r my age; I
had dreamed incessantly of making the attempt to find my father, and now
at last the time had come.

I believe I was quite as excited over the proposed journey as Jimmy, but
I did not go about throwing a spear at gum-trees, neither did I climb
the tallest eucalyptus to try if I could see New Guinea from the topmost
branches. Moreover I did not show my delight on coming down, certain of
having seen this promised land, by picking out a low horizontal branch
and hanging from it by my toes.

All of these antics Jimmy did do, and many more, besides worrying me
every half-hour with--

"Come long--time a go find him fader."

Of course now I know that it would have been impossible for me to have
carried out my plans without the doctor, who was indefatigable, bringing
to bear as he did the ripe experience of a man who had been all over the
world pretty well before he came to Australia to make a practice; and
every day I had from him some useful hint.

He was quite as eager as I, but he met all my impatient words with--

"Let's do everything necessary first, Joe. Recollect we are going to a
far more savage land than this, and where we can renew nothing but our
store of food. Don't let's fail through being too hasty. All in good
time."

But the time did seem so long, for there was a great deal to do.

Jimmy--who by the way really bore some peculiar native name that sounded
like Wulla Gurra--was fitted out with a serviceable sailor's suit, of
which he was very proud, and never prouder than when he could see it to
its best advantage.

This was in the wool barn, where, upon every opportunity, the black used
to retreat to relieve himself of the unwonted garb, and hang it up
against the shingle wall. Then he would show his teeth to the gums and
squat down, embrace his knees, and gaze at the clothes.

When satisfied with the front he would rise deliberately, go to the
wall, turn every article, and have a good look at the other side.

We ran some risks at this time, for our henchman was given his first
lessons in the use of a rifle, and for a long time, no matter how the
doctor tried, it seemed as if it was impossible for the black to hold
the piece in any other direction than pointed straight at one of his
friends. By slow degrees, though, he got over it, and wanted lessons in
loading and firing more often than his master was prepared to give them.

Jimmy had heard the report of a gun hundreds of times, b