Dot saw that, she didn't know why it
all seemed solemn, or why she felt such a very little girl. She was a
little sad, and the Kangaroo, after a short sigh, continued her way.

As they neared the bottom of the gully the Kangaroo became extremely
cautious. She no longer hopped in the open, but made her way with
little leaps through the thick scrub. She peeped out carefully before
each movement. Her long soft ears kept moving to catch every sound,
and her black sensitive little nose was constantly lifted, sniffing the
air. Every now and then she gave little backward starts, as if she were
going to retreat by the way she had come, and Dot, with her face
pressed against the Kangaroo's soft furry coat, could hear her heart
beating so fast that she knew she was very frightened.

They were not alone. Dot could hear whispers from unseen little
creatures everywhere in the scrub, and from birds in the trees. High
up in the branches were numbers of pigeons--sweet little Bronze-Wings;
and above all the other sounds she could hear their plaintive voices
crying, "We're so frightened! we're so frightened! so thirsty and so
frightened! so thirsty and so frightened!"

"Why don't they drink at the waterhole?" whispered Dot.

"Because they're frightened," was the answer.

"Frightened of what?" asked Dot.

"Humans!" said the Kangaroo, in frightened tones; and as she spoke she
reared up upon her long legs and tail, so that she stood at least six
feet high, and peeped over the bushes; her nose working all round, and
her ears wagging.

"I think it's safe," she said, as she squatted down again.

"Friend Kangaroo," said a Bronze-Wing that had sidled out to the end of
a neighbouring branch, "you are so courageous, will you go first to the
water, and let us know if it is all safe? We haven't tasted a drop of
water for two days," she said, sadly, "and we're dying of thirst. Last
night, when we had waited for hours, to make certain there were no
cruel Humans about, we flew down for a drink--and we wanted, oh! so
little, just three little sips; but the terrible Humans, with their
'bang-bangs,' murdered numbers of us. Then we flew back, and some were
hurt and bleeding, and died of their wounds, and none of us have dared
to get a drink since." Dot could see that the poor pigeon was
suffering great thirst, for its wings were drooping, and its poor dry
beak was open.

The Kangaroo was very distressed at hearing the pigeon's story.