174 The Hunting Grounds 



behind the rock until they were past, as I wished my 

 friends to get a shot, and they were evidently bound 

 their way. 



These three had hardly passed when Googooloo 

 pointed me out two others making their way up the 

 hill by the same route. Standing behind a rock so 

 as not to alarm them, I let drive right and left as 

 they passed within a few paces of me. They were 

 both badly hit behind the shoulder, and each must 

 have imagined the other was the cause of his injury, 

 for with a ferocious noise they immediately attacked 

 each other, and closing in a hug, rolled down the hill 

 some short distance. I followed with my second 

 gun, and found one dead and the other leaning over 

 him in a very deplorable condition. He was too far 

 gone to take any notice of my approach, although he 

 continued to make a fearful moaning, which I put a 

 stop to by giving him a quietus in the shape of a pill 

 behind the ear, which finished his career. 



I had just commenced reloading, when I heard a 

 loud straggling volley from the top of the hill where 

 my friends were posted, and almost immediately 

 it was followed by a shriek from the Mulliarry, whom 

 I saw make a spring into the jungle just in time 

 to avoid the charge of a huge female bear who came 

 rushing down the watercourse in a most ferocious 

 manner. I was directly in her path, and with a roar 

 she made right at me ; I let drive at her head with 



