_- NATURE'S REALM. 67 
Barlow, a black fellow belonging to the station, 
this proved to be a most rousing gallop for a 
man who had previously had little experience 
of bush-life. Over fallen logs, down steep 
slopes, threading through the forest, now 
crouching upon the horse’s neck to avoid a 
branch that would have brained you on the 
spot ; now brushing past gum-tree trunks that 
it seemed impossible to avoid, Billy led the way 
at high racing speed, his legs and arms rival- 
ling a windmill in motion, and his high-pitched 
whoop acting better than the sharpest spur 
upon the spirits of the plucky horses. Where 
the black fellow went I was bound to follow, 
and, drawing rein at the ridge, he showed his 
white teeth as the central feature of a beaming 
smile, and with an air of ineffable self-conceit 
chuckled, ‘‘ That good fellow gallop, my word. 
Eh?” ‘ 
Transferred now to the command of the 
leader of the firing party, a huge ironbark tree 
was assigned as my station, from which I was 
not to move. Moreover, as there was another 
sportsman 200 yards to the right, and another 
200 yards to the left, the necessity of firing 
reasonably straight ahead was impressed upon 
me, as upon the rest. The little time to spare 
I employed in strolling along the line. The 
sportsmen were supremely happy. Those who 
had breech-loaders had heaped their cartridges 
conveniently at the foot of the tree, and fondled 
their weapons, lauding pinfire or central fire 
according to their respective possessions. The 
owners of muzzle-loaders, amongst which were 
some antique specimens that I should have 
trembled to discharge, were a little damped by 
the obvious disadvantage under which they 
labored, but were nevertheless eager and 
cheery, flattering themselves in one or two 
instances, with some reason too, that their 
guns were warranted to -kill harder than the 
newer fashion, 
At last the double-shotted signal rang out 
clear. The gunners stood to arms. The 
whips and shouts of the beaters could at first 
scarcely be heard, but they soon grew nearer. 
Acting under orders, we allowed the odd 
kangaroos composing the straggling advance 
guard to go by unhurt, and ought to, have kept 
quiet until another double shot from our head- 
centre told us when to begin. But the kanga- 
roos came on in such numbers that we were 
not to be restrained, and soon a fusilade 
worthy of a battlefield was opened. ‘Aim 
low, and single out your kangaroo,” was, ot 
course, the motto. 
With small flocks of from four to a dozen 
bounding in a body toward you, the temptation 
to blaze at random into their midst was almost 
irresistible ; but a few misses taught you the 
folly of the proceeding. It turned out to be a 
splendid drive. Hundreds ofkangaroos rushed 
toward and past us. Some came on after 
being hit and fell, struggling but not killed, 
within a few yards of our posts. Others were 
literally rolled over and over down the ridge, 
until stopped by bush or tree. Rather than 
miss a chance, I fear some of us shot toward 
each other, eager to bring down the game asit 
was abreast us. I can answer for a rattling ot 
spent shot on the tree beyond me, and the next 
man to the right more than hinted that some of 
my charges might be found in the bark of a 
eucalyptus not a hundred miles from where he 
stood. Whereupon we mutually congratulated 
each other upon our good fortune, and prom- 
ised to behave better for the future. 
The beaters had at last done their work, and 
were near us. Then only the file-firing ended. 
My first business when it ceased was to pick 
up a stick and despatch two unfortunate kan- 
garoos whose hind legs had been broken, and 
who were in a pitiable state of disablement 
some twenty yards off. The poor creatures, 
inoffensive in all things except their natural 
appetites for the food provided for them, looked 
up with such liquid beautiful eyes, full of dis- 
tress and pleading, that for a time I dared not 
put them out of their pain. It did seem terri- 
bly cruel, but, alas! that loss of 400 /. a year, 
and the remembrance of havoc amongst the 
cultivated acres of selectors to whom the loss 
of even 400 s. would be a most serious matter, 
appeared to justify this wholesale taking of life. 
Still, the consciousness that we were doing a 
work of necessity for our squatter friend, and 
for the frugal selector and his family, could 
not put me wholly at ease in the face of that 
reproachful glance. It was the one drawback 
to a day’s exciting sport. 
