 
 prospect of open-downs country before them, 
 dotted here and there with clumps of gidea-trees. 
 But, better than all, there was plainly to be seen, 
 scarcely a short mile away, a line of gum-trees, 
 creek timber, whilst the presence of water was 
 plainly attested by flights of white corellas 
 hovering about. 
 
 It was not long before the whole party were 
 comfortably encamped beside a good-sized water- 
 hole, and the horses luxuriating on succulent 
 Mitchell and blue grass. 
 
 Brown, with his pipe as usual under full blast, 
 was enjoying the scene, when Billy, who had been 
 wandering around the camp, came up and re- 
 marked : 
 
 " No sleep here." 
 
 "What's the matter?" asked Brown. 
 
20 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 Billy pointed to a patch of scrub a short dis- 
 tance off, and beckoned to him to follow. 
 
 Brown noticed that the tops of the trees looked 
 particularly thick and dense, but it was not until 
 he was quite close that he saw the reason. Nearly 
 every tree of any size bore a rude scaffolding, 
 and on the top of every scaffold lay either a 
 bleached skeleton or a dried mummy-like corpse. 
 The ground, too, was covered with bones and 
 skulls that had fallen through. Brown called 
 the others, and they gazed with awe at this 
 strange sepulchre. 
 
 "I've often seen the bodies put in trees, but 
 never in such numbers as this. Why, there must 
 be hundreds here!" said Morton. 
 
 " I never saw more than two together at the 
 outside," returned Brown. "Strange," he went 
 on, after a closer inspection; "all the bodies who 
 have any dried skin remaining on their foreheads 
 have a red smudge there!" 
 
 " No sleep here ; by and by that fellow get up, 
 walk about," insisted Billy. 
 
 This remark helped to dispel the gloom caused 
 by the sight of so many dead bodies, and Billy 
 had to undergo a good deal of chaff. It was 
 evident, however, that his fright was genuine, 
 although, like most natives, the reason of it could 
 not be drawn from him. 
 
 No ghostly visitants came near the camp that 
 night, and all slept the sleep of tired men. 
 
A STRANGE ROAD. 21 
 
 Charlie, waking up before daylight and find- 
 ing Billy in the sound stupor common to the 
 aborigines at that hour, conceived a wicked idea. 
 Brown dabbled a little in sketching, and Charlie, 
 after hunting up the colour-box in one of the 
 pack-bags, proceeded to paint Billy's forehead red, 
 after the manner of the mummies in the tree- tops. 
 
 "Hallo, Billy!'* said Morton, when they were 
 all about and the quart-pots for breakfast merrily 
 boiling. "What's up with your head?" 
 
 Billy grinned, not understanding what was 
 meant. 
 
 " Look here," said Brown, taking a hand-glass 
 out of the pack and holding it in front of his 
 face. Billy looked, and turned as white as it 
 was possible for a blackfellow to do. 
 
 " Him bin come up ! " he yelled, starting up and 
 pointing to the scrub where the bodies were. 
 Then looked apprehensively around, as though 
 he expected to see some belated corpse still 
 walking about. 
 
 "Tell him you did it, Charlie," said Morton. 
 "I'm afraid you've funked him, and if so he'll 
 bolt. Never play tricks on a blaekf ellow." 
 
 Charlie at once complied, and after Billy had 
 been induced to wash the paint off and had in- 
 spected the colour-box, he was somewhat com- 
 forted; but he evidently still thought that the 
 subject was not a tit one to joke about. 
 
 Struck by Billy's evident panic, Morton again 
 
22 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 attempted to extract the reason from him, and 
 after some trouble learned that he had heard of 
 the men with a red smear on the forehead, who 
 were supposed to be in some way connected with 
 the burning mountain. That, during the day- 
 time, they pretended to be dead, but at night 
 got up and walked about. 
 
 " This looks as though we were on the right 
 track," said Morton to Brown. 
 
 " Hum ! Nice sort of company you are intro- 
 ducing us to. However Death or glory ! Let's 
 saddle up and make a start." 
 
 In a short time the friendly water-hole and 
 the ghastly scrub beside it were left behind, 
 but the patch of open country unfortunately 
 proved to be of very limited extent in the direc- 
 tion they were going, and in a short time they 
 found themselves again entangled in the dense 
 scrub, which was now becoming such a formi- 
 dable obstacle to their progress. Towards the 
 middle of the day, the sanguine Morton began 
 to despair of pushing on, even at the slow rate 
 at which they were going, and to meditate a 
 return to their last night's camp and a fresh 
 start in a new direction. At noon they were 
 compelled to halt; the desert hedge- wood had 
 now made its appearance, and the barrier pre- 
 sented by it was almost impenetrable. 
 
 They stopped for a hasty meal, and when it 
 was finished, Morton said to Brown: 
 
A STRANGE ROAD. 23 
 
 "What do you say, old man? Will you go 
 north for a bit, and I will go south, and we'll see 
 if there is anything like a gap in this confounded 
 scrub?" 
 
 " My dear old boy I am entirely at your dis- 
 posal. But allow me to suggest that we shall get 
 along infinitely better on foot." 
 
 " I think so too. Charlie, you and Billy stop 
 here with the horses until we come back." 
 
 It was a good two hours before the cracking 
 of branches and muttered bad language, coming 
 from the south, announced to Charlie and Billy 
 the return of Morton. 
 
 " How did you get on?" was the query. 
 
 "Get on!" returned Morton savagely; "I did 
 not get on at all. I don't believe I got half a mile 
 from here. It's the worst old-man scrub I was 
 ever in in my life; I've barked my hands nicely. 
 If old Brown did not get on any better than I 
 did, we shall have to go and chop him out with 
 an axe." 
 
 Almost as he spoke, Billy held up his hand 
 and said: 
 
 " Mitter Brown come up." 
 
 In a few minutes his tall form emerged from 
 the thicket. 
 
 "I beg to report, sir," he said to Morton with 
 mock solemnity, " that the main road to some- 
 where is about three-quarters of a mile to the 
 northward." 
 
24 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 " What on earth do you mean, old man?" 
 
 "Just what I say. After fighting iny way 
 through some of the most awful scrub I ever 
 met with, I came to a fine clear road gas-lamps, 
 milestones, and probably bridges and public- 
 houses." 
 
 " Well, we'd better go there at once. I won- 
 der you came back without patronizing one of 
 the pubs." 
 
 " I did not exactly see all that I have stated, 
 but I have no doubt whatever of their existence," 
 returned Brown. " Joking apart, there really is 
 a cleared track out there, but we'll have to cut a 
 road to get the horses there." 
 
 " This bangs everything into a dust -heap. 
 But it's getting late and we had better shape. 
 Charlie, you and Billy go ahead with the 
 tomahawks, and we will dodge the horses along 
 after you." 
 
 It took time, labour, and patience to make the 
 distance indicated by Brown; but about an hour 
 before sundown, to the astonishment of three 
 of them, they stood upon what was evidently 
 a cleared track, about the width of an ordinary 
 bridle-track. Morton examined the stumps, and 
 pointed out that the work had been done by 
 stone tomahawks. Billy looked for tracks, but 
 none had been made since the rain from the last 
 thunder-storm had fallen. 
 
 "It's running westward. I suppose it's all 
 
A STRANGE ROAD. 25 
 
 right to follow it, but this sort of thing beats 
 my experience. What say you, Brown?" asked 
 Morton. 
 
 "Forward, gentlemen, while the light lasts," 
 was the reply of that individual. 
 
 Their progress was now easy, for the track 
 had been most carefully cleared, and the horses, 
 all old stagers, marched along in single file with- 
 out any trouble. Darkness, however, fell, and 
 the scrub was still on either hand of them 
 unchanged. 
 
 "Morton," said Brown, breaking the silence, 
 "I've got an idea." 
 
 " Stick to it hard, old man; it's the first I ever 
 knew you to possess." 
 
 " Don't try to be too funny. Well, I shouldn't 
 be in the least surprised to meet a first-class 
 funeral coming along at any moment." 
 
 " You're worse than Billy." 
 
 " Billy was partly right. Those old mummies, 
 skeletons, &c., we saw back there, have all been 
 carted along this road from wherever we're 
 going to. That is the reason it is so carefully 
 cleared." 
 
 "Jove! your right. And we might have come 
 along this road all the way if we had kept our 
 eyes open, instead of tearing ourselves to pieces 
 in the scrub, travelling parallel with it." 
 
 " That view of the question did not occur to 
 me, but it's a perfectly feasible one." 
 
26 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 "Rather a surprise for the mourners if we 
 blunder on to them in the dark to-night." 
 
 " Just what we want to avoid. There's some- 
 thing ahead no white man has yet heard of, and 
 if we can sneak along without our presence being 
 suspected, so much the better." 
 
 "What do you propose? We can't budge a 
 step off the track just now, and if unluckily 
 there happens to be a funeral ceremony on to- 
 night, there's bound to be a collision." 
 
 " We must go on until we come to a piece of 
 open country, and then pull off and wait for 
 daylight." 
 
 " All serene. But our tracks will tell tales." 
 
 " We can't help that, unfortunately." 
 
 The conversation had been carried on without 
 halting, and the march now continued in silence, 
 until a low whistle from Morton gave the signal 
 to pull up. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 A Midnight Halt A Mysterious Procession Sudden 
 Dispersion and Flight Open Country once more and 
 another Mystery Ahead. 
 
 AS well as could be made out in the gloom 
 cast by the scrub, they had reached a small 
 break in it, and Morton wheeling off, the others 
 followed, and the party dismounted, as the leader 
 
A MYSTERIOUS PROCESSION. 27 
 
 judged, some two hundred yards from the track. 
 Morton gave his orders in low tones, for the 
 atmosphere of awe and mystery affected every- 
 body. There was no grass, so the horses were 
 simply relieved of their packs and tied to trees; 
 then the men stretched themselves on their 
 blankets without making a fire, and, save for 
 the occasional stamp and snort of a horse, the 
 scrub was as silent as before the white men 
 roused the echoes. 
 
 Not for long. 
 
 It seemed to Brown that he had scarcely 
 closed his eyes when the camp was aroused by 
 a distant melancholy cry. No one spoke; all 
 were too intently engaged in listening. The 
 cry sounded again, louder, nearer, and in a chorus 
 of many voices. 
 
 "What bad luck," whispered Morton to his 
 friend. " One day sooner or later and we would 
 have been right." 
 
 Nearer and nearer came the plaintive wailing, 
 and the gleam of firesticks was visible. It was 
 a most uncomfortable sensation that our adven- 
 turers experienced, lying prone and motionless 
 in the gloomy scrub listening to this weird 
 procession passing through the desert land. They 
 were well armed, and confident against any 
 number of aborigines, but the sights they had 
 encountered were so much out of the ordinary 
 bush routine as to make even such old hands 
 
28 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 as Brown and Morton feel slightly nervous. 
 Charlie was naturally much excited, while Billy 
 was " larding the lean earth " with the perspira- 
 tion of abject, superstitious fear. 
 
 The party of natives were now opposite to 
 them, and not very far away, and by the number 
 of firesticks they judged that there must be 
 a good many in the company. Every now and 
 then the wild wail or chant kept breaking out, 
 and the shuffling noise of their bare feet was 
 distinctly audible during the silent intervals. 
 
 They had almost passed the hidden watchers, 
 when the procession was interrupted by a sudden 
 and discordant shout from the leaders. A babble 
 of voices followed, the firesticks gathered to- 
 gether for a moment, and were then dashed on 
 the ground and extinguished. Next came the 
 noise of feet flying back along the track; these 
 died rapidly away in the distance, and the scrub 
 was as silent as before. 
 
 "Saw our tracks!" said Brown with a dis- 
 gusted sigh, breaking the spell that held them 
 all quiet. 
 
 "How could they see our tracks in the dark?" 
 asked Charlie. 
 
 " They could both feel and smell them," re- 
 turned Morton. "The ground is caked hard 
 from the last thunder-storm, and our horses 
 walking one after the other have cut it up soft. 
 Of course, with their bare feet they could tell 
 
A MYSTERIOUS PROCESSION. 29 
 
 the difference at once. The scent, too, would be 
 as plain as possible at this time in the morning, 
 even to one of us. What's the time, Brown?" 
 
 Brown struck a match. 
 
 "Three. It will be breaking day soon after 
 five. Let's wait till then." 
 
 " Why?" demanded Morton. "We might as 
 well get along while it's cool. There's the re- 
 mains of a moon just rising." 
 
 "Why? Because you think with me that it 
 was a funeral party. Now, I should like to 
 know what they did with the body; they never 
 carried it away with them at that pace." 
 
 "Never thought of that," returned Morton. 
 " Yes, we might pick up some information by 
 waiting until daylight and seeing what they 
 threw away. Make a fire, and we'll have break- 
 fast." 
 
 The time soon passed in discussing the strange 
 scene just witnessed and the probable result of 
 their trip. Morton reminded Brown of the free- 
 masons M'Dowall Stuart asserted he met with 
 amongst the aborigines in the interior, and 
 Charlie, who had not heard the former conversa- 
 tion, was enlightened as to the probable meaning 
 of what had just passed. 
 
 As soon as daylight was strong enough the 
 investigation commenced. Right on the track 
 where it had been hastily dropped lay the dead 
 body of a man. A tall old man, fastened on to 
 
30 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 a rude litter of saplings. The forehead was 
 smeared with red pigment, and on the dusky 
 breast was a triangle inscribed in white. 
 
 Brown gave a low whistle. 
 
 "That's a thing I never saw blacks draw 
 before," he said to Morton. 
 
 "Nor I. He's a fine-looking old boy. What 
 a long white beard he has got for a nigger!" 
 
 The corpse was fastened to the litter with 
 strips of curragong bark; and they were turning 
 away after noticing these details, when Brown 
 suggested that they had better move it off the 
 track. 
 
 "You know," he explained, "we might come 
 bustling back here in a bigger hurry than those 
 fellows were, and tumble over the old gentleman 
 in the dark." 
 
 The litter and its burden were shifted a few 
 paces in the scrub, and, full of expectation, the 
 party resumed their interrupted journey. 
 
 The break where they had halted was the 
 beginning of the outskirts of the scrub; the 
 country soon became more open, and as it did so 
 the track they were following grew less marked. 
 It was still, however, quite plain enough for any 
 bushman to follow easily. At noon, to the great 
 relief of the horses, they came to a small pool of 
 rain-water, and some fairly good grass. Here 
 they turned out for a long spell. 
 
 " Question is," said Brown, when the usual 
 
A MYSTERIOUS PROCESSION. 31 
 
 discussion commenced, "Where did those nigs 
 camp? No sign of them here. By the way, 
 Billy, did you notice any gins' tracks amongst 
 them?" 
 
 " No," returned the boy. " Altogether black- 
 fellow." 
 
 " Must be more water ahead ; and I hope so, for 
 this won't last another week, and we want some- 
 thing permanent to fall back on. Now, I'm 
 going aloft on the look-out," said Morton. 
 
 Charlie watched him curiously as he slung the 
 field-glass over his shoulder, and taking a toma- 
 hawk proceeded to an exceptionally tall blood- 
 wood-tree near the camp. At the foot he took 
 off his boots, and cutting niches in the trunk, as 
 a blackfellow does when climbing, he was soon 
 up amongst the topmost branches. Ensconcing 
 himself firmly, he took a comprehensive sweep 
 around with the glasses, and then directed his 
 attention to the westward. 
 
 "Below there!" he shouted, after a lengthened 
 scrutiny. 
 
 "Hi, hi, sir!" returned Charlie. 
 
 "Brown! Will your long legs bring you up 
 here safely?" 
 
 " Well, I'll try." And in a short time Brown 
 was up alongside his friend, and a very earnest 
 discussion followed, extremely tantalizing to 
 Charlie down below. After taking a compass- 
 bearing to some distant object they descended; 
 
32 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 and Charlie, who was already barefooted, im- 
 mediately attempted the ascent, slipping igno- 
 miniously down after getting up two or three 
 steps, to the intense delight of Billy. With the 
 black boy's assistance, however, and much sar- 
 castic advice from his cousin and Brown, he 
 managed to reach the first branches, and thence 
 easily gained the perch Morton had occupied on 
 the top. 
 
 What did he see when he got there? 
 
 To the westward the forest soon came to an 
 abrupt stop, and beyond stretched a great gray 
 plain, bounded by something that Charlie could 
 not make out, and which had evidently puzzled 
 Brown and Morton. It was not water, although 
 it looked something like it; it was a broad sheet 
 of pale blue, glistening in places under the sun's 
 rays, and beyond, above a quivering haze, was a 
 dark object like a distant ridge. 
 
 " What name, Billy?" said Charlie to the black 
 boy, who had climbed up after him. " Water?" 
 
 "Bal" said Billy decidedly. " Water sit down 
 here, close up," he added, pointing to the edge of 
 the forest. 
 
 "What name, then?" repeated Charlie. 
 
 " Mine think it mud, where water bin go bung," 
 was the blackfellow's opinion, and with this they 
 both descended. 
 
 " Well, Charlie, what do you make of it?" asked 
 Morton, 
 
A MYSTERIOUS PROCESSION. 33 
 
 " Billy thinks it's mud where the water has 
 dried up," returned Charlie, as he had no opinion 
 of his own to offer. 
 
 " And Billy's right, I believe. It must be the 
 bed of a dry salt lake; but we'll get along to the 
 edge of the timber and camp." 
 
 On the margin of the plain they came to some 
 fine lagoons, with good grass for the horses, but 
 nothing could be seen of the mysterious object 
 ahead, excepting from the top of a tree. 
 
 On the banks of the lagoons they found abun- 
 dant traces of the natives, and it was evidently 
 a main camping-place on their way to and from 
 their burial-place. Many of the trees were 
 marked with triangles, a sign which considerably 
 puzzled the elder travellers. The open country, 
 the ample supply of water, and the relief from 
 the gloomy surroundings of the scrub had restored 
 the cheerful tone of the party, and imparted a 
 sense of security to them. 
 
 But neither Brown nor Morton were men to 
 neglect due precautions, now that their presence 
 was known to the probably hostile inhabitants. 
 So a watch was kept all night by the three 
 whites in turn, Billy escaping the vigil, as blacks 
 are not to be trusted to keep awake. 
 
 (M64) 
 
34 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Limestone Plain The Devil's Tracks A Strange 
 Mark. 
 
 THE morning found them early on the move, 
 the night having passed without any alarm, 
 false or real. They still followed the faint track 
 leading straight toward the dark ridge they had 
 seen beyond the blue expanse. This supposed 
 dry lake had been visible from the camp before 
 sunrise, but as the sun rose it disappeared, nor 
 did they again sight it until nearly eight o'clock. 
 At ten they were close to it, and all doubt as to 
 its character was set at rest. They pulled up, 
 not at the edge of a dry salt lake, but of an 
 unbroken sheet of limestone rock. Nothing was 
 visible ahead but this stony sea of bluish-gray, 
 over which a heated haze was undulating. The 
 dark line beyond, resembling a ridge, had van- 
 ished, and the wind that blew in their faces 
 across the surface of this strange plain, was as 
 hot as though it came from the open door of a 
 furnace. 
 
 Morton turned and rode along the edge of the 
 rock to where the pad came in, for they had 
 left the track for the last hundred yards. He 
 whistled, and the others joined him. The track 
 
THE DEVIL'S TRACKS. 35 
 
 still continued right on across the rock, but its 
 course was now indicated by other means. On the 
 surface of the limestone had been scratched and 
 chipped with infinite care, an imitation of human 
 footsteps, or rather more than human footsteps, 
 for the gigantic tracks were more than twice the 
 size of a man's, and a stride to correspond was 
 indicated. Side by side, about six feet apart, 
 these two awful footsteps disappeared into the 
 quivering mirage. 
 
 "I've seen that mark before on the granite 
 mounds in Western Australia," said Brown. 
 " You notice that there are six toes to it. It's 
 supposed to be the footprint of the devil." 
 
 "By Jove, what tedious work it must have 
 been cutting those marks!" returned Morton. 
 " They're not lazy beggars ahead of us whatever 
 else they may be. But what shall we do now?" 
 
 " Go back to the lagoons. It's a rattling good 
 camp, and we have heaps of time before us. 
 We'll hold a council of war this afternoon and 
 decide upon some course of action." 
 
 "Eight," answered Morton. "We shall have 
 to go slowly and cannily or we shall be getting 
 into a tight place." 
 
 They returned to their former camp, and, as 
 evening drew on, entered into a discussion as to 
 their immediate movements. 
 
 " Brown, you're the longest, speak first," said 
 Morton. 
 
36 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 " Those beggars are located beyond that lime- 
 stone rock. Is not that so?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "They may be the most mild and peaceful 
 people going, and they may be the most trucu- 
 lent ruffians. I incline to the latter opinion." 
 
 "So do I, but I cannot say why exactly. 
 They took to their heels quick enough the other 
 night." 
 
 "Oh, any niggers will do that on a sudden 
 start. However, it's safest to act as though they 
 were our enemies." 
 
 "Decidedly." 
 
 " To-morrow we'll go right and left along the 
 edge of the rock for a few miles on each side 
 of the track, and see if there's any other track 
 they use. If there's only the one, why, we know 
 where to expect them from." 
 
 To this Morton agreed, but suggested that two 
 should follow the track across the rock. 
 
 " No, old man, you're too eager," said Brown. 
 " We're too small a party to afford to split up. 
 When we go across that rock we must all go, 
 and take pot luck." 
 
 " You're right," agreed Morton. " To-morrow 
 you and I will go along the edge of the rock. 
 Charlie, you and Billy will stop and mind camp 
 and examine all the trees about for marks, in 
 fact have a good fossick round." 
 
 " When we cross the rock we shall have to go 
 
THE DEVIL'S TRACKS. 37 
 
 on foot, we can't take the horses across," said 
 Brown. 
 
 " Certainly not, and I doubt if we can cross on 
 foot in the daytime. We should be baked to 
 death with the rock underneath and the sun 
 overhead. We should get no shade to rest under 
 the whole way across." 
 
 " The horses will be safe enough here while we 
 are away. If the niggers use only the one track, 
 why, we are bound to meet them." 
 
 Another quiet night was passed, although a 
 watch was kept. In the cool morning Brown 
 and Morton started across the plain, leaving 
 Charlie to scour about the camp. Billy, arrayed 
 in a light and airy costume consisting of a saddle- 
 strap and a tomahawk, had evidently laid himself 
 out for a day's pleasurable sport. 
 
 "This plain seems fairly well grassed," said 
 Morton as they rode across. " Wonder how far 
 it extends?" 
 
 " We'll find out before we get back. But coun- 
 try is not of much value out here just now, no 
 matter how good it is." 
 
 "No, worse luck; you and I know that to our 
 cost." 
 
 When they reached the rock they separated, 
 Brown going north and Morton south. Follow- 
 ing the edge along, without going into all the 
 dips and bends, Morton went on until he reckoned 
 he had covered some six miles. The limestone 
 
38 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 rock pursued much the same course to the south- 
 ward, but the forest and the continuation of the 
 chain of lagoons at its edge bore in towards the 
 rock, and it was evident that the two would 
 meet in time. 
 
 Morton rode over to the edge of the timber, 
 and found that the water-course there was still 
 well supplied with occasional pools of water. 
 He could see no tracks of blacks there, nor were 
 there any marks on the rock: all was lifeless 
 and lonely, save for the tireless kites. As he 
 rode back, however, he caught sight of a bird 
 high up in the air steadily flying to the west. 
 He recognized it as an eagle -hawk, and was 
 astonished to see others following, all flying in 
 the same direction. Then the discordant note of 
 a crow came to him, and a flock of the black 
 creatures flew past, conversing in the peculiar 
 guttural croak common to crows when on the 
 wing. They, too, were going across the rock to 
 the westward. 
 
 "Hang me, if there isn't a rendezvous over 
 there somewhere of all the carrion birds in the 
 district," said Morton. 
 
 He rode on and found Brown at the meeting- 
 place, he having got back sooner. His experience 
 had been somewhat similar for the first few 
 miles; then the country changed, a low stunted 
 forest obtruded from the east, and the ground 
 became hard, stony, and barren, save for patches 
 
THE DEVIL'S TRACKS. 39 
 
 of spinifex. 1 The limestone rock, too, became 
 more uneven and broken, and it was evident 
 that he had approached the verge of the forma- 
 tion they were then traversing; probably, he 
 thought, the change would result in a large ex- 
 panse of desert, spinifex country. 
 
 " We could get round that way," he remarked, 
 " without having to cross this rock." 
 
 " Better stick to the track ; then we know we 
 are going straight to wherever these triangle men 
 came from," replied Morton. 
 
 "Did you see any niggers' tracks?" 
 
 " Not a sign of any. I don't think I saw or 
 heard a living thing of any kind since leaving." 
 
 Morton told him about the flight of hawks 
 and crows he had noticed, and as they rode back 
 to camp they decided to make an excursion to 
 the south before tackling the great rock and the 
 mystery beyond. It was as well to know all 
 about the country before making their final start; 
 and, moreover, if the natives came back and saw 
 their tracks going away south it might throw 
 them off their guard. 
 
 Charlie and Billy had found nothing about 
 the camp beyond a peculiar mark cut on a tree, 
 which somewhat differed from the others they 
 had seen. They had caught some fish in the 
 largest of the lagoons, and Billy had a fine big 
 carpet snake roasting in the ashes; for no matter 
 
 1 A wiry, prickly grass, useless as fodder. 
 
40 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 how well fed a blackf ellow is, he always likes to 
 revert to his aboriginal delicacies occasionally. 
 
 Charlie took them to inspect the new mark, 
 which was on a large flooded box-tree. It had 
 been chopped out with a stone tomahawk in the 
 rugged bark, and must have taken much time 
 and labour. Both men looked at it from all 
 points of view without arriving at any con- 
 clusion; then, just as they were turning away, 
 Morton exclaimed: 
 
 " If I saw that tatooed on a sailor's arm I 
 should say that it was meant for an anchor." 
 
 The two others instantly recognized the re- 
 semblance, and they all came to the conclusion 
 that it was a rude attempt to depict that emblem. 
 
 " Mystery thickens," said Brown. " Are we 
 going to reach the much-talked-of inland sea 
 and find a race of sailor-men in possession?" 
 
 "Devilish queer," replied Morton; "it seems 
 to me the sort of mark an illiterate white man 
 who had been a sailor would make on a tree. 
 It's chopped out very neatly, much as a sailor 
 would do anything of the sort." 
 
 " I suppose we shall find out all about it before 
 we get to the end of this trip," returned Brown. 
 
 "Yes, and a good deal more than we now 
 dream of, I anticipate." 
 
 " Did you have a good look to the south and 
 north when you were up that tree?" asked 
 Brown. 
 
A LIFELESS SWAMP. 41 
 
 "No, I didn't. My attention was at once 
 taken up by the strange- looking rock ahead of 
 us." 
 
 "So was mine. I think we might go up 
 another at sundown; we might see something." 
 
 When the sun nearly touched the horizon they 
 ascended the tallest tree in the neighbourhood, 
 but nothing was discernible southward. To the 
 north, however, a low range was visible a long 
 distance away. 
 
 A quiet undisturbed night succeeded, and an 
 early start was made the next morning. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Hot Springs A Lifeless Swamp More Marks of the 
 Natives. 
 
 THE first six miles being over the country 
 traversed by Morton was naturally un- 
 interesting. Then the plain grew narrower and 
 narrower. The chain of lagoons where they had 
 camped developed into a large water-course, and 
 the flat limestone rock began to alter its character 
 and soon merged into a basaltic ridge coming 
 from the westward. At mid-day the plain was 
 a thing of the past, and they were now travelling 
 along a broad water-course, with open forest on 
 
42 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 one side and a rude line of basalt boulders, piled 
 like a wall, on the other. 
 
 At a fair-sized lagoon, thick with water-lilies, 
 they turned out for their meal. 
 
 " Funny," remarked Brown, " how these inland 
 rivers disappear. This water-course looks big 
 enough now, but I bet it runs out to nothing 
 before night." 
 
 "Yes; the wet seasons, I suppose, are very 
 rare, and when one comes the flood-water is 
 absorbed by soakage and evaporation before it 
 can cut a continuous channel. You know that 
 no rivers enter the sea to the south of us." 
 
 "I know; it's all a wall of cliffs around the 
 head of the Great Bight. Was there not some 
 yarn once about fresh water being obtained 
 there some distance at sea?" 
 
 "I've heard something about it; it was put 
 down to the discharge of a subterranean river, 
 but I don't think the fact was ever proved." 
 
 "Well, if we find a river of that sort we'll 
 make a canoe and send Charlie and Billy down 
 it to explore. What do you say, Charlie?" 
 
 " There might be some Jinkarras living down 
 there," replied Charlie. 
 
 "Ever see any Jinkarras, Billy?" asked Morton. 
 
 " No. Plenty bin hear 'em," replied Billy. 
 
 " I wonder how this yarn of an underground 
 race, the Jinkarras, originated." 
 
 "I can't make out. The noise they hear at 
 
A LIFELESS SWAMP. 43 
 
 night that they say is made by the Jinkarras is 
 made by a bird a kind of quail." 
 
 "Well, we must be off; pack up boys," said 
 Brown. 
 
 About four o'clock a dense mass of foliage was 
 visible ahead, which, as they drew nearer, proved 
 to be huge paper-bark-trees, with long trailing 
 branches, like gigantic weeping willows. The 
 ground around these ancient giants was soft and 
 spongy, and the bed of the creek was soon lost. 
 The ground being too soft to allow of the horses 
 progressing any further, a camp was made and 
 they were hobbled out. 
 
 Leaving Billy to light a fire and mind camp, 
 the three whites went on foot through this great 
 white forest. The ground grew swampier as they 
 proceeded, until at last, when within sight of a 
 belt of tall reeds, they could proceed no farther. 
 Moreover, the water was getting uncomfortably 
 warm. 
 
 "Hot soda springs," said Brown; "this accounts 
 for the growth of these trees. There's an easy 
 one to climb," pointing to a bending one. " Let's 
 go aloft and look ahead." 
 
 The tree was easy of ascent, and the three 
 were soon high up amongst the branches. Beyond 
 the reeds lay a lakelet of clear water, but, save 
 for the deep fringe of rushes, not a plant of any 
 sort was visible. No ducks or other aquatic 
 birds could be seen. 
 
44 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 " I guess that water's too warm for anything 
 to live in it," said Morton. 
 
 It was a strange scene; the sun was sinking 
 low, and anywhere else the place at that time 
 would have been busy with feathered life, but 
 here all was lifeless. The lakelet, surrounded 
 by its border of tall reeds, in which there was 
 apparently no break, lay there calm and un- 
 ruffled. 
 
 " Let's get back to camp," said Brown. " Looks 
 as though we'd got into a dead corner of the 
 world." 
 
 Next morning it was determined to follow the 
 swamp round to the westward to ascertain its 
 extent. In a mile or two they came to where 
 the basalt wall apparently ran out in the swamp, 
 disappearing in a few scattered boulders. Just 
 beyond this they came to a well-beaten track, 
 which came round the swamp from the direction 
 in which they were going and turned off amongst 
 the basalt. Following this track along, in about 
 a mile they came on two skeletons lying beside 
 it. Some dry bits of skin still adhered here and 
 there on the fleshless bones. 
 
 "A nice part of Australia this," remarked 
 Brown, as they halted and gazed at the poor 
 remains. " If we're not falling foul of a cemetery 
 or a funeral, we run against skeletons lying pro- 
 miscuously about. Wonder what brought them 
 here." 
 
A LIFELESS SWAMP. 45 
 
 "Not want of water at any rate," replied Morton. 
 "Been a fight, perhaps. They don't seem to 
 belong to those triangle gentry, at any rate." 
 
 " They must have been lying here months," 
 answered Brown; "they're past our help any- 
 way. May as well get on." 
 
 Gradually the swamps rounded off to the 
 southward, and it was evident that there was 
 no continuation that way. The creek they had 
 followed from the lagoons had disappeared, as 
 Brown had predicted. To the south was nothing 
 but a stony, desert forest of stunted trees, the 
 ground covered with spinifex. Strange to say, 
 however, the track that had partly circled the 
 hot swamp had branched off and headed due 
 south. There had been some discussion as to 
 whether they should follow it or not, but, as it 
 was evident that this track and the one marked 
 by the devil's footsteps were trending to the 
 same centre, it was decided to postpone it until 
 they had solved that mystery first. The swamp 
 was of such a circumference that it was nearly 
 sundown when they got back to the site of their 
 last night's camp, having crossed no outflow from 
 the swamp anywhere. 
 
 In the morning it was thought better to go 
 back to the old camp at the lagoons and follow 
 the devil's footsteps, than try to follow the track 
 amongst the boulders coming from the south. 
 
 They arrived there early, and immediately made 
 
46 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 preparations for burying their spare rations, 
 ammunition, &c. The next few hours were busy 
 ones. Saddles, rations, spare ammunition, &c., 
 were all carefully buried, and the whereabouts 
 masked by a fire being lit on the top to hide the 
 disturbance of the earth. They started as soon 
 as this work was finished, each man carrying 
 rifle, revolver, ammunition, three days' rations, 
 quart-pot, and water- bag a fair load for men 
 always accustomed to riding only. Most devoutly 
 they all prayed that they would be off the rock 
 soon after daylight the next morning. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Night March across the Great Rock Meeting with 
 the Natives The Secret of the Burning Mountain. 
 
 WITH all the despatch they made they did 
 not reach the edge of the rock before 
 twelve; but it mattered little, as the surface was 
 only then getting cool, and would have been un- 
 bearable any earlier. 
 
 Billy was sent first with bare feet, he being 
 trusted to follow the track by feeling when they 
 strayed off it, as he would then cross the rough 
 surface made by the sculptured footprints, the re- 
 mainder of the limestone being almost as smooth 
 as marble. 
 
THE BURNING MOUNTAIN AT LAST. 47 
 
 It was a weird and weary tramp across this 
 rock by the light of the stars, with vague dark- 
 ness all around them. None of them felt inclined 
 to speak, and an intense silence reigned every- 
 where. A sickly moon rose just before daylight, 
 and its faint beams cast the long shadows of the 
 travellers across the gleaming surface of the 
 limestone. The thought in the minds of the three 
 white men was the same what would daylight 
 show them? Billy plodded along mechanically; 
 most of the time he was half asleep. 
 
 Daylight came at last, and the black line that 
 they had seen from the tree-top gradually came 
 into view, apparently not far ahead; and each 
 felt grateful that he had not to encounter the 
 force of the sun on the face of the naked rock. 
 
 When it was broad daylight the dark line 
 resolved itself under the glasses into a row of 
 basaltic boulders, with some bushes growing in 
 their clefts and a bottle-tree here and there on 
 their summits. 
 
 "We shall be there before it is hot," said 
 Morton thankfully, as he closed the glasses; 
 " let's push on." 
 
 They did so, and before the sun had attained 
 much power found themselves amongst the 
 boulders. The track led straight into a gap, and 
 on one side a huge block of stone, supported by 
 two others, made a rude cave, under which the 
 weary men gladly took shelter after their toilsome 
 
48 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 tramp. Evidently it was a halting-place for the 
 blacks, for the remains of fires were about, and 
 a supply of firewood, which came in very handy 
 for the tired men to cook their breakfast with. 
 
 A satisfactory meal and a smoke being finished, 
 the situation was reviewed. Behind them lay 
 the bare expanse of rock just crossed, and before 
 them the unknown. Now, too, they would have 
 to keep a keen look-out for lurking foes, because 
 in amongst these boulders every step was fraught 
 with danger, especially as the blacks knew of 
 their approach; and it was evident that they 
 were trespassing on tabooed ground. The future 
 movements of the party were now, as might be 
 supposed, a matter of serious consideration, and 
 Brown and Morton were in earnest discussion 
 when a loud report like a clap of thunder sud- 
 denly startled the little company to their feet. 
 A low rumbling followed that seemed to shake 
 the very rocks. Hurrying outside, nothing was 
 seen that could possibly have caused the strange 
 noise; the sky was cloudless, the air still and 
 sultry. 
 
 Suddenly Billy pointed to the westward. "Fire 
 jump up," he said. 
 
 A puff of white smoke, or vapour, was rising, 
 seemingly only a short distance from them. 
 Silently they watched it ascend and disperse. 
 
 " Blacks here have artillery apparently," said 
 Brown. " Salute in honour of our arrival." 
 
THE BURNING MOUNTAIN AT LAST. 49 
 
 Nothing more following, they returned to the 
 cave, leaving Charlie at the entrance on the look- 
 out. 
 
 " If these fellows know nothing about the effect 
 of firearms," said Morton, "we may be able to 
 establish a funk; they may have heard of them 
 only from the other tribes." 
 
 " I don't think they have much communication 
 with the other tribes by the look of it, but, if 
 they live amongst these rocks, what on earth do 
 they exist on? for there's no game here." 
 
 " Well, all we can do is to keep a sharp look- 
 out and our powder dry What's up?" 
 
 " Here's the corpse!" cried Charlie, falling back 
 from the entrance in amazement. 
 
 Billy gave an awful yell ; the others started to 
 their feet as a tall native coolly walked into the 
 cave, and squatted down on the ground. It cer- 
 tainly was enough to give them all a fright, for the 
 visitor, in outward appearance, greatly resembled 
 the dead man left in the scrub. A second glance, 
 however, showed points of difference, which 
 proved him to be a denizen of the earth; he was 
 marked with the white triangle on the breast, 
 and the red smear on the forehead, but was 
 naked and unarmed, whilst his manner showed 
 no trace of fear. Recovering themselves some- 
 what, Morton lugged Billy forward to see if he 
 could converse with the new-comer. This pro- 
 ceeding, however, did not suit their visitor, for he 
 
 (M64) P 
 
50 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 addressed a furious tirade at Mr. Billy Button in 
 some unknown tongue, winding up by violently 
 spitting at him. 
 
 Billy slunk back scared, and the native, rising, 
 took Brown by the arm and led him to the en- 
 trance; pointing alternately forward and back- 
 wards he made signs for them to turn back, 
 and not go on. Brown returned answer by signs 
 that they must go on. The blackfellow shook his 
 head vigorously, and then held up his hand 
 motioning them to listen. Again the loud re- 
 port was heard, and a puff of vapour ascended 
 as before. 
 
 To the apparent surprise of the native, the 
 whites showed no alarm, and Brown taking his 
 carbine stepped back, and firerj. it into the 
 air. The black gave a decided start, and trembled 
 a little, but stood his ground; then his mind 
 seemed to change, and, making a sign to Brown 
 to stay, he strode off and disappeared behind the 
 surrounding rocks. 
 
 " Is he coming back, do you think ? " said Brown. 
 
 "I think so," replied Morton. "He's a fine 
 fellow, with plenty of pluck." 
 
 "Then we'll give him twenty minutes' grace 
 but here he comes, and all his sisters and his 
 cousins and his aunts." 
 
 Sure enough their former visitor appeared, 
 accompanied by some half-dozen others, similarly 
 painted and all unarmed. He spoke a few worcjs 
 
THE BURNING MOUNTAIN AT LAST. 51 
 
 to them, and pointed towards Brown, upon whom 
 they gazed curiously. 
 
 " Now then, Brown," said Morton, " you're the 
 star; evidently they want an exhibition." 
 
 Brown, who had reloaded his carbine, fired it 
 in the air again. The fresh arrivals showed 
 more alarm than the first man had, some of them 
 squatted hastily down and all started with fear. 
 
 " It appears to me, Brown, that they consider 
 you 'brother belonging' to this noise ahead," 
 remarked Morton. 
 
 "It looks like it, and we must keep up the 
 pleasing fiction, for these fellows 'have us on toast' 
 in amongst these rocks. I wonder how many 
 more there are round about." 
 
 " Let's see if we can go on now," said Morton. 
 
 On Brown indicating their wish to proceed, 
 the most ready acquiescence was displayed, and 
 at a few words from the native who had first 
 arrived the others showed by signs their inten- 
 tion to carry the strangers' packs. 
 
 Before starting, however, names were inter- 
 changed, that being generally found the easiest 
 steps towards intimacy. Brown, Morton, and 
 Charlie (or Sarley) were soon picked up, and the 
 chief, as he appeared to be, introduced himself as 
 Columberi, which, of course, was at once turned 
 into Columbus by Brown, and the oldest black- 
 fellow amongst the others was named Yarlow. 
 
 With Columbus appropriately in the lead, the 
 
52 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 march commenced, the tracks winding in and 
 out among the rocks in a very intricate fashion. 
 For nearly five miles they kept on, although in a 
 straight line they would not probably have 
 traversed more than two, and at last arrived at 
 an open space surrounded by bottle-trees, and 
 from the number of humpies, 1 built of mud and 
 grass, apparently the head-quarters of the tribe. 
 Here they halted. About twenty more blacks 
 were sitting about, who at first made a show of 
 taking to their heels, but a call from Columbus 
 brought them back. 
 
 Selecting a shady tree, Brown indicated that 
 their swags should be brought up, and this being 
 done he remarked: 
 
 " What do you say to a feed, and then getting 
 Christopher here to show us the ropes?" 
 
 " Just as well," returned Brown; "we must take 
 everything as a matter of course, and show no 
 surprise." 
 
 Billy made a fire, and the quarts were put on 
 to boil, a proceeding which interested the spec- 
 tators greatly. Brown by signs then invited 
 Columbus to sit down, and presented him with 
 a piece of damper thickly coated with sugar, at 
 the same time eating a piece himself to inspire 
 confidence. 
 
 The native started to eat in a slow and doubt- 
 
 1 A native hut built of bark or sticks plastered with mud : 
 called also a " gunyah " or a " whirlie ", 
 
THE BURNING MOUNTAIN AT LAST. 53 
 
 ful manner, but after a bite or two finished it off 
 with great gusto and indicated a wish for more. 
 
 The quarts now bubbled up, and the blacks 
 with one accord emitted a united "ha!" 1 and 
 pointed to the westward; evidently the boiling 
 water bore some resemblance to something in 
 that direction. 
 
 Columbus now described a mark in the dust 
 like a half -circle, and pointed in the direction 
 they had come. "He means the horse-tracks 
 they saw," said Morton, after a pause. He 
 nodded vigorously to the old man, who continued 
 his pantomime by lying on his back as though 
 dead. Morton nodded again and patted the 
 ground, pointing backwards to indicate that the 
 corpse was still there. 
 
 Columbus then called the other blacks aside, 
 and after a long talk half a dozen of them drew 
 off and disappeared amongst the surrounding 
 boulders. 
 
 "We must follow up this burning mountain 
 business," said Brown, as soon as he had eaten his 
 dinner; "now old Columbus has disposed of his 
 private affairs perhaps he will take us there." 
 
 "Call him back and let's make inquiries; see 
 if he'll eat beef." 
 
 The chieftain approaching, Brown offered him 
 a piece of salt beef. He examined it curiously, 
 
 1 Wild Australian blacks know nothing of boiling water. They 
 make water hot by putting hot stones in it. 
 
54 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 and then without any demur ate it in the most 
 appreciative manner. He then pointed to Charlie, 
 and made signs as though cutting with a knife, 
 which for a time were quite unintelligible. 
 
 " Blessed if he doesn't mean to ask if you're 
 good to eat," said Brown at last. 
 
 He shook his head, and the native appeared 
 both surprised and disappointed. On their in- 
 dicating their wish to proceed in the direction 
 of the strange reports, he rose and led the way. 
 The whites only took their carbines, as they felt 
 assured that as yet their coming was too novel 
 for the blacks to interfere with their belongings. 
 
 They had but a short distance to go. Round- 
 ing a rugged wall of basalt they saw stretched 
 before them a singular and striking scene. At 
 their feet was a large circular shallow depression, 
 about a mile in circumference, filled with pools 
 of clear water divided one from another by 
 narrow ridges of rock. In the centre of this 
 depression was a hill of small elevation with a 
 flat top ; not a vestige of green weed was to be seen 
 about the water, nothing but bare rock. Without 
 stopping, their guide led the way along one of the 
 narrow strips of basalt intersecting the water. 
 
 " Keep your feet," said Morton, as they followed 
 him, " for it strikes me that water's scalding hot." 
 
 Warned by this, the whites carefully continued 
 their course to the central hill. Columbus 
 mounted it, and then pointed down. They were 
 
CANNIBALS. 55 
 
 on the edge of a crater. At no great distance 
 below was a mass of seething boiling mud. The 
 crater had lip-like fractures in various parts, and 
 to one of these their guide now directed their 
 attention, at the same time motioning to them to 
 stand back from the edge. The water in the 
 pool at the back of the lip was curiously ruffled; 
 presently it assumed the appearance of boiling, 
 and, rising suddenly, poured over the edge of the 
 crater into the molten mud beneath. A deafening 
 report followed, and the rocks on which the party 
 crouched trembled again. Then came a rush of 
 steam, and all was still once more. By a great 
 effort the strangers had preserved their coolness, 
 and looked on the display unmoved; then, in 
 response to Brown, they discharged their carbines 
 simultaneously, an act which nearly made Col- 
 umbus topple into the crater. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Columbus takes a Fancy to Charlie The Secret of the 
 Limestone Cliff A Feast of Cannibals A White Man 
 with the Blacks Initiation of Kecruits Charlie makes 
 a Proposition. 
 
 BY the language of signs they were given to 
 understand that the rocks through which 
 they had found their way extended in every 
 
56 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 direction. Another low elevation a short distance 
 away resembling a limestone cliff was noticed, 
 but about this their guide, who had now re- 
 covered his composure, could, or apparently 
 would, not afford them any information. After 
 a more lengthened examination of the strange 
 surroundings they returned to their camp in the 
 open space, which they found deserted by the 
 natives. Columbus, however, showed no signs 
 of leaving them, and the whites, with due regard 
 to strategic purposes, pitched their tent and 
 made themselves as comfortable as circumstances 
 allowed. 
 
 " The thing that puzzles me," said Brown, 
 after all arrangements had been completed, " is 
 What do these natives live on? Columbus, 
 whom we have feasted on strange dainties, 
 shows no desire of leaving us; but the others 
 are all away, evidently in search of grub. 
 There are no gins visible; perhaps they are 
 away hunting, but I doubt it, for within a 
 hundred of miles of here there isn't a feed for 
 a bandicoot." 
 
 "I don't understand it either," returned Morton, 
 " but we'll stop and see it out, anyway. Charlie, 
 our friend Columbus has taken quite a fancy to 
 you ; he can't keep his eyes off you/ 
 
 Charlie looked very uncomfortable at the 
 chaff, and muttered something about a " nigger's 
 cheek " ; but it was quite evident that the native 
 
CANNIBALS. 57 
 
 had transferred all his admiration from Brown 
 to Charlie. 
 
 Whilst still talking and discussing the situa- 
 tion a sound like a distant uproar of voices 
 became apparent, and Columbus commenced to 
 evince signs of uneasiness. The sound came 
 from the direction of the limestone cliffs, and 
 grew louder and more distinct as they listened. 
 All the party naturally rose to their feet, although 
 the native made energetic signs to them to keep 
 quiet. After a short time the shouting became 
 stationary, and it was evidently not intended as 
 an attack upon them, or such loud warning 
 would not have been given. 
 
 " Shall we go and see what's up?" said Morton. 
 
 " We'll fix the direction, anyway," returned 
 Brown, and they proceeded to clamber up one 
 of the high boulders by which they were sur- 
 rounded, although Columbus evidently protested 
 against the proceeding. 
 
 From the top of the boulder they could make 
 out the summit of the limestone cliffs, and ascer- 
 tained that the uproar certainly came from there, 
 and, moreover, that the shrill cries of gins mingled 
 with the many voices. It was well on towards 
 sundown, and after a short conference Brown 
 and Morton determined to defer further explora- 
 tions until the next day, so they returned to 
 their camp. 
 
 Columbus, who seemed much relieved by the 
 
58 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 proceeding, now made signs for Charlie to accom- 
 pany him in the direction they had been just 
 looking. At the same time he made it plainly 
 apparent that Charlie was to come alone. 
 
 " I'll go, Frank," he said to Morton. " Let me 
 go and have all the honour and glory." 
 
 Morton and Brown both replied in the nega- 
 tive, and Brown intimated to Columbus that 
 to-morrow Charlie should go, but now it was 
 nearly night and he wanted a sleep. This 
 seemed to satisfy the blackfellow, who evidently 
 wanted to get away himself, and presently, as 
 soon as he thought the attention of the party 
 was not directed towards him, he disappeared as 
 mysteriously as he had arrived. 
 
 "I have not got to the bottom of this little 
 affair yet," said Morton; "but I think we shall 
 to-night. What do you say to paying a visit to 
 these cliffs as soon as it is pitch dark I have 
 the bearing?" 
 
 "The very thing I was going to suggest. 
 Charlie, it strikes me that our new friend wants 
 to make long pig of you." 
 
 "What's that?" asked Charlie. 
 
 " Well, a favourite dish amongst some natives 
 who have an acquired taste for human flesh." 
 
 "Do you think he's a cannibal?" said the boy, 
 rather aghast. 
 
 " I should be sorry to slander a stranger, but 
 it certainly looks something like it." 
 
CANNIBALS. 59 
 
 As soon as it was quite dark the party set out 
 on their way to the cliffs, which they judged to 
 be about a mile distant; it was a difficult matter 
 shaping a course by the stars amongst the gloom 
 cast by the surrounding boulders, but an occa- 
 sional murmur of sound helped them on, and 
 after scrambling and twisting about they found 
 themselves near the low cliffs. Here Billy was 
 told to strip and reconnoitre, and his black figure 
 was lost amongst the rocks almost before he 
 seemed to have made a step. He was absent 
 nearly half an hour; then a subdued whistle 
 announced his return, and in a low voice he 
 communicated to Morton the result of his in- 
 vestigations. 
 
 About four or five hundred yards from 
 where they were waiting there was a cave 
 in the cliff, and the blacks it appears were in 
 there. Billy had gone close to the entrance, but 
 could see only a light in the distance, for, accord- 
 ing to him, " hole bin go long way ". 
 
 Under Billy's guidance they soon reached the 
 cave entrance, and found it to be a kind of 
 tunnel evidently leading to a large cave, for a 
 red glare of firelight came round an angle, and 
 the sound of many chattering voices was audible. 
 
 "Shall we go on?" said Morton in a whisper. 
 
 "No, wait a minute," replied Brown; "it 
 strikes me there's another entrance to this place; 
 they must have a lot of fire going, but yet the 
 
60 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 place is not full of smoke. I can smell the fire, 
 but that's all. I think there must be an opening 
 in the top; let's send Billy up to see." 
 
 The face of the cliff was easily climbed, being 
 mostly detached rocks that had fallen down, and 
 very soon Billy came back and reported that 
 " fire come up alonga top ". 
 
 One after the other the adventurers ascended, 
 and found themselves on a rocky plateau full of 
 fissures and holes, through some of which a 
 bright light was streaming. Approaching this 
 portion carefully on their hands and knees, 
 they soon found a fissure through which they 
 could gaze with safety on one of the strangest 
 scenes ever witnessed in Australia. 
 
 The cavern below them was seemingly of some 
 size, and was well lighted by a number of fires, 
 the smoke from which somewhat annoyed the 
 unseen spectators. A far larger number of 
 blacks were assembled than had been visible 
 before, and many of them were armed and 
 painted, being also marked with the red smear 
 and white triangle. One large group was com- 
 posed of some twenty or thirty young men and 
 women; they were huddled together, apparently 
 much frightened, and had no marks whatever 
 upon their bodies. 
 
 Columbus was soon recognized squatting at 
 one of the fires with some of the other old men, 
 and, like all but the group of boys and girls, 
 
CANNIBALS. 61 
 
 busily engaged in eating. Morton felt his arm 
 clutched suddenly and tightly, and Brown 
 hoarsely whispered in his ear: 
 
 "It is meat they are eating; but what meat?" 
 
 Morton was struck with horror as he listened, 
 and the truth flashed across his mind. It was 
 a feast of cannibals they were overlooking. 
 The armed natives had just returned from a 
 foray, and the trembling group in the corner 
 were prisoners destined to death. 
 
 An awful feeling of horror came over the 
 whole party as they realized their situation and 
 possible fate. In a wilderness of savage rocks, 
 surrounded by an expanse of desert, almost in 
 the hands of some fifty or sixty fierce cannibals 
 no wonder the first impulse of each was to 
 slip quietly back the way he had come under 
 cover of the night, and leave the natives to 
 their former obscurity. 
 
 Their natural audacity, however, soon returned. 
 At present they were masters of the situation; 
 with their breech-loaders they could shoot down 
 a score of the natives, helpless in the cavern 
 below, if so inclined. But, with all their horror 
 of the scene, affairs did not seem to justify 
 armed intervention just then. 
 
 Contenting themselves with being spectators 
 only, they watched the doings in the cave, at 
 times having to stifle a cough brought on by 
 a puff of smoke from the burning wood fires. 
 
62 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 For a time the repast below went on with the 
 usual accompaniments of a blacks' camp, but as 
 it came to an end it was evident that some 
 extraordinary occurrence was going to take 
 place. Gradually the old men mustered together 
 around Columbus, and the other blacks pro- 
 ceeded to combine all the fires into one large one 
 near the wall of the cavern. The added blaze 
 gave to view a huge figure on the rock; it was 
 the semblance of a human form, but the head, 
 instead of being represented round, was gro- 
 tesquely shaped liked a triangle. At the foot of 
 the painting was a rock, and while the rank and 
 file of the natives grouped themselves in a circle 
 around the fire, Columbus and some others 
 retired into the darkness out of sight of the 
 watchers. The chant of a corroboree now com- 
 menced, and the blacks slowly circled round the 
 fire for a short time, suddenly ceasing and break- 
 ing into a half ring, with the open part towards 
 the grim figure painted on the wall. Then 
 Columbus and the others appeared, supporting 
 between them a striking and venerable figure 
 an old, old man, with snow-white hair and beard, 
 bent so double that, as he hobbled along sup- 
 porting himself on two short sticks, he appeared 
 like some strange animal walking on four legs. 
 This decrepit being was carefully helped and 
 guided to the stone beneath the figure, and 
 seated thereon; then the others squatted on the 
 
CANNIBALS. 63 
 
 ground, the blacks in the half ring remaining 
 quietly standing. 
 
 The old man seated on the block was now 
 full in view of the whites above, and the brilliant 
 rays of the fire fell directly on him. Brown 
 and Morton turned to each other with the same 
 smothered exclamations on their lips: 
 
 "By Jove, it's a white man!" 
 
 Almost as dark as the savages around, painted 
 like them with a hideous red smear on the fore- 
 head and a white triangle on the breast, the ex- 
 perienced whites yet felt sure that before them 
 they saw one of their own race. Apparently 
 the venerable being was either blind or nearly 
 so, and he kept turning his face restlessly from 
 side to side. From the half circle of blacks then 
 arose a shout or chant that sounded like the 
 repetition of "Mur! Fee! Mur! Fee!" 
 
 "Hullo! we're amongst countrymen," whis- 
 pered Brown; " that sounds awfully like Murphy." 
 
 A terrible noise now commenced like a hundred 
 mad gongs let loose. Four blacks came forward, 
 beating furiously with clubs on what appeared 
 to be sheets of metal. At the sound the old man 
 on the rock smiled and leant forward, and, 
 stretching forth his trembling hands, appeared 
 to say something. 
 
 At this Columbus arose, and, followed by the 
 gong-beaters, went over to the throng of trem- 
 bling captives. After a short inspection he 
 
64 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 selected a young gin and pulled her along by 
 the hand towards the old man, followed still by 
 the gong-beaters. The poor wretch seemed stu- 
 pefied with fear, and when in front of the stone 
 she sank down, trembling visibly. Columbus 
 drew back, and the gong-beaters, dancing madly 
 round, made a still more deafening din. Suddenly 
 one of them, instead of striking his gong, dealt 
 the unfortunate creature a terrible blow on the 
 head, the other gong-beaters followed his exam- 
 ple, and in an instant the wretched gin lay dead 
 on the ground. 
 
 The effect of this scene on the whites above 
 was maddening. Charlie had his gun to his 
 shoulder, but Morton stopped him in time. 
 The gin was killed before interference was 
 possible. 
 
 "Come away," said Brown; "let's have a con- 
 fab. I'm sick of watching those brutes." 
 
 They scrambled away a short distance, and 
 after a pause Brown spoke. 
 
 " We've got our work cut out, there's no doubt 
 about that. We must find out all about that 
 white man if possible, and we must release those 
 poor devils and give these cannibals a lesson." 
 
 "In justice to our friend Columbus," said 
 Morton, " let me remark that ' these cannibals ' 
 are only following up what they have been taught; 
 they have no horror of the thing like we have. 
 At the same time, the man who lifts his hand 
 
CANNIBALS. 65 
 
 or nulla nulla against a woman is unworthy 
 the name of a British sailor, &c. &c." 
 
 "Are you convinced that that is a white man?" 
 said Charlie. 
 
 "Yes," replied Brown; "but who he is is 
 another question. He appears to be blind, deaf, 
 and imbecile. I suppose we must fall back upon 
 Leichhardt." 
 
 "He's been a big man when younger, and 
 erect," said Morton; " far bigger than Leichhardt 
 was. However, we'll suppose it to be one of 
 his party he looks old enough." 
 
 Brown gave vent to a low whistle. 
 
 " By jingo, supposing that was ' Murphy ' they 
 were shouting. I believe there was a man of 
 that name in the lost party." 
 
 "We shall find out, I hope, soon. Meantime, 
 what next?" 
 
 "I know," said Charlie; "let's go back to 
 camp. You promised Columbus I should go 
 with him to morrow. Well, I'll go and find out 
 all about it." 
 
 Morton put his hand on Charlie's shoulder. 
 
 "It's a real plucky bid, my boy, after what 
 we've just seen; but do you think I could let 
 you go? Why, you'd be cooked and eaten in no 
 time." 
 
 "Hold on!" said Brown; "I'm full of ideas 
 just now; let me think this one out; there's 
 something in what Charlie says." 
 
 (M64) E 
 
66 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 " Now, oracle, as soon as you're ready," returned 
 Morton. 
 
 "Well, I may be right or wrong, but my 
 notion is that Columbus does not want to eat 
 Charlie. Why, they've got enough rations for 
 a month. I think that they keep this old man 
 as a sort of Fetich, and that Columbus and 
 a few of the knowing old fellows see that he 
 must soon die. Now they want Charlie to take 
 his place." 
 
 Brown paused triumphantly. 
 
 " I verily believe you've hit it," said Morton. 
 " You ought always to live here, considering the 
 amount of intellect you are developing." 
 
 At this moment a renewed din once more 
 pealed up from the cave, and the party crawled 
 back to find out the cause. The gong-beaters, 
 Columbus, and his privy councillors were pa- 
 rading the captives, and the spectators shuddered 
 as they looked down upon hideous remains of 
 the late feast scattered about the sandy floor of 
 the cavern. This time a fine-looking young 
 man was selected and marched up to the vener- 
 able figure on the stone. The gong-beaters fell 
 back, and Columbus and his companions pro- 
 ceeded to smear the youth's forehead with red 
 pigment, and marked the cabalistic white triangle 
 on his breast. He was then led away to a dark 
 corner out of sight of the watchers. 
 
 Brown muttered a deep oath. 
 
CANNIBALS. 67 
 
 " That's what has been puzzling me," he growled 
 to Morton, "how they kept their numbers up; 
 of course they recruit from the best-looking 
 prisoners." 
 
 "See! they are going to select another," 
 whispered his friend. "Bet you two figs of 
 tobacco they choose that tall fellow with his hair 
 tied in a knot." 
 
 "Done! I'll back the nuggety fellow along- 
 side him." 
 
 Brown lost, the tall fellow being marched out 
 to receive the marks of the cannibalistic brother- 
 hood. 
 
 Columbus and the others now assisted the old 
 man to hobble away, and the blacks squatted 
 down by the fire and relit fresh ones about the 
 ground. 
 
 "Get back to camp," said Morton; "the circus 
 is over for to-night." 
 
 Scrambling down the cliff, and using every 
 precaution, the party soon regained their camp, 
 which they found as deserted as they left it. 
 
68 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 CHAPTER VIIL 
 
 Charlie as Decoy Death of the old White Man The 
 Fight in the Cave The Catastrophe. 
 
 out with their exertions and the con- 
 J_ tinned night work the party slept soundly, 
 and awoke at dawn to find the camp as calm and 
 silent as if no such tragedies as they had wit- 
 nessed were ever enacted in the neighbourhood. 
 
 "Terribly sultry, is it not?" said Morton; "I 
 suppose it is because these rocks retain the heat 
 so." 
 
 " It seems in the air. Look what a haze there 
 is. I don't think I ever felt it so hot at this 
 time of day. What do you say to a walk to the 
 crater after breakfast?" 
 
 Charlie called out just then that the meal was 
 ready, and during its progress the plan of action 
 for the day was discussed and agreed upon. 
 
 On arriving at the crater they found it in a 
 great state of activity, most of the pools were in 
 violent commotion, and constantly overflowing 
 into the crater, causing a succession of reports. 
 
 Returning to the camp they found that Colum- 
 bus and two or three of the old men had arrived, 
 all looking as mild and gentle as if they habit- 
 ually lived upon milk and water. 
 
 "Look at the old scoundrel," said Morton; 
 
THE FIGHT IN THE CAVE. 69 
 
 " his mouth is watering to see us roasting on the 
 coals." 
 
 " I think he only wants to get rid of us and to 
 induce us to leave Charlie behind. Now let's 
 try him," returned Brown. 
 
 Preparations were then apparently made for 
 departure, Charlie intimating to Columbus that 
 he intended to go with him. The native appeared 
 hugely delighted, and when the time for depar- 
 ture arrived neither he nor the others could re- 
 strain their expressions of joy. With their swags 
 on their shoulders Morton, Brown, and Billy 
 strode off along the track by which they had 
 come, ostentatiously waving their hands to 
 Charlie. 
 
 No sooner, however, were they hidden from the 
 camp than Morton and Billy slipped aside amongst 
 the rocks, whilst Brown plodded steadily on, 
 making as much noise as possible. For nearly a 
 quarter of a mile he kept his course, and then 
 stepped on one side and stood quietly behind 
 a boulder. After five minutes' waiting the sound 
 of footsteps was heard, and a native came along, 
 evidently following the track to make sure that 
 the white men left the place, for he was unarmed 
 and alone. He was close up before he saw 
 Brown, and then with a frightened cry sprang 
 away; but he was too late. Brown had hold of 
 him, and exerting all his uncommon strength 
 threw him heavily down amongst the rocks, 
 
70 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 where he lay stunned and quiet. Brown waited 
 patiently for some time, but nothing could be 
 heard; evidently one native only had been sent 
 to watch them away. 
 
 Leaving his swag in a secure hiding-place, 
 Brown then cautiously directed his course towards 
 the limestone cliff, using every precaution to 
 escape being seen. He arrived in sight of the 
 mouth of the cave after a toilsome journey, and 
 after cautiously reconnoitring gave a low whistle. 
 There was no answer, but voices could be heard 
 approaching, and peering carefully out Brown 
 saw Columbus, Charlie, and three other old men 
 emerge from among the rocks and enter the 
 cave. At the same moment a low whistle sounded 
 near him, to which he instantly replied, and in 
 a few minutes Morton and Billy came creeping 
 silently along and joined him. 
 
 " It's splendid," said Morton. " Columbus took 
 Charlie on one side amongst the rocks, then he 
 gave a signal and all the blacks came along the 
 track and squatted down in the open space where 
 we were camped. Columbus and three old men 
 then went away with Charlie, whom they care- 
 fully kept hidden, and I think those are all we 
 have to deal with; so come along, for I can't bear 
 to let that boy stop alone with them long, 
 although I think he's safe enough." 
 
 " We'll just rush the four of them, and then 
 take our time examining the place and the white 
 
THE FIGHT IN THE CAVE. 71 
 
 man is that it?" said Brown; "but how we're 
 to get away afterwards I can't make out." 
 
 "We must trust to chance and our rifles; I 
 think we can manage. But come quick." 
 
 Noiselessly they stole along the narrow en trance 
 that led into the inner cave, and cautiously peered 
 in to be sure of their ground before making their 
 attack; the prisoners were there and the three 
 old men, but Columbus and Charlie were absent. 
 " Quick!" whispered Brown, and sprang forward 
 on to one, while Morton felled the other with a 
 nulla nulla 1 he had picked up. The third made 
 a bolt for the entrance, uttering a shrill yell as 
 he did so, but Billy, whether through sudden 
 fright or not, fired his carbine at him and the 
 black dropped dead. 
 
 Startled by the yell and report, Columbus 
 came rushing from a dark corner of the cave; 
 his eyes were flashing, and all the cannibal in his 
 nature seemed aroused. 
 
 "Hit this fellow on the head!" roared Brown, 
 releasing his struggling prisoner and grappling 
 with the new foe. 
 
 Morton dealt the native a stunning blow with 
 the waddy, 1 and then turned to assist his com- 
 rade. Strong as Brown was, it would have been 
 hard work for him to subdue the infuriated Co- 
 lumbus without assistance. Between them they 
 got him down and bound him with straps. 
 
 1 A native club of hard wood. 
 
72 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 "Now for Charlie!" cried Morton, turning in 
 the direction of the dark corner. "Something 
 must have happened to him." 
 
 "I'm all right, old man; come with me." And 
 Charlie showed himself at the entrance of another 
 and inner cave. 
 
 First stopping to tell Billy to wait and watch 
 the prisoners, and shoot them if they attempted 
 to escape, the two friends followed their young 
 companion, leaving a strange scene behind them 
 Billy Button on guard at the entrance of the 
 passage, the savages prostrate on the ground, 
 and the captives for the cannibal feast, who had 
 preserved a frightened apathy throughout, still 
 huddled together. 
 
 In a smaller cave than the one they had just 
 quitted, lighted like it through fissures from 
 above, the three whites found the old man seated 
 on the sandy floor, gazing with his half sightless 
 eyes at the unaccustomed figures, for thus much 
 could he apparently discern. In a hasty whisper 
 Charlie confided to them that he had been speak- 
 ing to him, and thought he could make him hear. 
 
 " Try again," said Morton eagerly. 
 
 Charlie stooped down and shouted in the old 
 man's ear, "Englishman! White man!" 
 
 A faint gleam of intelligence seemed to illu- 
 minate the poor creature's face, and he pointed 
 eagerly forward with trembling hands. The 
 friends followed the direction of his hands, and 
 
THE FIGHT IN THE CAVE. 73 
 
 saw a heap of objects piled in a dusky corner of 
 the cavern, and Brown strode forward to examine 
 them. The attention of the other two was con- 
 fined to the ancient white man, who seemed 
 strangely moved. He tried to rise and speak, but 
 could only struggle ineffectually. It was awful 
 to watch his convulsed features, and think what 
 secrets he carried hidden in his breast, secrets 
 that time had forbidden him to reveal. At last 
 with panting effort he half rose up, and with a 
 quavering hoarse voice cried distinctly: 
 
 "Yes! Englishman! White man!" and with a 
 choking gasp fell back dead. 
 
 Awe-struck and startled the whites looked at 
 the body of the unfortunate man who had 
 dragged out such a long term of existence 
 amongst savages. Not a doubt was in their 
 minds but that they were gazing on one of the 
 survivors of Leichhardt's lost party, whose fate 
 had long been such a mystery. Now the very 
 shock of their coming seemed to have shaken the 
 last sands of life out, and he had died before 
 their eyes with the story of the past untold. 
 
 " Look!" said Charlie, stooping gently over the 
 body and indicating the swarthy breast. 
 
 There, almost undecipherable by reason of the 
 darkened colour of the skin, was the tatooed 
 mark of a rude anchor. 
 
 Suddenly their meditations were interrupted 
 by a series of frantic yells from the outside cave, 
 
74 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 and the report of a rifle. Rushing out, the cause 
 was instantly explained. Billy's attention had 
 wandered to one of the lady captives, and 
 Columbus had, unobserved by him, freed himself 
 from the hastily- tied straps. The first thing 
 Billy knew about it was a blow from a club, 
 and the back view of a figure flying up the 
 entrance-passage, at whom he hastily and vainly 
 fired, as was pretty evident by the fierce shouts 
 of Columbus outside, calling his comrades to 
 him. 
 
 "Get you're cartridges ready; we must fight 
 for all we're worth," cried Brown. 
 
 Almost as he spoke there was a rush of flying 
 feet and a roar of voices at the entrance. 
 
 "Fire like blazes!" ordered Morton, setting an 
 example, which was followed by the others, until 
 the white smoke nearly filled the cavern. Madly 
 and fanatically the natives dashed up the narrow 
 passage; but with four breech-loaders playing on 
 them, the terrible, unknown lightning and deaf- 
 ening thunder smiting their foremost down, two 
 and three at a time, the attempt was hopeless; 
 they fell back, and for a moment or two there 
 was silence. 
 
 "Top! Top! Look out!" suddenly screamed 
 Billy, and none too soon. 
 
 Clambering up the cliff the blacks were on the 
 plateau forming the roof of the cave, and were 
 forcing their way down through the many cracks 
 
THE FIGHT IN THE CAVE. 75 
 
 and fissures. Hastily abandoning their position, 
 the whites had scant time to escape into the open 
 air over the bodies of those they had shot down. 
 Here, to their astonishment, they found them- 
 selves unopposed by the cannibals, who had all 
 made for the top of the cliff to gain entrance into 
 the cave. 
 
 "What's up, Brown?" cried Morton; "you 
 look like a ghost ! Are you hit?" 
 
 " No, I don't think so, but I feel queer, and 
 you look sick. For Heaven's sake come over to 
 the rocks, quick!" 
 
 An awful feeling of nausea and giddiness 
 suddenly and strangely attacked them all. Keel- 
 ing to the rQcks in front of the cavern they 
 threw themselves down in what shade they 
 could find, utterly regardless of their enemies. 
 
 The air was pulsating with fiery heat, the 
 reports from the crater followed each other with 
 scarce any interval, and the earth seemed rock- 
 ing beneath them. From the mouth of the 
 cavern issued a melancholy wail, the death-chant 
 over the dead white man. 
 
 By a great effort Morton rallied himself, for it 
 suddenly flashed across him what was going to 
 happen. 
 
 "Come on!" he shouted, staggering to his feet 
 and making to where an overhanging boulder 
 afforded some slight shelter. With difficulty the 
 others followed him. As they crouched down, 
 
76 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 completely unmanned, they felt the ground 
 tremble violently; then came a terrific report, 
 as if the very rocks were rent asunder, and 
 the air was filled with blinding steam and scald- 
 ing mud. 
 
 Dead silence reigned for nearly ten minutes, 
 then Brown gave a deep sigh and raised his 
 head. 
 
 " All aboard ! " he cried out. " Anybody hurt ? " 
 
 One by one they answered, stood up, and 
 looked around. 
 
 "Pretty warm while it lasted," said Morton; 
 "that's an experience one does not get every 
 day. Those fellows in the cavern were best off." 
 
 " Were they ?" cried Brown excitedly. " Great 
 Scott! Look there!" 
 
 He pointed to the brow of the cliff, and they 
 all saw what had happened. The mouth of the 
 cavern had disappeared, and the shape of the 
 cliff was changed. The earth-tremor they had 
 just experienced had brought down the roof of 
 the cave, and their late enemies and their 
 wretched captives lay buried beneath countless 
 tons of rock. 
 
 The death- wail they had heard had been the 
 death- wail of a whole tribe. The cannibals and 
 their victims were in one common tomb. 
 
 " And the secret of that white man lies buried 
 there too," said Morton, after a long pause. 
 
 " No, I hope not," replied Brown. " I brought 
 
THE FIGHT IN THE CAVE. 77 
 
 something away from that heap the old man 
 pointed to;" and from the bosom of his shirt he 
 drew out an old-fashioned leather pocket-book. 
 
 No one was anxious to examine the contents 
 just then; they were all in a hurry to get back 
 to camp and quench their thirst, and away from 
 the scene of their late adventure. No apparent 
 change had taken place in the surroundings 
 of their camp, and they made a fire and sat 
 down to rest and eat. 
 
 " Poor old Columbus!" said Morton. " I cannot 
 help feeling sorry for the old ruffian. He was 
 a real plucky fellow. Do you remember how 
 coolly he walked in to us the morning we got 
 here?" 
 
 "Yes, and after all we had no business 
 according to their ideas to interfere with their 
 little rites and ceremonies. They treated us in 
 a friendly fashion." 
 
 " After all, however, things turned up trumps 
 for us. We would not have had the ghost of a 
 show in a fight amongst these boulders. No, we 
 must thank that earth-tremor for being alive 
 now." 
 
 After their meal was over and the four some- 
 what rested, Morton proposed a stroll to the 
 crater to see how it had fared, for not a single 
 report had been heard since the one accompany- 
 ing the eruption of mud. 
 
 A wondrous change had taken place, they 
 
78 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 found. The crater, or what they had taken for 
 one, had subsided, and over its site now flowed 
 an unbroken sheet of water. The mud on the 
 boulders and the turbid condition of the water 
 were the only signs of the late convulsion of 
 nature. 
 
 " And so," said Brown, " the burning mountain, 
 such as it was, is gone for good, and we are the 
 only white men living who have seen it, who 
 will now ever see it." 
 
 " That's so," commenced Morton, when he was 
 interrupted by a footstep from behind. They all 
 turned hastily. 
 
 Scarred, bleeding, and burnt, a most miserable 
 object, there stood Columbus, the only survivor of 
 his tribe. He looked abjectly and imploringly at 
 the whites apparently it was to their power he 
 attributed the disaster that had happened, and 
 came forward with a crushed and broken air, 
 gazing woefully at the space where the crater 
 had been. 
 
 Brown beckoned, and the blackf ellow came up 
 to them. 
 
 Just then Charlie and Billy called out loudly 
 that the water was sinking. It was true: the 
 muddy water was rapidly falling, and a whirl- 
 pool was forming in the middle, as though some 
 cavity in the earth had been opened by the late 
 convulsion. Silently they all watched the water 
 as it swirled round quicker and quicker, and a 
 
THE FIGHT IN THE CAVE. 79 
 
 harsh scream went up from it. In less than half 
 an hour the hole was empty, save for a misty 
 vapour that arose. This cleared away, and the 
 bottom of the hole lay bare a chaotic jumble 
 of boulders coated with mud, and in the centre a 
 dark rift, as though the crater formation had 
 sunk down bodily. 
 
 "Anyone feel inclined to go down there?" said 
 Morton. 
 
 "Not just at present," replied Brown; "we'll 
 let it cool off a bit first." 
 
 The disappearance of the water seemed to put 
 the final blow on the shattered Columbus. He 
 followed them readily to the camping-ground, 
 where they gave him some food, which he ate 
 ravenously, although it made the whites shudder 
 to see him, when they remembered what his last 
 meal had been. 
 
 In spite of what they had gone through, they 
 were all too anxious to get out of the gloomy 
 desert of barren rocks to defer their departure, 
 and at sundown they started back for the lagoons. 
 The ex-chief accompanied them, as they thought 
 they could make him useful in furthering their 
 future discoveries. 
 
 They arrived at their camp early the next day 
 tired out, but right glad to get back to more cheer- 
 ful surroundings. Their horses were feeding 
 quietly about the place, having enjoyed a better 
 time of it than their masters, and everything else 
 
80 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 was just as they had left it. They endeavoured 
 to extract from Columbus the story of his escape, 
 and after much misunderstanding managed to 
 worry out, that when he found the white man 
 dead he thought that the other white men had 
 killed him, and rushed out after them. As soon 
 as he got outside he was struck down and knew 
 no more, excepting that all the others must have 
 been buried under the fall of rock. 
 
 " How about those fellows who were sent back 
 after the corpse?" suddenly said Morton. 
 
 Further questioning elicited from Columbus that 
 six men had gone back, and by the signs he used 
 it was evident that they had not yet returned. 
 
 "By Jove, I never thought of them!" said 
 Brown. "Lucky they did not come along and 
 spear our horses while we were away." 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Deciphering the Contents of the Pocket-book An Ex- 
 citing Discovery Another Survivor of Leichhardt's 
 Party, perhaps still living with a Tribe to the West- 
 ward Charlie makes another Proposal. 
 
 AS their camp was in every way a good one, 
 and they wanted leisure to decide on their 
 future movements, they determined to remain 
 where they were for a few days. 
 
AN EXCITING DISCOVERY. 81 
 
 Brown and Morton set themselves to sort out 
 the contents of the old pocket-book, and Charlie 
 and Billy went fishing and shooting, diversifying 
 their sport with attempts at teaching Columbus 
 to ride. 
 
 The pocket-book was found to contain many 
 pages of faded writing, which would evidently 
 take some time to decipher. Some parts were 
 still legible enough, others had suffered mutilation 
 and damage from water and smoke. Fortunately 
 the handwriting appeared to be that of an educa- 
 ted man, so that once they got accustomed to it 
 they would be able to piece it together with a 
 fair amount of ease. 
 
 It took them nearly all day to sort the leaves 
 out into the proper sequence of dates, and in 
 doing so they gained a rough idea of the con- 
 tents. They found that the journal was written 
 by one of three survivors of Dr. Leichhardt's 
 party, named Stuart. He and two others (Kelly 
 and Murphy) had been living for some time 
 with a tribe of friendly blacks to the westward. 
 Kelly had been killed during a fight with the 
 cannibal tribe whose annihilation they had wit- 
 nessed. The journal recorded up to the death 
 of Kelly and a few weeks beyond, but gave no 
 clue to the subsequent life or fate of the sur- 
 vivors. One of them, Brown and Morton agreed, 
 was the old white man who had died in the cave, 
 but they did not believe that he was the writer 
 
 (M64) F 
 
82 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 of the journal. It was more likely to have been 
 written by Stuart, and the fate of this man 
 greatly excited their curiosity and sympathy. 
 Was he still living with the friendly tribe to the 
 westward ? 
 
 This question, they felt with sorrow, must be 
 answered in the negative. The presence of his 
 companion, the old white man, evidently a 
 prisoner amongst the cannibals for years, and the 
 strangely preserved unfinished journal, pointed 
 conclusively to another fight, the probable death 
 of Stuart, and the capture of Murphy. 
 
 "But," suggested Morton hopefully, "those 
 captives they brought in possibly came from 
 this friendly tribe, which proves that they are 
 still in existence. Why should not Stuart be 
 yet amongst them?" 
 
 " I hope so, but cannot think it likely," said 
 Brown. " What sort of a man should you think 
 him to be by the rough idea we have of his 
 journal?" 
 
 " A good, self-reliant man." 
 
 "Exactly. And I think that if he was still 
 alive he would have trained his tribe up to fight 
 these cannibals, and probably have wiped them 
 out before now and rescued his comrade." 
 
 "I must confess that your reasoning sounds 
 conclusive enough, but I won't give up the hope 
 of finding him alive." 
 
 " Nor I, although it is hoping against hope." 
 
AN EXCITING DISCOVERY. 83 
 
 " We must try and find out from Columbus 
 whether this last batch of victims came from 
 Stuart's tribe; he might know whether he is 
 dead or alive." 
 
 That evening Columbus, who had had several 
 spills during his riding-lessons, much to Billy's 
 delight, was interrogated about the tribe to the 
 westward. It came out that there were two 
 tribes which the cannibals harassed, one to the 
 south and one to the west. To the north Colum- 
 bus intimated that there were no natives. The 
 last raid had been made on the tribe to the 
 westward, who lived by a lake. Further ex- 
 amination elicited the fact that Murphy had 
 been brought from there a long, long time ago; 
 also, that another white man was there who had 
 killed a lot of cannibals and frightened them; 
 but that was also long ago, and now they had 
 been there two or three times and not seen him. 
 They learnt also that he went about everywhere, 
 for he was with the tribe to the south one time 
 when they went there, and had killed some of 
 them there. The southern tribe lived near a 
 mountain. 
 
 This was the extent of the information which, 
 after much puzzling on both sides, was gleaned 
 from the cannibal chief. 
 
 It rather complicated matters. Was Stuart to 
 the west or south? Which way would they go 
 first? On going into the subject again it appeared 
 
84 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 that the way to the south was the easier; to 
 the west, as was evident by Stuart's journal, 
 a long stage of dry desert country had to be 
 crossed. 
 
 " At any rate," said Morton, " we have a couple 
 of days to think it over. We must make a legible 
 transcription of that journal, and I propose that 
 we make two copies; I will keep one, Charlie 
 another, and you, Brown, stick to the original. 
 This will ensure us somewhat against accident." 
 
 "Can I go and explore that hole where the 
 crater disappeared while you're busy at that?" 
 said Charlie. 
 
 "Go by yourself?" asked Morton. 
 
 " No. I'll take Billy and Columbus." 
 
 "And supposing these missing men, the six 
 sent to take the corpse to the cemetery, turn up 
 while you are in amongst the rocks? What 
 chance would you and Billy have, especially if 
 Columbus went over to their side?" 
 
 " I'd take care Columbus didn't turn traitor," 
 said Charlie viciously. 
 
 "What do you say, Brown?" inquired Morton. 
 " Shall we let Charlie go?" 
 
 " How do you propose getting down the hole?" 
 asked Brown. 
 
 " We can climb down," returned Charlie. 
 
 "I don't think you'll find either Billy or 
 Columbus go far with you," said Morton. " If 
 we had any sort of a rope I should not mind, 
 
AN EXCITING DISCOVERY. 85 
 
 but there's nothing but the tent-line, and that's 
 not strong enough." 
 
 " I'll take great care," pleaded Charlie. 
 
 " No doubt you will, but if you make a slip 
 and flop down some thirty or forty feet, no 
 amount of care will get you back again with 
 sound bones." 
 
 Charlie looked unconvinced. 
 
 "We could keep a look-out for the absent 
 natives," said Brown. " They are bound to come 
 along this track, I suppose." 
 
 "Could not Columbus make some sort of 
 a mark to stop them?" 
 
 "I'm afraid not. Blacks can communicate 
 in some way you have seen their 'yabber- 
 sticks ', I suppose, but I don't think we could 
 make Columbus understand what we wanted, 
 nor do I suppose he would do it if we could." 
 
 " Strange how they can communicate, though. 
 The time Faithful's party were murdered in 
 Victoria, the blacks in the settled districts knew 
 of it long before the whites did." 
 
 "Well, can I go or not?" demanded Charlie. 
 
 " I'll sleep on it ," replied Morton. " I think 
 you can take care of yourself, and I can trust 
 Billy as far as one can trust a blackf ellow. But 
 remember, I am responsible for you, and if any- 
 thing happened to you I should be to blame." 
 
 With this Charlie had to content himself until 
 the next morning. 
 
86 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 Morton and Brown stopped up late, smoking 
 by the fire. 
 
 " Shall you let the boy go?" asked Brown. 
 
 " I think so, but I'm doubtful of those fellows 
 behind; they might slip past us in the dark and 
 fall foul of Charlie when he was not expecting 
 them. If they had fair play Charlie and Billy 
 could hold their own, but they might take them 
 at a disadvantage in amongst those boulders." 
 
 At this moment a wailing cry in the distance 
 made them both start. The cry exactly re- 
 sembled the mourning lamentations they had 
 heard in the scrub. 
 
 " That settles one part of the question," said 
 Brown. " Those fellows are on their way back. 
 Kick old Columbus up and get him to answer 
 them." 
 
 Morton promptly roused the slumbering chief- 
 tain, and when he heard the approaching cry he 
 at once answered it. Then he went out to meet 
 them. Apparently he soon told them all about 
 the catastrophe that had taken place, for pre- 
 sently a great cry went up. Columbus soon 
 after appeared, leading them into the firelight. 
 Six truculent-looking ruffians they were, but it 
 was evident that Columbus had impressed them 
 with a due respect for the power of the whites, 
 to whose anger he attributed the misfortune 
 that had befallen their tribe, for they all wore 
 a very humble and downcast air. 
 
THE MISSING EXPEDITION. 87 
 
 Charlie, who had come out of the tent on 
 hearing the noise, gave them some food, and they 
 made a fire apart and squatted beside it, Colum- 
 bus being cautioned against allowing them to 
 sneak off during the night. As the blacks were 
 unarmed, and they now had all the survivors 
 under their direct observation, no watch was 
 kept, and the late enemies soon slept soundly 
 without any misgivings. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Stuart's Journal News of the Missing Expedition 
 Charlie Departs. 
 
 NEXT morning Morton told Charlie that, as 
 the natives had turned up, he could go and 
 explore the site of the crater, but he must be 
 back within three days. Columbus was made 
 to understand that the six blacks were to remain 
 in the camp, otherwise they would share the 
 fate of their countrymen. As there was a good 
 supply of game, fish, ducks, and pigeons, they 
 could easily live without trespassing on the 
 rations of the whites. As Charlie was not to 
 leave before an hour or so before sundown, he 
 had ample time to make his preparations. Mean- 
 time the others went seriously to work tran- 
 
88 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 scribing the journal, which took them the greater 
 part of the day. 
 
 The result of their labours was as follows: 
 
 Stuart's Journal. 
 
 "September, 1848. We have been fortunate 
 in striking a well- watered river, but " (Here 
 there was a portion mutilated.) 
 
 " September 12. Still these aimless journeys 
 to the westward, across plains, barren and water- 
 less, and which are so loose and cracked that 
 every time we make an attempt we lose some 
 of our animals. Fortunately, we have this fine 
 river running north and south to fall back on. 
 The men are very discontented, and the prospect 
 ahead is anything but bright. 
 
 "September 16. Two more horses knocked 
 up by this obstinate pushing into an impassable 
 desert. Klausen and I must remonstrate seri- 
 ously to-night. 
 
 " September 18. Thank Heaven, we managed 
 to make the Doctor see his folly, and we are 
 now on the move north to get on to his old track 
 and work round that way. Everything going 
 on much smoother. 
 
 "September 20. Country still well watered, 
 and travelling easy; expect soon to " (Here 
 the journal was undecipherable to the end of the 
 page, and the succeeding one was dated more 
 than a month ahead.) 
 
THE MISSING EXPEDITION. 89 
 
 "November 2. We are still on the Doctor's 
 first track round the foot of the Gulf; but 
 although there is ample feed and water our 
 horses are falling away, and do not look as well 
 as they did in the dry country. 
 
 "November 3. Had some trouble with the 
 natives yesterday when crossing a small river. 
 We had to fire twice at them before they ran 
 away. Klausen was speared in the arm with 
 a barbed spear, which had to be cut out." 
 
 (Here there was another gap where the journal 
 had been mutilated.) 
 
 "December 15. We are still camped on the 
 river, which the Doctor called ' The Koper ' on 
 his first trip. Klausen's arm prevents our mov- 
 ing. Inflammation has set in and I am afraid he 
 will die. Blacks very troublesome. 
 
 "December 16. Klausen died last night; we 
 buried him this morning. We now leave the 
 Doctor's old Port-Essington track and follow 
 this river up, south and west. 
 
 "December 20. Getting into dry country again, 
 and the scrub is becoming very bad. We are 
 scarcely able to force a way through on foot " 
 
 (Here, for many pages, the journal was so 
 mutilated and discoloured by water that only an 
 occasional line was intelligible. These seemed to 
 point to the party being constantly baffled by 
 scrub and dry country; and also that some of 
 them were attacked by scurvy.) 
 
90 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 "You've been in Queensland, Brown?" said 
 Morton when they arrived at this stage in their 
 transcription. " How do you follow out this 
 journal?" 
 
 "As plain as print. Stuart's journal at least 
 the part we have commences on what is now 
 known as the Diamantina River, I think. The 
 great dry plains he speaks of are to the west- 
 ward of that river, and in a dry season would be 
 impassable to anyone not knowing the country. 
 By following the river up they would easily 
 cross the watershed on to the Gulf of Carpentaria 
 waters, and so get on to Leichhardt's old track." 
 Brown got a map out of the pack and illus- 
 trated thereon what he had just said. 
 
 The next coherent portion of the journal would 
 seem to have been written after a disaster. 
 
 "April 24th, 1849. There are now only five 
 of us left; two Hentig and the Doctor are 
 both sick. The other two must have died on 
 the dry stage, as they have not come in here and 
 the blacks would not let them go back. I have 
 not been able to write my journal for some days, 
 and as the Doctor cannot write now, no record 
 at all has been kept. We were just packing up 
 to leave the rocky water-hole in the scrub where 
 we had been camped for some days, when the 
 blacks attacked us on all sides. There were so 
 many of them, and they had such good cover in 
 the scrub, that we fairly had to get away as best 
 
THE MISSING EXPEDITION. 91 
 
 wo could without water, or all of our packs. 
 While we were trying to keep them off a gun 
 burst and nearly shattered the Doctor's hand. 
 This forced us to hasten our retreat to get him 
 safely away, leaving some of our horses and 
 mules behind. Immediately on getting out of 
 the scrub we found ourselves in open stunted 
 forest, covered with prickly grass. We kept to 
 the south-west until evening and then camped 
 for a while, for the Doctor and Hentig could go 
 no further. We had travelled very slowly, and 
 when we camped Kelly asked me how far I 
 thought we had come. I told him about ten 
 miles. He then proposed that we should take 
 the freshest horses and go back and try and get 
 some water, as even if the blacks were camped 
 at the hole they would be asleep at the time we 
 got there. I agreed with him, for it seemed 
 hopeless to go on through this dry forest without 
 water. I suggested, however, that we should 
 take all the animals and Murphy, and if possible 
 give the blacks a fright. Leaving the two others 
 to look after the sick men and keep a fire going, 
 we started, and were singularly fortunate. We 
 got back soon after midnight and found the 
 blacks camped by the water-hole. They were 
 asleep, having been feasting on the horses we were 
 forced to abandon. Some awoke, however, and 
 we immediately rushed into the camp, shouting 
 and firing. They fled indiscriminately, leaving 
 
92 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 most of their weapons behind, and these we 
 heaped on the fires. We were lucky enough to 
 find two big kegs we had abandoned, and filling 
 these and all the canteens we had brought, we 
 started back as soon as possible before the natives 
 recovered from their scare. We reached camp 
 soon after sunrise, and but for the success of 
 our raid none of us would be alive now, for that 
 dry forest continued without change or break, 
 day after day. We hoarded up some of the 
 water for the sick men and managed to keep 
 them on their horses, but I remember nothing of 
 the last day, nor how the other two parted from 
 us. Murphy says they went after what they 
 insisted was a smoke, but he says it was only 
 a whirlwind passing over burnt country. Kelly 
 found this water-hole through seeing two white 
 parrots coming from this direction early in the 
 morning. It is on the edge of the forest, and to 
 the west lies a great plain, still covered with the 
 same prickly grass. There is a little coarse grass 
 for the few beasts we have now left, but the 
 water in the hole is thick and muddy and fast 
 drying up. 
 
 " April 25th. We have been back to try and 
 find the other two men, but without success; we 
 must stay here " 
 
 (Another break in the narrative here came in, 
 the paper seemingly having been scorched by 
 fire.) 
 
STUART'S JOURNAL. 93 
 
 As it was now getting on for the hour when 
 Charlie's departure on his trip was to take place, 
 the two men knocked off their work and assisted 
 him to get away. Fortunately, having Colum- 
 bus with them, they were enabled to lighten the 
 packs considerably, as they made him carry his 
 share. Morton parted with 'his young relation 
 with some misgiving still he liked his pluck, 
 and did not care to baulk him. By the time the 
 sun disappeared the three of them were mere 
 specks in the distance of the great plain. 
 
 The six natives seemed quite contented to stay 
 where they were, but both Morton and Brown 
 determined to keep a sharp eye on them. If 
 they discovered them trying to make for the 
 rock-plain they could easily overtake them on 
 horseback before they could cross. However, 
 they were there in the morning, and Brown and 
 Morton settled down to the continuation of the 
 journal. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Continuation of Stuart's Journal. 
 
 THE narrative now assumed a more connected 
 form, telling of the death of Dr. Leichhardt 
 and the rescue of the three survivors by the 
 friendly natives; also of the discovery by Stuart 
 
94 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 of some curious cave paintings, which bore evi- 
 dence of being the work of a race superior to 
 the present inhabitants of the interior. 
 
 Continuation of Stuart's Journal. 
 -Ever since the Doctor injured his hand 
 
 through the musket bursting he has been subject 
 to attacks of feverishness and temporary mad- 
 ness, and this has greatly added to the hope- 
 lessness of our position. I have often asked him 
 for some definite statement of his intentions, but 
 he seems quite unable to go into any details, and 
 I am afraid we are fearfully out in our reckon- 
 ing. Hentig still terribly bad with scurvy. 
 
 " May 1, 1849. Since my last entry we have 
 buried Hentig, and the Doctor must soon follow. 
 If we could only get across this dry country 
 ahead of us we might be able to move on, but 
 since we are almost without rations and most of 
 our horses dead it seems as though we must 
 leave our bones here, for there is no turning 
 back. Doctor much worse. Kelly says that 
 there is only two days' more water left in the 
 hole. No sign of rain. Weather getting cooler. 
 
 " May 2. This morning, before the sun got up, 
 I climbed the tall tree on the edge of the plain, 
 and distinctly saw a faint smoke to the west- 
 ward, in the same direction that Kelly thought 
 he noticed it when we first came here. To- 
 morrow we will start towards it; it is all we 
 

STUART'S JOURNAL. 95 
 
 can do. How we shall get the Doctor on I can- 
 not tell; he is almost helpless, and his mind is 
 quite gone. We have four horses and two mules. 
 Besides the Doctor, whom I look upon as a dead 
 man, there are Kelly, Murphy, and myself 
 (Stuart). Hentig is buried under the tree with 
 the cross cut on it. Klausen died on the river 
 Roper five months ago. I will bury a copy of 
 this in a powder-flask in Hentig's grave, as well 
 as the Doctor's papers." % 
 
 (Here there was an evident gap in the narra- 
 tion.) 
 
 "I have been too ill to write for many days, how 
 long I don't know, for we have all of us lost 
 count. I am only just beginning to remember our 
 journey across that horrible desert. We started 
 in the direction I had seen smoke, after using up 
 every drop of water for the animals at the camp 
 where Hentig is buried. We took it in turns to 
 hold the Doctor on his horse, but he got very bad 
 a few hours after we started, and when the sun 
 grew hot he begged us to lift him off the horse 
 for a little while. We had all the canteens full, 
 and Kelly had made a bag of calico and rubbed 
 it outside with goat's fat, and it held water 
 tolerably well. So we gave the Doctor plenty to 
 drink, but he got no better, and about noon he 
 died. He talked a good deal to liimself in Ger- 
 man, but had lost all knowledge of us or where 
 he was, and a good thing too. We could not 
 
96 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 stop to bury him, for we had to push on, so we 
 left him there on the big plain, where I think 
 no living thing ever comes or ever will come 
 since we were there. It was the second day out 
 when we got on to that prickly grass plain with 
 deep red sand, and then our horses began to give 
 up, and we had to walk and try and drive all 
 the beasts ; but they were so thirsty they would 
 not keep together, so we stopped and talked 
 about what was best to be done. Kelly and I 
 agreed that it was best to unpack all the animals, 
 and, taking all the water and as much food as 
 we could carry, to march on, and perhaps if we 
 soon came to water we could come back for the 
 beasts. Murphy did not think so; he thought 
 we could drive them on on foot when it got 
 dark, but we persuaded him that we were right, 
 and started. We walked on long after it got 
 dark, and then we lay down and slept on the 
 sandy plain amongst the prickly grass, for since 
 leaving the camp we have never passed a tree. 
 In the night Kelly called me and pointed to 
 a light in the west, which was evidently the 
 reflection of a large fire. Next morning we met 
 it, for a wind had sprung up in the morning. It 
 was well for us that it was almost barren country 
 where we met the flames, otherwise we would 
 have been burnt. As it was we were nearly stifled 
 with heat and smoke. Afterwards, all that day 
 and night, we watched the glare of it behind us 
 
STUART'S JOURNAL. 97 
 
 blazing amongst the dry prickly grass we had 
 passed through, carried on by the strong wind 
 that now blew, and we knew that our animals, 
 saddles, and the Doctor's body would be burnt 
 up, and no one would ever see more of them; so 
 it was with sorrowful hearts we walked on. 
 That day I saw some trees on ahead, and we 
 turned " 
 
 (Here the journal had been effaced, apparently 
 by water, but nothing of importance appeared 
 lost.) 
 
 " Murphy was the weakest, but we stood by 
 him, although the burnt country was very dis- 
 tressing. Kelly got a little light-headed towards 
 morning, and I began to feel the same. I don't 
 remember much more; it all seems a dream of 
 stumbling along and helping each other, some- 
 times talking to the phantoms we all fancied we 
 saw walking with us; and then I came partly to 
 my senses under a rough shade of boughs, and 
 before me was this great lake, and I knew by 
 the smell of the place and almost without looking 
 around that I was in a camp of the natives. 
 Kelly and Murphy were alive, and better than I 
 was. They remembered something about the 
 natives helping us to the water, for we had 
 passed it, and were going right away " 
 
 (Another gap.) 
 
 " June. I have put down June, for I think it 
 must be that time of the year, as near as I can 
 
 (M64) Q 
 
98 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 make it. Neither Kelly nor Murphy can read or 
 write, so while I was ill they did not keep the 
 dates. The natives are quite friendly, and Kelly, 
 who was born in the bush of the southern portion 
 of the colony, has attained great influence over 
 them, as he is very active, and can use nearly all 
 their weapons. I have been round the lake; it 
 is nearly sixty miles round, but very shallow, 
 except at the end where our camp is. The 
 natives tell me it dries up some seasons, with the 
 exception of the deep hole here. They have 
 canoes made out of shells of trees, and can man- 
 age them very well, standing upright and poling 
 or sculling with a spear. They know nothing of 
 any other blacks, excepting a tribe to the east- 
 ward, of whom they seem greatly frightened. 
 They are a very simple people, and live well, as 
 there is plenty of fish in the lake and wild fowl. 
 Kelly and Murphy have quite settled down to 
 the life, but how different it is for me! When 
 I think of my own people, and how I am doomed 
 to live and die amongst savages, I nearly go mad; 
 for unless other white men find their way here 
 I must die here; and who would cross that 
 horrible sand plain ? If the Doctor had but lived 
 we might have found some way of escape, but 
 he and our horses and saddles are all burnt up. 
 What is the good of keeping this record? No 
 one will ever read it. I will become a savage 
 like those around me, and forget what I was. 
 "July. I must write or I shall forget my 
 
STUART'S JOURNAL. 99 
 
 language, and that I must keep while life lasts. 
 A strange thing happened to-day. The old man 
 Powlbarri came to me and made me understand 
 that he wanted me to go with him, he had some- 
 thing to show me. I followed him to the ridge 
 where the great sandstone rocks are, and he led 
 through a gap between two of them so narrow 
 that we could scarcely squeeze along. In a short 
 time we stood in a spacious cave that penetrated 
 seemingly into the depths of the ridge. There 
 was a bar of limestone in the side and a few 
 stalactites, but not many, and light was admitted 
 dimly through cracks and crevices overhead. But 
 when my eyes were more accustomed to the light 
 I started with affright, for partly overhead and 
 partly confronting me was a strange gigantic 
 shape with outstretched hand. I recoiled for an 
 instant, and then saw how I had been deceived; 
 it was a rock painting on the sloping roof of the 
 cave. It bore no resemblance to the ordinary 
 crude tracings of the natives. I looked at it 
 narrowly, and tried to get out of the old man 
 who did it. He gave me to understand that it 
 had been always there as well as I could com- 
 prehend him, longer than the blacks knew of. 
 The figure was of heroic size, with straight 
 symmetrical features, the head surrounded by 
 a halo or turban, and the body attired in a rough 
 semblance of a robe. The whole figure was of 
 grave aspect, and much reminded me of the 
 drawings I had seen of Egyptian gods. The old 
 
100 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 man beckoned to me to withdraw, and I was not 
 sorry to do so, for I wanted time to think, and 
 intended to come back with Kelly and Murphy 
 and explore the place thoroughly. We passed 
 out of the cave, and had just squeezed through 
 the gap when our ears were greeted with a shrill 
 discordant yell of terror from the camp. With 
 an answering shout my companion with extra- 
 ordinary agility bounded from my side, and I 
 ran after him. There was little doubt what had 
 happened; the dreaded tribe from the east had 
 surprised and attacked the camp. When I arrived 
 on the scene the fight was just assuming extensive 
 proportions. At first the boys, gins, and old 
 men had been easily overpowered, some killed 
 and some captured; but a hunting-party came 
 up, amongst whom were my two companions, who 
 now went naked, and were nearly as dark as the 
 natives. Kelly, who would have made a brave 
 and dashing soldier if fate had so willed, plunged 
 at once into the thick of the fray, followed by 
 Murphy, who was slower in his movements. 
 There appearance disconcerted the enemy, who 
 were horribly distinguished by a red smear on 
 the forehead and a white triangle on the breast. 
 They rallied, however, but Kelly's onset, so dif- 
 ferent from the ordinary method of native war- 
 fare, had evidently staggered them. I was about 
 to join our side when I remembered that nearly 
 the only part of our equipment saved was my 
 double - barrelled pistol and ammunition bag. 
 
STUART'S JOURNAL. 101 
 
 This I had never used, reserving it for our own 
 protection, and I ran to my whirlie and came 
 back with it loaded. A tall blackfellow was 
 engaged with Kelly, and rushing up I fired at 
 and shot him. There was an instantaneous lull 
 of surprise, and at the discharge of the other bar- 
 rel the attackers straightway fled, and even our 
 own side seemed inclined to follow their example. 
 Alas, our victory was dearly bought ! Kelly was 
 speared through the chest, mortally I saw at 
 once; and so it turned out, for the poor boy died 
 with his head on my knee in a few minutes. 
 We buried him that evening, and never did I 
 feel more sorry than for my bright young com- 
 panion, who, although uneducated, had many 
 noble qualities, and " 
 
 (Here there was a large portion of the journal 
 quite undecipherable; the few words distin- 
 guishable seem to point to a visit to the cave 
 with Murphy.) 
 
 "The strange mystery of the cave paintings 
 still puzzles me. The additional smaller drawings 
 we discovered are most singular, and certainly 
 point to other authorship than that of the 
 natives. In many places there are signs like a 
 written language, and the peculiar portrayal of 
 dress indicates an Asiatic origin." 
 
 (Another gap.) 
 
 "I miss Kelly still. Murphy is dull and in- 
 tractable; he has sunk to the level of his savage 
 companions. God, have pity on me, for I 
 
102 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 shall never never see my countrymen again! 
 Surrounded by deserts, impassable to me on 
 foot, I must drag out my life here, hoping for 
 the succour that will come too late to save me." 
 
 (Here the narrative broke off, although several 
 more blank leaves in the pocket-book were 
 available.) 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Charlie's Adventure. 
 
 WELL," said Brown, "which is it to be? 
 South or west?" 
 
 "According to Columbus, Stuart was down 
 with the southern tribe the last time they saw 
 him, which is apparently many years ago." 
 
 " And he says that the road to the southern 
 tribe is the easier to travel. I think we ought 
 to go there first." 
 
 "Then tackle the western lot. We must 
 thoroughly examine those caves he speaks of." 
 
 " Yes, the horses are in fine hard condition 
 now; we will make a start as soon as Charlie 
 comes back." 
 
 " We ought to go round by Hentig's grave and 
 recover those papers." 
 
 " We have got our work cut out. Lucky we 
 brought a good supply of rations." 
 
 The six niggers appeared to have settled down 
 
CHARLIE'S ADVENTURE. 103 
 
 contentedly to await the return of Columbus. 
 They were not at all intelligent, and both men 
 failed in getting any further information from 
 them. 
 
 " What's to become of these beggars when we 
 leave?" said Brown. "We must take Columbus 
 with us to show us the best road." 
 
 " There's plenty of game here, and up and 
 down the water-course they will be able to earn 
 an honest living," returned Morton. "There's 
 not enough of them to resort to their cannibal 
 practices again." 
 
 " I sha'n't be sorry when Charlie comes back ; I 
 am tired of doing nothing." 
 
 The time appointed for Charlie's return drew 
 near without any sign of the three men. Mor- 
 ton watched the plain all day, finding it impos- 
 sible to conceal his anxiety, and blaming himself 
 for having allowed the boy to go. 
 
 At last, not long before sundown, a solitary 
 figure was seen approaching. Morton eagerly 
 snatched up the glasses. 
 
 " Columbus. And alone," said he, putting the 
 glasses down with a sigh. 
 
 The two friends waited anxiously for the 
 approach of the native. Instinctively they felt 
 that some disaster must have happened. 
 
 As soon as Columbus was within hearing he 
 commenced howling dismally, and the six others 
 answered him, lamenting in a loud voice. This 
 was kept up at intervals until Columbus reached 
 
104 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 the camp. Without waiting to be questioned, 
 he held up two fingers and pointed down to the 
 ground. Charlie and Billy were evidently in 
 trouble somewhere underground. Brown indi- 
 cated that they would go out there, which was 
 evidently what Columbus wanted. 
 
 " We must take all the surcingles," said Brown; 
 "they will bear Charlie's weight, I think, and 
 will make a good long rope buckled together." 
 
 "Columbus has been evidently sent back to 
 bring assistance; and the old beggar has trav- 
 elled too, by the look of him. What do you say 
 to taking two of the others with us?" 
 
 " I suppose they will not sack the camp while 
 we are away?" returned Brown. 
 
 "No, they are not civilized enough for that. 
 Now let us make all the haste we can." 
 
 Columbus was instructed to tell two of the 
 blacks to accompany them, and to explain to 
 these men what had happened. This he did in 
 several rapid sentences, and in a few minutes they 
 were ready for the road. Their equipment was 
 but light, as they only took their revolvers, 
 candles, the surcingles, and a little food and 
 some brandy, a small supply of which they 
 had with them; this with their water-bags would 
 be all they required, they reckoned. They 
 pushed on with scarcely a rest all night, and 
 found the advantage of having the natives with 
 them, for they could not have found their way 
 amongst the boulders in the dark. 
 
. CHARLIE'S ADVENTURE. 105 
 
 About an hour before daylight they stood 
 once more on the edge of the hole in which 
 the crater had sunk. There was a decided 
 bad odour arising from it, distinctly noticeable 
 at that time. 
 
 Morton leaned over the edge and shouted 
 "Below there!" as loud as he could. There was 
 silence for a second or two, and then " Below 
 there!" came thundering back. 
 
 " Echo," said Brown. 
 
 Morton tried again with the same result. 
 
 Brown fired his pistol, but the thunder of the 
 echoes was the only answer. 
 
 "They must be poisoned with foul air," said 
 Morton, in tones of the deepest sorrow. 
 
 "Must we wait until daylight?" asked Brown. 
 
 "I am afraid so. We might come to grief 
 ourselves, and then it would be all up indeed. 
 However, I think I can get down to the edge of 
 the fissure without much danger, if you and the 
 two blacks can hang on to the surcingles." 
 
 The preparations were soon completed, and 
 Morton carefully made his way down the slop- 
 ing sides of the hole and amongst the mud-en- 
 crusted boulders, by the help of the surcingles, 
 which Brown and the two natives held above. It 
 was slow work, for the candle he had gave out 
 only a feeble light, but at last he found himself 
 at the edge of the rift at the bottom. He stood 
 there listening for some time ; presently, with an 
 up-blast of cold air that nearly extinguished his 
 
106 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 candle, came a strange wail as though some giant 
 was sighing, far underground. 
 
 " Hear anything up there, Brown?" he shouted. 
 
 " Not a sound. Are you on level ground, can 
 we slack off?" 
 
 " Yes, slack off. But do you think you could 
 trust the two blacks to hold it while you come 
 down ? I will come back and show you a light." 
 
 " I'll chance it at any rate," returned Brown, 
 and presently he stood beside his friend. 
 
 Morton told him of the strange sound he had 
 heard, and both stood by the edge of the hole 
 and listened. Once more the blast of cold air 
 came and with it the melancholy and mysterious 
 noise. 
 
 "That's no human or animal noise," said 
 Brown; "it seems more like water or air escap- 
 ing." 
 
 " The atmosphere does not seem so bad now," 
 said Morton. "I suppose it was the contrast 
 with the pure air above." 
 
 " It was getting light to the eastward when I 
 came down just now," returned Brown; "we had 
 better wait for full daylight half an hour can- 
 not make much difference." 
 
 "It might make all the difference," replied 
 Morton; "however, I suppose there is no help 
 for it." 
 
 At that moment there was a sudden cry from 
 above. 
 
 " Wonder what's up ? " said Morton, scrambling 
 
CHARLIE'S ADVENTURE. 107 
 
 back. "Hang it all!" he exclaimed as he laid 
 hold of the surcingles and they came tumbling 
 down, showing that the blacks above had let go 
 of them. 
 
 Presently they were heard jabbering at the 
 edge of the hole, and Morton shouted to them 
 and threw a coil of the surcingles up. Ap- 
 parently they understood what was wanted, 
 for the line tautened once more and Morton 
 scrambled up, and then assisted Brown. The 
 dawn was rapidly breaking, and the blacks, 
 pointing to the candle Morton still held in his 
 hand and then towards the memorable cliffs, 
 chattered volubly. 
 
 "They must mean that they saw a light in 
 that direction," said Brown " It's too light for 
 us to see now." 
 
 " Shall we go over there or investigate this 
 hole?" 
 
 "They must have seen something by the start 
 they got; perhaps we had better go there first." 
 
 Accompanied by the two natives, who led the 
 way by a path known to them, they made for 
 the shattered cliff which they had hoped never 
 to see again. As they approached it an awful 
 odour, evidently stealing through the cracks from 
 the bodies rotting beneath the collapsed roof, 
 made itself disagreeably evident. The blacks 
 kept on talking to one another, as though dis- 
 cussing what they now saw for the first time. 
 Arrived at the place, the white men mounted on 
 
108 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 the piled-up debris, and both together shouted 
 with the full strength of their lungs. To their 
 delight a distinct answer was heard from beneath 
 their feet, evidently no echo. 
 
 " It's Charlie's voice!" cried Morton delightedly. 
 "Where are you?" he yelled. 
 
 " Here!" came the voice, right under their feet. 
 
 "In the old cave?" asked Morton. 
 
 " No, but close to it; there's a vile smell here." 
 
 " How did you get there?" 
 
 " Came underground. Do you think you can 
 get us out here, or must we go back again to the 
 crater?" 
 
 " The blacks saw your light, so there must be 
 a big gap somewhere. Have a good look round, 
 it's sunrise now." 
 
 There was a silence for a while, then Charlie's 
 voice sounded a little further off. 
 
 " There's a big crack here, but too narrow for 
 us to get through." 
 
 The men above went in the direction of the 
 sound, and soon found the fissure. 
 
 " It would take dynamite to shift this one," said 
 Brown, putting his hand on the huge boulder 
 that formed one side of the rift. 
 
 Morton knelt down on the flat rock that 
 formed the opposite side and put his hand into 
 the crevice. 
 
 "Hurrah!" he shouted, "this is only a slab; 
 the four of us can shift this, I think." 
 
 So it proved. The four, with one unanimous 
 
CHARLIE'S ADVENTURE. 109 
 
 pull, managed to partly upraise the limestone 
 slab, and Morton adroitly kicked a big stone 
 underneath which kept it in position. Charlie 
 was now able to crawl out, followed by Billy. 
 
 "Here, take a swig of this before you say 
 anything," said Morton, mixing some brandy and 
 water in his pannikin. 
 
 Charlie took some and handed the remainder 
 to Billy, who looked particularly scared. 
 
 "How long have you been cruising about in 
 the bowels of the earth?" asked Brown. 
 
 " Since the night before last, or early yesterday 
 morning. I did not go down the deep hole when 
 I first came here, because I had promised to be 
 careful. I went down the first one, and then 
 got some dead leaves from the old bottle-tree 
 camp, lit them, and threw them down. By the 
 light we could see that there were no sides to 
 the hole it seemed as though it had been 
 punched in the roof of a tunnel. However, we 
 found a place at last where some boulders 
 were piled up, and I thought that, with Billy's 
 help, I could get down on to them. I did so, 
 and found that I could get from there on to 
 the floor of the place without any trouble. I 
 came back for Billy, and he was being helped 
 down by Columbus, when suddenly there came 
 a most awful sound, half a shriek and half a sigh, 
 which so frightened Billy that he must have 
 let go, for he came tumbling on top of me, and 
 the two of us dislodged the boulder, which was 
 
110 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 not very firm to start with. Fortunately we 
 were neither of us hurt, but Columbus must have 
 thought we were killed, for he cleared out " 
 
 " And came straight back to us, luckily," inter- 
 rupted Morton. 
 
 "When I found that he was gone," went on 
 Charlie, " I thought we could get back again by 
 piling rocks up to stand upon ; but there were no 
 small ones, they were all too big for us to shift. 
 We waited there, and shouted, and called, and 
 every now and again we heard that sigh *' 
 
 " We heard it as well," said Morton. 
 
 "Billy shook with fright every time, and 
 nearly made me as bad as himself. At last 
 I made up my mind to explore the passage we 
 were in; but I had a great job with Billy, for the 
 passage led in the direction the sound came from, 
 and Billy conjured up all manner of horrors. 
 Luckily I had the packet of candles with me 
 when I came down, so we had plenty of light." 
 
 " Was the air bad?" asked Morton. 
 
 "There was a funny damp smell, but the 
 candles burnt well, and we felt no bad effects. 
 The passage was smooth enough underfoot but 
 not very high, so that we had to stoop; but 
 we came to occasional places where we could 
 straighten our backs. The noise kept getting 
 louder, until at last Billy with his terror got to 
 be such a nuisance, that when we got to where 
 there was enough space I put my candle down 
 and gave him a good punching." 
 
CHARLIE'S ADVENTURE. Ill 
 
 Here Brown and Morton burst out laughing. 
 The idea of Charlie, down in the blackness of 
 a subterranean passage, thumping Billy to keep 
 his own courage up, was too original. 
 
 "Presently we came to where the passage 
 branched, and along one came the noise, now 
 a regular bellow. Nothing could induce Billy to 
 go along that one; he threw himself on the 
 ground and let me kick him, but he wouldn't 
 budge." 
 
 "Were you very anxious to go yourself, 
 Charlie?" asked Brown. 
 
 "I had to keep up appearances," returned 
 Charlie modestly. " We started along the other 
 passage, and presently it began to ascend, and 
 was littered and partly blocked with boulders; 
 finally, after much trouble and squeezing, we 
 got up to where you found us. It was dark 
 when we got there, but I knew by the fresh 
 air coming in that there were some cracks some- 
 where leading to the upper world, and I guessed 
 by the smell that we must be in the neighbour- 
 hood of the old cave. We went back a bit and 
 lay down to sleep, and when I woke up we 
 came here again so as to be ready to try and get 
 out at the first dawn." 
 
 " Thank goodness it's all over," said Morton ; 
 " for I've had a rare fright, and Brown and I 
 have been travelling all night. However, we 
 won't go back without investigating the mystery 
 of the noise," 
 
112 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 There was still some water lying about in the 
 rock holes around the crater, so when they re- 
 turned they set to work and got breakfast ready. 
 
 Charlie thought with them that the strange 
 noise was made by an escape of water or air, 
 both from the regularity of the sound and its 
 peculiar nature. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 Investigation of the Mysterious Noise The Trip South 
 Natives Exterminated Stuart's Initials Found. 
 
 AS soon as the meal was finished, Morton, 
 Brown, and Charlie descended the hole, 
 but Billy declined the invitation extended to 
 him. By the aid of the surcingles they climbed 
 down into the passage already traversed by 
 Charlie and Billy, and which appeared to have 
 been an underground water-course at the time 
 when the boiling springs were at work. 
 
 At last they arrived at the branch passage 
 from whence came the mysterious noise, and 
 along this they proceeded cautiously. Suddenly 
 across their path extended a black chasm, bring- 
 ing them to a stand-still. Testing the ground 
 carefully, they crawled to the edge and looked 
 over. The darkness was intense, but on holding 
 the candle out, a tiny spark was reflected down 
 below, as though from the surface of a sheet of 
 
THE TRIP SOUTH. 113 
 
 water. Suddenly this disappeared, and the loud 
 sigh, or, as Charlie had called it, "a regular 
 bellow ", came up from the pit. This died down, 
 and they heard a repeated swishing noise, like 
 water splashing against rocks. Morton inverted 
 his candle so as to get the wick well alight, and 
 then dropped it down the hole. They watched 
 it falling for some time ere it struck the water 
 with a distinctly audible hiss. 
 
 "By Jove! it's a long way down there. I 
 don't think we need stop here any longer unless 
 Charlie wants to go down." 
 
 "No, thanks," said Charlie, "my curiosity is 
 quite satisfied." 
 
 They retreated as cautiously as they had 
 advanced, followed by the melancholy roar from 
 below. 
 
 "It's the water that makes that noise," said 
 Brown. "The water down there is evidently 
 still in a disturbed state, and is regularly set in 
 motion, and rushes up some sort of a blow-hole." 
 
 "Do you think it has any connection with 
 that hot swamp and lake down south?" 
 
 "Without any doubt; perhaps we shall find 
 that lake all burst up when we go down there." 
 
 They retraced their steps, and, by the aid of 
 the surcingles held by the blacks above, emerged 
 once more into the open air. They rested most of 
 the day, and started back to what they now 
 considered their main camp as soon as the 
 evening grew cool. 
 
 (M64) H 
 
114 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 Columbus and the other four blacks were 
 there, and everything as they had left it. 
 
 " That was a smart trick," said Brown. 
 
 "What was?" 
 
 " In our hurry to start after Charlie, we left 
 the journal and the copies we had made lying 
 loose in the tent. If the grass had taken fire, 
 or the niggers looted the camp, we should have 
 lost all our work." 
 
 Morton whistled. 
 
 They rested one day, and then made an early 
 start for the south. They had rigged up a make- 
 shift saddle for Columbus, and, as they travelled 
 slowly, he was able to get along fairly well. 
 They reached the swamp about the same time 
 as before, and at first noticed no change in it. 
 On penetrating it, however, they found that it 
 was not so boggy as formerly, and on mounting 
 the tree they had already climbed, they saw that 
 the water in the lake had fallen considerably, and 
 the fringe of reeds was drooping. 
 
 " Do you think all these fine trees will die if 
 the water dries up?" said Charlie. 
 
 " They may. But as their roots go down to a 
 great depth, I should think they would hold on a 
 good many years yet." 
 
 Next morning Columbus indicated the track 
 they had come upon before, and they soon had 
 left the swamp behind them. The country was 
 exceedingly monotonous, there being no break 
 in the forest until about four in the afternoon; 
 
THE TRIP SOUTH. 115 
 
 then they suddenly came to a creek, and the 
 country began to improve, and better grass was 
 apparent. At the first water they came to they 
 camped for the night. Columbus intimated to 
 them that the creek they were on and the one 
 where they had been camped were the same, and 
 as the characteristics were similar, they con- 
 cluded that he was right, and that the creek had 
 re-formed again. Columbus also informed them 
 that they would now follow the creek, and that 
 there was plenty of water all the way. On 
 inquiry, he said that they would reach the 
 mountain in two days. 
 
 On the evening of the second day they got into 
 broken country, although it was still well grassed, 
 and the creek had largely increased in size. 
 From the crest of one ridge they passed over, 
 Columbus pointed to the mountain now visible 
 in the distance. 
 
 Next day the country was much rougher, and 
 the creek ran through a succession of gorges. 
 The mountain was the highest point of the 
 broken country, and the creek swept round the 
 base of it. 
 
 Morton called Brown's attention to the fact 
 that all the native camps they passed were of 
 old date, and that no fresh tracks were visible. 
 At last they reached an extent of open country 
 lying at the foot of the mountain, which rose 
 aloft in a peak. On the bank of the creek were 
 some ruined humpies, built of mud and sticks, 
 
116 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 after the manner of the Cooper's Creek natives. 
 In the creek was a long water-hole, apparently 
 of great depth. Human bones and skeletons 
 were strewn about the camp. Evidently a 
 wholesale massacre had taken place some years 
 back. 
 
 " Those cannibals must have wiped the whole 
 tribe out the last time they were here," said 
 Brown. 
 
 "If they have served the tribe to the west- 
 ward the same way, they would have had to live 
 on one another shortly." 
 
 After unpacking and hobbling the horses, 
 they made a thorough investigation of the place 
 to see if any trace of Stuart still existed, but 
 they saw nothing to lead them to suppose that a 
 white man had ever been there. 
 
 Columbus, on being appealed to, pointed to 
 the hill, which was scarcely a quarter of a mile 
 away. On going over to it they found what 
 appeared to be a crude kind of barricade built of 
 stones, a work that none of the party had ever 
 before seen done by natives. This was the only 
 indication they found that evening. The next 
 morning early they ascended the hill, and from 
 the top had an extended view all around. They 
 were evidently on the highest point in that part 
 of the continent. To the south and east it 
 appeared to be one vast ocean of scrub, without 
 a break to the horizon. They could trace the 
 course of the creek for some short distance, then 
 
THE TRIP SOUTH. 117 
 
 it apparently died out and was once more lost. 
 Westward the scrub was broken into belts and 
 patches, until it merged into a wide gray plain, to 
 which they could see no end but the sky-line. 
 Northward was the broken country they had 
 passed over. The mountain was of granite for- 
 mation, and on a smooth boulder they found 
 some initials plainly chipped on the surface: 
 "C. N. S. 1861". 
 
 " Stuart was here, then, right enough. I won- 
 der whether he went on from here." 
 
 " He never got into the settled districts at any 
 rate, or we should have heard of it." 
 
 Columbus, who had accompanied them, shook 
 his head when asked about the country to the 
 south and east. He made a gesture like a man 
 falling down dead, by which they understood 
 that it was impassable, so that the probability 
 was that Stuart had perished in his attempt to 
 make into civilization. 
 
 Brown struck a match and lit his pipe. 
 
 " We have come to the end of our tether in 
 this direction," he said. 
 
 " I wonder how the lake bears from here," 
 replied Morton. " I suppose the cannibals have 
 a track from the great rock out to it, but if 
 Stuart got down here on foot we ought to be 
 able to find our way across on horseback." 
 
 Columbus, on being questioned as to the direc- 
 tion of the lake, pointed north, the way they had 
 come. 
 
118 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 " That's a way the niggers have," said Brown. 
 " They always point to the last place they started 
 from; they have no idea of direction. When 
 we got back to the old camp he would point 
 some other way." 
 
 Columbus professed entire ignorance as to any 
 means of reaching the lake, except by going 
 back the way they came and starting on the 
 road he knew. Morton and Brown, however, 
 decided on trying to go straight across from 
 where they were. 
 
 They devoted one day to a trip down the 
 creek, which they found was entirely lost in 
 sandy, scrubby country. No further sign of 
 Stuart's presence was found anywhere, nor could 
 anything be discovered to lead one to suppose 
 that any of the natives had survived the mas- 
 sacre, although Columbus had evidently expected 
 to find some still living. 
 
 Calculating the supposed situation of the lake 
 as due west from the rock, they reckoned it 
 would be north-west from where they then were. 
 If that course did not bring them to the lake 
 they would probably come across some indication 
 which would lead them to it. 
 
 The first part of their journey was through 
 the belts of scrub they had seen from the hill- 
 top. It was principally hedgewood, and greatly 
 delayed their progress, and it was late when 
 they at last emerged upon the edge of the 
 plain. The grass was fairly good, but there was 
 
THE TRIP SOUTH. 119 
 
 no water for the horses, and from what they had 
 seen there did not seem much prospect of getting 
 any early the next day. In fact, it was past 
 noon before they had crossed the plain and 
 gained the timber on the other side of it. This 
 was open forest, and in a clear space, some mile 
 or two on, they came to a dry lagoon. In the 
 shallow bed was an old native well, and on 
 clearing this out and deepening it, a very fair 
 supply of water came in. Watering their now 
 thirsty horses took some time, as all the water 
 had to be drawn from the well, a billyful at a 
 time, and poured into a trough extemporized from 
 a waterproof sheet. The supply, however, came 
 in strongly, showing there was a good permanent 
 soakage. There was fine feed about the lagoon, 
 and everybody felt satisfied with the prospect 
 ahead. 
 
 Columbus seemingly knew nothing of the 
 country they were then on, so that the cannibals 
 had evidently stuck to one particular track when 
 on their periodical man-hunting expeditions. 
 
120 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 In the Spinifex Desert Arrival at the Lake The 
 Remnant of a Tribe. 
 
 THE next morning when they started the forest 
 country still continued for many miles, until 
 they at length came to another broad plain, and a 
 couple of hours before sundown sighted some tim- 
 ber nearly on their course. This proved to be a 
 double line of gutta-percha-trees, with a broad 
 flat between them. The trees grew on low banks 
 of sand, on which were countless quantities of 
 tiny shells; the whole had the appearance of a 
 shallow water-course, but the bed was covered 
 with blue-bush. The two lines of trees stretched 
 on like a limitless avenue, and as it followed much 
 the same course as that they were travelling, 
 they proceeded along it. They passed one or 
 two empty holes, with a ring of polygonum bushes, 
 dry and withered, around the top of the bank. 
 It grew late, and as everything still bore a 
 parched appearance Morton pulled up for a con- 
 sultation. 
 
 While discussing the best thing to do, a flight 
 of galar and corrella parrots passed overhead, 
 flying in the direction they were going, and 
 evidently making for their nightly drink. This 
 put new life into everybody, and they pushed on 
 
IN THE SPINIFEX DESERT. 121 
 
 once more. At dusk they were rewarded by 
 coming to a somewhat deeper hole than those 
 they had passed. There was, however, only 
 sufficient water for their wants in the bottom, 
 and it was fast drying up, and could not be 
 depended on for their return journey. 
 
 Next morning they still kept on along the 
 avenue of gutta-percha-trees, and Morton began 
 to hope that it would turn out to be one of the 
 water-courses supplying the lake. In this, how- 
 ever, he was disappointed, for the trees grew 
 fewer in number and further apart, until they 
 passed the last one, and before them stretched 
 once more a boundless plain. 
 
 The country now suddenly changed for the 
 worse; the ground was sandy and covered with 
 the detestable spinifex, and both Morton and 
 Brown felt rather doubtful as to going on, for 
 there was no knowing how far this desert might 
 extend. 
 
 However, they made up their minds to pro- 
 ceed, as there was really nothing else to do. 
 Then commenced one of the weariest rides they 
 had yet experienced during the trip. It was even 
 worse than the scrub. The prickly needles of 
 the spinifex irritated the shins of the horses, so 
 that it was with great trouble the pack-horses 
 were urged along. Hour after hour went on, 
 and still there was no change in the unbroken 
 horizon that bounded them. 
 
 " I should fancy those old cannibals found it 
 
122 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 mighty rough on their shins if they had to cross 
 a belt of desert like this," said Brown. 
 
 "I expect they kept it burnt down on the 
 track they used to patronize," replied his friend. 
 
 "Fancy what the feelings of poor hopeless 
 Stuart and his companions must have been when 
 toiling through this waste." 
 
 " Yes. If we find it bad, what must starving 
 men on foot have found it?" 
 
 That night fell on them still in the desert. 
 They had an ample supply of water for them- 
 selves in the canvas bags, but their horses had 
 to go both hungry and thirsty. 
 
 "Things begin to look rather queer," said 
 Morton, as they prepared to start. 
 
 " Yes, it's a case if we don't get out of this by 
 to-night." 
 
 They had hardly mounted, when Billy and 
 Columbus gave a mutual exclamation, and pointed 
 to the westward of their track. A curious look- 
 ing dark mass was travelling swiftly along just 
 above the horizon. Suddenly it dipped down 
 and disappeared. 
 
 "Hurrah!" shouted Brown. "Flock pigeons 
 going in for their morning drink. That must be 
 the lake." 
 
 Much elated, they pressed eagerly on in the 
 new direction, the horses seeming to understand 
 what was ahead as well as their masters. The 
 spinifex now began to grow scantier, and patches 
 of grass appeared in its place; the earth changed 
 
IN THE SPINIFEX DESERT. 123 
 
 from red sand to good chocolate soil, and before 
 them stretched a very large expanse of downs, 
 well grassed with Mitchell grass and other good 
 grasses. 
 
 Suddenly and unexpectedly they crossed the 
 crest of an imperceptible rise, and before them 
 lay the goal of their hopes. Unanimously they 
 halted and gazed at the locality where the man, 
 whose journal they had read, had passed many 
 weary years of exile. 
 
 No fairer scene could have been found any- 
 where in the interior of Australia. A blue 
 expanse of water, apparently some miles in 
 length, lay outstretched before them. The low 
 sloping banks were verdant with grass, kept 
 green by the soakage from the lake. Great 
 gnarled coolibah-trees of immense girth grew 
 round the water's edge, and the gently rising 
 downs on either side were studded with clumps 
 of the beautiful weeping myall and shady 
 bauhinia trees. At the end of the lake nearest 
 to them was a small hill crowned with great 
 gray boulders of granite. 
 
 "After all, there must be something in the 
 influence of surroundings," said Morton. "The 
 natives living here, are, or were, according to 
 Stuart, a gentle and friendly tribe, whilst those 
 living amongst the barren rocks alongside of that 
 boiling spring were about the biggest devils I 
 ever met." 
 
 " How about Columbus?" asked Charlie. "If 
 
124 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 there are any natives left, won't they try and 
 kill him?" 
 
 " No doubt they will make it pretty sultry for 
 him, but he seems quite cheerful over it. He 
 has put the onus of the whole thing on our 
 shoulders. He must take his chance." 
 
 They rode on in suppressed excitement, hoping 
 against hope that Stuart might still be there. 
 
 "What's that ahead?" suddenly cried Morton. 
 
 The object when approached turned out to be 
 the bald, dried, half -decomposed body of a black- 
 fellow. 
 
 " This is some of your men's doings, my friend," 
 said Brown, glancing at Columbus, who grinned 
 complacently. 
 
 The sides of the lake were firm and hard, and 
 the thirsty horses ran eagerly in and commenced 
 drinking greedily. Overhead the white correllas 
 and pink and gray galars chattered noisily amongst 
 the boughs, on the opposite side a group of objects 
 like native guiiyahs were visible. When the horses 
 finished drinking, they rode round the edge of the 
 lake to them. 
 
 Not a sound was heard, and nothing was seen 
 to move as they approached the spot, nor was 
 any smoke visible. Gorged carrion crows and 
 hawks arose as they drew near, and flapped 
 unwillingly away; the crows protesting loudly 
 at being disturbed, after the manner of their 
 kind. Two or three eagle-hawks gazed fiercely 
 down from the branches of neighbouring trees. 
 
IN THE SPINIFEX DESERT. 125 
 
 A pestilential smell hung heavy in the air, an 
 odour soon accounted for, for around the ravished 
 camp lay at least a score of corpses, all in the 
 same stage of decay as the one they had first 
 passed on the plain. These appeared to be 
 mostly old men and women, although here and 
 there the smaller bodies of children could be seen 
 amongst their slaughtered parents. Brown and 
 the others drew a long breath as they gazed on 
 this scene of murder. 
 
 " What a blessing it is," he said, " to know that 
 all those wretches who did this are crushed into 
 jelly underneath tons of rock." 
 
 " Yes," replied Morton in a low voice; " and for 
 two pins I could find it in my heart to send that 
 hoary old sinner there to keep them company." 
 
 This sentiment was a common one, and Col- 
 umbus received some very savage glances, even 
 Billy looking at him, and handling his carbine as 
 though anxious to use it on the blackf ellow. The 
 old cannibal, however, was quite unconscious of 
 the feeling he had aroused, and smiled sweetly as 
 though he was showing them a highly interesting 
 little exhibition. 
 
 "They must have killed and captured the 
 whole tribe," said Morton at last. " No hope of 
 finding Stuart now." 
 
 " I am afraid not. We had better look out a 
 camp as far to windward of these poor wretches 
 as possible," returned Brown. 
 
 Just then Billy whistled, and when his master 
 
126 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 looked towards him, he indicated by a motion 
 of his head the direction of the hill with the 
 granite boulders on it. 
 
 A thin column of smoke was stealing up from 
 the back of it. 
 
 Morton whispered hastily to Charlie to take 
 Billy and ride round the foot of the hill to the 
 back of it, leaving the loose horses feeding about 
 on the green grass at the edge of the water. 
 
 He and Brown rode straight over the crest of 
 the hill, and underneath them saw the mockery 
 of a camp. A wretched remnant, who had 
 escaped massacre, they found huddled together 
 near some rocks. Two old men, about half a 
 dozen gins and children, and one young fellow, 
 badly wounded. Too startled and frightened to 
 attempt flight, they gathered timorously together. 
 Their fear seemed augmented when Charlie and 
 the black boy came up. 
 
 Brown dismounted and walked up to them. At 
 once a cry of surprise and pleasure broke from 
 the old men. They commenced jumping about, 
 shouting and laughing uproariously. Instantly 
 it flashed across the minds of the whites that they 
 were mistaken for a reincarnation or resurrection 
 of their countrymen who had formerly lived here. 
 Morton and Charlie left their horses and joined 
 Brown, when the conference was abruptly inter- 
 rupted by the appearance of a riderless horse. 
 A difference of opinion had arisen between 
 Columbus and his steed when the others left 
 
IN THE SPINIFEX DESERT. 127 
 
 him alone, which resulted in the discomfiture 
 of the native, who now followed limping after 
 his horse. 
 
 The old men recognized their enemy at once. 
 They stamped, raved, and spat at him; and one, 
 picking up a spear, drove at him with such vigour, 
 that only a nimble jump saved Columbus from 
 being transfixed. For his part he returned their 
 vituperation with interest, and the gins joining 
 in, a perfect tempest of words ensued. Seeing 
 that nothing could be done until they were alone, 
 Morton told Charlie to go and round up the pack 
 and spare horses, and, with Billy and Columbus, 
 to take them some distance up the lake and camp 
 on the bank, where he and Brown would join 
 them. 
 
 Once their enemy was out of sight the blacks 
 quietened down, and one of them commenced a 
 voluble speech to Brown, addressing him as 
 " Tuartee", from which it was evident that their 
 first surmise was correct. After some trouble 
 they made the natives understand that they 
 were not going away, but were going to make a 
 camp at the lake. They promised to return 
 shortly, and rode away to join Charlie and Billy. 
 
 Everybody enjoyed a good swim in the lagoon, 
 and ate a hearty meal afterwards. Brown and 
 Morton then strolled back to interview the 
 blacks, 
 
128 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 The Fate of Columbus Investigation of the Cave 
 Stuart's Grave and Eecovery of the Conclusion of 
 his Journal. 
 
 fTlHEIR approach to the camp was greeted with 
 JL cries of " Tuartee", and they endeavoured 
 to make the old men comprehend that they 
 wanted to be shown the cave. Apparently, 
 however, the blacks, if they did understand, 
 thought that their guidance was quite unneces- 
 sary to a returned spirit, who ought to know all 
 about it. They imitated the gestures made by 
 the whites, and pointed with infinite politeness 
 the same way that they did, but that was all 
 that could be got out of them. 
 
 As they were both tired after their long and 
 dreary ride, they determined to start on an 
 independent search the next morning, and after 
 giving the blacks some trifling presents they 
 returned to camp. That evening they enjoyed 
 a meal of fine fish caught in the lake. It was 
 plain that some days must be spent in the neigh- 
 bourhood, in order to thoroughly investigate 
 the caves, and find out if possible the fate of 
 Stuart. 
 
 " Well, we are here," said Brown, as he made 
 his bed down that night, " but I'm hanged if I 
 
THE FATE OF COLUMBUS. 129 
 
 know exactly how we are going to get back 
 again." 
 
 "No, we shall have to make a mighty long 
 dry stage, for that last hole we were at will be 
 dry by to-morrow." 
 
 "I think Stuart must have got across some 
 other way." 
 
 They were soon all sound asleep; as no danger 
 was to be apprehended from the poor wretches 
 at the camp at the hill, no watch was kept. 
 Towards morning Morton felt himself gently 
 shaken by the shoulder; looking up he saw 
 Charlie bending over him. 
 
 " I'm sure there's somebody prowling around 
 the camp," he whispered. " I felt that funny feel- 
 ing one feels, you know, of the presence of some- 
 thing not right about the place. I was woke up 
 by a sound like a blow, or a stick breaking." 
 
 Morton sat up, looked around, and listened. 
 All appeared peaceful and quite enough. The 
 fires had burned down, and the light of the stars 
 alone illumined the scene. The sheet of water 
 alongside was unruffled, and reflected like a 
 mirror the thickly-studded sky overhead. Not 
 a sound could be heard, not even the cry of 
 a night-bird or water-fowl. For some moments 
 they both remained silent, listening, then Morton 
 said in an undertone: 
 
 "Must have been fancy, Charlie. There can 
 be nobody here but those poor wretches over the 
 hill." 
 
 (M 64) } 
 
130 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 "No, it was not fancy," answered Charlie. 
 " I am sure there was somebody moving about. 
 You know I would not have roused you had I 
 not been certain. Listen!" 
 
 Loud cries suddenly arose in chorus from the 
 camp of the natives. 
 
 Brown started up. 
 
 "The devil!" he said, after listening. "That 
 old Columbus at his cannibal tricks again. See 
 if he is there, Charlie." 
 
 Billy and Columbus had made a separate fire, 
 round which they were sleeping, coiled after the 
 manner of blackfellows. Billy, aroused by the 
 outcries which rung out clearly and distinctly in 
 the still night air, now struggled to his feet, half 
 asleep. 
 
 "Here's Columbus," said Charlie, giving the 
 prostrate chieftain a good kick. " Wake up, old 
 man!" he cried. 
 
 Columbus never stirred. 
 
 " There's something up," said Charlie, drawing 
 back with a shudder. 
 
 Morton struck a match, as did Brown. 
 
 There was indeed something up. One glimpse 
 was sufficient. Columbus lay dead, his skull 
 shattered with a two-handed club which had 
 been left beside his body. The shouts of the 
 blacks were tokens of rejoicing at the return of 
 his executioners with their work accomplished. 
 
 The whites gazed at the dead man in silence, 
 and each felt slightly cold at the thought of the 
 
THE FATE OF COLUMBUS. 131 
 
 ease with which the whole camp might have 
 been disposed of. 
 
 "Ketribution!" said Morton at last. "He 
 deserved his fate, but I can't help feeling sorry 
 for the old villain. Billy, my boy, supposing 
 that fellow had made a trifling mistake and 
 tapped you on the skull in the dark." 
 
 Billy shook his head as though to make sure 
 it was quite sound. 
 
 "No good this one country," he replied; "mine 
 think it go back alonga station." 
 
 "Billy, your remarks, as usual, are to the 
 point, and chock-full of sound sense," remarked 
 Brown. " But we shall all feel better when the 
 sun jumps up. Let's make the fire burn and 
 have breakfast. It's not far off daybreak." 
 
 By the time the meal was finished the first 
 rays of the sun were just visible. Charlie and 
 Billy were sent after the horses, with instructions 
 to remove the camp to one of the clumps of 
 timber some short distance back from the lake, 
 and then to take Columbus' body to where the 
 victims of his tribe were lying there they could 
 moulder in company. Morton and Brown started 
 in their search for the cave, taking the camp of 
 the natives on their way. The killing of Colum- 
 bus was only a just act of tribal vengeance. 
 They did not intend, therefore, to let it interfere 
 with their friendly intercourse with these natives, 
 from whom so much valuable information might 
 be obtained. 
 
132 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 The blacks evinced no fear when they came to 
 the camp, and greeted them in the most friendly 
 manner. Not wasting any time in fruitless 
 attempts at intercourse, the two men set out on 
 their search. They were fortunate at the outset. 
 They selected the two most imposing boulders, 
 which seemed to answer best to the description 
 in the journal, and on nearer approach a well- 
 worn pad proved that they were on the right 
 track. Squeezing through the narrow aperture 
 described by Stuart, they found themselves in 
 the cavern confronting the gigantic figure painted 
 on the roof and side. Prepared as they were for 
 the startling appearance of this form, they could 
 not repress a certain feeling of awe as they gazed 
 at it, and recognized at once that it was not the 
 work of any Australian aborigines then existing 
 on the continent. 
 
 A movement behind made Morton hastily turn 
 round. One of the old men had silently followed 
 them, and was standing a few paces away. 
 Seeing Brown look curiously around after the 
 first survey of the figure he advanced, and 
 beckoning to him, led him to the side of the 
 cavern where the light from a crevice above fell 
 strong on a certain place. There, on the rock, 
 had been carved with care this inscription 
 
 "CHARLES NEIL STUART 
 
 CAME HERE, 1849. 
 
 DIED " 
 
THE FATE OF COLUMBUS. 133 
 
 Then followed a date, scratched with a feeble 
 hand, which they made out to be " 1870 ". 
 
 With uncovered heads the two friends gazed 
 sorrowfully and reverently at the resting-place 
 of their unfortunate countryman. Although 
 they had never really anticipated finding him 
 alive, a feeling of sincere regret was uppermost 
 at discovering their worst forebodings realized. 
 They would have given much to have been in 
 time to bring succour to the poor lonely man by 
 the side of whose grave they knew they were 
 standing. 
 
 The native again advanced, and putting his 
 hand into a crevice in the rock drew forth 
 a package, done up in the dried skins of some 
 small marsupials, and furthermore protected by 
 a casing of bark. This he gravely handed to 
 Brown, who took it from him, but refrained from 
 opening it at once. After a short scrutiny 
 around, resulting in no further discoveries, they 
 left the cave. Resting on the first convenient 
 rock, they proceeded to inspect the precious par- 
 cel. The contents consisted of an old-fashioned 
 double-barrelled pistol, a powder flask, a bullet- 
 mould much dented and battered, and a roll of 
 loose leaves of paper covered with faded writing. 
 Together they pored over these leaves, which 
 contained the conclusion of the castaway's life. 
 They were in much better order than the con- 
 tents of the pocket-book originally discovered, 
 not having been subjected to such rough usage, 
 
134 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 and the narrative ran on without a break. The 
 contents explained the presence of Murphy 
 amongst the cannibals, the loss of the pocket- 
 book, &c., and recorded Stuart's futile attempt 
 to escape to the south, his meeting with the now 
 exterminated tribe who lived at the foot of the 
 mountain, and his return after repeated failures 
 to penetrate the scrub and sand which cut him 
 off from the settled districts. A gold discovery 
 was also recorded. 
 
 They went back to their new camp, meaning 
 to spend the rest of the day in copying out the 
 journal, so as to insure its safety as much as 
 possible. Morton dictated the narrative to Brown 
 and Charlie, who made separate copies. Thus 
 ran the story. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 The Continuation of Stuart's Journal The Slaughter 
 Chamber. 
 
 I AM now alone, and I know not whether my 
 comrade is living or dead. It was a year 
 after Kelly's death by my reckoning, which I 
 have kept by notches on a rock in the cave 
 that I went with three natives to a scrub about 
 ten miles from here to get a peculiar kind of 
 wood I was looking for to make bows of. For 
 now that I had made up my mind I would never 
 
THE SLAUGHTER CHAMBER. 135 
 
 be rescued, I thought I would try to teach the 
 natives the use of the bow and arrow, and we 
 would lead them against this tribe whom they 
 dreaded so and who killed Kelly, and perhaps 
 obtain peace. There was no wood suitable near 
 the camp, but from the description given by the 
 blacks I thought I could obtain what I wanted 
 in the scrub indicated by them. There was water 
 there, and we stopped two days, cutting and 
 dressing the saplings so as to make them lighter 
 to carry in, for as we only had stone tomahawks 
 it took a long time. On the evening of the second 
 day we heard a gin wailing and crying in the 
 distance, coming towards us. The blacks stopped 
 their work and ran to meet her, crying out in 
 the same tone. I knew something was wrong 
 and followed them. It was sad news, awful 
 news! The Warlattas, as the hostile tribe was 
 called, had attacked the camp at night, had killed 
 and wounded many, and carried off a number of 
 prisoners amongst them Murphy, who was a 
 heavy sleeper and had no chance to defend him- 
 self. I knew that these Warlattas were cannibals, 
 and that the prisoners they took away were pro- 
 bably eaten. 
 
 " We got back to camp in the middle of the 
 night, and the next morning I tried to get the 
 men who were left to follow me after the canni- 
 bals, but they were all so cowed they wouldn't, 
 although I showed them the pistol and fired it 
 off. I tried to track the enemy by myself, and 
 
136 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 if I could I would have followed them, but I lost 
 the tracks and nearly died of thirst. The War- 
 lattas had taken nearly all the few things we 
 had saved, including my pocket-book; these few 
 sheets I am writing on were picked up about 
 the camp. 
 
 " 1853. That is my reckoning. All this time 
 I have written nothing, as I wanted to husband 
 my paper, and I had little heart after Murphy 
 was taken away. I made the blacks build a 
 place with stones a sort of barricade to sleep in 
 at night, and it was lucky I did, for the War- 
 lattas came again; but, thanks to the barricade 
 and my pistol, we beat them off without losing 
 a man, and now the natives have great confidence, 
 and I think will beat them again. 
 
 " I often tried to get them to follow me to where 
 these people lived, as I thought Murphy might 
 be alive and I could rescue him, but they seemed 
 to be horribly frightened at the thought and 
 refused always. On examining the bodies of 
 those that had fallen, I found them all marked 
 the same way with some sort of pigment, a red 
 smear on the forehead and a white triangle on 
 the breast. This, and something in their appear- 
 ance, led me to consider if there was not some 
 connection between the figures in the cave and 
 this strange people. Thinking long over this, I 
 explored the cave thoroughly, both it and any in 
 the neighbourhood, and finally it led me to the 
 strange discovery that has caused me to write my 
 
THE SLAUGHTER CHAMBER. 137 
 
 journal once more, in the faint hope that some 
 day it will be found and read by civilized man. 
 
 " Searching around the cave containing the 
 painted figure, I found an aperture which appa- 
 rently ran for some distance. It was on the 
 ground, the rock coming to within about two feet 
 of the sandy floor, and on stooping down it seemed 
 to me that I could feel a current of fresh air 
 passing through. On inquiry I found that none 
 of the blacks had been into the opening, as they 
 had a superstitious dislike scarcely, however, 
 amounting to dread of the cave. The aperture 
 was too low to easily admit me, so I got a slim 
 young fellow to explore it. He soon crawled 
 back, saying there was another big cave beyond, 
 but too dark to see anything. I got some more 
 boys up and set them to scoop the sand away 
 until the opening was big enough for me to pass 
 in. We took fire and bark and wood with us, 
 and when we emerged in the gloomy cavern 
 beyond we immediately kindled a fire. As the 
 blaze arose and illuminated the recesses of the 
 cave a shriek of terror burst from my juvenile 
 companions, a wild cry of " Warlatta! Warlatta!" 
 and in an instant they disappeared like a bevy 
 of black rats underneath the rock where we had 
 entered. I looked around in surprise, but soon 
 divined the cause; on the opposite side appeared, 
 drawn in white on the wall, a large triangle, the 
 sign ever associated in their minds with murder 
 and rapine. 
 
138 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 " Heaping more wood on the fire, I advanced 
 and examined the surroundings. Underneath 
 the triangle was a huge block of yellowish- 
 white sandstone, but its purity was marred by a 
 horrible reddish stain which marked one of its 
 sloping sides. Its purpose flashed on me at once 
 in some old time it had been used as a sacrificial 
 stone. The fire now blazed up merrily, and I had 
 ample light for my researches. The smoke dis- 
 appeared through crevices in the roof, and the 
 ventilation seemed excellent. Marks of old fires 
 were visible all over the floor, which was of white 
 sandstone with the same reddish stains visible in 
 places. Searching more minutely I found in one 
 corner a knife or dagger, made of steel (since then 
 I have found it to be tempered so skilfully that 
 the edge can scarcely be turned by the hardest 
 rock). The handle, if it ever had one, had dis- 
 appeared through age. In addition, there was a 
 broken ring of the same metal, seemingly part of 
 a chain, and on the walls were characters in red, 
 but of no written language that I could remem- 
 ber. This was all that I saw on my first visit. 
 
 "Voices at the opening told me that the natives 
 had recovered from their fright, and were in 
 search of me. I called to them, and emboldened 
 by my voice and the firelight some of them crept 
 in and joined me. I found out that they had no 
 knowledge of this chamber, and in hopes of find- 
 ing another I set them hunting round for any 
 more openings that might exist, but none could 
 
THE SLAUGHTER CHAMBER. 139 
 
 be discovered. Whilst so engaged one of them 
 brushed against the stone altar, and immediately 
 it commenced rocking, whilst a squeaking, pierc- 
 ing scream, like a human being in intense agony, 
 thrilled us all with horror. The blacks threw 
 themselves on the ground, and it was a few 
 moments before I could summon up courage to 
 Approach the stone and examine it. The rocking 
 was gradually ceasing, and the shrieks grew 
 fainter as the motion ceased. The stone I found 
 to be most beautifully poised, so that the slightest 
 touch started the oscillation. As to the machinery 
 that produced the screaming noise, that I could 
 not investigate without capsizing the stone, which 
 evidently weighed some tons. For a moment I 
 shut my eyes, and seemed to see once more the 
 hideous drama that must have been many times 
 enacted in this chamber of death the savage 
 priests, the manacled victim, the streaming blood, 
 the trembling captives, and the harsh shrieking 
 of the rocking stone adding its awful voice to 
 the groans of the dying man and fading away 
 into silence with his last cries. What horrible 
 ingenuity had devised such added terrors to the 
 scene ? By degrees I got the blacks out of their 
 fright, but it was amusing to see the celerity 
 with which they disappeared as soon as I gave 
 the signal. 
 
 " 1862. I have made a great effort to escape, 
 but am forced to come back here to die. The 
 blacks had told me on two occasions that rather 
 
140 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 to the west of south there was water within 
 reach of a long day's journey; but as this was 
 only leading me further into this uninhabited 
 wilderness, I had never had the curiosity to go 
 there. It now struck me that from there I could 
 possibly get round the end of the great sandy 
 desert, and perhaps find an easy road back to the 
 settlement, which must have pushed out towards 
 me since I have been buried here. I had suc- 
 ceeded in teaching the blacks the use of the bow 
 and arrow, and to build tolerably safe huts to 
 sleep in. The Warlattas had attacked us twice 
 since the first time we defeated them, and on 
 both occasions had suffered great loss, whilst we 
 had not a man wounded. For years now they 
 have not dared to come, and I think the bows and 
 arrows have frightened them. Moreover, my 
 natives have no longer the terror of them they 
 had formerly, and feel confident in repulsing 
 them. Under these circumstances I felt that I 
 could venture to leave them, for I did not like 
 the idea of their becoming once more a prey to 
 this horrible Warlatta tribe. One of the old 
 men who had been to the water before, and a fine 
 young fellow named Onkimyong, accompanied 
 me. I fully explained to the blacks what to do 
 if the Warlattas turned up again, and promised 
 them soon to return ; for if I succeeded in getting 
 away, I meant to come back with a party to 
 thoroughly examine the caves and root out the 
 Warlattas for good. Strange, the blacks have no 
 
A HOPELESS SITUATION. 141 
 
 repugnance to going anywhere west or due 
 south, but to the eastward they will not go. 
 
 Our journey during the first day was over 
 treeless country well grassed, although at times 
 we came across patches of the prickly grass, 
 proving that we were not very far from the edge 
 of the sandy desert. We did not reach the 
 water that night, but as we had brought a 
 couple of coolamen 1 full, we did not trouble to 
 press on. Next morning we arrived there early 
 in the morning and found it a long narrow lagoon, 
 the water being of a milky colour. Around 
 this lagoon were many camping -places of the 
 natives. I asked the old man if he knew this 
 tribe, and I found that he had met some mem- 
 bers of it once; they were friendly, not like the 
 Warlattas." 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Continuation of Stuart's Journal A Hopeless Situation. 
 
 WE stayed at the lagoon all day, and in the 
 evening, fortunately, a party of the na- 
 tives came in. They were timid at first, but the 
 old man and Onkimyong could make themselves 
 understood, and they gradually gained confidence. 
 They had never seen a white man before, al- 
 
 1 Vessels chopped out of the soft wood of the coral-tree by the 
 natives; and used for carrying water in the dry country. 
 
142 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 though I am now pretty well burnt black by the 
 sun. My two natives showed off their bow-and- 
 arrow shooting with great pride. They told the 
 others how the Warlattas, who seemed to have 
 turned their attention to the new-comers also, 
 had been beaten off and killed. 
 
 " These natives explained that they lived on a 
 creek to the south-east, and when I heard that 
 I made sure that I should at last escape. When 
 the old man found out where they came from 
 and that I intended to accompany them, he 
 would not go any further, and nothing could 
 induce him to alter his intention of going back. 
 Onkimyong, however, who was very fond of me, 
 and being young had not so much superstition, 
 said that he would stay with me and go wher- 
 ever I went. 
 
 "The blacks were on a hunting expedition, 
 and had come to the lagoon on purpose to fish; 
 so we remained there a few days and the old 
 man returned to the lake. 
 
 " When we started we went to the south-east, 
 and the country rapidly changed its character, 
 becoming scrubby and barren. That night 
 we camped at a salt lake, obtaining some 
 water, slightly brackish for drinking, from a 
 native well dug some distance back. Next day 
 our course was through wretchedly poor and 
 barren country. When we rested for a time I 
 noticed an outcrop of quartz; my position in the 
 party had ostensibly been that of geologist, 
 
A HOPELESS SITUATION. 143 
 
 and I went over to examine it, for before we left 
 there had been some vague rumours that gold 
 had been discovered in the southern part of the 
 colony. I broke up some of the stone with a 
 large one, and found that it was auriferous. 
 This discovery did not elate me in any way. If 
 I had found a mountain of gold, of what value 
 would it be to me? 
 
 "Continuing, our journey we reached water 
 again that night, apparently a small soakage 
 spring. The blacks told Onkimyong that we 
 should camp at a small creek the following night 
 with some brackish water in it, and that the 
 next night there was water in a clay pan, and 
 the following night we should reach their main 
 camp. This proved to be the case, and we 
 found their home to be on the bank of a fine 
 creek, running round the foot of a tall hill. I 
 now looked upon my escape as secure, for surely 
 this large creek, well defined and supplied with 
 water, must run down south to settled country, 
 and I could follow it easily. Alas! I was 
 doomed to disappointment! 
 
 "The Warlattas had not been seen for some 
 time, and, unluckily for them, they selected the 
 second night after our arrival for an attack. 
 
 " It was brilliant moonlight, and the blacks 
 were holding a corroboree in our honour, when 
 one of the gins shrieked out that the Warlattas 
 were on them. The fire-sticks were visible com- 
 ing on swiftly, and they had evidently reckoned 
 
144 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 on taking the camp by surprise. I had been 
 very careful of my ammunition, but I thought 
 I could spare one charge. I called to Onkimyong, 
 and told him to tell the blacks not to be 
 frightened; then, as the Warlattas approached, 
 shouting and yelling, I fired straight at them. 
 The effect was instantaneous the onslaught 
 stopped at once. It must have completely sur- 
 prised them to find themselves suddenly con- 
 fronted by me in this new place. Before they 
 could recover from their surprise Onkimyong 
 and I were at work with our bows and arrows. 
 This completed the rout, and they turned and 
 ran; Onkimyong shouted to the natives and 
 rushed in pursuit, followed by some who had 
 recovered from their terror. I did not go with 
 them, but I think they did good execution. 
 
 "There was great rejoicing over this defeat 
 of their enemies, and I felt very glad that the 
 attack should have been made when it was. 
 Seemingly, since we had beaten them off at the 
 lake they had devoted all their attention to this 
 poor tribe. The next day I ascended the moun- 
 tain, and from the top saw that in the direction 
 I wanted to go there was nothing but a vast 
 scrub. The creek, too, seemed to disappear soon 
 after passing the mountain; and this I soon 
 found out was the case. It ran completely out 
 in a sandy waste of scrub. The blacks asserted 
 that it never re-formed, and that there was no 
 water either to the south or east, and that 
 
A HOPELESS SITUATION. 145 
 
 nothing lived there but snakes. I tried over 
 and over again but always had to return, half 
 dead with thirst and fatigue. One old man 
 said that he had heard of a big rock down south 
 where there was a hole with water in it. But 
 this I imagine was only a tradition, as from the 
 top of the hill I could discover no sign of it, and 
 wherever I penetrated I found always the same 
 arid and barren scrub and sand. Being thus 
 disappointed in my efforts south and east, I 
 thought that I might follow the creek up and 
 come to some available strip of country. Judging 
 by its direction the creek, if it headed far enough 
 away, must be east of the prickly grass desert. 
 
 "As the Warlattas always came down the 
 creek I could not induce one of the natives to 
 accompany me. Even Onkimyong was afraid to 
 face it. With little care about my fate I there- 
 fore started alone. I followed the creek for a 
 long distance, finding it well watered, and that 
 a beaten track ran beside it. This turned off, 
 and on following the creek further I found that 
 it ran out; I therefore returned and followed 
 the track. In course of time this led me to a 
 swamp of great tea -trees which it skirted. 
 After following this swamp half-way round the 
 track left it and went amongst some rocks. 
 They were basaltic, and in a short time they 
 closed in in a perfect wall and I lost all trace of 
 the track I had been following. Again and 
 again I tried to find it, but the rough basalt cut 
 
 (M64) K 
 
146 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 my feet to pieces and the track could not be 
 followed over the rocks. I had to rest for a 
 time to get my feet well, and fortunately there 
 was plenty of game about the creek, which 
 apparently re-formed on the northern side of 
 the swamp. I now determined to follow this 
 creek up again, and did so, until at last it died 
 out in a desert forest. At one place I saw 
 a number of trees marked, apparently by the 
 Warlattas. I made several excursions east of 
 the creek, but I was always confronted by 
 a dense and impenetrable scrub." 
 
 "Poor fellow!" said Brown at this point 
 " Fancy his being so near his companion Murphy 
 and yet to miss him." 
 
 "I can well understand his inability to get 
 along through those basalt rocks, but I don't 
 understand how he did not see the Warlattas' 
 track at the lagoon of the marked trees." 
 
 " If you remember," replied Brown, " the track 
 was not very plain close to the lagoon." 
 
 " I had at last to give up in despair " (went on 
 the journal), " and make my way as best I could 
 back to the mountain. How long I was away 
 I cannot say, for I lost count. It seemed to me 
 weeks, but I think it was about a fortnight. 
 
 " I was now thoroughly convinced of the 
 hopelessness of my situation, and determined to 
 return to the lake and finish my weary life 
 amongst the tribe there, devoting my time to 
 teaching them what I could. 
 
A HOPELESS SITUATION. 147 
 
 "Onkimyong was delighted to see me back. 
 I rested for some time, as I had two or three 
 things to do before leaving. One was to show 
 the natives how to build a stone barricade, and 
 the other was to inscribe my initials in some 
 place where it was bound to be seen by any 
 whites who might hereafter come. I selected 
 a place at the foot of the hill for the barricade, 
 and set the blacks to work, under the super- 
 intendence of Onkimyong. From its position 
 and altitude I concluded that any whites coming 
 to the place would naturally ascend the hill to 
 obtain a good survey of the surrounding country; 
 I therefore inscribed my initials and the date of 
 the year on a rock on the summit, doing the 
 work with the aid of the knife I had found in 
 the cave. I lingered on for some time longer in 
 the hope that the Warlattas would make another 
 attempt, and this they did the night before we 
 were going to leave. 
 
 " Fortunately their approach was discovered 
 in ample time, and I had my men all concealed 
 behind the barricade. The Warlattas approached 
 very cautiously, not with the confidence of their 
 first attempt. We allowed them to come pretty 
 close, and then commenced to play on them with 
 our arrows. As soon as I saw them waver and 
 halt, I gave a signal agreed upon, and the 
 natives swarmed out and attacked them with 
 their clubs and spears. 
 
 "There seemed to be no hesitation this time, 
 
148 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 with one accord the Warlattas fled. The pur- 
 suers did much more execution than the first 
 time, as they had a better start. I hope now the 
 Warlattas have received another check. 
 
 " Onkimyong and I started back the next day, 
 we followed our tracks back again, as I felt 
 curious about the gold-bearing reef. When we 
 came to it I examined it thoroughly, and I then 
 found that it was, what seemed to me, of fabu- 
 lous richness. I laughed aloud. Here was I with 
 a fortune at my feet, and it was of no more 
 value to me than worthless flints. It was the 
 very mockery of riches! 
 
 " In time we arrived at the lake, and met with 
 a great welcome, as they had given us up as lost. 
 I had been in fear that the Warlattas, finding I 
 was away, might have attempted another assault, 
 but they had not put in an appearance. 
 
 "I have now quite relinquished any hope I 
 had left of finding my way back by my own 
 exertions, and can only pray that some other 
 exploring party with better fortune may come 
 here before I die." 
 
THE ANCIENT AUSTRALIANS. 149 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Conclusion of Stuart's Journal Examination of the 
 Slaughter Chamber The Ancient Australians. 
 
 I HAVE made no other discoveries since my 
 return, and all the efforts I have spent in try- 
 ing to decipher the inscriptions have been in vain. 
 I can only conjecture that these relics are of 
 great antiquity, and that the belief and some of 
 the rites, notably cannibalism, survive amongst 
 the Warlattas, who are mixed and degenerate 
 descendants of the ancient race. I have very 
 little paper left, and that scrap I must keep for 
 any necessity that arises. If anybody finds this 
 let him take a copy of the inscriptions, for there 
 may be some men in the world who can decipher 
 their meaning. 
 
 " 1865. I have devoted myself to bettering 
 the condition of this tribe, whom I may say I 
 have adopted. I have taught them to build 
 better huts, and clothe themselves partly in 
 skins. The Warlattas' inroads have been abso- 
 lutely stopped. They have learnt to cultivate 
 yams here, and some of the young men under- 
 stand written signs. One thing I could not in- 
 duce them to do with all my influence, that is, for 
 a party of them to go east with me and find out 
 the track by which the Warlattas cross the 
 
150 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 sandy desert. Some superstitious feeling I can- 
 not overcome will not allow them to do this. 
 
 " I might have done much more, but latterly I 
 have been nearly crippled with rheumatism. I 
 have instructed the natives to bury me in the 
 cave under an inscription I have cut my name 
 and the date of my arrival. When I feel my- 
 self near my end, unless I die by accident, I will 
 try and inscribe the last date on the stone, it 
 will stand for my death year. If my companions 
 had lived, we might have worked our way back 
 to the settlements, but alone it was hopeless to 
 attempt it. I know my end must be near, nor 
 am I sorry, for I have outlived all hopes of 
 succour. I thank God that though I have lived 
 so long amongst these savages, I have not sunk 
 down to be one of them in their habits, but 
 rather have taught them better things. To 
 the white man that finds this I leave the greeting 
 and the blessing I would have given him in life." 
 
 "What would I not have given to have got 
 here in time to rescue him ! " said Brown. " He 
 was a man worth saving." 
 
 Next morning they took some more presents 
 to the natives at the hill, and the old men went 
 round with them and showed them the roofless 
 stone huts, the dismantled barricade, and the 
 remains of other improvements now all in ruins. 
 The death of Stuart seemed to have been a 
 signal for a return to their old habits of life, his 
 
M64 
 MORTON AND HIS PARTY EXAMINE THE SLAUGHTER CHAMBER. 
 
THE ANCIENT AUSTRALIANS. 151 
 
 stay amongst them not having been long enough 
 to make a lasting impression. 
 
 Even the bows and arrows had disappeared; 
 and it was evident that the Warlattas had 
 resumed warlike operations with a success 
 resulting in the almost complete extermination 
 of the tribe. Morton endeavoured to explain to 
 them that their enemies were dead, but it was 
 doubtful whether the old men comprehended 
 him. An immediate incursion into the inner 
 cave was determined on, and, provided with 
 candles, the party soon found themselves at the 
 opening. The sand had worked in and some- 
 what blocked up the space, but this was soon 
 sufficiently removed to enable them to wriggle 
 underneath like snakes. Half a dozen candles 
 served to brilliantly light up the inner chamber, 
 and there, with startling distinctness, shone out 
 the white triangle over the sacrificial stone. 
 Brown started the stone rocking, and immedi- 
 ately the shrill, half-human screams echoed 
 through the cave, much to Billy's discomfiture. 
 No examination could detect the trick that 
 caused the sound, nor could the presence of the 
 stone be accounted for except as a most singular 
 freak of nature. 
 
 "I have it," said Morton at last; "the stone 
 was part of the rock and has been cut away 
 underneath. It must have been an awful job, 
 but that is how it was done." 
 
 " And about the squeaking machinery?" 
 
152 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 "That's more than we can find out without 
 shifting the stone, and that's a job I am not on 
 for unless we stop here a month or two and chip 
 it in pieces." 
 
 "A charge of dynamite would shift it; and 
 next time I go exploring I'll carry some," replied 
 Brown. 
 
 " What do you think the thing was made for?" 
 inquired Charlie. 
 
 "Well, I've just had an inspiration," said 
 Brown. "You know amongst some nations it 
 is a matter of religious belief almost that you 
 must make your enemy howl when you have 
 got him down. Now, perhaps some of the poor 
 devils who were cut up on this stone declined to 
 sing out, or fainted, or for some reason did not 
 furnish amusement enough the stone was set 
 rocking to fill out the programme. What do you 
 think?" 
 
 " I think it most likely, and is an instance of 
 devilish cruelty on a level with their other pro- 
 ceedings." 
 
 " I suppose poor Stuart searched this place so 
 thoroughly that we need not expect to find any- 
 thing fresh," said Charlie. " But we may as well 
 have a look. Billy, you have got sharp eyes, 
 just use them." 
 
 While these two were investigating the walls 
 and floor, Morton and Brown took a careful copy 
 of the hieroglyphics and a sketch of the cave, 
 showing the position of the sacrificial stone and 
 
THE ANCIENT AUSTRALIANS. 153 
 
 triangle. By the time they had finished they 
 were ready for their mid-day meal, and returned 
 to camp for it. 
 
 "There's no doubt," remarked Morton, "that 
 what we have just seen are relics of an ancient 
 people, but what I can't understand is, why, if 
 they were civilized enough to wear dresses, and 
 to have a developed religious belief savage as 
 it was " (" No worse than the Carthagenians," 
 interjected Brown), "to know how to obtain iron 
 and temper it, that they did not build permanent 
 buildings, the ruins of which would remain?" 
 
 " Mud, my dear fellow, mud," replied Brown. 
 "Remember the nations who have disappeared 
 off the face of America, and can only be traced 
 by their pottery and burial mounds. Why, the 
 gorgeous cities of ancient Mexico were built of 
 mud bricks, which go back to their mother earth, 
 once the domiciles they form are abandoned." 
 
 " But their smelting- works for manufacturing 
 iron?" 
 
 " There you have me. But we must try and 
 find that knife; perhaps they buried it with 
 Stuart." 
 
 " Billy got something from one of the old men, 
 but I don't know what it was," said Charlie. 
 
 "Billy! What old man bin give it?" asked 
 Morton. 
 
 Billy grinned, and produced from the inside 
 of his shirt the knife mentioned in the journal. 
 It was a curious-looking blade about a foot long, 
 
154 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 broad and somewhat curved. Even after the 
 work Stuart had done with it in carving on the 
 rocks, it was as sharp as an ordinary knife. 
 
 "That's a Malay weapon," said Brown, after 
 examination. " Whoever our ancient Australians 
 were they came from the north. I suppose we 
 must wait until we get the writing deciphered, 
 if there is a man clever enough to do it." 
 
 Looking closer, they found that the blade had 
 the mysterious triangle engraved on it. This con- 
 stantly recurring symbol led to much speculation 
 as to whether they were not an offshoot of Free- 
 masons, who in some remote time had wandered 
 into central Australia; but as Charlie ingenuously 
 reminded them that these fellows had not built 
 anything, the theory had to be discarded. 
 
 " What's to be done next?" said Morton. " I'm 
 for going to find Hentig's grave, if possible, and 
 recovering the papers buried there." 
 
 "Yes, and then go back round by the way 
 Stuart went to the mountain tribe and track up 
 the gold reef." 
 
 " Not a bad idea, anyhow. I think it will be 
 the safest way to go home." 
 
 That afternoon, Billy, with the aid of one of the 
 old men, found a canoe not far below the surface, 
 and brought it up and bailed it out. Then it 
 transpired that on the last onslaught of the 
 Warlattas they had sunk all the canoes. The 
 one recovered was a large one, fitted up with 
 outriggers, and leaked but very little. Charlie 
 
THE ANCIENT AUSTRALIANS. 155 
 
 soon improvised a mast by lashing two spears 
 together, and with a blanket for a sail announced 
 himself ready to face the dangers of the deep. 
 Morton agreed to join him in his voyage of dis- 
 covery round the lake the next morning, but 
 Brown preferred to stay and continue the investi- 
 gation of the cave drawings. 
 
 Next morning there was a gentle breeze blow- 
 ing, and Morton and Charlie were soon afloat 
 
 O* 
 
 and off. Brown wandered over the hill, telling 
 Billy to try and make the blacks understand the 
 catastrophe of the burning mountain. 
 
 Several lesser caves attracted his attention, 
 but only one seemed to promise any result. To 
 this one he devoted himself, and after some 
 trouble found some inscriptions resembling the 
 former one in character, but differing in the 
 arrangement of the letters. In this case they 
 were placed perpendicularly in two parallel lines. 
 
 After copying the inscription, Brown stood in 
 thought for some time, mechanically thrusting a 
 yam stick he held in his hand into the sandy 
 floor of the cave. The soil over the bed rock in 
 this cave was apparently only a few inches in 
 depth, but suddenly he was roused from his 
 reverie by the yam stick going down more than 
 a foot without meeting with any opposition. 
 Sounding hastily, he soon found that a trench 
 extended at right angles to the rock, immediately 
 under the inscription. Going outside he shouted 
 loudly, and Billy and some of the blacks came 
 
156 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 running up. He set them to work to clear all 
 the sand away from the trench and its neighbour- 
 hood with their hands, and it was soon visible 
 artificially cut in the rock. It was about three 
 feet long and a foot broad, so the work of clear- 
 ing it out did not promise to take long. 
 
 With so many hands going, the depth of three 
 feet was soon reached without anything being 
 discovered; then the fingers of the workers came 
 in contact with something hard, and very soon a 
 sheet of metal was disclosed, cut exactly to fit 
 the hole. Brown at once recognized it as re- 
 sembling the gongs used at the burning moun- 
 tain. Greatly excited, in spite of his usual 
 assumption of calmness, Brown inserted the 
 point of the yam stick under the metal and 
 prised it up. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 The Grave of one of the Unknown Race Morton's 
 Departure Charlie falls Sick. 
 
 fllHE shadow cast by the sides of the hole was 
 J_ too dark for Brown to see at once what 
 sort of treasure he had unearthed, but a nearer 
 inspection did not afford him any more satis- 
 faction. Apparently there was nothing beneath 
 the sheet of metal but a deposit of damp, mouldy 
 earth, emitting a pungent smell of a most re- 
 
CHARLIE FALLS SICK. 157 
 
 pulsive nature. Brown drew back somewhat 
 sickened, and told the natives to clean out the 
 trench while he went out for a breath of fresh 
 air. 
 
 In a few minutes he returned. The heap of 
 mould alongside the now empty hole told him 
 that the work was finished. The blacks were on 
 their knees, eagerly examining some objects they 
 had found amongst the contents of the trench. 
 Billy handed them to Brown. The first was 
 a chain of small steel links and most beautiful 
 workmanship, bearing as a pendant a tiny tri- 
 angle formed of the same metal. A metal plate 
 nearly a foot square, covered with hieroglyphics 
 similar to those inscribed on the walls of the 
 cave, was the next thing he examined, and then 
 came a dagger resembling the one already dis- 
 covered. This, however, had a handle, or what 
 appeared to be one, made of finely -twisted gold 
 threads wound tightly round the haft. This was 
 all. Brown puzzled over these relics for some 
 time, and then strolled to the crest of the ridge 
 to see how the voyagers were getting on. 
 Apparently they had experienced what is known 
 as a soldier's wind, for the canoe was coming 
 back with a flowing sail. Brown and Billy 
 walked down to the shore of the lake to meet 
 them. The trip had been uninteresting; the 
 lake was exceedingly shallow everywhere with 
 the exception of the end where they were. 
 There it was deep and permanent. Brown told 
 
158 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 them of the discovery he had made, and they 
 revisited the cave together. 
 
 " It's my opinion," said Morton after lengthy 
 examination, " that it is a grave, and this mould 
 all that there is left of a body probably 
 burnt before being put in the grave. The neck- 
 let, plate, and dagger are the ornaments and 
 weapon worn by the man at the time of his 
 death. He must have been some great priest." 
 
 " The same conclusion that I have been work- 
 ing round to," replied Brown. "That plate is 
 a priestly breastplate, like those we read of in 
 the Old Testament." 
 
 The question of visiting Hentig's grave was 
 one that was now discussed. It was settled 
 at last that Morton and Billy would make 
 the trip, leaving Brown and Charlie to con- 
 tinue the investigation of the caves, and also 
 to come out with relief in case Morton was 
 overdue. By careful computation they thought 
 they could pretty well guess the course pursued 
 by the three white men from the last water to 
 the lake. With two horses packed with water 
 they reckoned they could get out and back 
 without much trouble, even if there was no 
 water at the marked tree. 
 
 Morton and Billy therefore started early the 
 next morning, for although the night would 
 have been cooler to cross the spinifex desert, 
 they might have missed some important indica- 
 tions in the dark. Four days was the utmost 
 
CHARLIE FALLS SICK. 159 
 
 limit Morton allowed himself; Brown was then 
 to start on his tracks, as something would have 
 probably happened to the horses. 
 
 Left at the lake, Brown and Charlie devoted 
 themselves to a searching examination of the 
 locality. Several trees marked with an anchor, 
 similar to the one at the lagoon camp, were 
 discovered, evidently the work of Murphy, who 
 had seemingly appropriated the symbol. A 
 mark resembling a rude K was seen once or 
 twice, and they took it to stand for Kelly's 
 handiwork. 
 
 They sounded the caves all over but without 
 any more success, and at last concluded that they 
 had found all there was to be found. 
 
 The sun was high the morning of the third 
 day when Brown returned from his swim in the 
 lagoon, and, to his surprise, found Charlie still 
 sleeping, with a hot flush on his face. Brown 
 aroused him, and the boy sat up and looked 
 vacantly around, recovered himself after a bit, 
 and proceeded to get up. He refused to eat 
 anything, but drank a good deal of tea. Brown 
 watched him anxiously. 
 
 " What's the matter, old boy?" he asked. 
 
 "I don't feel up to the mark. I had a 
 wretched nightmare last night; it kept me 
 awake afterwards until nearly daylight, so that 
 I overslept myself." 
 
 " I feel off colour too," replied Brown. " Last 
 night I could have quarrelled with my own 
 
160 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 shadow. I hope we didn't release any evil 
 spirit from that grave." 
 
 " Don't say that/' replied Charlie, " for that is 
 just what I dreamt. Strange that you should 
 think the same." 
 
 "Tell me about it, sonney," said Brown. 
 " We'll soon fix up any intrusive old ghost." 
 
 Charlie, as he could see, was upset by some- 
 thing, and Brown felt uneasy, as the thought of 
 sickness overtaking one of their party became 
 patent to him. 
 
 "I dreamt," commenced Charlie, "that I was 
 on the edge of this lake. I was alone, and very 
 frightened with a quite unnatural terror. I 
 thought you had both gone away and left me. 
 I tried to cry out but could not, and turned 
 round, for I felt some fearful thing was approach- 
 ing me from behind. True enough, the great 
 figure from the cave was there, looking at me 
 with terrible eyes. On its breast was the plate 
 we found in the grave, and I could read the 
 characters written on it." 
 
 Charlie paused. 
 
 "What was the writing?" asked Brown, in- 
 terested by the boy's earnestness. 
 
 " I can shut my eyes and see it now. It ran 
 ' The Spirit of Evil is everywhere. Worship 
 then the Spirit of Evil only, and do his behests.' 
 As I looked and read the figure smiled mock- 
 ingly at me, and I woke up in a cold perspiration, 
 and could not sleep again." 
 
CHARLIE FALLS SICK. 161 
 
 "Charlie, my boy," said Brown, "we will 
 discuss your dream by and by. Meantime, I am 
 going to mix you a dose of quinine and brandy; 
 you've got a touch of malarial fever coming on. 
 Now I'll fix up a bough-shade for you; it will 
 be cooler than the tent, and you must keep quiet 
 all day." 
 
 Brown soon had a good shade of boughs 
 erected, and making up as comfortable a b<sd as 
 he could for the sick lad, he stopped with him 
 all day. Charlie was very feverish, but towards 
 sundown he fell into an uneasy sleep, and Brown 
 went for a stroll up and down and smoked 
 his pipe. " This is a lively look-out," he mused. 
 "I hope those devilish old rites don't mean 
 to claim another victim. Dreamt we both went 
 away and left him!" Brown's eyes grew moist 
 as he thought of the possibility of the words 
 coming true in one sense, and Charlie being left 
 in a solitary grave by the side of the lake. " If 
 Morton does not turn up to time what a fix I 
 shall be in, for I can't go and look for him." 
 
 Charlie passed a restless night, and towards 
 the middle of the ensuing day he became deliri- 
 ous. This was the margin of Morton's return, 
 but the sun set, and Brown strained his eyes in 
 vain across the plain. 
 
 Charlie's delirium was at its height that night. 
 Always he raved of the great figure in the cave 
 standing over and threatening him. 
 
 The fifth day passed and still no sign of 
 
 (M64) I* 
 
162 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 Morton, and Brown was nearly distracted at the 
 thought that his friend was in some difficulty, 
 expecting him to come to his relief, and he could 
 not leave the sick boy for an hour. He passed 
 the night once more by Charlie's side, trying to 
 soothe him and listening to his incoherent inut- 
 terings. It was about three o'clock in the morning 
 when Charlie, who had been quiet for some time, 
 dropped off to sleep. The silence that ensued 
 was broken by a sound more grateful to Brown 
 than anything else he could possibly have heard 
 the distant sound of a horse-bell. There was no 
 doubt about it, the horses were coming rapidly 
 across the plain, and evidently being driven, the 
 bell having been loosened as is generally done 
 when travelling with pack-horses at night. On 
 they came at a sharp trot, for they were no doubt 
 thirsty and knew where they were coming to. 
 Brown listened till they ran down the opposite 
 bank and commenced drinking, then he knew by 
 the voices that Morton and Billy were both 
 there, and called across to them. 
 
 "That you, Brown?" came back in reply. 
 
 "Yes; I could not go out as I promised." 
 
 " Glad you didn't, as it happened. But what's 
 up?" 
 
 " I'll tell you as soon as you come round, but 
 come quietly." 
 
 Brown walked a little distance to meet them, 
 and they unpacked the horses where they met 
 so as not to disturb Charlie, who was still sleeping. 
 
A FURTHER DISCOVERY. 163 
 
 Brown told Morton in a low voice, and they 
 went into the tent together. Charlie was mut- 
 tering in his sleep, and it was still of the figure 
 on the wall. They went out and sat by the fire, 
 where they could hear the slightest sound, and 
 Morton told Brown all that had passed since he 
 left. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Morton's Trip to Hentig's Grave A further Discovery. 
 
 WHEN we left the lake that morning," began 
 Morton, " we passed, of course, over a few 
 miles of good downs country before we came to 
 the edge of the desert, then we had nothing to 
 do but keep straight on the course we had 
 selected until night, when we had to camp in 
 the spinifex. Next evening we came straight to 
 the water-hole. It was a splendid fluke, and I 
 never expected such luck. There was a good 
 supply of water in the hole and fair grass, so we 
 were not badly off. I found the tree where 
 Hentig was buried, although the cross that Stuart 
 cut had nearly grown out. The powder-flask, 
 however, had been only buried a short distance 
 in the ground, and as the bush rats had dug it 
 up it had rusted and rotted almost to pieces. 
 We found some of the contents, but the writing 
 is almost if not quite illegible, as the paper has 
 
164 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 been soaked into pulp two or three times. As 
 far as I can make out, though, it was written by 
 Leichhardt himself, and as such will be valuable. 
 Now I come to what detained me. Billy, whom 
 I told to look on all the trees about the water- 
 hole for marks, found a couple of initials on 
 three of the trees. Of course the sides of the 
 bark had grown together, and could only be 
 traced like a crack in the bark. I made these 
 initials out to be L. F. If you remember, Stuart 
 mentions that the two men who were lost never 
 reached this water, but one of them must have 
 got in to it after Stuart left. I say one of them, 
 because the same initials were repeated. I lay 
 awake for a long time reasoning the thing out. 
 When Stuart and the others left there was no 
 water in the hole, they used up the last of it; 
 therefore, this man must have come back after 
 rain had fallen, probably some months after, for 
 he could not have stayed about cutting his 
 initials on trees without water. He must cer- 
 tainly have found other water. Where was it? 
 If I could find it I might get further informa- 
 tion. 
 
 " In the morning I sent Billy back along our 
 tracks with a note in a cleft stick, which he was 
 to stick up right on our tracks. In the note I 
 told you to come on, as there was plenty of water 
 in the hole. Billy had instructions to ride till 
 noonday, then stick the stick in with a handker- 
 chief tied to it, and come back again. All this 
 
A FURTHER DISCOVERY. 165 
 
 he did, meanwhile I went fossicking about. The 
 hole was on the edge of the plain, the same as 
 the lagoons we were camped on so long. I went 
 north first, and presently was able to find a kind 
 of water-course skirting the forest. Once or 
 twice I came to holes that should hold water for 
 some time, but they were all dry. At last I was 
 rewarded. I came to a fair-sized lagoon, with 
 ducks and other waterfowl on its surface. There 
 was no sign of the place ever having been much 
 frequented by natives, at least I only saw some 
 very old camps at first. At the end of the hole 
 opposite to me was an old shell of a gum-tree, 
 one of these desert gums that grow to a very old 
 age and become quite hollow. As I looked at 
 this I saw something move, and then, looking 
 more intently, I could see some blue smoke steal- 
 ing up. Naturally I made for the place as soon 
 as possible, wondering if I was going to find a 
 living white man. When I reached the spot I 
 found a small fire burning, and in the tree an 
 ancient old gin was squatting. She was almost 
 blind, and could just make out that something 
 was moving about, for she snarled and struck 
 out feebly but viciously with a yam stick. Oh, 
 she was a cheerful old lady! 
 
 " I was puzzling my brains how she lived, for 
 she seemed too feeble to move and was too blind 
 to see anything distinctly; for all that there 
 were plenty of feathers around the camp, al- 
 though she could never have caught the birds. 
 
166 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 Presently the old dame, still growling to herself, 
 crawled out on her hands and knees to the fire, 
 to which she seemingly guided herself by the 
 sense of smell. Here she squatted down, and I 
 hung my horse up and went to look at her lair 
 in the tree. There was an iron tomahawk 
 shipped on to a black's handle, a single-barrelled 
 percussion shot-gun, and all sorts of little odds 
 and ends. Evidently this survivor must have 
 found a lot of things abandoned at the old camp 
 at Hentig's grave. Just then my horse shook 
 himself, making the saddle rattle and jingle. 
 On hearing this the old gin set up the most 
 awful screaming you ever heard. When she 
 quietened down someone called out to her 
 from a short distance away, and looking in 
 the direction, I saw a light -coloured nigger 
 limping towards us. He stopped and had a 
 good look at me before approaching; I held up 
 both my hands as a sign of amity, and he came 
 on pretty fearlessly. I then saw that he was a 
 half-caste and a cripple. One leg had been 
 broken in childhood and he had grown up with 
 it shorter than the other, and much distorted. 
 That he was a descendent of the missing white 
 man I had no doubt, but the old gin appeared 
 too old to be his mother. He came up to me, and 
 when I spoke to him seemed greatly pleased, 
 and pointing to himself said "Lee-lee" two or 
 three times, indicating that that was his name. 
 I gave him my name in return, which he soon 
 
A FURTHER DISCOVERY. 167 
 
 picked up. He then led rne to the tree, and taking 
 the gun out put it to his shoulder and cried out 
 in imitation of a report, showing that he had 
 often seen it used. I pointed to the feathers, 
 and he showed me two or three light boomerangs 
 and a fishing-net. I tried to find out if he knew 
 anything of the lake, but he seemed quite ignor- 
 ant of its existence. I imitated death to find 
 out what had become of his father, and he led 
 me to a place where he indicated he was buried, 
 but I could see no sign of a grave. He knew 
 two or three words of English, water, gun, tree, 
 and bird; and I think he must at one time have 
 known much more, but had probably lost them 
 since his father's death, who, I think, must have 
 been a man of the same intellectual calibre as 
 Murphy, and quite uneducated. He explained 
 by signs that his leg had been broken by a 
 branch breaking when he was climbing a tree as 
 a little fellow. Suddenly it struck me that there 
 might be more in the family, and after some 
 trouble he led me to believe that there were, but 
 they had gone away with the tribe to the north. 
 He limped heavily to show me that he had been 
 left behind because he could not travel fast 
 enough, and I concluded that the old gin who 
 had been left was no relation of his, but had 
 stayed behind from infirmity. Lee-lee seemed 
 very active and clever, considering the disadvan- 
 tage he laboured under, and I made up my mind 
 to bring him in to the lake. He, however, did 
 
168 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 not seem anxious to go at first, but I showed him 
 the empty gun, of which he was very proud, and 
 made him understand that if he came with me I 
 would make it alive again, which he seemed to 
 approve of highly. Fortunately there were some 
 boxes of caps amongst his belongings, as ours are 
 all breech-loaders. He knew the hole where 
 I was camped, and intimated that he would come 
 down in the morning. All this took some time, 
 and it was late at night when I got back to camp, 
 where I found Billy blubbering under the im- 
 pression that I was not coming back again. 
 Lee-lee duly turned up the next morning, and 
 Billy tried to talk to him, but did not make 
 much of a fist at it. He said that he thought 
 some of the words were the same as those used 
 by the lake natives. Lee-lee knew nothing of 
 the Warlattas; and, if you remember, the defunct 
 Columbus told us that there were no natives to 
 the north. I gave him sugar, which he highly 
 appreciated, then we saddled up and went up to 
 his lagoon, which I reckoned to be nearly fifteen 
 miles away, so that he must have started pretty 
 early in the night to come to us. I fixed him up 
 on one of the pack saddles, and he got on very 
 well considering. 
 
 " The forest bears to the westward, and I in- 
 tended to start straight to the lake from Lee- 
 lee's lagoon. The difficulty was about the old 
 gin. If left behind she would starve, and I did 
 not see how we were to get her across the desert. 
 
A FURTHER DISCOVERY. 169 
 
 I explained the dilemma to Lee-lee, who seemed 
 to understand. Suddenly a bright idea struck 
 him. He picked up his nulla-nulla and indicated 
 that the easiest way to settle the question was 
 by knocking her on the head. He appeared 
 rather surprised at my objecting somewhat 
 angrily to this simple and easy method, and I 
 am not sure that Billy did not agree with him. 
 
 " I thought that as your ideas have been so 
 brilliant lately, that we might devise some 
 means of getting the old gin safely across the 
 desert, and making these fellows and Lee-lee 
 friends, so that, if we make up our minds to take 
 him back with us, the old woman would not 
 starve, for there is plenty of food about here. 
 I gave Lee-lee to understand that I would be 
 back in three days; but, of course, that is knocked 
 on the head, we must get Charlie well first. 
 Now, old man, you've had no sleep for two 
 nights. I will sit by Charlie, and you can have 
 a snooze until daylight. Watching is far more 
 tiring than riding." 
 
 As Brown really felt somewhat tired out, he 
 adopted the suggestion and retired to his blan- 
 kets. 
 
 Charlie was no better in the morning, and 
 Morton felt quite cast down at the sad fate now 
 looming, only too plainly, before his young rela- 
 tive, for whom he entertained a great liking. 
 About mid-day Brown suddenly arose as though 
 filled with a new idea. He went off in the 
 
170 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 direction of the hill where the blacks were 
 camped, and Morton did not see him for nearly 
 two hours, then he said he had only been over to 
 see how the niggers were getting on, and was 
 silent and abstracted until darkness fell, when he 
 persuaded Morton to go and rest while he kept 
 watch by the invalid. 
 
 Morton, who had been riding and watching all 
 the night before, slept late. When he awoke he 
 saw Brown standing by the fire smoking. 
 
 "How is he?" he asked, as he took his towel 
 to go for a swim in the lake. 
 
 " Better, I think ; he has been sleeping quietly 
 all night without talking. When he wakes up 
 he will be sensible, I think." 
 
 " That's good news," returned Morton. " I shall 
 be glad to see the boy up again. What a blessing 
 it was that this thing happened in a good camp 
 with plenty of game of all sorts ! We must feed 
 Charlie up well now." 
 
 Brown puffed on, looking steadily in the fire. 
 
 "I suppose you will think me no end of a 
 fool for what I have done," he went on at last. 
 "But I have not been able to help associating 
 Charlie's illness with my opening that grave and 
 taking out that devilish old plate. I have had 
 that same dream that Charlie had, and could 
 plainly see the plate and the inscription on it 
 about the Spirit of Evil. I believe if I had not 
 done what I have done not one of us would have 
 got back alive." 
 
THE FINAL DEPARTURE. 171 
 
 " What was that?" asked Morton. 
 
 "Took it back to the grave yesterday and 
 filled the whole thing up, and now Charlie is 
 going to get better. What's the verdict?" 
 
 " Well, I was going to call you a thundering 
 old idiot, but in view of the circumstances I 
 won't. It must have been a tribe of devil 
 worshippers who originally squatted down here." 
 
 " That's a weight off my mind. I thought you 
 would have cut up rusty, for there's no doubt of 
 the value of that relic. But we have copies of 
 all the inscriptions." 
 
 Charlie awoke conscious, and soon began to 
 mend so quickly, that in a few days they were 
 talking of going back to bring Lee-lee in. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Lee-lee brought to the Lake Charlie's Recovery Final 
 Departure from the Lake. 
 
 rE question of getting the infirm old gin 
 across the desert was a somewhat puzzling 
 one. 
 
 Charlie, who was fast gaining strength, pro- 
 posed making Billy and some of the other blacks 
 carry her by turns on a litter of boughs. Brown 
 reminded him that Stuart had found it impossible 
 to get the natives to go to the eastward, so he did 
 
172 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 not imagine that they would have any better 
 success. 
 
 " We must tie her on to a horse, somehow," said 
 Morton at last. And that was all the conclusion 
 they could arrive at. 
 
 Charlie was not yet strong enough to stand a 
 long ride, but he felt sufficiently restored to stay 
 behind with only Billy for a companion. So 
 Brown and Morton went back, Charlie having 
 promised to start Billy to meet them with fresh 
 horses on a day appointed. 
 
 Lee-lee was anxiously looking out for them, 
 but seemed greatly astonished at seeing two 
 white men. Brown's height, too, appeared to 
 excite his admiration, as it did that of all the 
 blacks they met. 
 
 Morton had brought some powder and shot, 
 procured by opening some of their cartridges, as 
 he thought that if he made the gun alive again 
 Lee-lee would come without any difficulty. 
 
 " How strange," said Brown, " that these three 
 white men should have lived so long separated 
 from each other and yet within reach." 
 
 "I don't know that," replied Morton. "It's 
 rather hard for a man on foot to get about in 
 this country. Remember we have fresh horses, 
 and know where the water is." 
 
 Morton inspected the gun. 
 
 " I suppose it won't burst," he remarked. 
 
 There was a rude ramrod in it, and with a 
 piece of his handkerchief torn off he proceeded 
 
THE FINAL DEPARTURE. 173 
 
 to wipe it out. Then he loaded it, Lee-lee watch- 
 ing with great excitement; the old gin, uncon- 
 scious of their presence, squatting over the half 
 dead fire. 
 
 A crow flew, cawing, overhead and settled on 
 a neighbouring tree. Lee-lee pointed eagerly at 
 the bird. Morton raised the gun and fired. 
 
 The crow fell down with an angry caw, and 
 the old gin gave a wild scream and tumbled 
 forward on to the fire. 
 
 Lee-lee limped after the bird, and the two 
 white men hauled the gin off the fire, which 
 fortunately was nearly out, and dusted the ashes 
 off her. 
 
 "You couldn't possibly have hit her?" said 
 Brown. 
 
 " Not unless this old blunderbuss shoots round 
 corners. It's the sudden fright." 
 
 They put the old creature in the shade, and 
 then the two friends started for a stroll round 
 the lagoon. 
 
 When they returned Lee-lee pointed to the old 
 gin as though highly amused at something. She 
 had solved all the difficulties of transport across 
 the desert. She was dead! 
 
 " That start I gave her firing off the gun did 
 it," said Morton, sorrowfully; "but she could not 
 have lived much longer." 
 
 They indicated to Lee-lee that they would help 
 him bury the old gin; then they saddled up and 
 rode to Hentig's camp, as Brown wanted to see 
 
174 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 the place, and Morton to recover the pieces of the 
 old powder-flask, which he had neglected to secure 
 on his first visit. With a tomahawk they re- cut 
 the cross on the tree where the remains of Hentig 
 rested. 
 
 They got back to Lee-lee's lagoon soon after 
 dark, and devoted an hour or two to packing up 
 all the curious collection of stuff that had so long 
 been hoarded up. 
 
 Next morning they made a very early start, 
 as, the half-caste being quite new to riding, they 
 had to go slow. They camped in the desert that 
 night, and about the middle of the next day met 
 Billy coming along the tracks with fresh horses 
 for them. He reported Charlie as being nearly 
 well and everything being safe at the camp. 
 Late in the afternoon, just after they caught 
 sight of the lake, they heard an outcry behind. 
 Looking around they saw Lee-lee limping back, 
 and Billy, who was laughing loudly, pursuing 
 him. It turned out that Lee-lee got a sudden 
 fright at seeing the great sheet of water for the 
 first time, and tumbled off his horse and tried to 
 run back. He seemed reassured after a while, 
 and went on quietly for the rest of the way. 
 Charlie was up and looking nearly as well as 
 ever, and had a fine meal of fish and ducks 
 waiting for them. Lee-lee seemed surprised at 
 the appearance of still a third white man, but 
 took everything else, including his supper, as 
 a matter of course. 
 
THE FINAL DEPARTURE. 175 
 
 Next morning they went over to the black's 
 camp accompanied by Lee-lee. The young 
 fellow who had been wounded was getting 
 rapidly well, Morton or Brown having attended 
 to him and dressed his wound every day. It 
 was soon evident that there was little or no 
 language in common between the two tribes, 
 with the exception of a few words used nearly 
 everywhere in the interior. They had lived and 
 died year after year unconscious of each other's 
 existence. 
 
 "We have accounted now for all of Leich- 
 hardt's party but one, and he, I think, must have 
 died when the two were separated from the 
 main party," said Morton. 
 
 "He could scarcely have got back to where 
 they were attacked by the blacks in the scrub," 
 replied Brown, " and if he had stuck to his com- 
 panion they would have found the water together. 
 No, he must have perished at the time." 
 
 "Now, how about Lee-lee?" 
 
 " I think we will stop here for a bit and let 
 Charlie get quite strong and Lee-lee broken into 
 riding a bit, then we will take him back to the 
 station. What do you think?" 
 
 "I think it is a good idea; we go round by 
 the way Stuart went and try and pick up his 
 gold reef." 
 
 " Yes. We must find out whether one of these 
 old men knows anything about the hole; they 
 ought to." 
 
176 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 " Let's go over and make inquiries this after- 
 noon." 
 
 This they did, and found out that one of the 
 old men knew of the hole, and had been there 
 once when a young man. He made no objection 
 to going with them, corroborating in this respect 
 Stuart's journal. 
 
 They asked after Onkimyong, but, perhaps on 
 account of their faulty pronunciation, did not 
 at first make themselves understood. At last 
 one of the old fellows recognized the name, and 
 pronounced it after his own fashion. The 
 natives immediately pointed to where the bodies 
 lay in the old camp, and they understood that 
 Stuart's faithful companion had met his fate at 
 the hands of the fierce Warlattas, whom he had 
 so often helped to defeat. Both the men had 
 cherished the hope that he might be one of the 
 survivors, as they would then have taken him 
 with them to show them the exact road Stuart 
 travelled in his vain attempt to get away. 
 
 From the old men they tried to obtain a de- 
 scription of Stuart's personal appearance, but 
 beyond that he was tall like Brown and had 
 a gray beard, they could not get much informa- 
 tion. 
 
 They employed their spare time in rigging up 
 a makeshift saddle for Lee-lee to ride on; mean- 
 time he took his riding-lessons on one of theirs, 
 and got on famously. He was very proud of 
 being allowed to fire off his gun two or three 
 
THE FINAL DEPARTURE. 177 
 
 times a day, and once succeeded in hitting a bird. 
 The time now drew near for their departure. 
 They could do nothing for the natives, but as 
 their enemies were dead, and they lived in a land 
 of plenty, there was no reason why the tribe 
 should not grow up again if they were allowed 
 to remain long enough unmolested. 
 
 The natives remained apathetically watching 
 the whites when they departed. Probably they 
 thought that as they came back once, according 
 to their belief, they would come back again. 
 
 The stage to the first water was not a long 
 stage on horseback, so the old man kept up with 
 them easily. He knew nothing beyond the 
 lagoon, however, so he was of no further use to 
 them, and they felt confident that they could 
 follow up Stuart's track from his journal. Next 
 morning they gave him a spare tomakawk they 
 had with them and allowed him to depart. 
 Brown, whom he still considered as " Tuartee ", 
 having to promise that he would return. 
 
 Lee-lee had got on very well with his first 
 day's journey, and they anticipated having no 
 trouble. He was quick and ready in the use of 
 his hands, and, moreover, he and Billy were begin- 
 ning to understand each other, so they hoped 
 soon to get his history in full. As they had 
 dry country ahead of them, scantily watered, 
 they spelled a couple of days at the white lagoon 
 as they christened it, on account of the milky 
 appearance of the water, 
 
 (M64) M 
 
178 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 The first day's journey was through the weari- 
 some desert scrub described by Stuart. They 
 calculated what a long day's march on foot 
 would be, but when they had covered that 
 distance there was no sign of the salt lake. 
 
 " These salt lakes have no tributaries running 
 into them," said Brown; "they are just depres- 
 sions, with the surrounding country sloping into 
 the basin. We might be within a quarter of a 
 mile of it and miss it." 
 
 " We must find this one at anyrate, if we have 
 to go back and camp for a week at that lagoon," 
 replied Morton. 
 
 "Well, it's still two or three hours off sun- 
 down, and we have plenty of water for to-night. 
 Suppose you go north and I go south. Charlie 
 and the boys stop here and keep a fire going 
 with plenty of smoke, so that we can get the 
 straight bearing to the camp if either of us drops 
 on it." 
 
 " Agreed. North is your lucky cardinal point, 
 so I will take the south." 
 
 They started in different directions, while 
 Charlie and Billy took the packs off the horses, 
 and tied them up to trees with their saddles still 
 on, for there was no feed. 
 
 Morton went on south for nearly an hour 
 without meeting with any change. He went 
 east and west for short distances as he returned, 
 but was unsuccessful in coming upon any clue to 
 the situation of the salt lake. 
 
THE FINAL DEPARTURE. 179 
 
 Brown was equally unfortunate, until, just as 
 he was on the point of turning back, the un- 
 mistakable smell of burning scrub- wood struck 
 on his nostrils. 
 
 "It can't be from the camp," he thought; 
 " what little wind there is comes from the north." 
 
 He pushed on, and in a few minutes came to 
 an open area, and before him lay the salt lake. 
 
 There was a broad belt of mud surrounding 
 a centre of clear water, on which a varied lot of 
 wild fowl, including black swans and wild geese, 
 were swimming. On the slope descending to the 
 edge of the mud there was good short grass 
 growing, and at no distance away he saw the up- 
 piled earth indicating a native well. He rode 
 over to it, and dismounting found a fair supply 
 of water in it. It was slightly brackish, but 
 would do well enough for their horses, being 
 what is generally known as " good stock water ". 
 
 He next looked all round the lake for the fire 
 which he had smelt, and presently detected the 
 smoke a short way off, stealing out of the edge 
 of the scrub. 
 
 " Perhaps it's those six Warlattas," he thought, 
 " and they might be saucy seeing me alone." 
 
 He unslung his rifle from his saddle, and ad- 
 vanced with the bridle of his horse on his arm. 
 
180 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Another Remnant An Exodus Search for the Gold Reef 
 and its Discovery. 
 
 AS he neared the spot he saw two or three 
 dark figures spring up, as though they then 
 first noticed him. Fearful that they would run 
 away, he called to them and held up one hand. 
 Presently an old man came to the edge of the 
 scrub. He peered at Brown from under his 
 hand, for the afternoon sun was in his eyes; then 
 he burst into a shout of "Tuartee! Tuartee!" so 
 like the blacks at the lake that Brown thought 
 some of them must have followed him. This, of 
 course, he knew to be almost impossible, and as 
 they were evidently of a friendly disposition, he 
 walked boldly up. There were only five blacks 
 in all, the old man and four youths. The young 
 fellows hung back, but the old man laughed 
 and stroked Brown affectionately, murmuring 
 "Tuartee" all the while. There was no doubt 
 that this was another wretched remnant of the 
 tribe formerly camped at the mountain, who 
 had escaped alive from the murderous attacks of 
 the Warlattas. Stuart would have lived affec- 
 tionately in the remembrance of those who were 
 old enough to remember him as their deliverer 
 on two occasions from their enemies. 
 
 It was getting late, however, and Brown told 
 
THE GOLD REEF DISCOVERED. 181 
 
 them he would come back after the sun went 
 down, and left them, and rode hastily to camp. 
 It did not take long to replace the packs on the 
 horses, and by dusk they were all at the lake. 
 The horses drank the water freely, and were soon 
 enjoying the young grass. The number of the 
 blacks had been augmented by two gins, who 
 had been digging roots on the other side of the 
 lake when Brown first appeared. 
 
 " I've another brilliant idea," said Brown, when 
 they had finished their meal. 
 
 " Let's have it," replied Morton. 
 
 "These poor beggars have evidently sought 
 refuge in this howling wilderness from the War- 
 lattas. As things go, I should not think it 
 was a very choice place of residence they look 
 miserable enough." 
 
 " I know what you are going to propose," in- 
 terrupted Morton. "Get them on to the lake 
 and let them mate up with the others." 
 
 " Exactly. I think it feasible enough; we shall 
 have to make this our headquarters while we 
 hunt up that reef. We are not pressed for time 
 nor rations, thanks to the game at the lake." 
 
 "And we sha'n't find that reef in a day, either," 
 returned Morton. "We'll sleep on the idea." 
 
 Next morning Morton proposed an amendment. 
 Before the blacks left (if they could induce them 
 to do so), they should get the old man to guide 
 them to the soakage spring where Stuart camped 
 the night after he found the reef. This would 
 
182 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 probably be on the usual route travelled by the 
 blacks, and would considerably contract the area 
 of their search. While this was going on, Billy, 
 who had learnt a little of the lake language, 
 would explain to the natives the advantage of 
 the change. 
 
 " We seem to be constituting ourselves a kind 
 of special providence for this part of the world," 
 said Morton, as he finished. 
 
 " We have plenty of time to go to the spring 
 to-day, if we can make the old fellow understand 
 what we want." 
 
 This they did after some trouble, but it was 
 evident the native did not enjoy the idea of going 
 in that direction. However, as the two whites 
 started with him he finally consented. When 
 about what they considered half-way, Morton 
 and Brown parted, Brown going on with the 
 blackfellow, and Morton intending to devote a 
 few hours to searching around and then return- 
 ing to the salt lake. He found no indications, 
 however, to reward his trouble. 
 
 Brown turned up early the next day, the old 
 fellow having travelled sturdily. He had found 
 the spring well supplied with fresh water, but 
 had vainly tried to get anything out of his guide 
 of a heap of white stones anywhere in the neigh- 
 bourhood of the track they followed. However, 
 Brown thought by the formation of the country 
 about the spring that they could trace the line 
 back. 
 
THE GOLD REEF DISCOVERED. 183 
 
 " How have you got on with these fellows with 
 regard to an exodus. This old fellow knows all 
 about the lake, but I don't think he has been 
 there." 
 
 " Oh, Billy has turned out a splendid orator. 
 He has been gesticulating to them, and fired their 
 imaginations with his descriptions of thousands 
 of wild ducks and millions of fish," said Charlie. 
 
 " Now, who is to go back and introduce them 
 to their future companions?" 
 
 "I'm all right now," returned Charlie; "Billy 
 and I will shepherd them across." 
 
 " It's a good road all the way, I think you will 
 manage it," replied Morton. "How about Lee- 
 lee?" 
 
 " We must take him with us when we go out 
 reef-hunting. He might run away if left by 
 himself here," said Brown. 
 
 " He is a pretty cute fellow and will help us, 
 if we make him understand what we are looking 
 for. Our camp and horses will be safe enough 
 all day; for, one way and another, the district is 
 getting pretty well depopulated." 
 
 The arrangements were so decided on, and the 
 next morning, under convoy of Charlie and 
 Billy, the survivors of the mountain tribe de- 
 parted for the promised land flowing with birds 
 and fish. After their custom the gins were 
 loaded up with what little camp furniture they 
 possessed, while the lordly male strode along 
 with nothing but a boomerang and a small throw- 
 
184 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 ing-stick, without which no self-respecting black- 
 fellow would be seen. 
 
 Charlie, however, equalized matters by putting 
 what he could on one of the pack-horses, and 
 giving the gins a chance. 
 
 Morton, Brown, and Lee-lee set out in the 
 opposite direction. The first day they exhaus- 
 tively searched for some distance on either side 
 of the track taken by Brown and the old man, 
 but reached half-way to the spring without find- 
 out anything, and returned to the salt lake. 
 Next day Brown proposed that they should go 
 straight to the spring and work back. This 
 they did, taking a pack-horse with rations, and 
 leaving a note for Charlie in a conspicuous place, 
 lest they should be detained and he should come 
 back before they did. 
 
 The spring was at the foot of a small hillock 
 strewn with granite boulders. They turned out 
 the horses and started on foot to try and follow 
 the line of country whereon rock was visible on 
 the surface. They managed with great care to 
 keep to it until it was time to return. Next 
 morning they took their horses and rode out to 
 where they had left off. In the middle of the 
 day they turned out for a spell, having been 
 encouraged by finding occasional belts of quartz 
 and slate crossing the granite formation. 
 
 As they were smoking after their meal, Lee- 
 lee, who was sauntering about, came back, and 
 pointing on ahead, indicated that a heap of white 
 
THE GOLD REEF DISCOVERED. 185 
 
 stones was there. Both men got up, and in a 
 few steps saw an outblow of quartz about a 
 hundred yards away. Hastening to it, they were 
 soon busy breaking stones and investigating. 
 
 They soon found that they had struck Stuart's 
 reef, or an outcrop on the same line. The stone 
 appeared to the finders fabulously rich, some of 
 it being powdered throughout with gold. 
 
 " Well, I suppose there's a fortune or two there," 
 said Brown when their inspection was over. 
 " But it's in a deuce of an outlandish place." 
 
 "Wonder how far we are across the border 
 into Western Australia?" 
 
 "A good way, I expect; but we will keep the 
 reckoning very carefully as we go back." 
 
 " We have got all we want now ; we will pick 
 out the best of the specimens and take them 
 with us." 
 
 "Yes; and go straight back to the salt lake 
 and wait for Charlie." 
 
 Picking out the richest and smallest specimens, 
 they packed them on the pack-horse and struck 
 in for the salt lake on a compass line. This gave 
 them the bearing from the salt pan, and was all 
 they wanted to find the place again. 
 
 Charlie did not return for a couple more days, 
 but as they had instructed him to take things 
 easy, they did not feel anxious. 
 
 He had taken his convoy safely to the lake, 
 and duly introduced the survivors of the two 
 tribes. Billy and he waited a day to make sure 
 
186 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 that amicable relations were properly established 
 and had then returned, everything being peaceful 
 and satisfactory. 
 
 Another start was now made for the spring, 
 Brown, Billy, and Lee-lee going straight there 
 with the pack-horses, and Morton taking Charlie 
 round by the reef to show him the rich find. 
 
 From the top of the hillock at the back of the 
 spring the country looked scrubby, waste, and 
 desolate; but the outlook was not extensive, and 
 they could see nothing of the mountain they 
 were making for. It behoved them, then, to be 
 very careful, for the country ahead was evidently 
 very dry, and the direction to the creek with the 
 brackish water in it, of the vaguest. 
 
 They had a good many things at stake, the 
 safety of Stuart's journal containing the solu- 
 tion of the Leichhardt mystery, and the know- 
 ledge of the gold reef. They did not, then, wish 
 to meet with any disaster on their homeward 
 way. 
 
 " This is not an exciting sort of road," said 
 Brown, as they turned from fruitlessly scanning 
 the ocean of dull gray tree-tops, " but I think it 
 is a little superior to that abominable desert." 
 
 "Yes, we'll patronize this track if ever we 
 come back here; and I suppose we shall come 
 some day to sink on that reef, and see if it 
 goes down." 
 
 " If that is the only big show, the gold will be 
 pretty dear before we get it home; but if there 
 
A SOLITARY CAMP. 187 
 
 is plenty more about, you will soon see a road 
 out here and a township too." 
 
 " Go on. A railway, and those gas-lamps and 
 bridges you reported seeing in the scrub." 
 
 "Why not? Both you and I have seen those 
 things spring up like magic in Australia, before 
 now." 
 
 " Well, I hope our luck will stick to us to-mor- 
 row and see us on to that creek." 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 The Dry Creek Brown has a Solitary Camp A 
 Mysterious Light. 
 
 IT is unfortunate," said Morton the next morn- 
 ing when they were preparing to start, 
 "that Stuart did not give a description of the 
 creek, or of the water where they camped the 
 next night." 
 
 "Yes, it's rather a game of blindman's-buff, 
 for they may have gone north or south of the 
 direct line." 
 
 "How far do you make it to the mountain 
 direct?" asked Brown. 
 
 A rough chart, compiled every night by dead 
 reckoning, had been kept since they started, 
 and Morton had been working it up the night 
 before. 
 
188 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 "Over one hundred miles; and if it is scrub 
 all the way, with sand underfoot, equal to one 
 hundred and fifty." 
 
 " No good, then, our striking straight for the 
 mountain and trusting to chance for finding 
 water on the way?" 
 
 "Too risky altogether. "We must find this 
 brackish creek somehow." 
 
 "We can't get back the way we came to the 
 lake, for the last water we camped at must be 
 bone dry by this time." 
 
 " How about going round by Hentig's grave if 
 we are beaten back utterly?" 
 
 " Yes, as a last resource, we might try that. 
 Lee-lee could not help us, for I don't think he 
 ever stirred far from that lagoon where you 
 found him." 
 
 " Let us trust to our lucky star and get on 
 anyhow," returned Morton as he swung himself 
 into his saddle, and they were soon filing slowly 
 through the scrub. 
 
 The scrub consisted of mulga and a dense 
 undergrowth of lancewood, so that the progress 
 made was very slow. Moreover, it was a diffi- 
 cult thing to keep a straight course amongst so 
 many obstacles. With the exception that the 
 scrub was sometimes denser than usual they 
 experienced no change, until about two o'clock, 
 when they emerged into a small open space, and 
 Charlie exclaimed that they had come to a grave- 
 yard. 
 
A SOLITARY CAMP. 189 
 
 The clearing they had entered was a white 
 clay flat, sparsely grown over with spinifex, and 
 covered with ant-hills about three feet in height, 
 bearing a startling resemblance to the headstones 
 of graves. 
 
 The party halted, partly to discuss their move- 
 ments, and partly to have something to eat. 
 Morton, who finished first, mounted his horse 
 and rode in a southerly direction, telling the 
 others he would be back directly. 
 
 " The scrub is thinner to the south-east," he 
 said when he came back, " and beyond I can see 
 another flat like this. I vote we shift our 
 course for a few miles. This change of country 
 may mean that the creek is somewhere about 
 here." 
 
 Brown agreed to this, and Morton went ahead. 
 
 Passing through a belt of scrub they came to 
 another flat like the one they had left, but 
 somewhat larger. From this they passed through 
 thinner belts of scrub until the flat became con- 
 tinuous, still, however, covered with the ant- 
 hills. 
 
 Presently Morton pointed ahead, and a line of 
 creek gums of no great height was now visible. 
 The creek was bordered by a sandy flat with 
 some coarse grass on it. The water-course was 
 shallow, crossed here and there by bars of sand- 
 stone rock; but it was as dry as though water 
 had never been in it for years. It ran easterly. 
 
 " This is a lively look-out," said Morton. " Shall 
 
190 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 we follow this creek down, or camp here and one 
 go up and one go down the creek?" 
 
 " If we find nothing wet we must retreat to 
 the spring to-morrow morning." 
 
 " We must; but if we all go on down the creek 
 and find nothing wet, as you express it, we shall 
 be too far to retreat." 
 
 "Does not this creek come from much the 
 same direction we came from?" asked Charlie. 
 
 " If it keeps the same course as it runs here, 
 it does," replied Morton. 
 
 "We are just as likely to find water up as 
 down," went on Charlie ; " but if we follow it up 
 we shall be getting nearer to the spring instead 
 of away from it, and if we don't find water can 
 easily cut across to it." 
 
 "And have much better travelling -ground 
 along this flat," said Brown. " Charlie, my boy, 
 we shall make a first-class bushmen of you 
 before we get home. Al, copper-fastened at 
 Lloyds." 
 
 Charlie's suggestion was unanimously accepted, 
 and the party turned up the creek, making for 
 the westward again. Morton elected to follow 
 the bed of the creek, whilst the others kept as 
 straight a course as they could along the flat. 
 
 The creek still continued dry, and no birds of 
 any kind were visible a bad sign. Like most 
 creeks running through the level interior it gave 
 indications every now and then of running out 
 altogether. At last, however, it grew narrower 
 
A SOLITARY CAMP. 191 
 
 and deeper, and Morton saw a group of gum- 
 trees ahead, somewhat taller than those lining 
 the banks. There was a small bar of rocks 
 across the channel, and when he rode over this 
 he saw a pool of water before him fringed with 
 green reeds. The water looked strangely clear 
 as he rode down to it; his horse put his head 
 down to drink, but lifted it at once with a dis- 
 satisfied snort. 
 
 "I guess what's up," thought Morton, dis- 
 mounting. He stooped and lifted some water to 
 his lips with his scooped hand. 
 
 "Bah!" It was salter than brine. 
 
 Remounting, he rode up the bank and called 
 to the others, who were visible slightly ahead. 
 They waited when they saw him riding towards 
 them. 
 
 " I think we had better ride straight for the 
 spring," he said; "there's water down there, but 
 it's salter than the Pacific Ocean." 
 
 " We have good travelling along here," replied 
 Brown. " I think we ought to keep on here as 
 far as we can and then strike off for the spring. 
 It doesn't much matter about water now, for the 
 spring can't be many miles off." 
 
 " You follow the creek, then, for a bit; you 
 seem luckier than I am. It does not much 
 matter about the water, as you say, but I should 
 like to know whether there was any fresh water 
 in it as well as salt." 
 
 Brown went off to the creek and they once 
 
192 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 more started, until Morton calculated that a short 
 three miles through the scrub which was running 
 parallel to them would bring them to the spring. 
 He shouted to Brown and fired his revolver, and 
 when Brown joined them they turned off and 
 reached the spring at dusk. 
 
 " Back for the first time," said Morton, as they 
 unpacked at their old camp. "I wonder how 
 many times we shall have to return here." 
 
 " Lucky we have such a good camp to stand 
 by us," answered Brown. " We can always get 
 from here to the lake." 
 
 The next thing to consider was their move- 
 ments for the morrow. Morton suggested that 
 perhaps the clay formation altered the conditions 
 of the creek, and below, the water, if not fresh, 
 was at least only brackish. 
 
 "I doubt it/' said Brown; "these clay forma- 
 tions generally carry salt." 
 
 " One of us had better take Billy and a couple 
 of horses packed with water. Let Billy go about 
 twenty miles, then, whoever goes on, give his 
 horse a couple of bags of water and hang the 
 others up on the branch of a tree against his 
 return." 
 
 "That's the only safe way," replied Brown. 
 " Who is to go, you or I?" 
 
 " You're the lucky one." 
 
 "No. You found Lee-lee; let's toss up." 
 
 " That's all right, but where's the coin?" 
 
 "Rather good," laughed Brown. "Men with 
 
A SOLITARY CAMP. 193 
 
 a rich reef in their possession and can't raise a 
 copper to toss with." 
 
 " We must shake in the hat," replied Morton. 
 
 He tore up a leaf of his note-book, made a 
 mark on one scrap, doubled them up and shook 
 them together in his hat. 
 
 Brown drew the marked paper, and chose to 
 go. 
 
 " Don't run away with my share of the reef 
 while I am away," he said as he got on his horse 
 early the next morning, and, followed by Billy 
 driving the two horses, was soon lost to sight in 
 the scrub. 
 
 " We may as well go out and amuse ourselves 
 at the reef," said Morton ; " we can do nothing 
 until he comes back." 
 
 They saddled up, and spent the best part of 
 the day in knocking stones out and breaking 
 them, returning in the evening with a few extra 
 rich specimens to add to those they already 
 had. 
 
 "If we show these specimens when we get 
 home, won't somebody suspect, and follow our 
 tracks back?" said Charlie. 
 
 " If we are fools enough to show them," replied 
 his cousin; "but we'll take all sorts of good care 
 that we don't, until we are ready to come out 
 ourselves, and have pretty well located the place. 
 If Brown does not turn up before morning, we 
 will go out again to-morrow and see if we can 
 trace the reef any further." 
 
 (M64) |f 
 
194 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 Billy turned up with the two horses just at 
 dusk. He had accompanied Brown some miles 
 beyond where they turned back, but there had 
 been no change in the creek as far as he went. 
 
 Brown, meanwhile, kept on down the creek 
 after parting with the blackboy. It continued 
 enlarging, and contracting again, in the eccentric 
 manner of an inland water-course, but there was 
 no sign of water, fresh or salt. 
 
 The silence, lifelessness, and the gloomy neigh- 
 bourhood of the scrub on one side of him natur- 
 ally affected his spirits, and when night fell the 
 sense of loneliness was increased. As it was 
 useless going on in the dark, he determined to 
 give his horse a few hours' rest and then go 
 back. 
 
 " The moon rises at twelve o'clock," he thought; 
 " if I start then, I shall get back to the water- 
 bags by daylight." 
 
 He short-hobbled his horse, sat down at the 
 foot of a tree with his saddle at his back, and lit 
 his pipe. The great stillness of the desert sur- 
 rounded and oppressed him with the intensity of 
 its silence. Not a leaf rustled, not a night bird 
 could be heard; the jingle of his horse's hobble- 
 chain, and his munching as he cropped the grass, 
 was a welcome sound in that dreary waste. No 
 one knows what a companion a horse is until 
 he has passed a few solitary nights in the unin- 
 habited bush of the interior. Gradually Brown 
 felt sleep stealing over him. 
 
A SOLITARY CAMP. 195 
 
 " I can afford to doze," he thought. " I'm pretty 
 uncomfortable, so I sha'n't sleep long." 
 
 His head fell back on his saddle, and he was 
 soon fast asleep. He awoke suddenly, feeling 
 stiff and unrefreshed. Springing to his feet, he 
 listened for the sound of his horse; but every- 
 thing was still. 
 
 " What a fool I was to go to sleep!" he thought. 
 "I expect my old prad has made back up the 
 creek, and I shall have to stump it to the camp. 
 Wonder what the time is." 
 
 He took his watch out of his pouch, and, the 
 starlight not being strong enough, struck a 
 match. Instantly he was agreeably startled by 
 a loud snort of surprise close to him, and his 
 horse, who had been lying down asleep, got on 
 his legs and shook himself. Brown felt so 
 
 O 
 
 relieved that he went over and patted and 
 stroked him. 
 
 " I thought you had left me in the lurch, old 
 fellow," he said, as he slipped the bridle over his 
 head, for it was nearly midnight, and he thought 
 he might as well make a start. As he stood up 
 after stooping to take the hobbles off, his atten- 
 tion was attracted by a brightness in the eastern 
 sky. "Moon rising," he thought, and led his 
 horse to the tree where his saddle was. 
 
 He saddled his horse and was about to mount, 
 when he noticed that the sky was no brighter, 
 and the glow was reddish in colour. 
 
 " Moon's rather long-winded," he muttered, and 
 
196 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 stood there watching for its appearance; but it 
 obstinately refused to appear. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Fire to the East Brown returns to the Spring More 
 Dry Creeks Discovered. 
 
 BROWN stood patiently waiting for some 
 minutes, and then the truth struck him. It 
 was not the moon rising; it was a bush fire, a long 
 distance away. 
 
 "Deuced queer," he thought, as he took out 
 his compass, struck a match, and took the bear- 
 ing of the glow. " It's too far for me to do any- 
 thing, even if I felt so inclined, which I don't. 
 Hullo! what's this?" 
 
 A bright light suddenly gleamed through the 
 trees a little to the south of the other. This, 
 however, was the moon in reality, and Brown 
 turned his willing horse's head towards home, 
 marvelling much at what he had seen. 
 
 " Fires travel any distance in this unoccupied 
 country," he thought, " and that one may have 
 come a hundred miles or more." 
 
 He reached the water- bags at sunrise, and gave 
 his horse their contents, then, having strapped 
 them on to his saddle, rode on and arrived at 
 the camp at the spring about noon, 
 
MORE DRY GREEKS. 197 
 
 Morton could only account for the fire in the 
 same way that Brown did ; that it must have 
 travelled a long distance, and that its presence 
 did not denote the existence of water. On his 
 part Morton was able to inform him that they 
 had found another outcrop of the reef that morn- 
 ing, nearly a quarter of a mile to the south, 
 arid it appeared as rich as the one they had dis- 
 covered first. 
 
 The waste ahead, however, still sternly con- 
 fronted them. 
 
 "I wonder whether there is another creek 
 further south that this one runs into," said Mor- 
 ton; "or there may be one it joins to the north." 
 
 " Very likely ; this creek that has been hum- 
 bugging us does not look to me like a main one, 
 It nearly lost itself several times yesterday, and 
 when I camped it looked very sick." 
 
 "We can easily settle the question in a day; 
 to-morrow one go north and one south, as be- 
 fore." 
 
 "May I go this time?" said Charlie. 
 
 " You go north, and I'll go and crack stones at 
 the new reef," returned Brown. 
 
 So it was settled, and they spent a lazy after- 
 noon. 
 
 In the morning the two started in opposite 
 directions, and Brown went off to inspect the 
 new find. 
 
 Charlie, having been strictly cautioned to trust 
 to his compass only, went due north, and for ten 
 
198 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 or twelve miles was surrounded by scrub. Then 
 he emerged in a strip of open country, and to his 
 great joy saw creek timber ahead. This water- 
 course was quite different to the one they had 
 been on it was more like a chain of shallow 
 lagoons, but all were dry and parched. Charlie 
 followed it for some distance, but there was no 
 sign of moisture, and, elated at having something 
 to report, he made his way back to the spring. 
 Strange to say, when Morton came in he too had 
 found a similar creek to the south, but also water- 
 less. Brown worked out the courses on a bit of 
 paper. 
 
 " It strikes me," he said, " that these two creeks, 
 if they run on as they were running where you 
 struck them, must junction in with the creek I 
 was on, not many miles below where I camped." 
 
 " Supposing we split up," said Morton. " Say 
 you and Charlie, with half the spare horses, follow 
 down the creek he found, and I and the boys will 
 follow down the one I found, with the rest of the 
 horses. We shall meet at the junction, if your 
 theory is correct. The party who gets there first 
 to wait for the others." 
 
 " But supposing there is no water in either of 
 the creeks?" 
 
 " We can get back here." 
 
 " If your creek junctions in above ours, or vice 
 versa, how is the party who arrives at the lower 
 junction to know that the other party is waiting 
 at the upper one?" 
 
MORE DRY CREEKS. 199 
 
 "Hum!" said Morton; "that rather capsizes 
 the notion. But I think we can fix it by running 
 the creek up and down a bit." 
 
 " Well, I'm willing," returned Brown. " I don't 
 think we are such duffers as to miss each other 
 if we get anywhere within a few miles." 
 
 In the morning the plan mooted was carried 
 out, and they left the spring, as they hoped, for 
 good that journey. The creek Brown and Charlie 
 followed proved to be very serpentine in its 
 course. When they stopped for a mid-day spell 
 Brown worked out the dead reckoning, and came 
 to the conclusion that although they had come 
 over fifteen miles in distance, they had not made 
 more than ten in a direct course. Still the creek, 
 on an average, was bearing in towards the other 
 one, and they reckoned they must strike it late 
 in the afternoon. 
 
 As they went on the flat grew wider and the 
 empty water-holes further apart, but everything 
 bore the look of a prolonged drought. At four 
 o'clock they sighted the other creek ahead, but 
 there were no signs of the others. 
 
 "Wonder how your cousin got on?" Brown 
 said to Charlie. "Hurrah! there he is!" here- 
 turned, as a horseman came into sight riding 
 down the bank of the old creek. 
 
 Morton pulled up when he caught sight of 
 them, and waited. 
 
 " Any water?" he asked when they came up. 
 
 "Not a drop. I don't think there has been 
 
200 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 any in it since the time of Noah's flood. How 
 did you get on?" 
 
 " There was no water in the creek we followed, 
 but there is a decent hole where it junctions with 
 this one, about two miles up from here." 
 
 "Salt?" 
 
 "No, quite drinkable a slight sweet taste 
 about it." 
 
 " I expect there's more water in it than when 
 Stuart was here: these holes get salter as they 
 dry up. Do you think it is the hole he was at?" 
 
 " I think it must be," returned Morton, as they 
 turned and rode up the creek. "We ought to 
 be able to get through to the mountain now, even 
 if we don't come across that clay-pan." 
 
 " That's good news, at any rate. Did you see 
 anything of that fire?" 
 
 " There appears to be a heavy bank of smoke 
 to the eastward, but we must try and find a tree 
 this evening to have a look-out from." 
 
 The camp was a fairly good one, although the 
 grass was somewhat dry. After some searching 
 Brown and Morton found a gum-tree which they 
 could climb, but it was not of a sufficient height 
 to afford them a good view of the surrounding 
 country. They made out, however, that an ex- 
 tensive bush fire was raging to the eastward, and 
 when it fell dark the glow was plainly visible. 
 Brown said it was not as bright as when he saw 
 it, as though the fire was now working away 
 from them. 
 
MORE DRY CREEKS. 201 
 
 The following day they started on a straight 
 course for the mountain on the creek, and rode 
 the whole day through a barren region of scrub. 
 That night the horses had to be tied up to trees, 
 for there was neither grass nor water for them. 
 However, they felt sure of arriving at the creek 
 the next day. 
 
 "We ought to be getting to that big plain 
 pretty soon," said Morton in the morning, as 
 they were making an early start. " That is, if 
 our reckoning is anyway near the mark." 
 
 They had scarcely been travelling an hour, 
 when they suddenly rode from the scrub on to 
 the plain, and before them in the distance, with 
 a black haze of smoke as a background, was the 
 mountain they were making for. The fire was 
 seemingly beyond the mountain, as the plain, 
 although covered with dry grass which would 
 have burnt freely enough, had not been burnt. 
 
 Once out of the scrub they travelled more 
 rapidly, and in the afternoon once more camped 
 at the base of the mountain. All the eastern 
 side of the creek was burnt bare, and when they 
 ascended the hill they could see that the fire had 
 ravaged most of the spinifex scrub and burnt up 
 the country to the north. The outlook was even 
 drearier than before, for the heat and flames 
 had scorched the leaves of the low trees, and 
 nothing but an expanse of dead foliage was 
 beneath them. 
 
 Fortunately there was good feed for their 
 
202 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 horses on the bank of the creek and the islands 
 in its bed, and as the last two days had been 
 rather severe on them, they decided to rest for 
 a few days and inspect the surrounding country, 
 although it held out little inducement. How- 
 ever, they preferred stopping at where they 
 were to going back to their old camp at the 
 lagoons, where probably all the grass was burnt 
 The first thing to do was to jot down the whole 
 of their course since leaving the lagoons and 
 correct it, which they were now able to do, as 
 they had arrived back at a known point. They 
 found that the dead reckoning had been very 
 well kept, and that their work closed in a satis- 
 factory manner. 
 
 An excursion down the creek on the following 
 day convinced them that it ran out and was 
 hopelessly lost in the sandy scrub that stretched 
 south and east. Next morning Morton was up 
 early at break of day, and climbing up the hill to 
 reach the summit before sunrise, which is the 
 best time to see long distances. To the east the 
 fire was still burning in the distance, but was 
 evidently now in a dying state. Morton had his 
 glasses with him, and commenced to carefully 
 scan the country. At last his attention became 
 fixed on one particular spot to the south. He 
 took a compass-bearing and descended the hill. 
 The others were up, and about to commence 
 breakfast. 
 
 " I've spotted that rock hill," said Morton. 
 
MORE DRY CREEKS. 203 
 
 "What! The one Stuart says the old black- 
 fellow told him about?" 
 
 " I think so. You can't pick it out with the 
 naked eye, but with the glasses I can make it 
 out quite distinctly. A brown naked cone rising 
 out of the scrub." 
 
 " How far away is it?" 
 
 " Not more than fifteen miles, I should say. I 
 wonder that none of the niggers were able to 
 take Stuart to it." 
 
 " Do you intend going?" 
 
 " We may as well. I should like to know all 
 about the place before we go home." 
 
 " Well, I'm with you, old man." 
 
 Next morning they started on Morton's com- 
 pass-bearing. The distance was about what he 
 judged, and they made a very fair course. 
 
 The rock, surrounded by a small area of open 
 country, rose in a round-topped peak to an 
 altitude of about one hundred and fifty feet. 
 The granite sides were smooth and naked, and 
 the two white men, after hanging their horses to 
 a small cork-tree, climbed to the summit. Brown, 
 who had been in Western Australia before, had 
 seen these granite formations peculiar to that 
 colony, but to Morton they were a new pheno- 
 menon. From the top they had a good clear 
 view all round. Scrub, east and south, still 
 stretched before them. Presently they both at 
 the same time noticed a clear space west of 
 south, in which there was a sparkle like a reflec- 
 
204 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 tion from the sun. Morton turned the glasses 
 on it. 
 
 " Salt lake," he said, after a pause. 
 
 Brown took the glasses and looked. 
 
 " Yes, another salt lake, there's no doubt. We'll 
 take the bearings and apparent distance; it's just 
 as well to have all these things down." 
 
 "Not worth while going over to it," said 
 Morton. 
 
 They descended the hill and rode round it to 
 see if there were any of the holes on the base of 
 the mound, such as are often found. In this case 
 there were two or three, but all small and dry. 
 
 " I don't see any good in going into that scrub 
 to the east," said Morton as they rode home; 
 " we'll make a start the day after to-morrow." 
 
 Brown agreed with him, and they reached 
 camp in good time. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 The Attack by the Surviving Warlattas Death of Lee-lee 
 The Last of the Cannibals. 
 
 NEXT morning was a lazy one. About eleven 
 o'clock Morton, who was talking to Brown 
 under the shade of a tree, proposed that they 
 should kill a few hours by a ride up the creek, 
 and called to Billy to bring up a couple of 
 
THE LAST OF THE CANNIBALS. 205 
 
 horses. Charlie, who was in the tent, sung out 
 in reply that he had gone hunting with Lee-lee, 
 as their clothes were lying on the ground, for a 
 blackfellow always likes to strip whenever he 
 gets a chance. 
 
 "I will go and get the horses, they are just 
 down the creek/' said Charlie, when he heard 
 what his cousin wanted. 
 
 He picked up two bridles and went off down 
 the creek. 
 
 Brown and Morton put their saddles down in 
 readiness. 
 
 The horses were not far, and Charlie soon came 
 back leading two. He had almost reached the 
 camp when a shrill yell of terror made them all 
 start. 
 
 Out from the forest came Billy, racing and 
 shouting, and behind him limped Lee-lee. There 
 was no need to ask what it meant; behind them, 
 in close pursuit, came other dark forms with up- 
 raised spears. 
 
 "Those Warlattas!" yelled Brown, as he and 
 Morton sprang for their rifles. Charlie was 
 transfixed with surprise. Two of the cannibals, 
 with their spears up, were now close to the 
 fugitives, the others pressing on so eagerly that 
 they did not see the white men. It all seemed 
 to Charlie to pass like a flash. The spears flew, 
 and the rifles cracked so closely one after the 
 other that it sounded almost like one report. 
 Down went Billy and Lee-lee, and the two War- 
 
206 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 lattas behind them pitched forward headlong on 
 the ground. Startled by the firearms the others 
 halted, turned and fled. But the breech-loaders 
 spoke once more, and one Warlatta fell with a 
 broken leg, and the other dropped in a heap and 
 lay quiet, with a conical bullet between his shoul- 
 ders. 
 
 " Quick ! not one must get away," said Morton, 
 and he and Brown snatched the bridles from 
 Charlie's hand, and jumping on bare-backed, 
 galloped like avenging furies after the two re- 
 treating survivors. "Look after Billy!" yelled 
 Morton to Charlie, as he urged his excited horse 
 along. 
 
 The blacks fled into the forest, but the cover 
 came too late for them, with two of the best 
 riders in central Australia thirsting for their 
 blood. Charlie, as he went down to Billy, saw 
 his cousin race up to one man and they disap- 
 peared between the trees, but the report of a 
 revolver immediately after told its tale. Next 
 minute came two more pistol-shots from the 
 direction Brown had gone. 
 
 Billy had sat up by the time Charlie reached 
 him; he had been speared in the leg, but poor 
 Lee-lee was dead. The spear of the Warlatta 
 had pierced his heart. 
 
 Morton's and Brown's voices were now heard 
 coming back. They pulled up at the wounded 
 savage, and Morton slipped from his horse. 
 Charlie turned his head away, for he guessed 
 
THE LAST OF THE CANNIBALS. 207 
 
 what was going to happen. No quarter for the 
 cannibals. He heard the revolver ring out, and 
 knew that Lee-lee was avenged. 
 
 His cousin came up, leading his horse and 
 putting his revolver back in his pouch. Both 
 men were flushed, and their eyes still blazed 
 with the fierce light of conflict. 
 
 "Poor Lee-lee!" said Brown, as they stood 
 beside his body. " We seem to have been his 
 evil genius." 
 
 " We've been the evil genius of the Warlattas, 
 thank goodness," said Morton grimly. " They're 
 all wiped out now, however." 
 
 The tragedy affected them all strongly. The 
 unfortunate half-caste meeting his death in such 
 an unexpected manner, when all seemed safe and 
 at peace, was sad. 
 
 Billy, however, demanded their attention. 
 Fortunately the spear was not a barbed one, 
 and had only gone into the fleshy part of his 
 thigh. It was soon extracted, the wound bound 
 up, and he was made as comfortable as possible. 
 
 Billy explained that he and Lee-lee were on 
 their way home when they saw the Warlattas, 
 who had evidently been stalking them for some 
 time. Had Billy been armed with firearms he 
 might have frightened them away; but as he 
 had nothing but a tomahawk, he thought discre- 
 tion the better part of valour and ran for it, 
 forgetting in his excitement that Lee-lee was 
 lame and could not keep up with him. 
 
208 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 They buried the last poor relic of Leichhardt's 
 doomed party at the foot of the mountain, but 
 the bodies of the Warlattas were left to the 
 crows and hawks. 
 
 " Perhaps it is all for the best, sad as it seems," 
 said Morton. " Those six devils could not keep 
 their lust for murder under, and but for this 
 row we might not have run across them. Then 
 they would have gone to the lake again and 
 finished their villainous work." 
 
 "I wonder where they got their weapons 
 from." 
 
 " There must have been some left in the bottle 
 tree camp in the basalt. We did not look about 
 much, if you remember." 
 
 " Well, that's the end of it all, I suppose." 
 
 "Unless somebody comes across Lee -lee's 
 brothers or sisters amongst the tribe to the 
 north." 
 
 The party perforce had now to remain where 
 they were until Billy was able to ride again, and 
 a dull time it was. A trip to the hot swamp 
 showed them that, during their absence at the 
 lake, the water had subsided and the swamp 
 become so dry that the fire had ravaged it, 
 burning the ragged, inflammable bark of the 
 trees, and licking up the reeds surrounding the 
 lakelet, which was now but a surface of cracked 
 mud. 
 
 "There is one question that always worries 
 me," said Brown, as they came to the spot where 
 
THE LAST OF THE CANNIBALS. 209 
 
 the Warlatta track led into the basalt rocks. 
 "Do you think that Murphy was compelled to 
 join in their cannibal feasts?" 
 
 " I have thought of it too," replied Morton, 
 "and have come to the conclusion that he was 
 not. At least, while he retained his reason. 
 When we saw him, you know, he was nearly 
 blind, and his mental faculties almost gone. My 
 reason for this is the anchor we found cut on 
 the tree at the lagoons; I daresay there were 
 more, and there were numberless marks of the 
 others. There was an ample game supply up 
 and down that creek, and I believe he spent 
 most of his time there hunting, until he became 
 too infirm to leave the cave." 
 
 " I am glad you think that, as I am of the 
 same belief. I think any white man, no matter 
 how slow his intellect, would prefer death." 
 
 " Still, cases have been known where men 
 have been maddened by starvation in an open 
 boat at sea; but in this case he would not have 
 been desperate with hunger. No, I think, and 
 am glad to think, that he had no part in their 
 evil doings or rites until he was irresponsible 
 for his actions." 
 
 " They would not have allowed him to go with 
 them on their raids for fear of his escaping. 
 Evidently they regarded him as a sort of fetish." 
 
 They dismounted and hung their horses to 
 a tree, and went a short distance amongst the 
 rocks. As they advanced all signs of a track 
 
 (M64) 
 
210 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 disappeared, for the place became one jumbled 
 mass of huge boulders piled on top of one 
 another, rough as a rasp underfoot, and bak- 
 ing hot from the vertical sun. What with the 
 natural heat of the day and the radiation from 
 the rocks, they were soon glad to turn back to 
 where they had left their horses. 
 
 " No wonder poor Stuart, barefooted and alone, 
 could not make his way any distance," remarked 
 Morton. 
 
 " I wonder what would have happened had he 
 met the Warlattas?" 
 
 "He had established a good funk amongst 
 them, and so he might have routed them. But if 
 they had killed him, I swear a good many would 
 have lost the number of their mess first." 
 
 " It always makes me feel sad when I think of 
 such a man being forced by fate to spend his life 
 amongst savages." 
 
 Billy's wound, like the flesh of most black- 
 fellows, was rapidly healing, but he was not yet 
 able to ride. The shadow cast on their spirits 
 by the murder of poor Lee-lee, rendered them all 
 anxious to be on the move and leave the ill- 
 omened camp behind them. The weather had 
 been continuously fine ever since they left. 
 That night, however, a black thunder-storm 
 gathered up, and towards evening the heavens 
 were overcast and the sky was one constant 
 blaze of lightning, and a continuous mutter of 
 thunder sounded from all points. Every pre- 
 
THE LAST OF THE CANNIBALS. 211 
 
 paration had been made, and they watched with 
 interest the mustering of the storm spirits. 
 
 " I believe it's going to be one of those dry 
 dust-storms after all," said Brown. 
 
 To the east every blaze of light now showed 
 a low black cloud approaching. 
 
 "It's the wind coming," said Morton, "bringing 
 all the ashes from the burnt country; we shall 
 be smothered with dust and charcoal." 
 
 Even as he spoke there came a blinding glare 
 of white light, accompanied by a crash of thunder 
 that seemed to shake the hill to its foundation. 
 A rush of cold wind, bearing dust and ashes on 
 its wings, swept the camp and nearly carried 
 away the tent. Then the rain fell in one heavy 
 downpour. For nearly an hour the deluge kept 
 up, the continuous flashes making it as bright as 
 day, the constant roar and rattle of the thunder 
 never ceasing. Then the tumult died away in 
 the west, the stars peeped out, and the tropical 
 storm was over. Next morning the sky was 
 clear and the air fresh and pleasant. 
 
 " I'm hanged if I can stop in camp any longer," 
 said Morton. "Billy, if you don't get that 
 'mundoee' of yours well soon, we'll go away 
 and leave you here." 
 
 Billy looked rather askance at the threat, 
 until he realized that Morton was joking. 
 
 Brown, who had been surgeon, said: "I think 
 we can rig up a sling or cradle for his leg soon, 
 so that he will be able to travel short stages." 
 
212 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 "I'm glad to hear it. That thunder-storm 
 must have put water into the rock-holes at the 
 granite rock. What do you say to a ride there 
 and then on to the salt lake we saw at a dis- 
 tance?" 
 
 "Right; it will kill time. But we'll start 
 to-morrow; let the ground dry up a bit. We'll 
 experimentalize on a cradle for Billy's leg to- 
 day." 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 Visit to the Southern Salt Lake The Future of the 
 Interior A False Alarm Departure. 
 
 cradle promised to be a success; so the 
 _ next morning, taking some rations in case 
 they had to camp out, Brown and Morton left 
 for the rock. The ground was still somewhat 
 soft, but not enough to impede their travelling, 
 and they reached the granite rock early. As 
 they had the bearing of the salt lake they did 
 not climb the rock again, but rode round the 
 base to see if the holes were full. They were all 
 brim-full, the sloping rock above acting like the 
 roof of a house in catching and shedding the 
 rainfall. They then struck out for the salt lake, 
 which they reached about one o'clock, passing 
 through sandy country all the way. The lake 
 was much larger than the one they had camped 
 
A FALSE ALARM. 213 
 
 at to the north, but the surrounding country was 
 barren and grassless. Few signs of the former 
 presence of the natives were visible, and no in- 
 dication of a well having been dug. Evidently 
 the soil was so impregnated with salt that not 
 even brackish water could be obtained. 
 
 "What a real desert!" said Brown, gazing 
 round on the dreary scene. 
 
 " Yes, it's about as hopeless a looking picture 
 as one could find anywhere, at present. And yet, 
 if the artesian water is found to extend through- 
 out the interior, it will change the whole face of 
 the Australian earth in time. This spinifex 
 would not grow here, but that the climate is so 
 arid that nothing else will grow, and this beastly 
 stuff can thrive without any rain at all. No, 
 burn this scrub off, or clear it somehow, and, 
 with a good supply of artesian water, there are 
 a hundred and one payable products one could 
 grow here." 
 
 "You're an optimist, and an enthusiast at 
 that." 
 
 " I am as regards the future of Australia. I 
 believe the end of the coming century will see it 
 settled from east to west throughout." 
 
 "If one could fill up all the dry creeks and 
 lagoons we have passed with your artesian water, 
 we might modify the severity of the climate." 
 
 " Yes. Now, let's have a ride round this inland 
 sea in miniature." 
 
 "It smells like the sea, at anyrate; I bet that 
 
214 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 water in there is concentrated brine. How about 
 all this saline country?" 
 
 " It has been proved successfully that the date- 
 palm will thrive on the shores of these salt lakes, 
 so they need not be quite barren." 
 
 Nothing of any interest was to be seen, and 
 they retraced their steps to the granite rock, 
 where they watered their horses. As there were 
 still a couple of hours of daylight, they started 
 back for their camp. 
 
 " Fancy if we had left the camp like this, for- 
 getting all about those six Warlattas hanging 
 about. What a massacre they would have had!" 
 said Brown, as they rode on. 
 
 "Yes, it makes me shudder to think of our 
 carelessness; for we ought to have remembered 
 there was danger to be expected from them." 
 
 When it fell dark they found themselves still 
 some three miles from home, and the darkness 
 somewhat retarded them in the scrub. Suddenly, 
 when nearing the mountain, a rifle-shot was heard 
 ahead, followed soon after by a different report, 
 like that of a shot-gun. 
 
 "Good God! what can be up?" exclaimed 
 Morton. 
 
 Both men fired their revolvers as a signal that 
 they were near, and pushed on as hastily as they 
 could. As soon as the open country was reached 
 they galloped straight for the camp. Everything 
 appeared peaceful enough, and Charlie seemed 
 surprised at their hasty approach. 
 
A FALSE ALARM. 215 
 
 "What were you firing at?'' asked Morton, 
 rather crossly, for no man likes to be flurried by 
 a false alarm. 
 
 " Well, I don't know exactly," replied Charlie. 
 " I had given you up for to-night, and was sitting 
 out here with Billy, when he called out that there 
 was something moving on the rocks over there. 
 I looked, and could indistinctly make out some 
 dark figure moving about, so I challenged ; getting 
 no answer, I fired my rifle in the air. Whatever 
 it was they started away, but in a few minutes 
 came back again, so I fired the shot-gun at them 
 and they departed. Billy called out they were 
 'Jinkarras!' and covered his head with the 
 blanket, and I expect he has it there now." 
 
 "What were they like?" asked Brown. 
 
 " It was too dark to see, but they were cer- 
 tainly not natives, unless we have run across a 
 race of dwarfs." 
 
 Billy, on being induced to take his head from 
 underneath the blanket, asserted stoutly that 
 they were Jinkarras they had seen; that he 
 ought to know, as when he was a child he had 
 been carried off by one in the night. 
 
 " How did you get back, Billy?" asked Morton. 
 
 Billy commenced a long rambling yarn about 
 waking up to find himself being carried along by 
 a short, hairy man with red eyes; but his tale 
 ended somewhat lamely, for his next remem- 
 brance was of finding himself in the familiar 
 family camp, with his mother administering 
 
216 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 severe slaps with the small end of a nulla-nulla. 
 Still he persisted in his statement that there were 
 Jinkarras, and that they lived underground. 
 
 " I shouldn't wonder/' suddenly exclaimed 
 Brown, " if this legend of the Jinkarras, which 
 is common all over the central portion of Aus- 
 tralia, was not a surviving tradition, much dis- 
 torted, of our dear old friends the devil wor- 
 shippers." 
 
 " Not at all unlikely. We will run this particu- 
 lar brand of Jinkarra to earth in the morning," 
 answered Morton. 
 
 Charlie was out before breakfast to inspect 
 the ground where he had seen the figures in the 
 night; but beyond a few good-sized boulders, 
 which he was certain he had not fired at, he failed 
 to discover any marks of a nocturnal visit. 
 
 Morton went out after breakfast, and imme- 
 diately saw what had caused the alarm. He 
 called Charlie over and pointed the tracks out to 
 him. 
 
 " This is a regular pad for the rock -wallabies," 
 he said. " Only it has been covered up by the 
 burnt ashes of the grass. They were coming in 
 last night to feed on the young grass on the 
 bank of the creek, just springing after the rain. 
 I suppose some of them hopped on to these 
 boulders." 
 
 This explanation failed to satisfy Billy, who 
 was still convinced that the Jinkarras were 
 about, and was now anxious to get away. 
 
A FALSE ALARM. 217 
 
 They devoted themselves to finishing the sling 
 for his leg, and made him take a short ride two 
 or three times, to get accustomed to it and find 
 out if it hurt him. 
 
 It was with feelings of great thankfulness 
 that they at last got ready to make a final 
 start and leave the place which had grown so 
 wearisome to them. For the sake of making 
 it easy for Billy, they intended to take two 
 days on the journey to the lagoons, so they 
 camped the first night on the creek above what 
 had been the hot swamp. 
 
 The next night they reached the familiar camp 
 at the lagoons, and now felt that they were fin- 
 ally on the homeward track. They had made a 
 rude pair of crutches for the black boy, and he 
 was now able to limp about on, what he called, 
 his "waddy-mundoees". 
 
 As a ma.tter of satisfaction they spelled a day, 
 for although the grass had all been burnt by 
 the fire, there was still good feed on the banks 
 of the lagoons. This day was devoted to thor- 
 oughly examining the trees up and down the 
 creek, and they were able to partly confirm their 
 conjectures about Murphy, by finding the anchor 
 marked on several more trees. 
 
 The thunder-storm had filled the small hole 
 they stopped at when they first sighted the 
 plain and the great limestone rock, so they 
 made a short stage there to give Billy every 
 chance. From what they remembered of the 
 
218 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 nature of the country, there was not likely to 
 be any water retained along the scrub track. 
 
 They were all on the look-out during the next 
 morning for the spot where they first encoun- 
 tered the Warlattas. When they reached it 
 they found that the corpse was gone, the six 
 men despatched having seemingly done their 
 duty and taken it on to the bury ing- place. 
 
 " I suppose," said Brown, " that it was only 
 men of importance amongst them that they took 
 the trouble to carry all this way. What did 
 they do with the others?" 
 
 " I forgot all about it," exclaimed Charlie. 
 
 They both looked at him in surprise. 
 
 " When I was down that hole, the first one, not 
 the tunnel affair, I saw some bones and skulls 
 amongst the boulders. I think it was that 
 which frightened Billy so. I could only see a few, 
 but there might have been thousands, for every- 
 thing was smothered with mud and our candles 
 did not give much light." 
 
 "At that rate, the rank and file were thrown 
 into the boiling spring when they pegged out," 
 said Morton. 
 
 " Seemingly so," answered his friend. " But 
 we must push on, we have a good step ahead 
 of us." 
 
 The horses went merrily along the cleared 
 track, and as Billy showed no signs of fatigue 
 they made capital progress. As they anticipated, 
 the cleared track led them straight on to the 
 
A FALSE ALARM. 219 
 
 open patch of downs country where the cemetery 
 was. A great surprise awaited them. The fire 
 had swept up from the south, and the whole 
 country was black. More than that, the fierce 
 flames had attacked the dry boughs forming 
 the scaffolds whereon the dead bodies had been 
 bestowed, and now, all that was to be seen were 
 half -charred bones lying here and there. 
 
 " It seems that Fate meant to destroy all traces 
 of the Warlattas in one act," said Morton, as they 
 sat on their horses and gazed at all that was left 
 of the cemetery of the cannibals. 
 
 "How was it this never happened before?" 
 remarked Brown. 
 
 " I don't understand. They must have kept it 
 burnt down short every year, and neglected it for 
 some reason. However, I'm not sorry, for if this 
 country extends any distance south I shall take 
 it up." 
 
 " Well, let's get to camp before it's dark. There 
 will be enough grass unburnt about the water- 
 hole for our horses to-night." 
 
 This proved to be the case, and the cheery 
 camp-fire was soon blazing brightly and every- 
 body chatting in good spirits. 
 
 " If you think seriously of taking up this bit 
 of country, we might as well explore it to-mor- 
 row now we are here. The horses will be better 
 for the rest, for remember, as far as we know, 
 there is not a drop of water between here and 
 the station a good hundred miles," said Brown. 
 
220 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 "That thunder-storm has been along here by 
 the look of it. It should have put some water 
 in some of those clay-pans we passed." 
 
 " Thunder-storms are mighty uncertain things 
 to trust to. They generally fall, as a rule, just 
 where they are no good to any one. We must 
 travel, when we start, as though it was dry the 
 whole way, although I think with you that we 
 shall find water." 
 
 " As it now stands," said Morton, drawing his 
 blanket over his shoulders, "the only real evidence 
 we have to show that the Warlattas ever existed, 
 is this cleared road in the scrub." 
 
 "And the wound in Billy's leg," murmured 
 Charlie, drowsily. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 Home Again. 
 
 trip next morning was a promising one. 
 JL The creek kept a continued and well- 
 watered course for about fifteen miles, running 
 through well-grassed downs country all the way. 
 The place was burnt black with the fire, but that 
 did not hide the value of the country. Gradually 
 the scrub, which they had lost sight of for some 
 time, closed in on both sides, and it was evident 
 that the creek would soon run out, once it entered 
 the scrub. They were back in camp in time to 
 
HOME AGAIN. 221 
 
 take a short ride up the creek, and ascertain 
 that there was nothing worth troubling about 
 in that direction. Brown fossicked out the 
 remains of the brandy when they had finished 
 their meal. 
 
 " Now, then," he said, when they had all put 
 some in their pannikins, " we must christen the 
 new run. What's it to be? You speak first, 
 Charlie." 
 
 " Warlatta Downs." 
 
 "Good!" said Morton; "we can't better that. 
 Here's good luck to Warlatta Downs." 
 
 " Now for the gold reef," said Brown. 
 
 There was silence whilst each thought of a 
 suitable name. 
 
 "Suppose we call it after Stuart, who was 
 really the first finder of it." 
 
 "The Stuart Reef, then, and here's to his 
 memory." 
 
 They drank the toast in silence. 
 
 "That reminds me," remarked Brown, "that 
 portion of the diary relating the finding of the 
 gold reef must be carefully eliminated from the 
 original journal and our copies." 
 
 "We'll set about it now, to make sure. We 
 can restore it at any time when needful; mean- 
 time we don't want anybody to jump our claim." 
 
 They soon had the work finished, and the 
 part taken out was carefully put away. 
 
 "One more night and home," said Charlie 
 delightedly the next morning as they mounted. 
 
222 THE SECRET OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT. 
 
 "I never thought so much of the old station 
 before." 
 
 The belt of scrub had still to be passed which 
 had proved such a terror on their outward 
 way. Sorely did they miss the well-cleared 
 track of the Warlattas. Luckily the thunder- 
 storm had extended most of the way, and they 
 reached home by easy stages. 
 
 " We have not lost a single horse in spite of 
 all the dry and desert country we have negoti- 
 ated," said Morton, as they rode over the familiar 
 ground some miles away from the station. 
 
 "No; that's something to boast of. Those 
 long spells we had at different places were the 
 salvation of our nags," replied Brown. 
 
 Their return that night caused great excite- 
 ment on the station. The men had been getting 
 impatient and anxious, and were thinking of 
 starting on their tracks to see if they had come 
 to grief. 
 
 Every Australian bushman knows the story of 
 Leichhardt, and when the men heard that the 
 mystery of his fate and of those who accom- 
 panied him had been at last solved, they felt 
 that a reflected glory was shed on all connected 
 with the station. 
 
 Billy had a great reception from his country- 
 men camped about the station. He exhibited 
 his wound, and let it be generally understood 
 that he had wiped out the Warlatta tribe single- 
 handed, although they were all giants over seven 
 
HOME AGAIN. 223 
 
 feet high. Fortunately he knew nothing of the 
 gold reef, so was not able to dilate on that; but 
 the story of the lake and the caves there lost 
 nothing by telling, but he quite forgot to men- 
 tion his fright in the underground tunnel. 
 
 The news of their successful trip and interest- 
 ing discoveries was soon flashed along the over- 
 land telegraph-line. It was enthusiastically re- 
 ceived by some and scornfully doubted by others, 
 as is usual in these cases. Brown regretted that 
 they had not had a camera, and brought a few 
 pictures back with them ; but as the authenticity 
 of the documents have been since universally 
 admitted, the scoffers are confounded. 
 
 As yet they are awaiting their time before 
 returning to open up the reef, which they antici- 
 pate will be found to be joined by a line of 
 auriferous country with the rich gold discoveries 
 lately made in Western Australia. 
 
 THE END. 
 
" English boys owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Henty." Athenaum 
 
 Blackie & Son's 
 
 Illustrated Story Books 
 
 HISTORICAL TALES BY 
 
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 With Bulletin Natal: ^ A Born Leader. With 
 
 10 page Illustrations by 
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 The heroic story of the relief of Ladysmith forms the theme of one of the 
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 "A first-rate story of stirring deeds." Daily Chronicle. 
 " Full of hard fighting, gallant rescues, and narrow escapes." Graphic. 
 [46] d) A 
 
From WITH BULLER IN NATAL 
 By G. A. HENTY. 6j. (see page i) 
 
 M683 
 
 'ONE OF THE BOERS HELD UP HIS RIFLE WITH A WHITE FLAG 
 TIED TO IT" 
 
STORIES BY G. A. HENTY 
 
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 NTn ^iirrpnrler I A Tale of the Risin S in La Vendee. 
 With 8 page Illustrations by STANLEY 
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 - Both Sides the Border: 
 
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 Henry, the gallant Hotspur. He is sent on several dangerous and impor- 
 tant missions in which he acquits himself with great valour. 
 
 " With boys the story should rank among Mr. Henty's best." Standard. 
 
 "A vivid picture of that strange past . . . when England and Scotland . . . were 
 rn by faction and civil war." On 
 
 nward. 
 
 - Through Russian Snows; 
 
 8 page illustrations by W. H. OVEREND. 5^. 
 
 Julian Wyatt becomes, quite innocently, mixed up with smugglers, who 
 carry him to France, and hand him over as a prisoner to the French. 
 He subsequently regains his freedom by joining Napoleon's army in the 
 campaign against Russia. 
 
 " The story of the campaign is very graphically told. " St. James's Gazette. 
 One of Mr. Henty's best books, which will be haile 
 iers." Journal of Education. 
 Is full of life and action." Journal of Education. 
 
 "One of Mr. Henty's best books, which will be hailed with joy by his many eager 
 readers." Journal of Education. 
 
 The Yoiino- Colonists- A Tale of the Zulu and 
 
 111C JLOUIlg ^OlOIKbtb. BoerWars v^ 6 Illus- 
 trations by SIMON H. VEDDER. 3^. 6d. 
 
 The story of two English lads who serve the British force as guides 
 against Cetewayo, are present at the disaster of Isandula, help to defeat 
 the Zulus at Ulundi, and afterwards fight through the campaign against 
 the Boers. 
 
 " No boy can read this book without learning a great deal of South African history 
 at its most critical period. " Standard. 
 (3) 
 
BLACKIES STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 G. A. HENTY 
 
 Under Wellington's Command: ^ 
 
 sular War. With 12 page Illustrations by WAL PAGET. 6s. 
 
 In this stirring romance Mr. Henty gives us the further adventures of 
 Terence O'Connor, the hero of With Moore at Corunna. We are told 
 how, in alliance with a small force of Spanish guerillas, the gallant regiment 
 of Portuguese levies commanded by Terence keeps the whole of the French 
 army in check at a critical period of the war, rendering invaluable service 
 to the Iron Duke and his handful of British troops. 
 
 "Will be found extremely entertaininr ." Daily Telegraph. 
 
 " An admirable exposition of Mr. Henty's masterly method of combining instruction 
 with amusement." World. 
 
 "Humour, adventure, and hard fighting." Navy and Army. 
 
 At Aboukir and Acre: f Story ,L Na P le n ' s 
 
 Invasion of Egypt. With 
 8 page Illustrations by WILLIAM RAINEY, R.I. 5.$-. 
 
 Shortly before the battle of the Nile, Edgar Blagrove, the son of an 
 English merchant in Alexandria, saves the life of a young Bedouin chief. 
 The two boys become inseparable, and on the arrival of the French, Edgar 
 makes common cause with the Bedouins against the invader. He after- 
 wards enters the British navy as a midshipman, and as interpreter to Sir 
 Sydney Smith assists in the defence of Acre. 
 
 "The boys who are so fortunate as to get the book as a Christmas present will 
 enjoy many hours of supreme delight, and will learn almost unconsciously much that 
 is worth knowing. " Manchester Guardian. 
 
 " A thoroughly patriotic story, with brisk action, and incidents crowding upon each 
 other." Tatler. 
 
 - With Cochrane the Dauntless: s e loit f 
 
 With 12 page Illustrations by W. H. MARGETSON. 6s. 
 
 It would be hard to find, even in sensational fiction, a more daring leader 
 than Lord Cochrane, or a career which supplies so many thrilling exploits. 
 The manner in which, almost single-handed, he scattered the French fleet 
 in the Basque Roads is one of the greatest feats in English naval history. 
 
 " As rousing and interesting a book as boys could wish for." Saturday Review. 
 "This tale we specially recommend." St. James's Gazette. 
 
 " We honour the author of With Cochrane the Dauntless as the head of his pro- 
 fession." National Observer. 
 
 " Full of thrilling adventure, as well as of historical and biographical information." 
 
 Glasgow Herald. 
 
 (4) 
 
STORIES BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 G. A. HENTY 
 
 Won by the Sword: f e f * e rt v 
 
 / War. With 12 page Illustra- 
 
 tions by CHARLES M. SHELDON. 6s. 
 
 In this story Mr. Henty completes the history of the Thirty Years' War, 
 the first part of which he described in The Lion of the North. His hero, 
 the son of a Scottish officer who, at an early age, comes under the notice 
 of the great Turenne, and is placed on his personal staff, has ample 
 opportunity for gratifying his love of hazardous enterprises and adventures. 
 
 "As fascinating as ever came from Mr. Henty 's pen." Westminster Gazette. 
 " Full of sieges, of the smoke, the din and the dust of battle." Standard. 
 
 Bv England's Aid- or ' The Freeing of the Nether ' 
 
 U J A1 & ld lands (1585-1604). Withiopage 
 
 Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE, and 4 Maps. 6s. 
 
 Two English lads go to Holland in the service of one of " the fighting 
 Veres". After many adventures one of the lads finds himself on board a 
 Spanish ship at the defeat of the Armada, and escapes from Spain only to 
 fall into the hands of the Corsairs. He is successful, however, in getting 
 back to Spain, and regains his native country after the capture of Cadiz. 
 
 " Boys know and love Mr. Henty 's books of adventure, and will welcome his tale 
 of the freeing of the Netherlands. " A theneeum. 
 
 " Mr. Henty can give you the sense of battle in the veins." National Observer. 
 
 " Geoffrey's adventures will impart to the tale that element which lays hold of the 
 boy reader. ' Christian Leader. 
 
 of Conauest- or> with Cortez in Mexica 
 U1 ^uiujucbL. with I0 page Illustrations 
 
 by W. S. STAGEY, and 2 Maps. 6s. 
 
 The conquest of Mexico, by a small band of resolute men under the 
 magnificent leadership of Cortez, is rightly ranked amongst the most romantic 
 exploits in history. With this as the groundwork of his story, Mr. Henty 
 has interwoven the adventures of an English youth, Roger Hawkshaw, the 
 sole survivor of the good ship Swan, which had sailed from a Devon port to 
 challenge the supremacy of the Spaniards in the New World. 
 
 " Mr. Henty's skill has never been more convincingly displayed than in this 
 Imirable and ingenious story." Saturday Review. 
 
 "Cleverly written and wonderfully interesting." Birmingham Gazette. 
 
 "A volume full of interest and excitement, which cannot fail to charm its readers." 
 
 Journal of Education. 
 
 (5) 
 
From OUT WITH GARIBALDI 
 By G. A. HENTY. 5j. (see page i) 
 
 SILENCE! SIGNORS,' HE SAID IN A LOUD VOICE" 
 
STOSIES BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 G. A. HENTY 
 
 A Roving Commission: n Through the Hack 
 
 o Insurrection of Hayti. 
 
 With 12 page Illustrations by WILLIAM RAINEY, R.I. 6s. 
 
 The hero of this story takes part in some of the principal engagements in 
 the revolt of the slaves of Hayti against their French masters at the end of 
 last century, and is able to rescue many of the unfortunate French colonists 
 from the infuriated blacks. He also does good service against the pirates 
 who infested the West Indian seas at that period, for which he is rapidly 
 promoted from midshipman to commander. 
 
 "A stirring tale, which may be confidently recommended to schoolboy readers." 
 
 Guardian. 
 
 " A singularly lucky and attractive hero, for whom boy readers will have an intense 
 admiration. " Standard. 
 
 flip T^ritrm ^ Story of the Roman Invasion of 
 ' Britain. With 12 page Illustrations 
 by W. PARKINSON. 6^. 
 
 Beric is a boy-chief of a British tribe which takes a prominent part in the 
 insurrection under Boadicea : and after the defeat of that heroic queen he 
 continues the struggle in the fen-country. Ultimately Beric is defeated and 
 carried captive to Rome, where he succeeds in saving a Christian maid by 
 slaying a lion in the arena, and is rewarded by being made the personal 
 protector of Nero. Finally, he escapes and returns to Britain, where he 
 becomes a wise ruler of his own people. 
 
 " He is a hero of the most attractive kind. . . . One of the most spirited and well- 
 imagined stories Mr. Henty has written." Saturday Re-view. 
 
 "His conflict with a lion in the arena is a thrilling chapter. "School Board 
 Chronicle. 
 
 " Full of every form of heroism and pluck." Christian World. 
 
 - The Dash for Khartoum : 
 
 page Illustrations by JOHN SCHONBERG and J. NASH. 6s. 
 
 In the record of recent British history there is no more captivating page 
 for boys than the story of the Nile campaign, and the attempt to rescue 
 General Gordon. For, in the difficulties which the expedition encountered, 
 and in the perils which it overpassed, are found all the excitement of 
 romance, as well as the fascination which belongs to real events. 
 
 " The Dash for Khartoum is your ideal boys' book." Tablet. 
 " It is literally true that the narrative never flags a moment." Academy. 
 " The Dash for Khartoum will be appreciated even by those who don't ordinarily 
 care a dash for anything." Punch. 
 
 (7) 
 
BLACKIES STORY BOOKS FOR SOYS 
 
 G. A. HENTY 
 
 Bonnie Prince Charlie: e of ^ n ' enoy and 
 
 Culloden. With 12 page 
 Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 6s. 
 
 The hero, brought up by a Glasgow bailie, is arrested for aiding a 
 Jacobite agent, escapes, but is wrecked on the French coast, reaches Paris, 
 and serves with the French army at Dettingen. He succeeds in obtaining, 
 through Marshal Saxe, the release from confinement of both his parents. 
 He kills his father's foe in a duel, and, escaping to the coast, shares the 
 adventures of Prince Charlie. 
 
 "Mr. Henty can tell a capital story; but here, for freshness of treatment and 
 variety of incident, he has surpassed himself." Spectator, 
 
 " The adventures and incidents throughout are of the most exciting kind, and the 
 interest is never for one moment allowed to flag. " Literary World. 
 
 " Is most intensely thrilling." Pall Mall Gazette. 
 
 In the Heart of the Rockies: * St y of 
 
 Adventure in 
 Colorado. With 8 page Illustrations by G. C. HINDLEY. 5^. 
 
 The hero, Tom Wade, goes out to his uncle in Colorado, who is a hunter 
 and gold-digger. Going in quest of a gold mine, the little band is over- 
 whelmed by a snow-storm in the mountains, and compelled to winter there. 
 They build two canoes and paddle down the terrible gorges of the Rocky 
 Mountains, and after many perils they reach Fort Mojarve in safety. 
 
 " No book will please more than In the Heart of the Rockies." Spectator. 
 " It is a book to read and to recommend to boys and girls." The Observer. 
 "It is all life and go and vigour from beginning to end." The School Board 
 Chronicle. 
 
 At- Amnrnnrt- A Tale of the White Hoods of Paris. 
 r * L ^gillcuuiL. with I2 page illustrations by WAL 
 PAGET. 6s. 
 
 Sir Eustace de Villeroy, in journeying from Hampshire to his castle in 
 France, made young Guy Aylmer one of his escort. Soon thereafter the 
 castle was attacked, and the English youth displayed such valour that his 
 liege-lord made him commander of a special mission to Paris. This he 
 accomplished, returning in time to take part in the campaign against the 
 French which ended in the glorious victory for England at Agincourt. 
 
 " Is one of Mr. Henty 's best." Standard. 
 
 "There is not a better book for boys in Mr. Henty's extensive repertory." 
 
 Scotsman. 
 
 " Cannot fail to commend itself to boys of all ages." Manchester Courier. 
 (8) 
 
"Young readers have no better friends than Blackie & Son." Westminster Gazette 
 
 Blackie & Son's 
 Story Books for Boys 
 
 G. MANVILLE FENN 
 
 Devrm T3nv<; A Tale of the North shore - with I2 
 rycvun .uu^b, illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 6s. 
 
 The scene is laid on the picturesque rocky coast of North Devon, where 
 the three lads pass through many perils both afloat and ashore. Fishermen, 
 smugglers, naval officers, and a stern old country surgeon play their parts 
 in the story, which is one of honest adventure with the mastering of diffi- 
 culties in a wholesome manly way, mingled with sufficient excitement to 
 satisfy the most exacting reader. 
 
 "An admirable story, as remarkable for the individuality of its heroes as for the 
 excellent descriptions of coast scenery and life in North Devon. One of the best 
 books we have seen this season." Athen&ttm. 
 
 Nat the Naturalist- A Boy's Adventures in the Eastern 
 
 - IN at me iNaturanst. Seas with 8 page pictures by 
 
 GORDON BROWNE. 5^. 
 
 The boy Nat and his uncle go on a voyage to the islands of the Eastern 
 seas to seek specimens in natural history, and their adventures there are full 
 of interest and excitement. The descriptions of Mr. Ebony, their black 
 comrade, and of the scenes of savage life sparkle with genuine humour. 
 
 "This book encourages independence of character, develops resource, and teaches 
 a boy to keep his eyes open." Saturday Review. 
 
 Yussuf the Guide: * 6 page Illustrations by J - 
 
 oCHONBERG. 3^' 
 
 A lad who has been almost given over by the doctors, but who rapidly 
 recovers health and strength in a journey through Asia Minor with his 
 guardians and Yussuf as their guide. Their adventures culminate in their 
 being snowed up for the winter in the mountains, from which they escape 
 while their captors are waiting for the ransom that does not come. 
 
 " This story is told with such real freshness and vigour that the reader feels he is 
 actually one of the party, sharing in the fun and facing the dangers w th them." 
 
 Pall Mall Gazette. 
 
 U6] (9) 
 
From BOY CRUSOES 
 BY LEON GOLSCHMANN. 3 j. 6d. (See page 12) 
 
 THE BEASTS HURLED THEMSELVES SAVAGELY AGAINST THE DOOR 
 
BLACKIE'S STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 Dr. GORDON STABLES, R.N. 
 
 Tn Far "RrJivia A Stor y of a Stran S e Wild 
 
 1 ; lct - With 6 page Illustrations by J. 
 
 FlNNEMORE, R.I. 3^. 6d. 
 
 Life on the beautiful plantation on the banks of the great Amazon flows 
 gently and dreamily on, until the abduction of the heroine by Bolivian 
 savages. Then the stir indeed begins, and the adventures of the rescue- 
 party, in which the heroine's boy cousin and his chum are the moving 
 spirits, are the subject of an enthralling narrative. 
 
 "Written in Dr. Gordon Stables' best style." Yorkshire Herald. 
 
 "An exciting and altogether admirable story." Sheffield Telegraph. 
 
 - Kidnapped by Cannibals: 
 
 lustrations by J. FlNNEMORE. $s. 6d. 
 
 Thinking his father harsh and himself aggrieved, Willie runs away to 
 sea with his friend Harry Blessington. There is a terrible mutiny on 
 board, stirred up by foreign sailors, and in a group of hitherto unknown 
 cannibal islands in the southern seas the boys are cast away. Their 
 strange, wild life and adventures for years among these cannibals are told 
 in most graphic style. 
 
 " Exciting and interesting from beginning to end." Punch. 
 
 " Full of exciting adventure, and told with spirit." Globe. 
 
 Capt. F. S. BRERETON, R.A.M.C. 
 
 In the King's Service: A Tale / t c u '^. 
 
 o vasion of Ireland. With 
 
 8 page Illustrations by STANLEY L. WOOD. 5^. 
 
 When the Parliamentary army crosses to Ireland young Dick Granville 
 and his cousin Terence join a body of Royalist horse. They take part in 
 the defence of Drogheda, only escaping from the slaughter there by a 
 miracle, and afterwards go through a series of thrilling adventures and 
 narrow escapes in which Dick displays extraordinary skill and resource. 
 "What boy could wish for a better story?" Eastern Morning News. 
 
 -With Rifle 3nH "Ravonet- A Story of the Boer 
 
 itn ivme ana Bayonet. War with 8 page 
 
 Illustrations by WAL PAGET. 5^. 
 
 On the outbreak of war Jack Somerton volunteers as a despatch rider. 
 After rendering signal service, he shares the fate of many another gallant 
 fellow, and is brought as a captive to Pretoria. He escapes in due course, 
 and is fortunate in sharing in the brilliant operations that resulted in the 
 capture of the Free State capital. 
 
 " Boys who are not ready to vote this the book of the season do not deserve to be 
 remembered when Boxing-day comes round." Glasgow Herald. 
 
 (ll) 
 
BLACK JE'S STOSY BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 LEON GOLSCHMANN 
 
 "PQY (^TUSOeS ^ ^ tor y ^ t ^ le Siberian Forest. Adapted 
 j from the Russian by LEON GOLSCHMANN. 
 
 With 6 page Illustrations by J. FINNEMORE, R.I. 3.$-. 6d. 
 
 Every page of Boy Crusoes is crammed with adventure of a fresh and 
 peculiarly interesting character. It is a story of two Russian lads who are 
 so deeply impressed by reading Robinson Crusoe that they decide to run 
 away from home and have similar experiences. They lose their way in 
 a huge trackless forest, and are kept busy hunting for food, fighting against 
 wolves and other enemies, and labouring to increase their comforts, before 
 they are rescued by chance after some two years' sojourn in the forest. 
 "This is a story after a boy's own heart." Nottingham Guardian. 
 
 ROBERT LEIGHTON 
 
 The Thirsty Sword: 
 
 J of Scotland (1262-63). With 
 
 6 page Illustrations by A. PEARSE. New Edition. $s. 
 
 The story tells how Roderic MacAlpin, the sea-rover, came to the Isle of 
 Bute ; how he slew both his brother, Earl Hamish, and the earl's eldest son, 
 Alpin : how young Kenric became King of Bute, met the sea - rover on 
 Garroch Head, and ended their feud. 
 
 " One of the most fascinating stories for boys that it has ever been our pleasure to 
 read. From first to last the interest never flags." Schoolmaster. 
 
 MEREDITH FLETCHER 
 
 c 
 
 lustrations by SYDNEY 
 
 Every Inch a Briton: 
 
 COWELL. 3J. 6d. 
 
 This story is written from the point of view of an ordinary boy, who gives 
 an animated account of a young public-schoolboy's life. No moral is 
 drawn; yet the story indicates a kind of training that goes to promote 
 veracity, endurance, and enterprise ; and of each of several of the characters 
 it might be truly said, he is worthy to be called, " Every Inch a Briton". 
 " In Every Inch a Briton Mr. Meredith Fletcher has scored a success." 
 
 Manchester Guardian. 
 
 Col. J. PERCY-GROVES 
 
 The War of the Axe: t, St 7 of ^ A n, can 
 
 Adventure. Fully Illus- 
 trated. 2s. 6d. 
 
 Tom Flinders, late of Rugby, sails to rejoin his parents in Cape Colony, 
 joes up country, meets with many experiences, gets mauled by a Cape 
 
 id Rif 
 
 ion, and finally joins the Cape Mounted Rifles. 
 
 f to! 
 
 12) 
 
 "The story is well and brilliantly told, and the illustrations are especially good 
 and effective." Literary World. 
 
BLACKI&S STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 FRED. HARRISON 
 
 Wvnoort College- A Story of Sch o1 Life> with 
 
 V JllpUlL ^.UllCgC. g page Illustrations by HAROLD 
 
 COPPING. $s. 
 
 The hero and his chums differ as widely in character as in personal appear- 
 ance. We have Patrick O'Fflahertie, the good-natured Irish boy; Jack 
 Brookes, the irrepressible humorist; Davie Jackson, the true-hearted little 
 lad, on whose haps and mishaps the plot to a great extent turns; and the 
 hero himself, whose experiences at Wynport College the story relates. 
 
 "Crammed with happy incident." Truth. 
 
 " Full of life and adventure." Standard. 
 
 W. C. METCALFE 
 All Hands on Deck! * 6 V " stratio "; by w - 
 
 l\.AINIi.Yj R.I. y, Gfl. 
 
 The story begins with the experiences of eight of the crew and a young 
 lady passenger in an open boat. After many privations they are picked 
 up by the ship Ariadne. By a rare combination of circumstances the hero 
 is compelled to assume the command of the Ariadne, and navigates the ship 
 safely to Hong Kong, where many happy surprises await him. 
 
 " Is such a graphic sea story that the reader almost sniffs the salt breeze of mid- 
 ocean." Literary World. 
 
 EDGAR PICKERING ?'. 
 
 An Old-Time Yarn: Adventures in the West Indies 
 
 and Mexico with Hawkins and 
 Drake. With 6 page Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE. $s. 6d. 
 
 The hero sails from Plymouth in the flagship of Master John Hawkins. 
 Divers are the perils through which he passes. Chief of these are the 
 destruction of the English ships by the treacherous Spaniards, the fight 
 round the burning vessels, the journey of the prisoners to the city of Mexico, 
 the horrors of the Inquisition, and the final escape to England. 
 
 "An excellent story of adventure. . . . The book is thoroughly to be recom- 
 mended." Guardian. 
 
 WALTER P. WRIGHT 
 
 An Ocean Adventurer: 
 
 Illustrations by PAUL HARDY. 2s. 6d. 
 
 There is a fight at the beginning of this story, and treasure at the end of 
 it. From the day he is robbed of his father's priceless secret, through all 
 the desperate adventures of the privateer Orb, until he solves the great 
 mystery, Frank Pingle has a thrilling time of it, and so will his reader. 
 
 "A breezy and exciting sea story . . . which is full of stirring incidents from be- 
 ginning to end." Court Circular. 
 
SLA OKIE'S STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 W. O'BYRNE 
 
 Kings and Vikings: stories of Irish History. with 
 
 o 06 page Illustrations by PAUL 
 
 HARDY. 2s. 6d. 
 
 In this inspiring collection the author of A Land of Heroes gives us a 
 further series of heroic stories from the ancient annals of Erin. The present 
 volume has all the romantic charm that attaches to the early history of 
 Ireland. 
 
 " The stories are full of human interest, and are well told." Bradford Observer. 
 
 S. BARING-GOULD 
 
 Grettir the Outlaw A Story of Iceland in the 
 vjiciui uic v^uudw. of the vikings with 6 page 
 
 Illustrations by M. ZENO DIEMER. $s. 
 
 A narrative of adventure of the most romantic kind. No boy will be 
 able to withstand the magic of such scenes as the fight of Grettir with the 
 twelve bearserks, the wrestle with Karr the Old in the chamber of the dead, 
 the combat with the spirit of Glam the thrall, and the defence of the dying 
 Grettir by his younger brother. 
 
 " Is the boys' book of its year. That is, of course, as much as to say that it will do 
 for men grown as well as juniors. It is told in simple, straightforward English, as all 
 stories should be, and it has a freshness, a freedom, a sense of sun and wind and the 
 open air, which make it irresistible. " National Observer. 
 
 C. ]. CUTCLIFFE HYNE 
 
 Th e Da nfi i rerl Dri 1 1 <;er or ' Two Years from Land - 
 
 me ^apturea cruiser. with 6 page Illustrations 
 
 by F. BRANGWYN. New Edition. y>. 6d. 
 
 The central incidents deal with the capture, during the war between Chili 
 and Peru, of an armed cruiser. The heroes and their companions break 
 from prison in Valparaiso, board this warship in the night, overpower the 
 watch, escape to sea under the fire of the forts, and finally, after marvellous 
 adventures, lose the cruiser among the icebergs near Cape Horn. 
 
 "The two lads and the two skippers are admirably drawn. Mr. Hyne has now 
 secured a position in the first rank of writers of fiction for boys." Spectator. 
 
 - Stimson's Reef- with 4 page Illustrations b ? w - s - 
 
 JVCCI - STAGEY. New Edition. 2s.6d. 
 
 This is the extended log of a cutter which sailed from the Clyde to the 
 Amazon in search of a gold reef. It relates how they discovered the 
 bucaneer's treasure in the Spanish Main, fought the Indians, turned aside 
 the river Jamary by blasting, and so laid bare the gold of Stimson's Reej. 
 
 " Few stories come within hailing distance of Stimson's Reef in startling incidents 
 and hairbreadth 'scapes. It may almost vie with Mr. R. L. Stevenson's Treasutt 
 Island " Guardian. 
 
 d') 
 
From EVERY INCH A BRITON 
 By MEREDITH FLETCHER. $s. 6d. (See page 
 
 JI687 
 
 "DOE, DINAH, DINAH, DINAH, DINAH, DINAH DOE!" 
 
BLACKIE'S STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 MICHAEL MACMILLAN 
 
 Tales of Indian Chivalry. * 6 ^ e " lus " 
 
 j trations by PAUL 
 HARDY. 2s. 6d 
 
 Professor Macmillan's great acquaintance with India and Indian litera- 
 ture has placed an almost unequalled store of romance at his disposal; and 
 the present collection of typical stories of Rajput, Moghul, and Mahratta 
 chivalry should win for itself a permanent place among the treasures of the 
 British schoolboy. 
 
 " Capital reading for boys." Outlook. 
 
 HARRY COLLINGWOOD 
 
 The CongO Rovers: A Tate of the Stave Squadron. 
 
 o With 6 page Illustrations by 
 
 J. SCHONBERG. $S. 
 
 The scene of this tale is laid on the west coast of Africa. The hero, after 
 being effectually laughed out of his boyish vanity, develops into a lad pos- 
 sessed of a large share of sound common-sense, the exercise of which enables 
 him to render much valuable service to his superior officers in unmasking 
 a most daring and successful ruse on the part of the slavers. 
 
 " No better sea story has lately been written than The Congo Rovers. It is as 
 original as any boy could desire. " Morning Post. 
 
 FLORENCE COOMBE 
 
 Boys of the Priory School. 
 
 HAROLD COPPING. 2s. 6d. 
 
 The interest centres in the relations of Raymond and Hal Wentworth, 
 and the process by which Raymond, the hero of the school, learns that in 
 the person of his ridiculed cousin there beats a heart more heroic than his 
 own. 
 
 " It is an excellent work of its class, cleverly illustrated with ' real boys ' by Mr. 
 Harold Copping." Literature. 
 
 JANE H. SPETTIGUE 
 
 anrl a T aao-^r- A Borderland Story. With 
 
 ana a i^aager. 4 page Illustrations by 
 
 PAUL HARDY. 2s. 6d. 
 
 A stoiy of pioneer life in South Africa, full of stirring adventure and in- 
 teresting information about the country. The hero and his sister are cut 
 off from the laager by a party of natives, and are captured by the Kafirs 
 after making a bold stand against overwhelming odds. They escape and 
 reach the laager, which is afterwards fiercely attacked by the natives, but 
 is successfully defended. 
 
 " Full of novelty and excitement." Spectator. 
 (16) 
 
Blackie & Son's 
 
 Story Books for Girls 
 
 KATHARINE TYNAN 
 
 - or ' The Burkes of Derrymore. 
 
 . with I2 full _ page Illustrations 
 
 by G. DEMAIN HAMMOND, R.I. 6^. 
 
 A story of Irish country life. On the initiative of Elizabeth, the eldest 
 and most brilliant of the widowed Lady Burke's daughters, they receive 
 "paying guests" at Ardeelish, the house in which they have lived since 
 Sir Jasper's disinheritance obliged them to give up their great house, 
 Derrymore. Through the "paying guests" Elizabeth and Joan both meet 
 their fates; and the family is reconciled with Uncle Peter Burton, who 
 makes Elizabeth his heiress. 
 
 " One of the author's best Irish tales, and everyone knows how charming they can 
 be." St. James's Gazette. 
 
 ELIZA POLLARD 
 
 The Kinp-'s Signet The Story of a Hu ^ uenot 
 
 JXlllg b OlgllCL . Family with 6 fon.page 
 Illustrations by G. DEMAIN HAMMOND, R.I. $s. 6d. 
 
 This story relates the adventures of a noble Huguenot family, driven 
 out of their chateau by the dragoons after the Revocation of the Edict of 
 Nantes. The adventures lead to the battle of the Boyne, and to the happy 
 reunion of the scattered family in Ireland. 
 
 " The story is splendidly told, and never drags." Pall Mall Gazette. 
 
 CAROLINE AUSTIN 
 
 Cousin Geoffrey and I. ^ 6 ^w m* 
 
 J trations by W. PARK- 
 
 INSON. 3,y. 
 
 The only daughter of a country gentleman finds herself unprovided for at 
 her father's death, and for some time lives as a dependant upon her kins- 
 man. Life is kept from being unbearable to her by her young cousin 
 Geoffrey, who at length meets with a serious accident for which she is held 
 responsible. She makes a brave attempt to earn her own livelihood, until 
 a startling event brings her cousin Geoffrey and herself together again. 
 
 " Miss Austin's story is bright, clever, and well developed." Saturday Review. 
 [46] (17) B 
 
BLACKIES BOOKS FOR GIRLS 
 
 ELLINOR DAVENPORT ADAMS 
 
 With 6 Illustrati 
 by HAROLD COPPING. 
 
 A Queen among Girls. with 6 I!lustrations 
 
 Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 3^. 6d. 
 
 Augusta Pembroke is the head of her school, the favourite of her teachers 
 and fellow-pupils, who are attracted by her fearless and independent nature, 
 and her queenly bearing. She dreams of a distinguished professional 
 career; but the course of her life is changed suddenly by pity for her 
 timid little brother Adrian, the victim of his guardian-uncle's harshness. 
 The story describes the daring means adopted by Augusta for Adrian's relief. 
 
 " An interesting and well-written narrative, in which humour and a keen eye for 
 character unite to produce a book happily adapted for modern maidens." Globe. 
 
 A Girl of Tn-Dav With 6 P a & e Illustr ations by 
 
 a / ' G. D. HAMMOND, R.I. y. 6d. 
 
 " What are Altruists?" humbly asks a small boy. " They are only people 
 who try to help others," replies the Girl of To- Day. To help their poorer 
 neighbours, the boys and girls of Woodend band themselves together into 
 the Society of Altruists. That they have plenty of fun is seen in the 
 shopping expedition and in the successful Christmas entertainment. 
 
 " It is a spirited story. The characters are true to nature and carefully developed. 
 Such a book as this is exactly what is needed to give a school-girl an interest in the 
 development of character." Educational Times. 
 
 FRANCES ARMSTRONG 
 
 A Fair Claimant The Story of a Girl's Life. With 
 
 A rair loJainant. 6 page Illustrations by a DEMAIN 
 
 HAMMOND, R.I. New Edition. $s. 
 
 The heroine, when a child, is found deserted in an attic. She is adopted 
 by a wealthy lady, and resides abroad until the death of her benefactress. 
 Thereafter, Olive Bethune comes to England as a governess, and then 
 begins to learn her own strange history. It is a tale of surprising vicissi- 
 tude, but in the end all the wrongs are pleasantly righted. 
 
 "There is a fascination about this story. The splendid character of the heroine, 
 together with the happy manner in which the interest is sustained to the end, combine 
 to make this one of the most acceptable gift-books of the season." Church Review. 
 
 G. NORWAY 
 
 A True Cornish Maid with 6 page illustrations 
 A irue ^or \ iviaia. by j. FlNNEMORE . y .6d. 
 
 The heroine of the tale is sister to a young fellow who gets into trouble 
 in landing a contraband cargo on the Cornish coast. In his extremity the 
 girl stands by her brother bravely, and by means of her daring scheme he 
 manages to escape. 
 
 "The success of the year has fallen, we think, to Mrs. Norway, whose True 
 Cornish Maid is really an admirable piece of work." Review of Reviews, 
 (18) 
 
From THREE FAIR MAIDS 
 By KATHARINE TYNAN. 6s. (See page 17) 
 
 "LORD KlNVARRA GOING BEFORE HER TO OPEN THE 
 LITTLE WICKET" 
 
BLACKIE'S BOOKS FOR GIRLS 
 
 ROSA MULHOLLAND (LADY GILBERT) 
 Cynthia's Bonnet Shop. With 8 [ ull -P a ff Illus - 
 
 J trations by G. DEMAIN 
 
 HAMMOND, R.I. 5^. 
 
 Cynthia and her star-struck sister Befind go to London, the former to 
 open the bonnet shop, and the other to pursue the study of astronomy. 
 How both girls find new interests in life, more important even than bonnet 
 shop or star-gazing, is described with mingled humour and pathos in this 
 charming story. 
 
 "Just of the kind to please and fascinate a host of girl readers." 
 
 Liverpool Mercury. 
 
 Oianneffa A Girl ' s Stor y of Herselt - with 6 full-page 
 Illustrations by LOCKHART BOGLE. 3*. 
 
 The story of a changeling who is suddenly transferred to the position of 
 a rich English heiress. She develops into a good and accomplished woman, 
 and has gained too much love and devotion to be a sufferer by the surrender 
 of her estates. 
 
 ANNIE E. ARMSTRONG 
 Violet Vereker's Vanity. w f , 6 m '* " 
 
 j lustrations by G. DE- 
 MAIN HAMMOND, R.I. y. 6d. 
 
 The heroine was an excellent girl in most respects. But she had one 
 small weakness, which expressed itself in a snobbish dislike of her neigh- 
 bours the Sugdens, whose social position she deemed beneath her own. In 
 the end, however, the girl acknowledged her folly, with results which are 
 sure to delight the reader. 
 
 "A book for girls that we can heartily recommend, for it is bright, sensible, ard 
 with a right tone of thought and feeling." Sheffield Independent. 
 
 ALICE CORKRAN 
 
 Tirlfinnrl 
 
 page Illustra- 
 
 Margery Merton's Girlhood. with 6 ful1 ' 
 
 tions by GORDON BROWNE. y>. 6d. 
 
 The experiences of an orphan girl who in infancy is left by her father an 
 officer in India to the care of an elderly aunt residing near Paris. The 
 accounts of the various persons who have an after influence on the story are 
 singularly vivid. 
 
 "Margery Mertons Girlhood is a piece of true literature, as dainty as it is deli- 
 cate, and as sweet as it is simple." Woman's World. 
 (20) 
 

 BLACKIE'S BOOKS FOR GIRLS 
 
 MRS. R. H. READ 
 
 or ' ^ ^ r * wit* 1011 * a Home. With 6 page Illustrations 
 by PAUL HARDY. 3*. 6d. 
 
 The story of an orphan girl, who is placed as pupil-teacher at the school 
 in which she was educated, but is suddenly renu /ed by hard and selfish 
 relatives, who employ her as a menial as well as a governess. Through a 
 series of exciting adventures she makes discoveries respecting a large pro- 
 perty which is restored to its rightful owners, and at the same time she 
 secures her own escape. 
 
 " Dora, is one of the most pleasing stories for young people that we have met with 
 
 turalness very engaging" 
 Harper's Magazine, 
 
 of late years. There is in it a freshness, simplicity, and naturalness very engaging." 
 
 's M 
 
 MRS. E. J. LYSAGHT 
 
 With 6 page Illustrations by 
 GORDON BROWNE. 3.$-. 6d. 
 
 A story showing, by the narrative of the vicissitudes and struggles of a 
 family which has " come down in the world ", and of the brave endeavours 
 of its two younger members, how the pressure of adversity is mitigated by 
 domestic affection, mutual confidence, and hopeful honest effort. 
 
 "A pretty story, and well told. The plot is cleverly constructed, and the moral is 
 excellent." A thenceunt. 
 
 BESSIE MARCHANT 
 
 The Girl Gaotives- A Story of the Indian Frontier - 
 nc vjin ^.dpuvcb with 4 page Illustrations by 
 
 WILLIAM RAINEY, R.I. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 2s. 6d. 
 
 The ladies and children of an Indian frontier town are carried off by 
 border tribesmen, but through a tribesman to whom the heroine, the 
 daughter of an English officer, had formerly done an act of kindness, they 
 make their escape after many stirring adventures. 
 
 "Altogether a capital little book." Saturday Review. 
 
 SARAH TYTLER 
 A Loyal Little Maid. 
 
 This pretty story is founded on a romantic episode of Mar's rebellion. 
 A little girl has information which concerns the safety of her father in hid- 
 ing, and this she firmly refuses to divulge to a king's officer. She is lodged 
 in the tolbooth, where she finds a boy champion, whom in future years she 
 rescues in Paris, from the lettre de cachet which would bury him in the Bastille. 
 
 " Has evidently been a pleasure to write, and makes very enjoyable reading." 
 
 Literature. 
 
From A NEIVNHAM FRIENDSHIP 
 By ALICE STRONACH. y. 6d. (See page 23) 
 
 M652 
 
 'LEANT HER FLUFFY HAIR AND SOFT CHEEK AGAINST CAROL'S KNEE' 
 

 BLACKIE'S BOOKS FOR GIRLS 
 
 GERALDINE MOCKLER 
 
 The Four Miss Whittingtons: .? tol T ' r 
 
 o Girls. With 
 
 8 full-page Illustrations by CHARLES M. SHELDON. $s. 
 
 This story tells how four sisters, left alone in the world, went to London 
 to seek their fortunes. They had between them ,400, and this they re- 
 solved to spend on training themselves for the different careers for which 
 they were severally most fitted. On their limited means this was hard 
 work, but their courageous experiment was on the whole very successful. 
 "A story of endeavour, industry, and independence of spirit." World. 
 
 ANNE BE ALE 
 The Heiress of Courtleroy. th 8 full -P a f 
 
 J Illustrations by 
 T. C. H. CASTLE. $s. 
 
 Mimica, the heroine, comes to England as an orphan, and is coldly 
 received by her uncle. The girl has a brave nature, however, and succeeds 
 in saving the estate from ruin and in reclaiming her uncle from the misan- 
 thropical disregard of his duties as a landlord. 
 
 ALICE STRONACH 
 A Newnham Friendship, 
 
 OLD COPPING. y. 6d. 
 
 A sympathetic description of life at Newnham College. After the tripos 
 excitements, some of the students leave their dream-world of study and 
 talk of "cocoas" and debates and athletics to begin their work in the 
 real world. Men students play their part in the story, and in the closing 
 chapters it is suggested that marriage has its place in a girl graduate's life. 
 
 " Foremost among all the gift-books suitable for school-girls this season stands Miss 
 Alice Stronach s A Newnham Friendship" Daily Graphic. 
 
 BESSIE MARCHANT 
 
 at Random- A Story of Colonial Life. With 4 
 at J^anSOm. full . page IUustrations by SYDNEY 
 
 COWELL. 2s. 6d. 
 
 A story of life in Cape Colony shortly after the discovery of diamonds at 
 Kimberley. How the heroine ransoms her father, but herself falls into the 
 hands of his captors, and how both are eventually rescued, is told in a most 
 graphic and entertaining manner. 
 
 "A stirring, graphically-written story." Bookman. 
 
BLACKIE'S BOORS FOR GIRLS 
 
 SARAH TYTLER 
 
 Queen Charlotte's Maidens. 
 
 HARDY. 2s. 
 
 The scene is laid in the White House, a beneficent institution in which 
 a number of orphan girls drawn from the professional classes earn their 
 living by fancy needlework, under the immediate patronage and protection 
 of the Queen. The element of romance creeps in, and one after another of 
 the inmates of the White House leaves its portals for a wider sphere. 
 " It is a pretty tale in a picturesque setting." Western Morning News. 
 
 SARAH DOUDNEY 
 
 Under False Colours: f Story jT ft Tw ni rls ' 
 
 Lives. With 6 page Illus- 
 trations by G. G. KILBURNE. 4^. 
 
 A story which will attract readers of all ages and of either sex. The 
 incidents of the plot, arising from the thoughtless indulgence of a deceptive 
 freak, are exceedingly natural, and the keen interest of the narrative is sus- 
 tained from beginning to end. Under False Colours is a book which will 
 rivet the attention, amuse the fancy, and touch the heart. 
 
 " This is a charming story, abounding in delicate touches of sentiment and pathos. 
 Its plot is skilfully contrived. It will be read with a warm interest by every girl who 
 takes it up." Scotsman. 
 
 E. EVERETT-GREEN 
 
 Miriam's Ambition, with illustrations. 2J.&* 
 
 Miriam's ambition is to make someone happy, and her endeavour carries 
 with it a train of incident, solving a mystery which had thrown a shadow 
 over several lives. A charming foil to her grave elder sister is to be found 
 in Miss Babs, a small coquette of five, whose humorous child-talk is so 
 attractive. 
 
 " Miss Everett-Green's children are real British boys and girls, not small men and 
 women. Babs is a charming little one." Liverpool Mercury. 
 
 EMMA LESLIE 
 
 Gytha's Message: ** f/^ with 
 
 We get a glimpse of the stirring events taking place at that period ; and 
 both boys and girls will delight to read of the home life of Hilda and 
 Gytha, and of the brave deeds of the impulsive Gurth and the faithful 
 Leofric. 
 
 " This is a charmingly told story. It is the sort of book that all girls and some 
 boys like, and can only get good from." Journal of Education. 
 
 (M) 
 
Blackie & Son's 
 
 Finely Illustrated Books for 
 
 Children 
 
 SHEILA E. BRAINE 
 
 The Princess of Hearts. w . ith Fro " tis P ie in 
 
 colour and 70 Illus- 
 
 trations by ALICE B. WOODWARD. F'cap 4to, cloth elegant, 
 gilt edges, 6s. 
 
 Take a Princess, a mysterious Duchess, frog and fairy combined, an 
 Ogre Mugwump by name, malevolent by nature, a palace inhabited by 
 the Royal Family of Hearts, and a marsh gay with " Winking Marybuds ", 
 and alive with Queer Folk. Add a Contradicter and a peppery Scullery- 
 maid, and we have the essential ingredients of this delightful fairy tale. 
 
 "A valuable addition to fairy-tale lore, worthily illustrated by Alice B. Woodward." 
 
 Queen. 
 
 JUDGE PARRY WALTER CRANE 
 
 The Story of Don Quixote. 
 
 PARRY. Illustrated by WALTER CRANE, with 11 coloured full- 
 page Plates, 19 half-page Plates, a Title-page, and Cover. Royal 
 8vo, cloth, 6s. 
 
 This is an abridgment of Cervantes' immortal book, and an endeavour 
 to write in simple narrative form the adventures of Knight and Squire with 
 as much of the wisdom and humour of their discourse as will be within the 
 grasp of the younger generation of readers. 
 
 " The book world of children is the richer for a new and attractive version of an 
 immortal story." Manchester Courier. 
 
 MRS. PERCY DEARMER 
 
 Roundabout Rhymes, with 2 Mi-page niustra- 
 
 J tions in colour by Mrs. 
 
 PERCY DEARMER. Imperial 8vo, cloth extra, 2s. 6d. 
 
 A charming volume of verses and colour pictures for little folk rhymes 
 and pictures about most of the everyday events of nursery life. 
 
 "The best verses written for children since Stevenson's Child's Garden. Alto- 
 gether we commend this book as a very charming piece of design, and more 
 especially as verse, touched with a great deal of insight and humour, yet perfectly 
 simple and amusing." The Guardian. 
 
 [46] (as) 
 
BLACKIE'S BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 
 
 HARRY B. NEILSON 
 
 F)rn11 F)nincr<; Illustrated by HARRY B. NEILSON, with 
 11 & &t Verses by the Cockiolly Bird. Twenty- 
 three full pages and 18 vignettes in full colour. Royal 4to, picture 
 boards, cloth back, 6s. 
 
 In Droll Doings Mr. Harry B. Neilson has produced a picture-book of 
 striking originality and irresistible humour. He shows us our most familiar 
 friends in the animal world engaged in the same pursuits, playing the same 
 tricks, and involved in the same scrapes, as ordinary human girls and boys. 
 The Cockiolly Bird pipes a merry note, and his song will add not a little 
 to the enjoyment of the happy youngsters into whose hands this delightful 
 volume may come. 
 
 "Distinctly clever and funny." Record. 
 
 "A really delightful picture book." Gentlewoman. 
 
 MABEL E. WOTTON 
 
 The Little Browns. w f Fronti ^ iec in coloui 
 
 and more than 80 illustra- 
 tions by H. M. BROCK. F'cap 4to, cloth elegant, gilt edges, 6s. 
 
 The little Browns are a delightful set of youngsters whom the upbringing 
 of an inert mother and faddist father has rendered more than usually 
 individual and self-reliant. During their parents' absence they extend 
 hospitality to a stranger under the belief that he is their unknown and long- 
 expected uncle from Australia. Two of the little girls make the discovery 
 that the supposed uncle is really a burglar who is in league with the new 
 man-servant, and by their courage and childish resource outwit him. 
 
 "Young readers will find The Little Browns irresistibly attractive." Observer. 
 
 EDITH KING HALL 
 
 Adventures in Toyland. with . 4 page , picture , s 
 
 J printed in colour, and 
 
 70 black-and-white Illustrations throughout the text, by ALICE B. 
 WOODWARD. Square 8vo, cloth extra, 2s. 6d. 
 
 In daylight, and when the shop was open, the Toys neither stirred nor 
 spoke ; but when the shutters were shut and all the grown-ups had gone, 
 the Toy World became alive. This happy discovery was made by little 
 Molly, who found that her friend the Marionette could tell wonderful tales 
 about Toyland, and the quaint adventures of the Toys. 
 
 " One of the funniest as well as one of the daintiest books of the season. The ad- 
 ventures are graphically described in a very humorous way." Pall Mall Gazette. 
 (26) 
 
From DROLL DOINGS 
 By HARRY B. NEILSON. 6s. (See page 26) 
 
 iffl'M;! 1 !!. 1 ]! 
 
 "WE'LL SEE IF THOSE SILLY OLD BEES ARE ALIVE" 
 {Reduced front a full-page colour picture) 
 
BLACKIE'S BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 
 
 OUR DARLING'S FIRST BOOK 
 
 Bright Pictures and Easy Lessons for 
 
 T If fie Folk Quarto, io} inches by 7^ inches, picture 
 boards, u.; cloth, gilt edges, 2s. 
 
 An interesting and instructive picture lesson -book for very little folk. 
 Beginning with an illustrated alphabet of large letters, the little reader goes 
 forward by easy stages to word-making, reading, counting, writing, and 
 finally to the most popular nursery rhymes and tales. 
 
 " The very perfection of a child's alphabet and spelling-book." St. James s Budget. 
 
 JENNIE CHAPPELL 
 
 Mig 
 
 nonnP or ' ^ ss P at " c ^ a ' s ^ et< With a Frontispiece 
 ' and 20 Illustrations by PAUL HARDY. 2s. 
 
 Miss Patricia has long desired in vain to adopt the child, who is left 
 in her charge. A severe illness deprives the little girl of all recollection 
 of the past, and causes a report of her death to be sent to her father, who is 
 abroad. Mignonne's eventual restoration, with recovered memory, to her 
 family, brings the story to a happy end. 
 
 " There can be no more desirable book for schoolroom or fireside." 
 
 Whitehall Review. 
 
 A. B. ROMNEY 
 
 Little Village Folk. ^7 radons by ROBERT 
 
 A series of delightful stories of Irish village children. Miss Romney 
 opens up a new field in these beautiful little tales, which have the twofold 
 charm of humour and poetic feeling. 
 
 "A story-book that will be welcomed wherever it makes its way." Literary World. 
 
 ALICE TALWIN MORRIS 
 
 The Elephant's Apology. %*", 
 
 B. WOODWARD. Square 8vo, decorated cloth, 2s. 6d. 
 
 Why it was very necessary and how his Worship the Mayor was graciously 
 pleased to accept the apology- is set forth in pleasant words and pictures. 
 Other animal stories follow, but it would take more than a page to tell of 
 half the delights to be found in these pretty tales both by children and by 
 their elders. 
 
 "We have not seen a more charming or dainty book for children." 
 
 Pall Mall Gazette. 
 
BIACKIE& jBOOKS FOR CHILDREN 
 
 STORIES BY GEORGE MAC DONALD 
 
 (NEW AND UNIFORM EDITION) 
 
 A Roue-h Shaking with I2 page Illustrations b y w - 
 
 /I xvuugii oiidj^iiig. PARKINSON Crown 8v0j doth 
 elegant, $s. 6d. 
 
 Clare, the hero of the story, is a boy whose mother is killed at his side by 
 the fall of a church during an earthquake. The kindly clergyman and his 
 wife, who adopt him, die while he is still very young, and he is thrown upon 
 the world a second time. The narrative of his wanderings is full of interest 
 and novelty, the boy's unswerving honesty and his passion for children and 
 animals leading him into all sorts of adventures. He works on a farm, sup- 
 ports a baby in an old deserted house, finds employment in a menagerie, 
 becomes a bank clerk, is kidnapped, and ultimately discovers his father on 
 board the ship to which he has been conveyed. 
 
 At the Back of the North Wind. 
 
 tions by ARTHUR HUGHES, and a Frontispiece by LAURENCE Hous- 
 MAN. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 3^. 6d. 
 
 "In At the Back of the North Wind we stand with one foot in fairyland and one on 
 common earth. The story is thoroughly original, full of fancy and pathos." The Times. 
 
 Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood. ^ n 3 s 6IIlu b s ; 
 
 ARTHUR HUGHES. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 3^. 6d. 
 
 " Dr. Mac Donald has a real understanding of boy nature, and he has in consequence 
 written a capital story, judged from their stand-point, with a true ring all through which 
 ensures its success. " The Spectator. 
 
 The Princess and the Goblin. 
 
 HUGHES, and a Frontispiece by LAURENCE HOUSMAN. Crown 8vo, 
 cloth elegant, 3^. 6cl. 
 
 In the sphere of fantasy George Mac Donald has very few equals, and his 
 rare touch of many aspects of life invariably gives to his stories a deeper mean- 
 ing of the highest value. His Princess and Goblin exemplifies both gifts. A 
 fine thread of allegory runs through the narrative of the adventures of the 
 young miner, who, amongst other marvellous experiences, finds his way into 
 the caverns of the gnomes, and achieves a final victory over them. 
 
 The Princess and Curdie. 
 
 HELEN STRATTON. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 3^. 6d. 
 
 A sequel to The Princess and the Goblin, tracing the history of the young 
 miner and the princess after the return of the latter to her father's court, where 
 more terrible foes have to be encountered than the grotesque earth-dwellers. 
 
 (*) 
 
From OUR DARLING'S FIRST BOOK 
 (See page 28) 
 
 "GEE UP, DADDY!" 
 (Reduced from a full -page colour picture) 
 
BLACKIE'S BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 
 
 NEW "GRADUATED" SERIES 
 
 With coloured frontispiece and black-and-white illustrations 
 
 "VTO child of six or seven should have any difficulty in reading 1 and 
 understanding unaided the pretty stories in the 6d. series. In the 
 yd. series the language used is slightly more advanced, but is well within 
 the capacity of children of seven and upwards, while the is. series is de- 
 signed for little folk of somewhat greater attainments. If the stories are 
 read to and not by children, it will be found that the 6d. gd. and is. series 
 are equally suitable for little folk of all ages. 
 
 "GRADUATED" STORIES AT A SHILLING 
 
 Betty the Bold. By ELLINOR DAVENPORT ADAMS. 
 
 Jack of Both Sides. By FLORENCE COOMBE. 
 
 Do Your Duty! By G. A. HENTY. New Edition. 
 
 Tony's Pains and Gains. By W. L. ROOFER. 
 
 Terry. By ROSA MULHOLLAND (Lady Gilbert). 
 
 The Choir School. By FREDERICK HARRISON. 
 
 The Skipper. By E. CUTHELL. 
 
 "What Mother Said. By L. E. TIDDEMAN. 
 
 Little Miss Vanity. By Mrs. HENRY CLARKE. 
 
 Two Girls and a Dog. By JENNIE CHAPPELL. 
 
 Miss Mary's Little Maid. By ELLINOR DAVENPORT ADAMS. 
 
 "GRADUATED" STORIES AT NINEPENCE 
 
 That Boy Jim. By Mrs. HENRY CLARKE. 
 
 The Adventures of Carlo. By KATHARINE TYNAN. 
 
 The Shoeblack's Cat. By W. L. ROOFER. 
 
 Three Troublesome Monkeys. By A. B. ROMNEY. 
 
 Tfo Little Red Purse. By JENNIE CHAPPELL. 
 
 Put to the Proof. By Mrs. HENRY CLARKE. 
 
 Teddy's Ship. By A. B. ROMNEY. 
 
 Irma's Zitlur. By EDITH KING HALL. 
 
 The Island of Refuge. By MABEL MACKNESS. 
 
 "GRADUATED" STORIES AT SIXPENCE 
 
 Bravest of All. By MABEL MACKNESS. 
 "Winnie's White Frock. By JENNIE CHAPPELL. 
 Lost Toby. By M. S. HAYCRAFT. 
 A Boy Cousin. By GERALDINE MOCKLER. 
 Travels of Fuzz and Buzz. By GERALDINE MOCKLER. 
 Teddy's Adventures. By Mrs. HENRY CLARKE. 
 Sahib's Birthday. By L. E. TIDDEMAN. 
 The Secret in the Loft. By MABEL MACKNESS. 
 Two Little Friends. By JENNIE CHAPPELL. 
 Tony's Pets. By A. B. ROMNEY. 
 Andy's Trust. By EDITH KING HALL. 
 (31) 
 
BLACKIES BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 
 
 NEW CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOKS 
 
 IN DOORS AND OUT | STORY-BOOK TIME 
 
 Pictures and Stories for Little Folk. Each contains 38 colour pages, 
 over 40 full-page black-and-white Illustrations, and a large 
 number of Vignettes. Quarto, 10^ inches by 7^ inches, picture- 
 boards, 2s. 6d. each ; cloth, gilt edges, 3^. 6d. each. 
 
 IViOST attractive books of stories, rhymes, and pictures for little readers. 
 There is no double page without a picture, and the many colour pages 
 in bright tints will prove specially acceptable to young folk. Santa Glaus 
 could bring no more welcome gift than one of these pretty volumes. 
 
 ONE SHILLING SERIES 
 
 Quarto, 10^ inches by 7^ inches 
 
 My Very Best Book. I My Very Own Picture Book. 
 
 Arm-chair Stories* I Cosy Corner Stories. 
 
 "D RIGHT and amusing picture books for the little folk. Each volume 
 contains over twenty full-page drawings by eminent artists, and a large 
 number of smaller illustrations. The cover, and no fewer than twenty 
 pages, are printed in colour. 
 
 SIXPENNY SERIES 
 
 Quarto, lO^j inches by 7^ inches 
 
 Smiles and Dimples. 
 
 Little Bright-Eyes. 
 
 For Kittie and Me* 
 
 As Nice as Nice Can Be. 
 
 Round the Mulberry Bush. 
 
 Little Rosebud. 
 
 For My Little Darling. 
 For Dolly and Me. 
 My Own Story Book. 
 Play-time Pictures. 
 Bed-time Stories. 
 For Little Chicks. 
 
 TT may confidently be said that these are the most attractive picture books 
 * ever published at the price. Each book contains an average of six full- 
 page illustrations, a large number of vignettes, and seven pages in colour. 
 The cover designs, also in colour, are extremely attractive, the text is printed 
 in bold type, and the stories and rhymes that form the letterpress are bright 
 and humorous. 
 
 (32) 
 
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