The hearing of the Australian aboriginal is acute, and his talent for mimicry astonishing; he can imitate the notes of every bird and the call of every animal with perfect accuracy.

Sambo’s senseless song enchanted the four blacks.  It was first heard with tremendous applause in New Orleans, it was received with enthusiasm by every audience in the Great Republic, and it had been the delight of every theatre in the British Empire.  It may be said that “jim Crow” buried the legitimate drama and danced on its grave.  It really seemed to justify the severe judgment passed on us by the sage of Chelsea, that we were “sixteen millions, mostly fools.”  No air was ever at the same time so silly and so successful as “Jim Crow.”  But there was life in it, and it certainly prolonged that of Sambo, for as the four savages crouched behind the hedge listening to the

“Turn about and wheel about, and do just so, And ebery time I turn about I jump Jim Crow,”

they forgot their murderous errand.

At last there was an echo of the closing words which seemed to come from a large gum tree beyond the tents, against which a ladder had been reared to the forks, used for the purpose of a look-out by Captain Leebrace.

Sambo paused, looked up to the gum tree, and said, “By golly, who’s dere?” The echo was repeated, and then he wheeled about in real earnest, transfixed with horror, unable to move a limb.  The blacks were close to him now, but even their colour could not restore his courage.  They were cannibals, and were preparing to kill and eat him.  But first they examined their game critically, poking their fingers about him, pinching him in various parts of the body, stroking his broad nose and ample lips with evident admiration, and trying to pull out the curls on his woolly head.

Sambo was usually proud of his personal appearance, but just now fear prevented him from enjoying the applause of the strangers.

At length he recovered his presence of mind sufficiently to make an effort to avert his impending doom.  If the blacks could be induced to eat the dinner he was cooking their attention to himself might be diverted, and their appetites appeased, so he pointed towards the pots, saying, “Plenty beef, pork, plum duff.”

The blacks seemed to understand his meaning, and they began to inspect the dinner; so instead of taking the food like sensible men, they upset all the pots with their waddies, and scattered the beef, pork, plum duff and potatoes, so that they were covered with sand and completely spoiled.

Two of the blacks next peered into the nearest tent, and seeing some knives and forks, took possession of them.  But there was a sound of voices from the waterhole, and they quickly gathered together their stolen goods and disappeared.  In a few minutes Captain Leebrace and the wreckers arrived at the camp, bringing with them Kennedy and his wife, who had recovered their senses, and were able to tell what had happened.