“Me see in morning,” was the only answer he could obtain; and the black crouched down again, as if going to sleep.
Paul, confident that Bruce—who was evidently on the alert—would arouse him should danger be near, again fell asleep. He did not awake Harry and Reggy, who slept on, notwithstanding Bruce’s barking and his conversation with Bendigo. The black roused up Paul at daybreak.
“Stay here; me go look round. Black fellows near, I tinkee.”
Harry and Reggy soon got up, and shook themselves—the only dressing operation they had to perform.
“I vote we go down and have a bathe,” exclaimed Harry.
“You had better not,” said Paul. “Bendigo suspects that natives have been near us during the night; and I believe that such was the cause of Bruce’s barking. We must look to our arms, at all events, in case they should prove unfriendly. Not to lose time, let us light the fire and cook breakfast.”
They all, accordingly set about doing so. As the light increased, Paul climbed to the rock which has been spoken of, to look out for the horses; for he naturally feared that, if the blacks had been in the neighbourhood, they might have driven them away or speared them.
As he cast his eye over the plain he could nowhere see the animals. They might, of course, have got round to the other side of the knoll, but still their non-appearance made him anxious. A shout from Harry, announcing breakfast, called him back to the camp. Bendigo had not yet returned. It was not necessary to wait for him. The young explorers made a hearty meal—Bruce coming in for his share—to prepare them for the work to be done, whatever that might be.
They had just finished breakfast, having laid aside a share for the black, when he was seen coming up the hill, stealing among the bushes. He shook his head, as he sat down and gobbled up his breakfast.
“Black fellows here—no good—come again; horses gone too,” and he pointed to the north-east, the only outlet to the region, except by a ford over the river.