Page:Life and Adventures of William Buckley.djvu/99

76 content—unless sleeping, and then dreaming of Corrobberrees, and fights, and mischief. In one of these excursions, one of our men was bitten by a snake whilst stepping over a fallen tree, of which bite the poor fellow died immediately. As he was one of the principal men of the tribe, his death caused great sorrow, and he was buried; or, rather stowed away in the branches of a very high tree, with all the honors suited to his value, as one of this very estimable community, of which I had, involuntarily, become a member.

Time passed on, and a variety of circumstances occurred to separate us, so that I was at last left with my supposed relations, and only two or three other families—each living in our separate huts.

One day we saw a large party of natives coming towards us, but they passed on to the back, at a distance; and, when there, began to polish themselves up with clay, and ochre, as if for a fight; it occasioned us great alarm; but we hoped our defenceless position would induce them to treat us mercifully. There were about sixty of them, and they soon undeceived us as to their intentions; for they came first to the other bank of the river, shaking their spears; and then crossing over, attacked us so furiously, as to give the women and children only time to attempt escape. My old friend, and supposed brother-in-law, had a spear sent right through his body, and then they hunted out his wife and killed her dead upon the spot. The savages then came back to where I was supporting my wounded