We Had Still Thirty Miles To Go To Reach The Camp, And It Was Late When The Poor Unfortunate Creatures Dragged Themselves Into It.

Fortunately the day had been remarkably cool, almost cold, the thermometer only rose to 80 degrees in the shade.

The water had held out well, and it still drained into the tank.

On the following morning, the 1st November, the thermometer actually descended to 32 degrees, though of course there was neither frost nor ice, because there was nothing fluid or moist to freeze. I do not remember ever feeling such a sensation of intense cold. The day was delightfully cool; I was most anxious to find out if any water could be got at the junction of the two creeks just left. Mr. Tietkens and Gibson took three fresh horses, and the shovel, on Monday, the 3rd of November, and started out there again.

Remaining at the camp was simple agony, the ants were so numerous and annoying; a strong wind was blowing from the eastwards, and the camp was in a continual cloud of sand and dust.

The next day was again windy and dusty, but not quite so hot as yesterday. Jimmy and I and the two dogs were at the camp. He had a habit of biting the dogs' noses, and it was only when they squealed that I saw what he was doing; to-day Cocky was the victim. I said, "What the deuce do you want to be biting the dog's nose for, you might seriously injure his nasal organ?" "Horgin," said Jimmy, "do you call his nose a horgin?" I said, "Yes, any part of the body of man or animal is called an organ." "Well," he said, "I never knew that dogs carried horgins about with them before." I said, "Well, they do, and don't you go biting any of them again." Jimmy of course, my reader can see, was a queer young fellow. On one occasion further back, a good many crows were about, and they became the subject of discussion. I remarked, "I've travelled about in the bush as much as most people, and I never yet saw a little crow that couldn't fly;" then Jimmy said, "Why, when we was at the Birthday, didn't I bring a little crow hin a hague hin?" I said, "What's hin a hague hin?" To which he replied, "I didn't say "hin a hague hin," I says "Hand her hague hin." After this, whenever we went hunting for water, and found it, if there was a sufficient quantity for us we always said, "Oh, there's enough to boil a hague in anyhow." Late in the evening of the next day, Jimmy and I were watching at the tank for pigeons, when the three horses Mr. Tietkens took away came up to drink; this of course informed me they had returned. The horses looked fearfully hollow, and I could see at a glance that they could not possibly have had any water since they left.

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