le
curiosity, squatting upon the ground, and looking first at the target
and then at ourselves with an expression which seemed to say, "if you
hit that rag you are smarter than we think you are."

Indeed, so important did they consider the occasion, that they dragged
from the huts half a dozen women, and as many naked children, to witness
the exhibition.

I was to fire first; and as I drew a bead upon the mark, I carefully
calculated the distance, and with such accuracy that the bullet cut the
end of the mark, and carried a portion of the rag far into the body of
the tree.

"Hurrah for the rifles," shouted Smith, waving his hat, after he had
pointed out to the natives what had been done.

The crowd which had clustered around the tree stepped back as Fred took
his station. He was not so long sighting as myself, but his bullet
struck about an inch above my own, and nearly in the centre of the mark.

"Better and better," cried Smith, in tones of surprise; and when we
joined him, we saw by his actions that we had risen in his estimation,
while the natives, still squatting on their haunches, looked as though
we were gods, or beings of a superior order.

"Here come the oxen," cried Smith, after a few words of congratulation.
"We must get over thirty miles of ground before twelve o'clock
to-night."

"We are willing," we said.

"And the lameness and blisters?" he asked.

"The lameness is nearly gone, and the blisters are broken."

"Good; help me yoke the cattle, and before to-night you will taste, for
the first time, broiled kangaroo; and I'll tell you beforehand it's no
mean dish. Ge-long, ye brutes," and with hard cracks of the whip the
cart rumbled on, and we left the natives still squatting upon the
ground, and looking after us, as though wondering why we would travel
when it was so pleasant to sit still.

CHAPTER V.

THE SOLITARY STOCKMAN.--SHOOTING A KANGAROO.

About ten o'clock on the morning that we took our leave of the natives,
after witnessing their extraordinary skill at spear-hurling, the sun
shone out with a brilliancy and power that caused the cattle to protrude
their tongues, and lift their feet as though they wore shod with
fifty-sixes.

At twelve o'clock, when it seemed impossible for the oxen to go much
further without drink, our eyes were gladdened by the sight of green
trees and shrubs, which grew as if marked by a straight line, far off on
the prairie. The convict pointed to the