Page:Tracks of McKinlay and party across Australia.djvu/110

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84
TRACKS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.

first arrival I had turned in for the night. Mr. Marchant let McKinlay have what bullocks he required.

4th. Start this morning for another out-station of Mr. Marchant's, Yudnapunda; a long delay on the way occasioned again by the cart. The men with the camels stop several times, and once three or four hours, much to their annoyance; and when they did come up they brought word that one of the camels was to return to the cart with Mr. McKinlay' s blankets, as, horribile dictu, the cart had both shafts broken and could come no further, and Mr. McKinlay had determined to fit it with a pole for bullocks. This, of course, would take some time, as he had to send a considerable distance, to Mr. Frank Marchant's station, Areola, for the iron-work for the cart. Hodgkinson started with the camel, and Davis took on the other three. The devil's own work to get the wild one packed; he kept rolling off his load. Had they not managed to get the "Rarey strap" on him, and so keep him down, he never would have been packed, and very likely some accident would have happened. He is a real varmint. Arrived, however, with the three, after a good deal of trouble, at Yudnapunda hut, where all the horsemen were regaling themselves with mutton and damper. Quickly unloaded, and joined them.

Stopped here till the morning of the 10th,