Explore "The Call of the Southern Cross, A Romance of Australia" by John Sandes on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Leaving the tea and sugar and tobacco strewed on the floor beside the mutilated corpse of the shepherd, the boy Billy rushed from the hut and snatched the bridle of the mare from the gate post, and set off at a wild gallop for the Verners' homestead, which was two miles nearer than Burke's place to the murdered man's hut.
Ashen pale and shivering with fear, Billy made report to Juana that the buckeeners were out. They had done for old Ben already. They might put in an appearance at Coonara, or at the Pretty Plains homestead at any moment.