ladly responded to the appeal, and considered themselves
stationary until the river would admit of their proceeding on their
expedition. With this arrangement settled, they finally separated for
the night.

CHAPTER IV.

"Ye vig'rous swains! while youth ferment your blood,
And purer spirits swell the sprightly flood,
Now range the hills."

POPE.

On the third day after the Fergusons' arrival, Bob Smithers, believing
the river had sufficiently subsided to admit of their travelling,
organized their party preparatory to their departure; and selected from
his own men one of the most useful and experienced bushmen to accompany
them, and in conjunction with Joey, to take charge of the pack-horses,
follow them over the runs, and guard their camp. They started; and, for
the first day, followed the course of the Gibson river, which for nearly
thirty miles bounded the Brompton run. At this point its waters were
joined by a tributary creek, and here was situated one of the
out-stations. It was the intention of Bob Smithers to reach this place
before dark; and, owing to the heavy nature of the ground, from its
excessive saturation, it was with no little difficulty this portion of
the journey was performed. However, they reached the shepherd's hut; and
unburdening their horses, they hobbled them and turned them out to
graze, while they camped themselves for the night.

The hut, where they made their halt, was on a par with others of the
same pretensions, though in no way superior. It was built of slabs split
from the log, and freely ventilated on all sides; though in the roof,
which was covered with bark, it was perfectly impervious to the weather.
The internal arrangements, as might be expected, were as rough as the
building itself; against the wall, in each side of the hut, were roughly
put up, with battens and saplings, two clumsy-looking receptacles,
containing the blankets, and intended for the nocturnal tenancy of the
two occupants of the habitation. A box belonging to one of the men, and
a rough bench built against the other unoccupied wall, and serving for a
table, an iron pot for boiling meat, two tin quart pots in which to make
their tea, two pint ones and dishes of the same metal, a two-gallon keg
containing water, and which in an inverted position at times had to do
duty as a stool, and two suspended bags containing tea and sugar,
completed the furni