When they had reached a place of safety, the friendly Emu bid the
Kangaroo and Dot good-night. "We shall have to go thirsty to-night," it
said, "but there will be a heavy dew, and the grass will be wet enough
to cool one's mouth. That pretty trick of ours was such a success that
it is almost worth one's while to lose one's drink in proving it."
Turning to Dot it said, "You will be able to tell the big Humans that we
Emus are not such fools as they think, and that we find their flocks of
silly sheep most useful and entertaining animals."

Chuckling to itself, the Emu strode off, leaving Dot and the Kangaroo to
pass another night in the solitude of the Bush.

CHAPTER XI

The next day they travelled a long distance. At about noon they came to
a part of the country which the Kangaroo said she knew well. "But we
must be careful," she added, "as we are very near Humans in this part."

As Dot was tired (for she had had to walk much more than usual) the
Kangaroo suggested that she should rest at the pretty spot they had
reached, whilst she herself went in search of Willy Wagtail. Dot had to
promise the Kangaroo over and over again, not to leave the spot during
her absence. She was afraid lest the little girl should get lost, like
the little Joey.

After many farewells, and much hopping back to give Dot warnings and
make promises of returning soon, the Kangaroo went in search of Willy
Wagtail; and the little girl was left all alone.

Dot looked for a nice shady nook, in which to lie down and rest; and she
found the place so cheerful and pretty, that she was not afraid of being
alone. She was in the hollow of an old watercourse. It was rather like
an English forest glade, it was so open and grassy; and here and there
were pretty shrubs, and little hillocks and hollows. At first Dot
thought that she would sit on the branch of a huge tree that had but
recently fallen, and lay forlornly clothed in withered leaves; but
opposite to this dead giant of the Bush was a thick shrub with a decayed
tree stump beside it, that made a nice sheltered corner which she liked
better. So Dot laid herself down there, and in a few minutes she was
fast asleep; though, as she dropped off into the land of dreams, she
thought how wonderfully quiet that little glade was, and felt somewhat
surprised to find no Bush creatures to keep her company.

Some time before Dot woke, her dreams became confused and strange. There
seemed to be great c