THE KANGAEOO. 27 



cheery welcome, '•' Come, gentlemen, we must ahow you 

 some sport to-day." 



The evening of such a day is passed in all the free 

 jollity of the bush. The chorus of many an old sporting 

 song startles the magpies from their roost on the old 

 gum-tree above the tent ; anecdotes of days long past, 

 and till now, perhaps, forgotten, while away the time, 

 and it is not until the chairman passes the word, " Come, 

 my lads, there's just a * nobbier ' each, we'd better finish 

 it, and turn in ready for the morning," that we cared to 

 leave the camp fire. That sky must indeed be cloudy 

 which never has one gleam of sunshine ; and these little 

 re-unions on occasions like the present, of old sporting 

 friends, form some of the pleasantest breaks in the 

 monotony of the shooter's forest life. 



The great secret in kangaroo-shooting is never to be 

 in a hurry ; load with as much powder as your gun will 

 stand, and never fire till the kangaroo is well within 

 distance (I used to kill more within twenty yards than 

 over it), and aim well at the neck. ISTo. 2 was my 

 favourite-sized shot. Slugs fly too wide ; but for random 

 shooting, a practice I never adopted, a few slugs mixed 

 with the shot will bring down a kangaroo at a very long 

 distance. The gun should be strong and heavy, and able 

 to carry G drams of powder and 2 oz. of shot comfortably 

 to the shoulder. I like Eley's green cartridge better 

 than a bullet for kangarooing ; for I have seen so many 

 carry the ball away and drop dead in the bush, where 

 they often lie, of no good to any one ; and many a skin 



