greedily
devoured, our appetite being wonderfully quickened by long abstinence and
exercise. Brown fortunately shot two pigeons; and, whilst we were
discussing our welcome repast, an emu, probably on its way to drink,
approached the lagoon, but halted when it got sight of us, then walked
slowly about, scrutinizing us with suspicious looks, and, when Brown
attempted to get near it, trotted off to a short distance, and stopped
again, and continued to play this tantalizing trick until we were tired;
when, mounting our horses, we proceeded on our way. Supposing, from the
direction of the waters, that we had left our former tracks to the left,
I turned to the north-east to recover them; but it soon became very dark,
and a tremendous thunder-storm came down upon us. We were then on a high
box-tree ridge, in view of a thick scrub; we hobbled our horses, and
covered ourselves with our blankets; but the storm was so violent, that
we were thoroughly drenched. As no water-holes were near us, we caught
the water that ran from our blankets; and, as we were unable to rekindle
our fire, which had been extinguished by the rain, we stretched our
blankets over some sticks to form a tent, and notwithstanding our wet and
hungry condition, our heads sank wearily on the saddles--our usual bush
pillow--and we slept soundly till morning dawned. We now succeeded in
making a fire, so that we had a pot of tea and a pigeon between us. After
this scanty breakfast, we continued our course to the north-east. Brown
thought himself lost, got disheartened, grumbled and became exceedingly
annoying to me; but I could not help feeling for him, as he complained of
severe pain in his legs. We now entered extensive Ironbark flats, which
probably belong to the valley of the Mackenzie. Giving our position every
consideration, I determined upon returning to the mountains at which we
had turned, and took a north-west course. The country was again most
wretched, and at night we almost dropped from our saddles with fatigue.
Another pigeon was divided between us, but our tea was gone. Oppressed by
hunger, I swallowed the bones and the feet of the pigeon, to allay the
cravings of my stomach. A sleeping lizard with a blunt tail and knobby
scales, fell into our hands, and was of course roasted and greedily
eaten. Brown now complained of increased pain in his feet, and lost all
courage. "We are lost, we are lost," was all he could say. All my words
and assurances, all my