s also some distance from the township, and he had to
visit it to find out how matters had gone on in his absence, to get
another trooper in the place of poor Cato, and to replenish his
exhausted wardrobe and ammunition.

But I will not occupy the reader with all these minor details, nor with
the numberless little trifles that it devolves upon the leader of such
an expedition to remember, suffice it to say that by noon on the
following day, all our preparations were completed, and we shoved off
from the beach in high spirits, the party consisting this time of nine,
viz., Dunmore, the pilot, two boatmen, Lizzie, three troopers, and
myself, about as many as the boat could carry comfortably. A
rendezvous had been arranged on a known portion of the river; the other
expedition was to start in seven days; and, according to our programme,
if all went well, we should meet on the tenth, or on the eleventh day
at furthest.

The sea-breeze was blowing steadily, cresting the tiny waves which
sparkled in the hot sun as they broke into foam, and under its grateful
coolness we glided comfortably along, with a flowing sheet. The bar at
the mouth of the Macalister was eighteen miles distant, and we hoped to
cross it about sunset, when the breeze would have dropped, and the
passage through the surf would be readily distinguishable; but our
plans were completely upset by one of the troopers espying smoke
issuing from the scrub on a small creek, that entered the bay about
half-way between the town and the Macalister.

"We had better have a look in here," said Dunmore, "there is no knowing
where we may stumble on some information."

Accordingly, the helm was put up, and we ran into the mouth of the
inlet, with the wind right aft. Beaching the boat on the soft sand, we
sprang out, and advanced cautiously in the direction of the smoke, but,
after several minutes of scrambling, we reached the fire only to find
it deserted, its original proprietors having seen our sudden alteration
of course, and sought the safety of the dense bush, where further
search would have been useless.

"Now that we are on shore," said Dunmore, "let us make a billy full of
tea; it won't take long. Here, you boys, get 'em like 'it waddy to
make 'em fire."

The troopers and Lizzie dispersed in quest of fuel; Ferdinand walking
up the bank of the creek, where he was soon lost to sight. A loud
coo-eh from that direction soon brought us to the spot from whence it