ly and began
climbing and swinging about so near that I could see that they were a
small kind of parrot, full of strange antics, and apparently playing at
searching for their food.

"We'll have two hours' rest here," said the doctor, "a good meal, and
perhaps a nap, and our feet bathed in the cool water, and the rest of
the day's journey will come easier."

"But hadn't we better get on?" I said anxiously.

"`Slow and sure' must be our motto, Joe," said the doctor. "We have
hundreds of miles to tramp, so we must not begin by knocking ourselves
up. Patience, my boy, patience and we shall win."

As soon as he saw that we were going to stop for rest and refreshment,
Jimmy began to rub the centre of his person and make a rush for the
native basket that contained our food, from which he had to be driven;
for though generally, quite unlike many of his fellow-countrymen, Jimmy
was scrupulously honest, he could not be trusted near food.

There was no stopping to lay the cloth and arrange knives and forks. We
each drew our heavy knife, and filled the cup of our little canteen from
the stream before setting to at a large cold bird that we had brought
with us, one shot by the doctor the day before, and cooked ready for the
expedition. I cannot give you its name, only tell you that it was as
big as a turkey, and had a beautiful crest of purple and green.

We had brought plenty of damper too, a preparation of flour that, I dare
say, I need not stop to describe, as every one now must know that in
Australia it takes the place of ordinary bread.

The native carriers were well provided for, and my depression passed off
as the restful contented feeling induced by a good meal came over me.
As for Jack Penny, he spread himself out along the ground, resting his
thin body, and went on eating with his eyes half shut; while Gyp, his
dog, came close alongside him, and sat respectfully waiting till his
master balanced a bone across his nose, which Gyp tossed in the air,
caught between his jaws, and then there was a loud crunching noise for a
few minutes, and the dog was waiting again.

Jimmy was eating away steadily and well, as if he felt it to be his
bounden duty to carry as much of the store of food neatly packed away
inside him as it was possible to stow, when he suddenly caught sight of
Gyp, and stopped short with his mouth open and a serious investigating
look in his eyes.

He saw the dog supplied twice with what he evidently