tantly
surrounded by the awestruck savages, who carefully examined the body,
and thrust their fingers into the bullet-hole, for the ball had passed
clean through the animal, just behind the shoulder-blade.

The trooper first loaded his empty barrel, and then twitching Abiram by
the sleeve, whispered, "You give 'em rum now. Plenty you make him
strong, mine believe." His task was accomplished, and that the reward
should immediately follow was with him a natural consequence.

Ferdinand's shot and Lizzie's eloquence had, however, rid us of all
further trouble. The blacks laid down their arms, and expressed
themselves quite willing to assist us in any way. They vehemently
denied having seen any white men, but acknowledged that some had been
heard of on the Macalister River, and thought they were detained by the
tribes inhabiting its banks. They were cognizant of our expedition up
the Herbert, and knew that we were searching Hinchinbrook, but never
thought we should have found them in their present position.

It was now evident that further search on Hinchinbrook was useless.
There was no reason to doubt the truth of what they told us, for Lizzie
would have gathered information had there been any outrage, or some
small piece of rag or blanket would have betrayed them. That the
unfortunate men might be on the Macalister was not improbable, and
thither we must bend our steps, as the last resource. If we were
unsuccessful then, we could only conclude that the vessel had foundered
at sea, and we should have the melancholy satisfaction of knowing that
we had done everything in our power to rescue the sufferers.

We camped for the night at one extremity of the little bay, while the
natives occupied the other, in which there was a well sunk, where we
supplied ourselves with fresh water. We soon became on friendly terms
with our wild neighbours, but took care never to linger amongst them
singly, and always had our weapons ready for immediate use.

In the evening Lizzie came over from the blacks' camp, where she had
been holding a great palaver, and asked us if we should like to see a
"corroborrie," or dance; and much pleased at getting a glimpse of the
native customs, and glad of anything to break the monotony of our
lives, we followed her to the group of palms, and there took up our
positions to watch the proceedings. A tremendous fire was soon flaming
on the beach, near it the gins and piccaninnies assembled, with bits