After the usual vicissitudes of bush travelling, the dray tracks and rude bush roads became more numerous and well defined, all however tending in the same direction, and the little party knew by these indications that they were not many miles from the principal town in the settlement. If any further proof had been wanting, it might have been found in numerous printed bills affixed to the stems of conspicuous trees on the sandy line of road they occasionally followed, as it suited their convenience. Dodge seemed to derive considerable pleasure in perusing these characteristic documents, for he stopped opposite each and read every word of it.
"I can't be hurried," he said playfully to Slinger, who expressed a desire to push on; "I'm fond of literature. No one knows the value of a newspaper but a bushman—these are my newspapers. See here," and he read aloud from a large bill, headed "Impoundings.—At the Deep Creek a brindlesided cow, R. off rump, supposed N.C. off thigh, like J.B. near thigh, blotched brand on off ribs and shoulder, hole in near ear and the other cut off, newly branded heart on forehead, has received a bullet or other wound in the near rump, now healed." "Hang me!" said Dodge, "if I can't fancy myself back again in the Southern States of America: this is just the style in which they advertise their runaway niggers." Whilst speaking, he walked round the tree to discover what news might be found there. A large bill met his eye, and in a conspicuous part of it he was greatly astonished to find his own name figuring in the very largest and reddest characters the typographical art of the country could then call to its aid. After giving a long and low whistle, he read through the bill word for word, but without attracting the attention of his friends: it ran as follows,—
