204 THE TRAVELLER'S GRAVE. 



" The grave of some stranger who died a few days ago 

 by the track side, so they buried him here," was the care 

 less reply. 



" Does anybody know who he was ? " 



" Reckon they don't, governor ; there's another grave a 

 little farther under the trees. Fever's strong in this 

 location." 



" Well, then," I said, " as there is plenty of grass and 

 shade for all of us, without kicking holes in the turf which 

 they have had the decency neatly to lay over the poor fel 

 low's head, just move the things a little further off, and, 

 as you may sleep in that way yourselves some fine day 

 (no one knows how soon), don't indecently disturb the 

 rest of death." 



My orders being obeyed, I again went into the wood 

 round the creek, with Brutus, and met Martin coming out 

 with water. " Mind, sir," he said, " there are quantities 

 of snakes. I have just killed one, and in the bushes close 

 by I saw a rabbit." On returning with him to look at 

 the reptile, there lay as fine a specimen of the black snake, 

 not venomous, as could well be seen, which on measure 

 ment proved to be more than five feet long. In the bushes, 

 also, Brutus found the rabbit, which a snap-short from 

 Pape's gun enabled him to bring me in his mouth ; it was 

 a fine, full-grown young one, of the English sort. 



The waggon took some time to repair, but the Vulcan 

 of the plains made a good job of it, when, on preparing 

 to start, I found Mr Canterall so ill that it was impossible 

 for him to move ; so, there being by chance a travelling 

 medical practitioner at the cabins, and one of the inhabit 

 ants being known to Mr Canterall, I resolved to let this 

 fellow be put to bed in a hut and medically attended, while 

 I simply shifted my camping ground to better pasture and 



