In This Natural Grave We Laid The Poor Trooper, Wrapped In His
Bark Shell, And, Having Raised A Pile Of Stones Upon The Spot, Of Such
Dimensions As To Preclude The Probability Of The Body Being Disturbed By
Dingoes, We Went On Our Way, Silent And Melancholy.
AN AUSTRALIAN SEARCH PARTY - IV.
BY CHARLES H. EDEN.
OUR next day was a repetition of the last; camps in abundance, but no
blacks, and we had as yet seen no signs of the Townsville party. At night
we camped by the side of a large creek, and, after supper, were lying down,
with the intention of making up for the broken slumbers of the previous
night, when Ferdinand, who had moved higher up the stream to get a private
eel for himself and his lady, came back and shook Dunmore, saying -
"Many big fellow fire sit down up creek."
We were on our feet in a moment, and, stealing quietly through the bush,
soon saw the glare, and on our nearer approach, could make out many
recumbent figures round the fire, and one man passing to and fro, on guard.
"By Jove! it's the Cleveland Bay mob," said Dunmore; "we must take care
they don't fire into us. Lie down, or get behind trees, all you fellows,
and I'll hail them."
"Holloa there!" he cried, when we had all "planted" (in Australian parlance
signifying "concealed") ourselves. "Don't fire, we're Cardwellites!"
In a moment the sentry's rifle was at his shoulder, pointed in the
direction whence the voice came; but it was my old friend Abiram Hills,
ex-mayor of Bowen, a thorough bushman, and possessed of great nerve, whose
turn it then happened to be to keep watch over his slumbering companions.
As quickly as it had been raised, his rifle fell into the hollow of his
arm, and shouting out, "Get up, you fellows, here are the Rockingham
Bayers!" he rushed forward, and in a moment was shaking hands with Dunmore,
while the sleepers, uncertain whether it was an alarm, stood rubbing their
eyes, and handling their carbines so ominously as they peered into the
darkness, that we deemed it the best policy to remain under cover until
their faculties had grasped the fact that we were not enemies, and as such
to be slain incontinently.
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