some other Flying Fox would eat all the figs, and as each visitor
arrived he was assailed with cries of, "Get away! you're not wanted
here!"

"This is my branch, my figs!"

"Go and find figs for yourself!"

"These figs are not half ripe like the juicy ones on the other side of
the tree!"

Then the new-comer Flying Fox, with a spiteful squeal, would pounce down
on a branch already occupied, and angry spluttering and screams would
arise, followed by a heavy fall of fighting Foxes tumbling with a crash
through the trees. Then out into the open sky swept dozens of black
wings, accompanied by abusive swearing from dozens of wicked little
brown Foxes; and, as they settled again on the tree, all the fighting
would begin again, so that the squealing, screaming, and swearing never
ended.

As Dot was listening to the fighting of the Flying Foxes, she heard a
sound near her that alarmed her greatly. It was impossible to say what
the noise was like. It might have been the braying of a donkey mixed up
with the clattering of palings tumbled together, and with grunts and
snorts. Dot started to her feet in fright, and would have run away, only
she was afraid of being lost worse than ever, so she stood still and
looked round for the terrible monster that could make such extraordinary
sounds. The grunts and clattering stopped, and the noise died away in a
long doleful bray, but she could not see where it came from. Having
peered into the dark shadows, Dot went more into the open, and sat with
her back to a fallen tree, keeping an anxious watch all round.

"Perhaps it is the Blacks. What would they do with me if they found me?
What will happen if they have killed my dear Kangaroo?" and she covered
her face with her hands as this terrible thought came into her head.
Soon she heard something coming towards her stealthily and slowly. She
would not look up she was so frightened. She was sure it was some
fierce-looking Black man, with his spear, about to kill her. She shut
her eyes closer, and held her breath. "Perhaps," she thought, "he will
not see me." Then a cold shiver went through her little body, as she
felt something claw hold of her hair, and she thought she was about to
be killed. She kept her eyes shut, and the clawing went on, and then to
her astonishment she heard an animal voice say in wondering tones:

"Why, it's fur! how funny it looked in the moonlight!" Then Dot opened
her eyes very wide and looked round, and saw a fu