68 
A MAN MISSING. 
cloak, and perspired in consequence to such a degree, that 
my clothes were wet through, and I had to stand at the fire 
in the morning to dry them. Mr. Hume, who could not 
bear such confinement, suffered the penalty, and was most 
unmercifully bitten. 
We reached the camp about noon the following day, and 
learnt, to our vexation, that one of the men, Norman, had 
lost himself shortly after we started, and had not since been 
heard of. Dawber, my overseer, was out in search of him. 
I awaited his return, therefore, before I took any measures 
for the man’s recovery ; nor was I without hopes that Dawber 
would have found him, as it appeared he had taken one of 
the horses with him, and Dawber, by keeping his tracks, 
might eventually have overtaken him. He returned, how- 
ever, about 3 p.m. unsuccessful, when Mr. Hume and I 
mounted our horses, and proceeded in different directions 
in quest of him, but were equally disappointed. 
We met at the creek in the dark, and returned to the 
camp together, when I ordered the cypresses on the range 
to be set on fire, and thus illuminated the country round 
for many miles. In the morning, however, as Norman had 
not made his appearance, we again started in search of the 
poor fellow, on whose account I was now most uneasy ; 
for his horse, it appeared, had escaped him, and was found 
with the others at watering time. 
I did not return to the camp until after sunset, more fa- 
tigued than I recollect ever having been before. I was, 
however, rejoiced on being informed that the object of my 
