were descending the mountain. The meeting was most cordial. Everything was ‘budgeree’. Williams took off his outer shirt and presented it to the spokesman before referred to, who graciously received it and put it on, and then there was a good deal of feeling all over the body, evidently to discover if arms were secreted, but still with every appearance of amity. But after this had gone on for some time, the movements of the great body of the blacks who were on the mountain were causing considerable uneasiness to the whites further away. At first, when told to drop their spears, they would do so instantly, but now their attitude was more defiant. They moved down towards the opening of the gorge through which the whites must pass to get back, as if manoeuvring to cut off the retreat of the party, some of whom were at a considerable distance from the rest. This apparent intention soon became a matter of certainty, and the whites began to consider the best mode of extricating themselves. The attempt to make for home was scarcely commenced when it appears a spear or two was thrown, and about 25 of the blacks made a rush, upon which a cry was raised by someone, ‘Every man for himself’, and all took to their heels. Showers of spears were now flying in every direction. Williams and Blake must have been struck down instantly, although no one saw them fall. Rolls received a spear in the seat of honour after running a short distance, which he broke off as short as possible under the circumstances, and carried the remainder as a trophy, and Kenley, probably about the same moment, got an ugly spear through the calf of his leg, and another struck him in the neck, inflicting a dangerous wound. Stephen Dennis luckily came up at this juncture and with great difficulty drew the spear from the wound. In the meantime Billy Wright had managed to get on a horse behind Rolls, and started for the machine, but had hardly turned the horse round when the Blacks charged down on them, discharging spears as thick as hail, one of which pierced the horse in the hind quarter. After going a short distance, Wright managed to get a fresh mount, upon which he galloped to the place where he left his gun. He then, in company with Steve Dennis, returned in search of Williams, thinking that he was the only man of the party that was missing. The blacks had
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