ulders, took himself to his meal with renewed energy.

"You are convinced, I suppose?" Fred asked.

"Convinced that the lazy scamp recollects where the tobacco was put, and
is determined to rob the over-fed brute of his treasure."

We found that the convict was right, for the native, after fumbling at
the insensible man's girdle for a moment, reappeared at the fire, and
something like a grin of triumph lighted up his greasy features, as he
exposed to the admiring gaze the piece of tobacco which Fred had given
away.

Tired with our day's journey, and feeling sleepy after our meal, we soon
returned to the shelter of the cart for a night's rest; but before we
went, we were careful enough to pack up all of our cooking apparatus,
and also to place our rifles close at hand, although Smith told us that
the precaution was useless, as the natives never waged warfare upon full
stomachs.

It was long past daylight, when the hearty voice of the convict roused
us from a deep sleep, where dreams of home and comforts of civilization
were much pleasanter things to contemplate, than the half-naked bodies
of ten natives, who were lying upon the ground, circling the cold ashes,
where the night before a fire blazed. They lay like black snakes gorged
with carrion--lifeless and torpid, and nothing but repeated doses of
water upon their naked backs would rouse them.

"Go and take a bath," cried Smith, as we sat upright and rubbed our
eyes, and yawned sleepily.

He pointed to a small stream of water, ten or fifteen rods distant, and
as we thought it would be likely to relax our muscles, and relieve us of
a portion of the soreness which we felt, we took his advice, and upon
returning from our aquatic excursion, found coffee boiling, and salt
pork hissing in the spider, and potatoes roasting in the ashes.

After a hearty breakfast, we were ready to think about starting; but the
cattle had strayed to a considerable distance, and the convict
determined not to run after them, when he had aids so near at hand, who
could be induced for a trifle to undertake the job.

"Hullo!" he shouted, giving the nearest native a nudge with his foot;
but the fellow only grunted, and went off to sleep again.

Smith in a rage seized a pail of water that was near at hand, and dashed
part of its contents over the head and shoulders of the sleeping native,
who, not being accustomed to shower baths, started up with a cold
shiver, and hurriedly wiped the water