486 KILLING A KANGAROO. 



whilst the latter, in return, fiercely clutched the 

 dog round the neck ; a violent struggle ensued, 

 each trying to choke the other. Although the dog 

 that had first reached the "Old Man" was biting his 

 quarters, the danger that the game hound would be 

 laid open by a cut from the kangaroo's hind feet, 

 determined Dr. Barker and myself to watch an 

 opportunity of creeping up behind a tree to assist 

 in the struggle. We accordingly did so, and man- 

 aged to seize the animal by his monstrous tail, so 

 that by keeping a strain on it he was prevented from 

 lifting his hind leg, as if he had we should have 

 pulled him over. 



The dogs, thus protected from injury, were at last 

 victorious; and the kangaroo, a great beast, weighing 

 nearly two hundred pounds, was soon stretched on the 

 ground. Having secured the tail and hind feet we 

 continued our road to Dr. Barker's station, situated 

 in one of the rich valleys I have spoken of, in an 

 early part of the work, as lying a mile and a half to 

 the N. E. of Cape Shanck. 



On account of the state of the weather we 



were obliged to tax this gentleman's hospitality for 



two nights, both the early parts of which were 



dog in killing one of them, having his clothes severed in front 

 and the skin of his body just scratched by a cut from the hind 

 leg. Had this person been any nearer the kangaroo, his bowels 

 would have been torn open. The middle toe projecting and being 

 armed with a strong nail, enable them to inflict dreadful wounds, 

 and frequently to kill dogs. It is seldom, indeed, that they will 

 attack a kangaroo in front; old dogs never do, but have a very 

 clever way of throwing the smaller kind by the stump of the tail 

 when running. 



