ood deal of their speech, and was soon able
to carry on conversations with them, supplying anything he did not know
by gestures, which are the same all over the world.

After several weeks had gone by in this way, and he had made no attempt
to escape, he started to go hunting with only a few natives instead of
with a big party. The man with the mutilated left hand was always one
of these, and Stobart gradually made his companions fewer and fewer,
till it became quite the recognized thing for him to go off with only
this one native. The man's name was a long one, and Stobart shortened
it to Coiloo. At first his companion, though he very much appreciated
the honour of being with his hero, was shy, and did no more than fulfil
the white man's wishes faithfully and well. But Stobart had learnt how
to win the confidence of blacks, and before long the man had ceased to
fear his master--for so he considered the man who had saved him from
death--and was devoted to him with all his heart.

Soon after this Coiloo told Stobart about the expedition which was
about to set out against Mick's party travelling to Sidcotinga Station.
With the wonderful power which the blacks possess of conveying
information over tremendous distances by means of smoke signals, the
tribes in the Musgrave Ranges knew all about Mick Darby and his
companions, and Stobart was very much concerned when he heard that two
white boys were of the number. He knew at once who they were. Not
twice in a man's lifetime do boys, fresh from a city school, travel up
into Central Australia and leave the few little centres of civilization
which are there, and strike out west into the desert; so the drover was
certain that one of those white boys was his son.

He spent a whole day describing the boy to Coiloo. He only had an old
photograph to guide him, and even this had been left behind in the
packs near the fatal water-hole; but the father had so often pictured
his son in his own mind, that the description which he gave again and
again to the warragul was so good that the man had no difficulty in
recognizing Sax when he saw him. Then Stobart told Coiloo to join the
marauding-party and to see that the boys came to no harm. The result
of the native's faithfulness is already known.

When Coiloo had gone, Stobart frequently went out alone. He was such a
successful hunter, and was so willing to add the result of his prowess
to the general food-supply of the camp, tha