162 AUSTRALIA AND THE AUSTRALIANS. 



rein, which I still retained, was once more brought 

 into requisition one end fastened round the wife's 

 waist and the other over my shoulder, and in this 

 style the hill was mounted, only to disappoint us, as 

 from horizon to horizon was seen only one dense sea 

 of scrub. 



The sight of the pair of us was as ludicrous as 

 distressing ; myself plodding along first, through mud 

 and water, attired only in a Crimean shirt, hair 

 unkempt and streaming in the wind, with over a 

 week's stubble on my chin ; cheeks hollow with hun- 

 ger and hardship ; with the strap over one shoulder 

 pulling up my wife, who was in as forlorn a condition 

 as myself her hat gone, boots worked into a pulp, 

 dress clinging to her, bespattered with mud till her 

 own mother would not have known her. At this 

 point she completely gave in and lay on the ground 

 quite exhausted. 



After a consultation we decided that I should fol- 

 low the track, in the hope of finding some place of 

 refuge; and promising to return in an hour, I started 

 off at a double quick, hoping to cover more space in 

 my hour by running. Having travelled some two miles 

 I was rejoiced to see a mob of working bullocks and 

 horses having bells on them, which plainly told me 

 that a teamsters' camp was not far from us. 



