blindfolded, and probably hoping on even in
the face of despair. Again we came to a
forest of huge gum-trees.

At times, the gestures of the blacks, while
following the footprints of the stockman,
indicated to me that he had been running.
At other times, they imitated the languid
movements of a weary and footsore traveller.
They knew exactly the pace at which the poor
fellow had wandered about in those untrodden
wilds; and now and then, while following in
his wake and imitating him, they would
laugh merrily. They were not a little amused
that I should be angry at, and rebuke such a
demonstration.

The sun went down, and our second day's
search was ended. Again we pitched our
camp and lighted fires. We had now
travelled about thirty miles from the station,
and the blacks, who had now got beyond
the precincts of their district, became fearful
of meeting with some strange tribe,
who would destroy them and myself. Indeed,
if I and my European companions had not
been armed with a gun each, and a plentiful
supply of ammunition, my sable guides
would have refused to proceed any further.

All night long I lay awake, imagining,
hoping, fearing, and praying for day-light;
which at last dawned. Onward we went
through a magnificent country, beautifully
wooded, and well watered by streams and
covered with luxuriant pasture,—all waste
land, in the strictest sense of the term.
At about ten we came to a valley in which
grew a number of wattle-trees. From these
trees, a gum, resembling gum arable in all
its properties, exudes in the warm season.
The blacks pointed to the branches, from
which this gum had recently been stripped,
and indicated that the man had eaten of a
pink grub, as large as a silk-worm, which lives
in the bark of the wattle-tree. Luckily
he had with him a clasp-knife, with which
he had contrived to dig out these grubs ;
which the blacks assured me were a dainty;
but I was not tempted to try them.

On again putting the question to the
blacks, whether we were near the man of
whom we were in search, they shook their
heads and held up two fingers. We now came
to a clear shallow stream, in which the blacks
informed me by gestures that the missing
man had bathed; but he had not crossed
the stream, as his track lay on the bank
we had approached.

After travelling along this bank for about
three miles, we came to a huge swamp into
which the stream flowed, and ended. Here
the footprints were plainly discernible even
by myself and my European companions. I
examined them carefully, and was pained to
find that they confirmed the opinion of the
blacks, namely that they were not fresh.
Presently we found the man's boots. These
had become too heavy for him to walk in,
and too inconvenient to carry, and he had
cast them off. Not far from the boots was
a red cotton handkerchief, which he had
worn round his neck on leaving the station.
This, too, he had found too hot to wear in
that oppressive weather, and had therefore
discarded it.

Following the track, we came to a forest
of white gum-trees. The bark of these trees
is the colour of cream, and the surface is as
smooth as glass. On the rind of one of these
trees the man had carved, with his knife,
the following words :
    "Oh God, have mercy upon me.—T. B."
How fervent and sincere must have been this
prayer in the heart, to admit of the hand
carving it upon that tree !

Towards evening we came to a tract of
country as barren as the desert between
Cairo and Suez; but the soil was not sandy,
and it was covered with stones of unequal
size. Here the miraculous power of the
black man's eye astounded us more than
ever. The reader must bear in mind that
the lost man was now walking barefooted
and tenderfooted, and would naturally pick
his way as lightly and as cautiously as
possible. Nevertheless, the savage tracked
his course with scarcely a halt.

Again the sun went down, and again we
formed our little camp, on the slope of a hill,
at the foot of which lay a lagoon, literally
covered with wild ducks and black swans.
Some of these birds we shot for food, as it
was now a matter of prudence, if not of necessity,
to husband the flour and meat we had
brought with us.

Another sunrise, and we pursued our journey.
Towards noon we came to a belt of
small mountains composed chiefly of black
lime-stone. Here the blacks faltered; and,
after a long and animated discussion amongst
themselves not one word of which I
understood they signified to me that they
had lost the track and could proceed no
further. This I was not disposed to believe,
and imperatively signalled them to go on.
They refused. I then had recourse to
promises, kind words, smiles, and encouraging
gestures. They were still recusant. I then
loaded my gun with ball, and requested the
stockmen to do the like. I threatened the
blacks that I would shoot them, if they did
not take up the track and pursue it. This
alarmed them; and, after another discussion
amongst themselves, they obeyed me, but
reluctantly and sullenly. One of the stockmen,
with much foresight, suggested that
we ought to make sure of two out of the six
black fellows; for, if they had a chance, they
would probably escape and leave us to perish
in the wilds; and, without their aid we could
never retrace our steps to the station. I at
once acted on this suggestion, and bound two
of the best of them together by the arms,
and carried the end of the cord in my right
hand.