Part 13 (2/2)
This last remark was in allusion to Dot's appearance, which certainly was most untidy and dirty, for, beyond an occasional lick fro tidied and cleaned
”I couldn't do it better,” said the Kangaroo apologetically
”It doesn't led curls back froabbled off the Wagtail ”It's the second big paddock from here, if you follow the belt of the sheoak trees over there It's a house just like those things in Gabblebabble townshi+p
There's a yellow sheep dog, who's very good tempered, and a black one that rey cart horse, an honest fellow, but rather dull; and a bay mare who is reat friend of mine, and she had a calf a few days before you were lost Dearbird, ”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 st the horses, but I didn't care so ht them a nasty quarrelsome lot
”I ith the whole turnout to see the search Goodness! the distances they went, and the noise and the big fires they ht 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 Huaroo had broken it or been that way They 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 hen I took you in tail, ” Dot's father and a few other Hu party is to start at noon to-morrow, and after that there will be nosaid he heard hisalone, until he found her body I haven't been over there to-day,” wound up the bird, ”they are all so ave me the blues yesterday”
”What are we to do? It is quite dark and late!” asked the Kangaroo
”You had better stay here,” counselled the Wagtail ”One nightChip-pi-ti-chip at night-tiht, because she is nervous I will go with you to- early, if you ait here until then”
”Having found your lost way so far!” said the Kangaroo to Dot, ”it would be a pity to risk losing it again, so we had better wait for willy Wagtail to guide us to-lad of the excuse to keep Dot one nightain, when I am once o far away,” said Dot ”I should cry, if I thought you would never come to see me You will live on our selection, won't you?”
But the Kangaroo looked very doubtful, and said that she loved Dot, but she was afraid of Hus
[Illustration: DOT'S FATHER ABOUT TO SHOOT THE KANGAROO]
After a supper of berries and grass, Dot and the Kangaroo lay down for the night in a little bower of bushes But they talked until very late, of how they were to s At last, when they tried to sleep, they could not do so on account of willy Wagtail's singing to his sweetheart, ”Sweet pretty creature! Sweet pretty creature!” without stopping, for more than five et tired of that song,” said Dot
”She never does,” yawned the Kangaroo, ”and he never tires of singing it”
”Sweet pretty creature,” sang willy Wagtail
CHAPTER XIII
Two ht of the earlywoman, who looked pale and tired She carried a bowl of e she paused, and shading her eyes, that were red eeping, lingered awhile, looking far and near Then, with a sigh, she returned indoors and worked restlessly at her household duties
”It breaks my heart to see un ”All day long she comes out and looks for the child One knows, now, that the poor little one can never coin his voice
The younger man did not speak, but he patted his friend's shoulder in a kindly manner, which showed that he too was very sorry
”Even you have lost heart, Jack,” said the big bushman, ”but we shall find her yet; the wife shall have that co felloith a round that so young a child could reach that we have not searched The mystery is, what could have become of her?”