However, I very soon got rid of them; and after strolling
for a short time within sight of us, they all went up the creek; but I
could not help thinking, from the impertinent pertinacity of these
fellows, that they had discovered my magazine, and taken all the things,
more especially as they had been digging where our fire had been, so
that, if I had buried the stores there as intended, they would have been
taken.
As soon as the natives were out of sight, Mr. Stuart and I went to the
rhagodia bush for our things. As we approached, the branches appeared
just as we had left them; but on getting near, we saw a bag lying
outside, and I therefore concluded that the natives had carried off
everything. Still, when we came up to the bush, nothing but the bag
appeared to have been touched, all the other things were just as we left
them, and, on examining the bag, nothing was missing. Concluding,
therefore, that the natives had really discovered my store, but had been
too honest to rob us, I returned to the creek in better humour with them;
but, a sudden thought occurring to Mr. Stuart, that as there was an oil
lamp in the bag, a native dog might have smelt and dragged it out of its
place, we returned to the bush, to see if there were any impressions of
naked feet round about it, but with the exception of our own, there were
no tracks save those of a native dog.
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