ke letting them go alone," said Mr Harlow. "As the
blacks have not appeared as yet, as they never travel at nights, I do
not think that they will come till to-morrow, and before that you will
have plenty of assistance."

The evening came, and the night drew on, and still no natives appeared.
Troloo offered to go out and learn if they were near. He thought that
they might have encamped not far off, so as to attack the station at
break of day. Once he would have been afraid to move about himself in
the dark, but now he said that as he was going to help white man, white
man's God would take care of him. Mat had gone to look after the sheep,
for it was not safe to leave them alone at night, lest the dingoes (the
wild dogs of the country) should get among them. Thus only Joseph and
Tom Wells remained in the hut with Sarah and Sally. It was a sad time
for them, they thought more about the poor children than themselves.
Tom was a kind-hearted fellow, and did his best to keep up their
spirits.

"As you often say, Joseph, I say to you, trust in God, and all will come
right at last."

"Very hard, in a case like this, to follow out what one knows to be
true," answered Rudge.

"Yes, Joseph; but this is just a case where we have to show our faith.
I know that God loves us and that keeps me up," said Sarah, though her
voice trembled as she spoke.

All this time her dear little ones might be starving, or dying of
thirst, or have been carried off by the blacks, or have fallen into a
water-hole.

It was near ten at night when Troloo came back. It was some time before
he could make his friends understand that the black fellows, to the
number of fifty, or more, were camped at a spot, to reach which, from
the hut, would take about an hour. They had been having a war dance, he
said, and that showed that they were about to attack the place. They
were armed with spears and clubs and boomerangs. The last weapon is a
moon-shaped piece of hard-wood. The blacks throw it with great force,
and can make it whirl back into their own hands. They can also throw
their spears to a great distance with good aim. This news made Joseph
more than ever anxious for the arrival of Mr Ramsay and Sam and Bob.
No one was inclined to go to sleep. Sarah and Sally lay down, but were
up every ten minutes looking out of doors, and listening for sounds.

Before daybreak Troloo was on foot, and stole out. He was gone some
time; Tom thought that he