A FAITHFUL SAVAGE 47 



the blackfellow succeeds in possessing himself of them his 

 vanity is boundless. " You see my hat, sir ? " said one of 

 them. "You no tink him berry fine fellar?" Certainly 

 the ladies of his tribe regarded him with open-mouthed 

 admiration. 



The general habits and customs of the Australian 

 aborigines are so well known that it is unnecessary to 

 repeat them here. Too often an unsavoury savage, he is 

 not always irreclaimable, and occasionally forms a strong 

 attachment to the white man. Here is an example, 

 and read between the lines, I think there is not a more 

 pathetic instance in the annals of Australian exploration, 

 or one that shows the savage in a better light. Kennedy, 

 the explorer, and one black attendant, Jacky-Jacky, are 

 running through the bush for their lives, closely pursued 

 by a band of bloodthirsty blacks. Jacky-Jacky used all 

 his savage ingenuity to throw his fellow-savages off the 

 scent, and for three days and nights bewildered them. 

 Then he and his master were surrounded, and spears 

 thrown which wounded Kennedy desperately in several 

 places and Jacky across the forehead, but Jacky was 

 equal to the terrible emergency. He succeeded in carrying 

 his dying master into the dense scrub and escaping the 

 savages, who were still afraid to close in on the two 

 devoted men. 



" You feel better now, sir ? " he asked, as he laid 

 Kennedy carefully down to rest. 



" No, Jacky, no. I do not care for the hurt to my 

 leg, but oh ! this wound in my side." 



" Are you going to leave me, Mr Kennedy ? " 



"Yes, Jacky, I am dying." 



" Ah ! blackfellow always die when him get spear 

 wound there," explained Jacky, who doubtless remembered 

 the results of many savage encounters in his bush days. 



"You must take the books to Captain Dobson ; be 

 sure to take the books to him," said Kennedy, evidently 

 anxious that the results of his work should not be lost. 

 Then he added, " Give me a piece of paper, Jacky : I 

 will write." But he was too far gone. He leant back 



