"The strange mystery of the cave paintings still puzzles me. The additional smaller drawings we discovered are most singular, and certainly point to other authorship than that of the natives. In many places there are signs like a written language, and the peculiar portrayal of dress indicates an Asiatic origin."
(Another gap.)
"I miss Kelly still. Murphy is dull and intractable; he has sunk to the level of his savage companions. O God, have pity on me, for I shall never never see my countrymen again! Surrounded by deserts, impassable to me on foot, I must drag out my life here, hoping for the succour that will come too late to save me."
(Here the narrative broke off, although several more blank leaves in the pocket-book were available.)
CHAPTER XII.
Charlie's Adventure.
"Well," said Brown, "which is it to be? South or west?"
"According to Columbus, Stuart was down with the southern tribe the last time they saw him, which is apparently many years ago."
"And he says that the road to the southern tribe is the easier to travel. I think we ought to go there first."