und Shanter trotted off, just as if he had not been walking
all the day.

"I am sorry it's all over," said Rifle, who was riding with his rein on
his horse's neck and hands in his pockets. "We don't seem to have had
half a holiday."

"It isn't all over," said Tim; "we've got full five days yet, and we may
have all sorts of adventures. I wish, though, there were some other
wild beasts here beside kangaroos and dingoes. I don't think Australia
is much of a place after all."

"Hub!" cried Norman. "Look, old Tam has caught sight of game."

"Hurrah! Let's gallop," cried Rifle.

"No, no. Keep back. He's stalking something that he sees yonder.
There: he has gone out of sight. I daresay it's only one of those
horrible snakes. What taste it is, eating snake!"

"No more than eating eels," said Rifle, drily. "They're only
water-snakes. I say, though, come on."

"And don't talk about eating, please," cried Tim, plaintively; "it does
make me feel so hungry."

"As if you could eat carpet-snake, eh?"

"Ugh!"

"Or kangaroo?" cried Rifle, excitedly, as they reached the top of one of
the billowy waves of land which swept across the great plain. "Look,
Shanter sees kangaroo. There they go. No, they're stopping. Hurrah!
kangaroo tail for supper. Get ready for a shot."

As he spoke he unslung his gun, and they cantered forward, closely
followed by the packhorse, knowing that the curious creatures would see
them, however carefully they approached, and go off in a series of
wonderful leaps over bush and stone.

As they cantered on, they caught sight of Shanter going through some
peculiar manoeuvre which they could not quite make out. But as they
came nearer they saw him hurl either his boomerang or nulla-nulla, and a
small kangaroo fell over, kicking, on its side.

"Shan't starve to-night, boys," cried Tim, who was in advance; and in
another minute, with the herd of kangaroos going at full speed over the
bushes, they were close up, but drew rein in astonishment at that which
followed.

For as the boys sat there almost petrified, but with their horses
snorting and fidgeting to gallop off to avoid what they looked upon as
an enemy, and to follow the flying herd, they saw Shanter in the act of
hurling his spear at a gigantic kangaroo--one of the "old men" of which
they had heard stories--and this great animal was evidently making for
the black, partly enraged by a blow it had received, partly, perhaps, to
cove