in dreadfully bad language at the visitor. For every little Fox
on the tree was afraid some other Flying Fox would eat all the figs,
and as each visitor arrived he was assailed with cries of, "Get away
you're not wanted here!"

"This is my branch, my figs!"

"Go and find figs for yourself!"

"These figs are not half ripe like the juicy ones on the other side of
the tree!"

Then the new-comer Flying Fox, with a spiteful squeal, would pounce
down on a branch already occupied, and angry spluttering and screams
would arise, followed by a heavy fall of fighting Foxes tumbling with a
crash through the trees. Then out into the open sky swept dozens of
black wings, accompanied by abusive swearing from dozens of wicked
little brown Foxes; and, as they settled again on the tree, all the
fighting would begin again, so that the squealing, screaming, and
swearing never ended.

As Dot was listening to the fighting of the Flying Foxes, she heard a
sound near her that alarmed her greatly. It was impossible to say what
the noise was like. It might have been the braying of a donkey mixed
up with the clattering of palings tumbled together, and with grunts and
snorts. Dot started to her feet in fright, and would have run away,
only she was afraid of being lost worse than ever, so she stood still
and looked round for the terrible monster that could make such
extraordinary sounds. The grunts and clattering stopped, and the noise
died away in a long doleful bray, but she could not see where it came
from. Having peered into the dark shadows, Dot went more into the
open, and sat with her back to a fallen tree, keeping an anxious watch
all round.

"Perhaps," she thought, "It is the blacks. What would they do if they
found me? What will happen if they have killed my dear Kangaroo?" And
she covered her face with her hands as this terrible thought came into
her head. Soon she heard something coming towards her stealthily and
slowly. She would not look up she was so frightened. She was sure it
was some fierce looking black man, with his spear, about to kill her.
She shut her eyes closer, and held her breath. "Perhaps," she thought,
"he will not see me." Then a cold shiver went through her little body,
as she felt something claw hold of her hair, and she thought she was
about to be killed. She kept her eyes shut, and the clawing went on,
and then to her astonishment she heard an animal voice say in wondering
tones:

"Why, it'