boys to have a white
master. I may say nearly all the civilised youngsters, and a good many
old ones too, like to get work, regular rations, and tobacco, from the
cattle or telegraph stations, which of course do employ a good many.
When one of these is tired of his work, he has to bring up a
substitute and inform his employer, and thus a continual change goes
on. The boys brought up the horses, and breakfast being eaten, the
father led Tommy up to me and put his little hand in mine; at the same
time giving me a small piece of stick, and pretending to thrash him;
represented to me that, if he didn't behave himself, I was to thrash
him. I gave the old fellow some old clothes (Tommy I had already
dressed up), also some flour, tea, and sugar, and lifted the child on
to old Cocky's saddle, which had a valise in front, with two straps
for the monkey to cling on by. A dozen or two youngsters now also
wanted to come on foot. I pretended to be very angry, and Tommy must
have said something that induced them to remain. I led the horse the
boy was riding, and had to drive the other three in front of me. When
we departed, the natives gave us some howls or cheers, and finally we
got out of their reach. The boy seemed quite delighted with his new
situation, and talked away at a great rate. As soon as we reached the
road, by some extraordinary chance, all my stock of wax matches,
carried by Badger, caught alight; a perfect volcano ensued, and the
novel sight of a pack-horse on fire occurred. This sent him mad, and
away he and the two other pack-horses flew down the road, over the
sandhills, and were out of sight in no time. I told the boy to cling
on as I started to gallop after them. He did so for a bit, but
slipping on one side, Cocky gave a buck, and sent Tommy flying into
some stumps of timber cut down for the passage of the telegraph line,
and the boy fell on a stump and broke his arm near the shoulder. I
tied my horse up and went to help the child, who screamed and bit at
me, and said something about his people killing me. Every time I tried
to touch or pacify him it was the same. I did not know what to do, the
horses were miles away. I decided to leave the boy where he was, go
after the horses, and then return with them to my last night's camp,
and give the boy back to his father. When he saw me mount, he howled
and yelled, but I gave him to understand what I was going to do and he
lay down and cried. I was full of pity for the