so lay our hope. After a few minutes he
appeared to have decided on taking no further
notice of us; but my companion refused to
stir until the beasts were heading in the
opposite direction. Then, taking to our heels,
we rushed into the covert in hot haste.

I sat down among the trees, faint and
weary; hunger and thirst were gaining the
mastery over me, and I lost heart at the
interminable succession of ranges which now
again rose before us. The sun, moreover,
was rapidly going down; and no sign of
human habitation was anywhere discernible.
I refused therefore, to quit the plain, without
at least a search for water; so, we kept along
the skirts of the timber, and in a few
minutes some tufts of high green, reedy grass
betokened its presence. Throwing myself on
the ground, I drank long and heartily; and
never to my apprehension did the best of wine
equal the flavour of that delicious draught of
water.

And now another sense demanded
satisfaction; drawing out our cutty-pipes, blackened
by constant use, and a plug of Barrett's
twist tobacco, we cut the latter into shavings,
and lighting a match, without which the
bushman rarely travels, were soon luxuriating.

As the last tiny wreath of smoke floated
lazily upward, we buckled our belts tighter,
and went on. In the conversation which had
taken place over our pipes, my companion
acknowledged that he was altogether ignorant
of the whereabout of Kororook, but
thought he knew which way to steer for the
Loddon. We arranged therefore to ascend
the first eminence we came to and endeavour
to ascertain our exact position; which
as Blueshirt professed to know every big
hill in the colony country, seemed feasible.
I have since learned somewhat to distrust the
accuracy of these very knowing bushmen; the
modest sort are oftener correct.

It was some time before we found a hill
sufficiently lofty for our purpose; and when
we did, how great was my vexation! At no
great distance on our right, was an eminence
which my companion at once declared to be
Mount Alexander; so I had wandered all
day in a circle, and was now but a few
miles from the point whence I started in the
morning.

"There is a creek in the bottom," said the
shepherd, after a careful survey of the
surrounding country; "but it seems dry now,
and whether it's Forrest's or Barker's I can't
exactly say, though, to my thinking, that
little bit of open country that the sun's
shining on out there between the trees, is a
part of the Loddon plains. And I somehow
fancy that yon big hill is called Tarrengower."

"And what then do you suppose is the
distance hence to the Loddon river?"

"About five galloping miles."

"Galloping miles!" I repeated. "What
are galloping miles?"

"Why, you see, when one is riding the
way seems shorter; but as we are a-foot, I
reckon it ain't less than eight good miles to
the Loddon."

Eight miles to the Loddon, and how far
afterwards to Kororook I could not guess.
My swollen feet and aching limbs seemed to
protest against further exertion, and utterly
dispirited I sank down on a low ridge of
white rocks which crested the range. Little
did I imagine that at that moment I was
seated on a treasury of untold wealth; but
those white rocks were composed of
auriferous quartz.

"Is there any station near us?" I asked.

"O yes, plenty. Let me see. Campbell's
can't be far from here—not above a mile or
two; but I don't know exactly where to look
for it. Then there's Barker's station close
under Mount Alexander; but I fancy that's
pretty nigh as far as the Loddon. Howsomeever,
if we follow the bed of the creek, down
below there, it's bound to guide us to the
river, for all the waters hereabouts fall into
the Loddon."

Having no better proposition to offer, I
assented. We descended the range, and
easily tracing the dry channel of the creek,
followed its sinuous course for several miles.
In some parts, it wound amongst granitic
rocks; in others, its shallows were so
overgrown with herbage as to be barely
distinguishable. Once or twice, it deepened into
large water-holes, at which we slaked our
thirst. Presently the last red beams of
the sun disappeared; and we were
enveloped in thick darkness, owing to which,
I presume, it was that we crossed the bed of
the creek unwittingly, and found ourselves
again wandering at random.

Fortunately, before we had quite lost sight of
Mount Tarrengower, towards which we were
now directing our steps, I had specially
noticed the Southern Cross, and recalling to
mind our position relatively to the mountain
and that constellation, I felt assured that by
keeping the left shoulder towards the latter
we could not fail to strike the Mount. In
vain my companion protested that we were
going to all kinds of unmentionable places,
for I was now certain that we were in the
right line. When, therefore, we arrived at
a small stream which he was desirous of
following to its confluence with the river, I
told him that he might act as he pleased;
but that, for my own part, I had no mind
to blunder after any more creeks—that I
knew I was right, and should go on.

He grumbled awhile at my obstinacy,
but ultimately yielded, and now appeared
as anxious for my guidance, as I had
previously been for his. We did not strike the
exact point aimed at; but skirting the mount
itself, urged our way through some narrow,
rocky ravines, which seamed the contiguous
ranges; and, before long, beheld in the
distance something which glimmered with a
silvery sheen in the clear starlight.