Far Off eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 246 pages of information about Far Off.

Far Off eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 246 pages of information about Far Off.

Mr. Eyre had some fear lest the young murderer should shoot him also; yet he thought it wise to advance boldly towards him, with his gun in his hand.  He perceived that each of the wicked youths held a gun, and seemed ready to shoot.  But as he approached, they drew back.  He wished to speak to them in order to persuade them not to follow him on his journey, but to go another way; however he could not get near them; but he heard them cry out, “O Massa, we don’t want you; we want Wylie.”  The boys repeated the name of Wylie over and over again; yet Wylie answered not, but remained quietly with the horses.  At length Mr. Eyre turned away, and continued his journey.  The boys followed at some distance, calling out for Wylie till the darkness came on.

Mr. Eyre was so anxious to get beyond the reach of these wicked youths, that he walked eighteen miles that evening.  And he never saw them again!  I do not know whether he had ever told them of the true God, of that EYE which never SLEEPS, of that EYE which beholds ROBBERS and MURDERERS in the night;—­but whether he had told them or not of this great God, they must have KNOWN that they were acting wickedly when they robbed their benefactor, and murdered his friend; and they must have felt very MISERABLE after they had done those deeds.

Alone with Wylie, Mr. Eyre pursued his journey along the high clefts of the Great Bight, or Bay.

For five days they were without water for the horses; at last they dug some wells in the sand.  But by this time one of the horses was grown so weak, that he could scarcely crawl along.  This horse, Mr. Eyre determined to kill for food.  Wylie, delighted with the idea, exclaimed, “Massa, I shall sit up, and eat the whole night.”  And he kept his word.  While his master was skinning the poor beast, he made a fire close by, and soon began tearing off bits of flesh, roasting, and eating them, as fast as he could.  Mr. Eyre, after cutting off the best parts of the flesh to dry, allowed Wylie to eat the rest.  See the young glutton, with the head, the feet, and the inside, permitted to devour it as best he could!  He hastened to make an oven, in which to bake about twenty pounds to feast upon during the night.  It is not wonderful, if during that night he was heard to make a dismal groaning, and to complain that he was very ill.  He said, indeed, that it was working too hard, had made him ill, but his master thought it was eating too much, for whenever he woke, he found the boy gnawing a bone.

Next day, Wylie was not able to spend his whole time over the carcase, for he had to go, and look for a lost foal; but the day after, it was hard to get him away from the bones.

For some time the travellers lived upon dried horse flesh, with a kangaroo, or a fish, as a little change.  Wylie continued to eat immoderately, though often rolling upon the ground, and crying out, “Mendyat,” or ill.

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Far Off from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.