.1 QUICK TRIP THROUGH " THE BUSH.'' 319 



around for the source of the disturbance, which, by the 

 way, ceased instantly. 



The light-footed animal approached fearlessly, now 

 stopping and sitting on its haunches to eat a tuft of 

 delicate greens, now dropping on all fours and running 

 forward in a zigzag course as light-heartedly as a child. 

 Soon, reaching the stream, it drank deep draughts from 

 the waters, and, what was our astonishment ! out popped 

 from one of its pouches a young one and gambolled on 

 the grass beside its mother. It was a pretty sight, and 

 T, for one, regretted the hostile ambush. But it was too 

 late now to draw off the natives, who could not under- 

 stand such a motive, and who already held their javelins 

 poised for hurling. 



By courtesy, Thursday was allowed the first shot, and, 

 either by luck or a skill which I was ignorant he pos- 

 sessed, his spear was so well aimed that the poor beast 

 fell without a sound, and almost before the fatal steel 

 reached her he ran out, disregarding the cautions of our 

 host to look out for the dying animal's claws, to catch 

 the little one and offer it to me for adoption. I found 

 it old enough to live without its mother, to whom it 

 struggled feebly to return. 



Meanwhile the natives had scooped out a hole some two 

 feet deep, and filling it with dead wood and large round 

 pebbles from the river-bed, set fire to the pile, and soon 

 had a pile of red-hot stones and glowing embers. The 

 kangaroo was quickly dressed, and the best parts put 



