thering cattle as they came. The party split up
into three in order to muster the district thoroughly, and before
sunset a mob of over four hundred cattle was bellowing round the
water-hole. The nearest stock-yard was two days away, so the cattle
had to be watched that night. Sax and Vaughan had done some night
watching on the way from Oodnadatta to Sidcotinga, when wild blacks had
been about, but a few tired, broken-in horses were very easy to watch
in comparison with a mob of nearly half a thousand wild desert cattle.

The usual precautions were taken. The men made their camp on the slope
of a little clay-pan out of sight of the water-hole, so that their
movements in the night would not startle the cattle. All fires were
put out before dark, and no man was allowed to shake his camp-sheet or
make any sudden noise. Watches were arranged so that two stockmen were
riding round the cattle all night long.

The moon was full enough to vaguely light the scene, which was very
typical of Central Australia and could not possibly be met with in any
other part of the world. Mick and Vaughan took first watch and Sax and
Poona took the second. When Sax came off watch, and was riding up the
little hill, looking forward to rolling himself up in his blankets, the
sound of singing made him turn and look back. It was a wonderful sight
which met his gaze, and those who have once seen a similar one are
never really satisfied in any other place. The water looked flat like
a mirror, and one or two cattle stood knee-deep in the edges of it.
All around, just a vague black mass from which a warm mist of breath
and hot bodies was rising, were the cattle, mostly lying down and
contentedly chewing the cud, while a few wandered slowly about looking
for one another and quietly murmuring. One of the black-boys, whose
turn at watching had just come, was already riding round with one leg
cocked lazily over the pommel of the saddle, and chanting a coroboree
dirge, both to let the cattle know that he was about and because he was
happy.

The other boy was waiting for Sax's horse. Sax dismounted and noticed
that the man standing near him was Eagle. The native grinned as he
climbed awkwardly on the horse, for he was not used to riding, and, as
he moved off, he pointed with his mutilated hand in the direction of
the Musgrave Ranges and uttered the words: "Bor--s Stoo--bar."

Sax sat down for a moment. These words reminded him that indeed thi