ver Guy got hold of it, by which
time, of course, the pack had escaped. We now had to consider what road
we should take, but when we looked round we found it was a question
difficult to decide.

"If we could but come across one of the dead dingoes, we could easily
make our way back to where we left old Bob," observed Guy.

We felt sure that the last dingo we had killed could not be far off.

"This is the spot where my horse threw me, and I had just before knocked
over a dingo," I said, "I know it by that peculiar-looking gum-tree."

We rode on, expecting to come upon the dead dingo, but though we
searched about we could nowhere discover it. On and on we went, still
no dingoes could we see, nor could we distinguish the track made by our
horses' feet. The sky had become overcast, but though we could not see
the sun, we knew that it must be near setting. In a short time the
increasing darkness made us feel somewhat uncomfortable about the chance
of being benighted.

We cooeyed as loudly as we could in the hope that Bob and Toby would
hear our voices, but no answer reached us. Had we been riding horses
belonging to the station, we might have let them select their course and
they would probably have taken us in; but we had mounted our own beasts,
which could not be depended on. Still, as long as there was light
sufficient to enable us to avoid knocking our heads against the boughs
of trees, we rode on, hoping that we might at length reach the station.
At last, however, we agreed that we must make up our minds to spend the
night in the bush, hungry and thirsty as we felt. Next morning we
thought we should, at all events, easily find our way. We accordingly
dismounted, hobbled our horses, collected materials for a fire, and
choosing a spot free from grass we soon kindled a flame, though it
rather mocked us as we had nothing to cook at it. We settled that one
should keep watch and look after the horses. The poor animals were
suffering from thirst as much as we were, and were continually moving
away to look for water, for without it they showed little inclination to
crop the grass. Had we thought it prudent for both of us to sleep, the
night would have appeared to pass by much more quickly than it did. I
was very thankful when at length day broke, and we were saluted by the
merry call of the laughing-jackass. We did not shoot him, but we killed
a couple of parrots, which we quickly roasted to satisfy the gnawing