ith an inquisitive air, as if wondering what sort
of curious animals we were; and then advanced a few paces, as if to view
us more closely. It might have come nearer, had not Paddy, unable to
resist the temptation of trying to kill it, fired. On hearing the
report, it turned round and set off, running with the speed of a
racehorse across the country, while we stood gazing after it, and, as
Paddy observed, looking very foolish.

The creature was an emu; of the same family as the African ostrich, the
rhea of America, and the cassowary of the Indian archipelago.

On our way back, soon afterwards, and while passing through a forest,
the trees of which grew rather thicker than usual, we saw in an open
glade beyond it three of the kangaroos so coveted by us. We crept
forward, keeping as much as possible concealed by the trees, lest we
should be discovered before we could get within shot of them. Mudge and
I went first, Harry and Paddy followed, all having our guns ready to
fire. At length Mudge took aim at one of them; I imitated his example.
We waited to let Harry and Paddy come up, however, and then all fired at
the same moment. One of the creatures fell dead, shot through the head
by Mudge; another bounded away at a great rate, apparently uninjured;
and a third, after making two or three springs, sank to the ground,
unable to move. We rushed forward to seize it, forgetting in our
eagerness to reload our pieces. While we were stopping to examine the
creature Mudge had killed, Paddy ran towards the wounded animal, which
at that moment sprang up and attempted to bound off again.

"Arrah, stop, ye baste," cried Paddy, attempting to seize it; when at
that instant it struck out with its hinder claws, one of which tore a
large rent in the Irishman's trousers, giving him at the same time a
severe scratch, which, had he not sprung back, might have been serious.
In a moment his knife was in his hand, and before the kangaroo could
repeat the blow he had plunged it into its heart.

We had now an over-abundant supply of meat; the difficulty was to carry
it. We agreed that we would take the best portions, and give Pullingo
as much as he could carry; while we fastened the remainder up to the
bough of a tree, out of the reach of the wild dogs.

We were all thus busily engaged, when I fancied I heard the sound of
horses' feet; and what was my astonishment, on looking up, to see two
horsemen approaching us! They looked at us w