t.

By some means or other, I, having hurried on, lost sight of Guy, though
I concluded that he was following me. At last I saw a large cockatoo
nodding his head as if not aware of my presence. I fired, and brought
him down, when directly afterwards I heard the report of Guy's gun, much
further off than I had expected.

The thought just then occurred to me, that should the blacks be in the
neighbourhood, they might discover our whereabouts by the reports; so I
felt that it would be wise to be satisfied with the birds we had killed,
and return to camp.

I was therefore making my way back, when, turning my head, I caught
sight of a black figure stealthily approaching with a lance in his hand.
Suspecting that his intentions were hostile, I quickly reloaded,
ramming down a ball. As he approached from behind the trunk of a tree,
I levelled my rifle. He vanished in an instant, though when I moved on
again, I felt pretty sure that he was following me. I therefore every
now and then turned suddenly round and pointed my rifle towards my
pursuer. At last, having gone on for some distance, I began to fear
that I had lost my way, for I could not see either our camp-fire or the
smoke rising from it. To ascertain if I was near it, I gave a loud
cooey, expecting that Guy and Bracewell would hear me and reply.

No answer came. I began to feel rather uncomfortable, for although with
my rifle in my hand, I was a match for two or three blacks, I should be
in an awkward predicament should I be followed by a whole mob. It would
not do to stop, so on I pushed.

Again I cooeyed, and this time I heard my friends cooey in return.
Still the distance was apparently considerable, and at any moment the
blacks might overtake me. I ran on as fast as the nature of the ground
would allow, endeavouring to keep a straight course.

Once more I turned round when to my dismay I beheld a score or more of
blacks armed with spears and shields. For a moment I faced them as
before, presenting my rifle. I might bring down one of the fellows, I
knew; but then, unarmed, I should be at their mercy; I therefore
contented myself with threatening them. The instant I raised my weapon,
they all vanished as before. Directly afterwards I caught sight of the
glare of the fire: I dashed forward, when to my surprise I found my
brother and Bracewell coolly seated on the ground, engaged in preparing
a couple of parrots which the former had shot.

"Up, up!"