CHAPTER XXX.
HOW THE CHILD WAS LOST, AND HOW HE GOT FOUND AGAIN--WHAT CECIL SAID TO SAM WHEN THEY FOUND HIM--AND HOW IN CASTING LOTS, ALTHOUGH CECIL WON THE LOT, HE LOST THE PRIZE.
Four or five miles up the river from Garoopna stood a solitary hut, snug, sheltered by a lofty bare knoll, round which the great river chafed among the boulders.

Across the stream was the forest, sloping down in pleasant glades from the mountain; and behind the hut rose the plain four or five hundred feet over head, seeming to be held aloft by the blue-stone columns which rose from the river side.
In this cottage resided a shepherd, his wife, and one little boy, their son, about eight years old.

A strange, wild little bush child, able to speak articulately, but utterly without knowledge or experience of human creatures, save of his father and mother; unable to read a line; without religion of any sort or kind; as entire a little savage, in fact, as you could find in the worst den in your city, morally speaking, and yet beautiful to look on; as active as a roe, and, with regard to natural objects, as fearless as a lion.
As yet unfit to begin labour.

All the long summer he would wander about the river bank, up and down the beautiful rock-walled paradise where he was confined, sometimes looking eagerly across the water at the waving forest boughs, and fancying he could see other children far up the vistas beckoning to him to cross and play in that merry land of shifting lights and shadows.
It grew quite into a passion with the poor little man to get across and play there; and one day when his mother was shifting the hurdles, and he was handing her the strips of green hide which bound them together, he said to her,-- "Mother, what country is that across the river ?" "The forest, child." "There's plenty of quantongs over there, eh, mother, and raspberries?
Why mayn't I get across and play there ?" "The river is too deep, child, and the Bunyip lives in the water under the stones." "Who are the children that play across there ?" "Black children, likely." "No white children ?" "Pixies; don't go near 'em child; they'll lure you on, Lord knows where.

Don't get trying to cross the river, now, or you'll be drowned." But next day the passion was stronger on him than ever.