addle from his horse, hobbled him, and turned him out too
feed; and was comfortably seated at the fire, watching the water boil in
the shepherd's tin pot, preparatory to infusing his tea.

The circumstances of the intrusion were soon explained by young
Ferguson; and in a few minutes he and the shepherd were socially seated
at the fire, discussing their evening meal of salt meat, tea, and
"damper;" and were pleasantly conversing together, as if they had been
boon companions from their youth. From this man William learnt that he
had entirely gone out of his way; and that in the morning his best plan
would be not to attempt to regain the road in the way he had lost it,
but to take the track that led from the stock-yard in the vicinity to
the head station; whence he would find a well-beaten line to the main
road. His informant said he believed the road lay not far off; but he
could not say how far, nor in what precise direction; and should,
therefore, recommend him, for greater certainty and security, to go by
the more circuitous way of the head station. William admired this
cautionary advice, and determined on the following morning to act upon
it in preference to submitting himself to the ordeal of another
swimming; more especially as the station on which he then was, was
Rosehall, the place he had desired to find.

In the course of their conversation, William had elicited from the
shepherd some little information respecting himself; which we may be
pardoned, for the sake of information, for inserting here. He had only
been in the colony about six months; and had been hired by his present
employer direct from the ship in which he had emigrated, and brought at
once up to the station; where for some time he felt acutely the
hardships of his situation; though he had gradually become inured to
them, and was then perfectly contented. When he arrived on the station
the weather was fearfully wet; and he had been put into the hut he then
occupied, and given the charge of a flock of sheep, which he was left to
tend in perfect solitude. Added to this, the discomfort of his home (if
he could have called it by such a term), perfectly sickened him of the
country, and he heartily wished himself back again in England;
regretting the day he had ever been induced to leave it. Rolled in his
blankets, he used at night to lay down on the damp ground, to contract
rheumatisms and numerous other ailments; while his rations and
everything about