waked yourself, why do you wake others then?"
asked Dot.

"Because this is a free country," said the Koala. While Dot was trying
to understand why the Koala's reason should suffice for one animal
making another's life uncomfortable, she was rejoiced to see the
Kangaroo bound into sight. She forgot all about the Koala, and rushed
forward to meet it.

CHAPTER VII

"I'm so glad you've come back!" she exclaimed.

The Kangaroo was a little breathless and excited. "We are not in danger
at present," she said, "but one never knows when one will be, so we must
move; and that will be more dangerous than staying where we are."

"Then let us stay," said Dot.

"That won't do," replied the Kangaroo. "This is the conclusion I have
jumped to. If we stay here, the Blacks might come this way and their
dingo dogs hunt us to death. To get to a safe place we must pass their
camp. That is a little risky, but we must go that way. We can do this
easily if the dogs don't get scent of us, as all the Blacks are prancing
about and making a noise, having a kind of game in fact, and they are so
amused that we ought to get past quite safely. I've done it many times
before at night."

Dot looked round to say good-bye to the Koala, but the little animal had
heard the Kangaroo speak of Blacks, and that word suggested to its empty
little head that it must keep its skin whole, so, without waiting to be
polite to Dot, it had sneaked up its gum tree and was well out of sight.

Without wasting time, Dot settled in the Kangaroo's pouch, and they
started upon their perilous way.

For some distance the Kangaroo hopped along boldly, with an occasional
warning to Dot to shut her eyes as they plunged through the bushes; but
after crossing a watercourse, and climbing a stiff hill, she whispered
that they must both keep quite silent, and told Dot to listen as she
stopped for a moment.

Dot could hear to their right a murmuring of voices, and a steady
beating sound. "Their camp is over there," said the Kangaroo, "that is
the sound of their game."

"Can't we go some other way?" asked Dot. "No," answered the Kangaroo,
"because past that place we can reach some very wild country where it
would be hard for them to pursue us. We shall have to pass quite close
to their playground." So in perfect silence they went on.

[Illustration: THE CORROBOREE]

The Kangaroo seemed to Dot to approach the whereabouts of the
Blackfellows as cautiously as when the