Being firmly convinced that these men intended to pursue a plan of operations which would entail great misery both upon themselves and the others, I considered that I ought undoubtedly to endeavour to save them from the danger which I foresaw impending over them; and this could only be accomplished by my making forced marches to Perth and sending out supplies to meet them before they were reduced to the last extremities. Had I foreseen a week ago that I should be compelled eventually to adopt such a step I would then have taken with me all such as were willing to march and have left the others; but this time had passed. My movement to Perth must now be accomplished with the greatest expedition or it would be useless; and to take anyone with me who was so much reduced as to have delayed, impeded, or perhaps altogether to have arrested our progress, would have sacrificed the lives of all.
CHAPTER 3. FROM WATER PEAK TO GAIRDNER'S RANGE.
RETURN TO THE PARTY.
April 10.
The morning's dawn found us in the vicinity of our comrades, and, just as the thick grey mists began heavily to ascend from the low plains on which I had left the party, we emerged from the bush upon the native path down which we had travelled the preceding evening; here I turned northward, and a few minutes more placed the party in our view. Some of them were missing. I felt alarmed lest a new misfortune had happened and, hurrying on, eagerly asked where they were. The answer given will describe more truly their position than the most minute detail could do; it was: "They are just gone into the bush to suck grass, Sir." This semblance of extreme thirst must however, I suspect, have been in some measure a piece of affectation upon their parts, for upon the morning of the day before they had had a plentiful supply of water: whether however their extreme sufferings were true or feigned mattered not, we fully supplied their wants; and then I immediately ordered preparations to be made for our further progress.
We moved on in the direction of the spring of water which lay about half a mile to the eastward of our true line of route. Our movements were soon again delayed by Woods, who began as usual to lie down and declare his inability to proceed any further.
DELAYS CAUSED BY USELESS BAGGAGE. DESTRUCTION OF USELESS BAGGAGE.
I desired him to leave behind the heavy load he was carrying; but as upon former occasions he again declared his determination to die rather than part with this mysterious bundle, which appeared to possess an extraordinary value in his estimation. It was easy to see from his appearance that he was now really ill and unable to carry such a weight as he was striving to do. At length he again laid himself down, declaring that he was dying, and, as I determined no longer to see his life endangered by his so obstinately insisting on carrying this bundle, I took it up, and, informing him of my intention to pay him the full value of any property of his that I might destroy, I proceeded to open it with the intention of throwing all useless articles away.
Upon this announcement of mine he burst into tears, deplored alternately his dying state and the loss of the bundle, and then poured forth a torrent of invectives against me, in the midst of which I quietly went on unfolding the treasured parcel and exposing to view the following articles: Three yards of thick heavy canvas; some duck which he had purloined; a large roll of sewing thread, ditto; a thick pea jacket which I had abandoned at the boats, and had, at his request, given to him; and various other old pieces of canvas and duck; also a great part of the cordage of one of the boats, which he had taken without permission.