il rag which usually protected it.
He turned on his assailants, and sent a bullet amongst them; it hit a
tree instead of a blackfellow, but as they still menaced him, his
next shot was more successful, when seeing one of their number fall,
the rest decamped. It was now their turn to run, but before they
could cross the bed of the river, which was dry, clear, and about 300
yards wide, he was able to get two good shots at short range. They
did not trouble him again that afternoon. They dropped all their
spears in the "stampede," some of which, reed and jagged, were taken
home as trophies. They used no "wommerahs." Peter came in to camp
at dark, with 3 horses, having no idea where the others had got to;
there were 8 still away.

'November' 23.--Sambo, the best tracker among the black-boys, was
despatched at sunrise, with Peter, to look for the missing horses.
He returned at sundown with the mule, which he had found on the
opposite side of the river, but he had seen no traces of the rest.
Peter came in after dark, without any, he had seen the tracks of the
natives on the horse tracks, and related in his own jargon, that
"blackfella bin run'em horses all about" and "that bin brok'em
hobble." He had also seen two or three of the blacks themselves, at
the lagoon where the brothers met them on the 14th, and had some
parley with them--he described them a "cawbawn saucy" "that tell'im
come on, me trong fella, you little fella," and after chaffing him in
their own way, sent as many spears at him as he would stand for. The
detention caused by the loss of the horses, was a serious matter,
whilst the hostility of the natives was very annoying, keeping the
party constantly on the alert. The interval was occupied in patching
up the ration tent, with portions of the other two, so that they had
now one water-proof to protect their stores. Some good snipe and
duck shooting might have been got round these lagoons, but as nearly
all their caps had been destroyed by the fire, it was not to be
thought of. The scarcity of these and of horse-flesh alone prevented
the Brothers from turning out and giving their troublesome enemies a
good drilling, which, indeed, they richly deserved, for they had in
every case been the agressors, and hung about the party,
treacherously waiting for an opportunity to take them by surprise.
The detention also was due to them, which was a matter of some
anxiety to the Leader, when it is considered that the