Part 5 (1/2)
”I wish he had told us a little ood-natured act to wake me up They are selfish, spiteful little beasts, as a rule Noonder where those Blacks are?
I shall have to go a little way to sniff and listen I won't go far, so don't be afraid, but stay quietly here until I come back”
CHAPTER VI
It was terrible to Dot to see the Kangaroo hop off into the dark bush, and to find herself all alone; so she crawled out froht, and sat on a stone where she could see the sky, and watch the black ragged clouds hurry over the ether quiet She could hear an owl hooting at theFoxes, and theitsall the bush creatures miserable with its incessant, mournful ”mo-poke!
mo-poke!” As Dot could understand all the voices, it a Foxes, as they ate the fruit of a wild fig tree near by She saw the Then, as each little Fox approached the tree, the Foxes ere there already screae at the visitor For every little Fox on the tree was afraid sos, and as each visitor arrived he was assailed with cries of, ”Get away! you're not wanted here!”
”This is s for yourself!”
”These figs are not half ripe like the juicy ones on the other side of the tree!”
Then the new-co Fox, with a spiteful squeal, would pounce down on a branch already occupied, and angry spluttering and screa Foxes tuh the trees Then out into the open sky swept dozens of black wings, acco froain on the tree, all the fighting would begin again, so that the squealing, screa to the fighting of the Flying Foxes, she heard a sound near her that alarreatly It was iht have been the braying of a donkey ether, 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 runts and clattering stopped, and the noise died away in a long doleful bray, but she could not see where it ca 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 it is the Blacks What would they do with me if they found aroo?” and she covered her face with her hands as this terrible thought ca towards her stealthily and slowly She would not look up she was so frightened She was sure it was so 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 h her little body, as she felt soht she was about to be killed She kept her eyes shut, and the claent on, and then to her astonish tones:
”Why, it's fur! how funny it looked in the ht!” Then Dot opened her eyes very wide and looked round, and saw a funny Native Bear on the tree trunk behind her He was quite clearly to be seen in the rey fur, that looked as if he rapped up to keep out the s, and little sharp face with big bushy ears, could be seen as distinctly as in daylight Dot had never seen one so near before, and she loved it at once, it looked so innocent and kind
”You dear little Native Bear!” she exclai its head
”Am I a Native Bear?” asked the aniht I was a Koala I've always been told so, but of course one never knows oneself What are you? Do you know?”
”I'irl,” replied Dot, proudly
The Koala saw that Dot was proud, but as it didn't see any reason why she should be, it was not a bit afraid of her
”I never heard of one or saw one before,” it said, simply ”Do you burrow, or live in a tree?”
”I live at ho to be quite correct, she added, ”that is, when I am there”
”Then, where are you now?” asked the Koala, rather perplexed
”I' how to make her position clear to the little animal
”Then you live where you don't live?” said the Koala; ”where is it?” and the little Bear looked quite unhappy in its attempt to understand what Dot meant
”I've lost it,” said Dot ”I don't knohere it is”
”You make uum leaves?”