ttle Human, though you do look a bit different. You want
preening," he added.

This last remark was in allusion to Dot's appearance, which certainly
was most untidy and dirty, for, beyond an occasional lick from the
Kangaroo, she had been five days without being tidied and cleaned.

"I couldn't do it better," said the Kangaroo apologetically.

"It doesn't matter at all," said Dot, putting her tangled curls back
from her eyes.

"Well! I know where you live," gabbled off the Wagtail. "It's the
second big paddock from here, if you follow the belt of the she-oak
trees over there. It's a house just like those things in Gabblebabble
township. There's a yellow sheep dog, who's very good tempered, and a
black one that made a snap at my tail the other day. There is an old
grey cart horse, an honest fellow, but rather dull; and a bay mare who
is much better company. There is a little red cow who is a great
friend of mine, and she had a calf a few days before you were lost.
Dear me!" exclaimed the gossiping bird, "what a fuss there has been
these five days over trying to find you! I've been over there every
day to see the sight. Such a lot of Humans! And such horses. I
enjoyed myself immensely, and made a lot of friends amongst the horses,
but I didn't care so much for the dogs; I thought them a nasty
quarrelsome lot.

"I went a couple of days with the whole turn out to see the search.
Goodness, the distances they went, and the noise and the big fires they
made. It WAS exciting fun! They brought over some black
Humans--'Trackers' is what they are called, at least the Mounted
Troopers' horses told me so (my word the Troopers' horses are jolly
fellows!) Well, these black trackers went in front of each party just
like dogs, with their heads to the ground, and they turned over every
leaf and twig, and said if a Human, a horse or a Kangaroo had broken it
or been that way, they would have found your track fast enough, but one
evening it came to an end quite suddenly, and weren't they all
surprised! I heard from a Trooper's horse--(such a nice horse he
was!)--that the trackers and white Humans said it was just as if you
had disappeared into the sky! There was just a bit of your fur on a
bush, and nothing anywhere else but a Kangaroo's trail. No one could
make it out."

"That was when I took you in my pouch!" exclaimed the Kangaroo.

"Now," said the Wagtail, "most of them have given up the search. Just
this evenin