Far Off; Or, Asia and Australia Described: With Anecdotes and IllustrationsMortimer, Favell Lee
Religion
Far Off; Or, Asia and Australia Described: With Anecdotes and Illustrations
Mortimer, Favell Lee
Asia -- Description and travel; Australia -- Description and travel
What were the feelings of the lonely traveller! Here he was in the midst
of a desert, with no companion but one young savage, and that young
savage was not one whom he could trust; for he knew not what part Wylie
had taken in the deeds of the night. He suspected that he had intended to
go away with the other boys, but that when Baxter was murdered, he had
grown alarmed. Wylie indeed denied that he had known anything of the
robbery, but then he was not a boy whose word could be believed.
The remainder of that dreadful night was passed by Mr. Eyre, in watching
the horses. Anxiously he waited for the first streak of daylight. He then
drove the horses to the camp, and once more beheld the body of his
fellow-traveller. How suddenly had his soul been hurried into eternity,
and into the presence of his God!
It was Wylie's business to light the fire, and prepare the breakfast.
Meanwhile, Mr. Eyre examined the baggage to see how much had been stolen.
These were the chief articles he missed. All the bread, consisting of
five loaves, some mutton, tea and sugar, tobacco and pipes, a small keg
of water, and two guns. And what was left for the traveller? A large
quantity of flour, a large keg of water, some tea and sugar, a gun, and
pistols. But would these have been left, had the ungrateful boys been
strong enough to carry them away?
Mr. Eyre desired before leaving the fatal spot to bury the body of his
friend; but the rocks around were so hard, that it was impossible to dig
a grave. All he was able to do, was to wrap the corpse in a blanket
before he abandoned it forever.
Slowly and silently he left the sorrowful spot, leading one horse,
while Wylie drove the others after it. During the heat of the day, they
stopped to rest. It was four in the afternoon, and they were soon going
to set out again, when they perceived at a distance--TWO WHITE FIGURES!
two white figures! and soon knew them to be the two guilty boys, wrapped
in their blankets.
Mr. Eyre had some fear lest the young murderer should shoot him also; yet
he thought it wise to advance boldly towards him, with his gun in his
hand. He perceived that each of the wicked youths held a gun, and seemed
ready to shoot. But as he approached, they drew back. He wished to speak
to them in order to persuade them not to follow him on his journey, but
to go another way; however he could not get near them; but he heard them
cry out, "O Massa, we don't want you; we want Wylie." The boys repeated
the name of Wylie over and over again; yet Wylie answered not, but
remained quietly with the horses. At length Mr. Eyre turned away, and
continued his journey. The boys followed at some distance, calling out
for Wylie till the darkness came on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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