A Kangaroo Hunt 



becomes accustomed to the surroundings, 

 and is able to make comparisons. In point 

 of fact, every one of those great hops 

 covers twenty or thirty feet of ground ; 

 and, when the occasion demands it, a full- 

 grown animal can speed across country at 

 a pace which will try the mettle of the 

 very fleetest horse. To the above particu- 

 lars I have only to add that the kangaroo 

 is entirely herbivorous in his dietetic hab- 

 its, and that the home of his choice is 

 the sparse woodland bordering upon great 

 plains, where he is assured at once of 

 abundant pasture and of a ready shelter 

 from his enemies. 



And now for my own little adventure. 

 It was, after all, only a wee, small adven- 

 ture, and is therefore presented with be- 

 coming diffidence ; but as it was also a 

 genuine adventure so far as it went, it is 

 put forth with the feeling that it may 

 perhaps have a certain historic value. I 

 give what I have to give, wishing it were 

 more. 



It came about in this wise. I was visit- 

 ing at a certain sheep-station on the Fiery 

 Creek plains in western Victoria, when 

 my friend R. proposed that we should 

 take a week's holiday upon Mount Cole 

 — partly for the sake of a change from 



i8o 



