ee a large body of them
gathered on a sandy neck in the bed of the creek, between two large
waterholes. Immediately they saw me, they too commenced to howl and wave
their weapons in the air. I at once pulled up, and considered the
propriety of waiting the arrival of the party, for I felt far from
satisfied with regard to their intentions. But here, for the first time,
my favourite horse -- a black cob known in the camp as Piggy, a Murray
Downs bred stock-horse of good repute both for foot and temper --
appeared to think that his work was cut out for him, and the time had
arrived in which to do it. Pawing and snorting at the noise, he suddenly
slewed round and headed down the steep bank, through the undergrowth,
straight for the crowd as he had been wont to do after many a mob of
weaners on his native plains. The blacks drew hurriedly back to the top
of the opposite bank, shouting and gesticulating violently, and leaving
one solitary figure apparently covered with some scarecrow rags and part
of a hat prominently alone in the sand. Before I could pull up I had
passed it, and as I passed it tottered, threw up its hands in the
attitude of prayer and fell on the sand. The heavy sand helped me to
conquer Piggy on the level, and when I turned back, the figure had
partially risen.

"Hastily dismounting, I was soon beside it, excitedly asking: 'Who in the
name of wonder are you?' He answered, 'I am King, sir.' For the moment I
did not grasp the thought that the object of our search was attained, for
King being only one of the undistinguished members of the party, his name
was unfamiliar to me.

"'King,' I repeated. 'Yes,' he said; 'the last man of the exploring
expedition.' 'What! Burke's?' 'Yes,' he said. 'Where is he -- and Wills?'
'Dead, both dead, long ago,' and again he fell to the ground.

"Then I knew who stood before me. Jumping into the saddle and riding up
the bank, I fired two or three revolver shots to attract the attention of
the party, and on their coming up, sent the other black boy to cut
Howitt's track and bring him back to camp. We then put up a tent to
shelter the rescued man, and by degrees we got from him the sad story of
the death of his leader. We got it at intervals only, between the long
rests which his exhausted condition compelled him to take."

As soon as King had recovered enough strength to accompany the party,
they went to the place where Wills had breathed his last; and found his
body in the