be expected to do at any
moment, it would be quite low again before three days were over.

At this house I stayed the night, and in the course of the evening a
stray dog--a retriever, hardly full grown, and evidently very much down
on his luck--took up with me; when I inquired about him, and asked if I
might take him with me, the landlord said he wished I would, for he knew
nothing about him and was trying to drive him from the house. Knowing
what a boon the companionship of this poor beast would be to me when I
was camping out alone, I encouraged him, and next morning he followed me
as a matter of course.

In the night the Southerly Burster which my host anticipated had come up,
cold and blustering, but invigorating after the hot, dry, wind that had
been blowing hard during the daytime as I had crossed the plains. A mile
or two higher up I passed a large sheep-station, but did not stay there.
One or two men looked at me with surprise, and asked me where I was
going, whereon I said I was in search of rare plants and birds for the
Museum of the town at which I had slept the night after my arrival. This
satisfied their curiosity, and I ambled on accompanied by the dog. In
passing I may say that I found Doctor not to excel at any pace except an
amble, but for a long journey, especially for one who is carrying a
heavy, awkward load, there is no pace so comfortable; and he ambled
fairly fast.

I followed the horse track which had been cut through the gorge, and in
many places I disliked it extremely, for the river, still in fresh, was
raging furiously; twice, for some few yards, where the gorge was wider
and the stream less rapid, it covered the track, and I had no confidence
that it might not have washed it away; on these occasions Doctor pricked
his ears towards the water, and was evidently thinking exactly what his
rider was. He decided, however, that all would be sound, and took to the
water without any urging on my part. Seeing his opinion, I remembered my
father's advice, and let him do what he liked, but in one place for three
or four yards the water came nearly up to his belly, and I was in great
fear for the watches that were in my saddle-bags. As for the dog, I
feared I had lost him, but after a time he rejoined me, though how he
contrived to do so I cannot say.

Nothing could be grander than the sight of this great river pent into a
narrow compass, and occasionally becoming more like an immense waterfall