Page:Australian Emigrant 1854.djvu/125

 as made the old woods ring again. "Well, well," at length the individual stammered out, as well as he could from his almost hysterical state, "if this example fails, I must clear out for good." It was old Dodge, who, in a short time reached the creek and paddled himself over, where he found Hugh and Slinger waiting, with a meal prepared and set forth in true bush fashion on a large box. "Here I am again," he said; "I thought my last adventure with bailiffs would have prevented the necessity for any further cruelty on my part to the species, but they will not learn wisdom." He then recounted his adventure, concluding—" a night in the scrubs will cure our friend, I think, of his partiality for Westernport. It won't be a paying speculation for him—this won't."

"But," said Slinger, "you surely will not leave the poor wretch in such a position, and after frightening him as you have done: why he will die of cold."

"Won't I though," said Dodge. "He will keep warm until the morning, and by that time have recovered his senses. Then he will either strike upon the creek or come into open ground, and the chances are that eventually he will make my station. Meantime we must clear out."

"Suppose you accompany us in search of a station," said Slinger; "that is the business we are out upon."

"Agreed," replied Dodge; "and there is no time to be lost; we must make preparations at once." Accordingly, after taking out the necessary supplies, he planted his flour-bag and beef-barrel in the hollow of an adjacent tree, declaring that he would starve out his enemy in case he attempted to quarter upon him. Selecting a pair of not particularly clean canvass trousers and some strips of linen to serve for strings, he then observed, "Now I'll show you what I call my multum in parvo;" he then proceeded, after tying up the bottom of one