ise our friends;
who had assured me that they kept a watch by night and day, and were
well prepared for such gentry.

As soon as they were out of hearing, we rode on; the dominie I saw
feeling far from happy, as every now and then he turned his head over
his shoulder to assure himself that we were not followed.

The moon, which had now risen high in the sky, afforded us ample light
to see our way. As the country became more open, we were able to push
on as fast as we could go.

We were to have another adventure. While still some distance from home,
the loud lowing of a cow reached our ears. The animal was evidently
alarmed at something. Galloping towards it, we found on getting up that
she was endeavouring to protect her calf from the attack of a dozen
dingoes. Now she would run at one with her sharp horns, now at another,
but the moment she had gone in one direction the brutes would assail her
helpless young one. They were not even deterred by our approach.

"We must put an end to these dingoes!" I exclaimed. Unstrapping one of
my stirrup irons and using it as a weapon, I singled out one of the wild
dogs, and succeeded, after several attempts, in giving it a blow on the
head which brought it to the ground. I then attacked another, which I
treated in the same fashion. The dominie tried to imitate me but very
nearly tumbled over on his nose, though he assisted in protecting the
calf by driving off the cowardly brutes. The cow at last pinned one to
the ground with her horns, and then turning round attacked it with her
heels until she well-nigh pounded it into a jelly. At length the
survivors took to flight.

"We have killed three at at all events," remarked the dominie.

"Not so sure of that," I answered as we rode away, and turning my head,
I observed that one of the dingoes was beginning to move. I turned
round, when it lay perfectly still, but it had crept on half a dozen
yards at least.

I gave it a few more blows with my stirrup iron, and then getting out my
knife cut its throat. I treated its companions in the same manner, as I
did not feel sure that the one the cow had tossed was really dead, so
tenacious of life are the brutes.

I do not know whether the cow was grateful, but we left her licking her
calf where the dingoes had bitten it. When we drew in sight of the
station we saw Hector and his elder brother Ralph coming to meet us.

"We got somewhat anxious about your being so much later