Then she fell on the horse's neck again, and so on ad lib.
This made the Englishman very morose. He was quite glad when
Charlie said he had seen enough of the cattle, and they would all
start next day for civilisation--Charlie to resume the management
of Mr. Grant's stations, Carew to go with him as "colonial experiencer,"
and Considine to start for England to look after his inheritance.
CHAPTER XIX.
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER.
The black boys went in with them to Pike's store to take back
supplies on the pack-horse. They travelled over the same country
that they had seen coming up; the men at the stations greeted them
with the same hospitality. Nothing was said about Considine's good
fortune. It was thought wise to be silent, as he didn't know how
soon his wife might hear of it.
They left the gins at the blacks' camp, which they chanced on by
a riverside. The camp was a primitive affair, a few rude shelters
made by bending bamboo sticks together and covering them with strips
of paper bark. Here the sable wariors sat and smoked all day long,
tobacco being their only civilised possession. Carew was very
anxious to look at them, a development of curiosity that Considine
could not understand.
"Most uninteresting devils, I call 'em," he said. "They're stark
naked, and they have nothing.
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