s went by. At length darkness came
on, and I began to doze. It was the best thing I could do, as it
prevented me from feeling either hunger or thirst. I was, however,
quickly awakened by the thongs cutting my limbs as I bent forward. I
then tried to lean against the tree with my feet out, and in that
position I escaped the pressure on my limbs, and was at last able to
drop off to sleep. My slumbers, as may be supposed, were far from
pleasant, indeed I was conscious all the time that something
disagreeable had happened; but still, by thus snatching a few intervals
of sleep, I found that the night passed away faster than I should have
supposed possible. Strange sounds occasionally reached my ears. I
fancied that I heard in the distance the yelping and barking of a pack
of dingoes, and as the brutes often hunt together in considerable
numbers, I dreaded that they might find out the dominie and me, and tear
us to pieces. With intense relief I saw the streaks of dawn appear in
the sky. The laughing-jackass uttered his cheerful notes, and parrots
and other birds began to chirp and screech and chatter. The sound
tended somewhat to raise my spirits, though the pangs of hunger and
thirst which now oppressed me soon became insupportable. As in daylight
the blacks might be passing, I was afraid of attracting their attention
by crying out, so that I was unable to ascertain how it fared with the
poor dominie. When the sun rose, the heat became oppressive, and the
insects began to buzz about my face, while I had no power to drive them
off.

This annoyance was trying in the extreme. I spluttered and spat, and
winked my eyes, and shook my head, to very little effect; and although
the creatures did not often bite me, their buzzing and tickling almost
drove me mad. At last a sound struck my ear. It was the bay of a
hound, then came a bark, and the next instant the faithful Carlo bounded
up to me, and licking my face, soon drove off the flies. Then, having
exhibited his delight, away he went barking cheerfully. Presently the
sound of the tramping of horses' hoofs reached my ears, but on a sudden,
the sound ceased, and I feared that I had been deceived; but then it
occurred to me that the rider had discovered the dominie, and was
stopping to set him at liberty. In a few seconds I caught sight of a
horseman. It was my brother Guy, who came galloping up to me. Throwing
himself from his saddle, without stopping to ask ques