FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158  
159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   >>  
nd half an hour later a slight but distinct subsidence in the level of the water could be perceived. In another hour it had fallen a foot, and after that the fall was rapid and steady. The deep roar caused by the rushing torrent and the rumbling of the huge boulders and rocks swept along in the narrow defile, gradually subsided, and soon the bullocks were again standing on their feet. The natives set to work to wash away the thick sediment which the flood had left on the floor of the waggons, and before nightfall the goods were all repacked. But few signs of the recent flood now remained in the valley. A stream still rushed through the centre. Trunks and branches of trees lay here and there, as the water had left them, and the bodies of some twenty or thirty natives were lying amongst the rocks. In some places shallow pools remained; in others were sheets of glistening mud. "We shall have no more trouble with the natives," Mr Harvey said; "the fighting-men of that tribe must have been nearly annihilated." "Do you think that those below were caught, as well as those above?" "Certainly," Mr Harvey answered; "the water went down with the speed of a race-horse; they had only a few minutes' start, and would have been overtaken before they could have even gained the lower bed of the gorge. We can journey on peacefully now. We have been fortunate indeed; we have only lost one man, and the three who were hit with stones are all likely to do well. We have not lost a single bullock, nor a bale of goods." "We shall have hard work to get the waggons up that place where the natives made the stand tomorrow." "It is quite likely," Mr Harvey said, "that the obstacle there no longer exists. A flood like that of to-day would carry away anything. Look at those great blocks, some of which must weigh more than a hundred tons. Likely enough some of them have formed part of that great pile. I have already sent Tony and Blacking up the defile to see how the flood has left it, and in an hour they will be back to report." The hunters on returning brought the good news that the great block had been removed, and so far as they had explored no other of any importance had been found. They said indeed that the defile was now more open than either of the two gorges they had already passed through. This was very satisfactory, for all had had enough of lifting and heaving rocks. Their hands were all cut and wounded, and every
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158  
159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   >>  



Top keywords:
natives
 

defile

 

Harvey

 

waggons

 

remained

 
longer
 
exists
 

obstacle

 
tomorrow
 

fortunate


journey

 

peacefully

 
stones
 

bullock

 
single
 

importance

 
removed
 
explored
 

gorges

 

passed


wounded

 

heaving

 

lifting

 

satisfactory

 

formed

 

Likely

 

hundred

 

blocks

 

hunters

 

report


returning

 
brought
 

Blacking

 

bullocks

 

standing

 
subsided
 

gradually

 
boulders
 

narrow

 
repacked

recent
 

nightfall

 
sediment
 
rumbling
 

subsidence

 

perceived

 
distinct
 

slight

 
fallen
 

caused