ion the next day. The information we brought of
the destruction of the long dreaded gang, caused no small satisfaction
to our neighbours. Some weeks afterwards the body of the bushranger who
had escaped was discovered in a state of emaciation, showing that he
must have been starved to death.

Although there is generally work enough on an Australian station to
occupy everybody, we made frequent excursions to hunt kangaroo, dingoes,
and emus. Mr Strong, however, objected to the younger members of his
family expending the large amount of powder and shot they were apt to
fire away. He would allow them, he said, only the use of bows and
arrows, promising, however, to give each a rifle when they could bring a
parrot down on the wing, an emu running, or a kangaroo bounding over the
ground. We therefore employed ourselves during the longer evenings of
winter in manufacturing bows and feathering a large supply of arrows,
for both of which objects we found suitable material.

We were in the meantime daily gaining experience in all farming
operations which would prove of the greatest value when we should have
charge of a station on our own account.

I had long promised to make a hunting trip with Hector and his two young
brothers, Oliver and Ralph. As soon as our weapons were finished we set
off, accompanied by Toby, who, since the courage he had displayed in
capturing the bushrangers, had become a person of no small importance.
I took the liberty, however, of carrying my rifle, as Hector also did
his. We agreed to camp out for one or two nights, or as long as the
flour and biscuits in our wallets would last.

It is usual to hunt the emu on horseback with dogs, when the bird is
pursued until the dogs can get up to it, and seizing it by the throat
drag it down. We, however, hoped with Toby's assistance to stalk it as
the natives are in the habit of doing, and for this purpose our bows and
arrows were likely to prove as efficient weapons as rifles, the report
of which would be certain to drive the birds away from the spot where
they were feeding; whereas the silent arrow might bring down one without
frightening the others.

We tramped over many weary miles till we reached the edge of a large
plain known to be frequented by emus, far beyond any of the sheep-runs.
On one side it was bounded by an extensive scrub, which being
fortunately to leeward, we hoped by creeping along under its cover to
get within reach of the bird