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 found there was no indication of the scrub getting more practicable, but rather the reverse. Dodge was too true a bushman to allow himself to be beaten by any ordinary impediments, but his experience satisfied him that they had made their attempt at an unfortunate point. In this dilemma he again had recourse to his pipe. "There is nothing for it I'm afraid," he said, "but to turn back. I like going ahead, but we must knock under for the present. We will camp upon the plains tonight, and try what is to be done tomorrow." They soon retraced the ground they had experienced so much difficulty in gaining, and once more found themselves, not much improved in appearance, in open country. Here Dodge set to work with scarcely less energy than he had hitherto displayed, to erect a shelter for the night, as there were indications of rain. Setting two stout forked sticks in the ground about ten feet apart, he rested a long pole upon them, thus forming a kind of roof-tree; then he stripped some sheets of bark, about eight feet in length and from two to three feet broad, and rested them in a horizontal position against the pole, lapping the edge of each sheet over the other; a pile of branches from the neighbouring trees were placed at either end of this primitive structure; a large heap of dried wood was collected; and then Dodge expressed a fervent wish that all the world was as well off as themselves: "but there is one drawback," he said, "to this delightful building site:—where can we get fresh water?" It was true, they had sufficient to serve for the evening, but from whence were they to draw their supply for the ensuing day? Dodge was prepared: he knew, after looking into the sky, now quite overcast, and listening to the low sighing of the wind through the fibre-like foliage of the she-oak trees.

In the course of the day Lady had killed a bandicoot, of which Dodge possessed himself, and whilst the adventurers were