"Hist!" whispered the doctor from behind me.

"Wake up!" I said again, going down on one knee so that I could whisper
to him.

_Snore_!

It was a very decided one, and when I laid my gun down and gave a tug at
him, it was like pulling at something long and limp, say a big bolster,
that gave way everywhere, till in my impatience I doubled my fist and,
quite in a rage, gave him, as his head fell back, a smart rap on the
nose.

I had previously held him by the ears and tapped the back of his head
against the rock without the slightest effect; but this tap on the nose
was electric in its way, for Jack sprang up, letting his gun fall, threw
himself into a fighting attitude, and struck out at me.

But he missed me, for when his gun fell it would have glided over the
edge of the rocky shelf into the stream if I had not suddenly stooped
down and caught it, the result being that Jack's fierce blow went right
over my head, while when I rose upright he was wide awake.

"I say," he said coolly, "have I been asleep?"

"Asleep! yes," I whispered hastily. "Here, come along; we are to get
forward. How could you sleep?"

"Oh, I don't know!" he said. "I only just closed my eyes. Why, here's
somebody else asleep!"

Sure enough Jimmy was curled up close to the rock, with his hands tucked
under his arms, his waddy in one fist, a hatchet in the other.

Jack Penny was in so sour a temper at having been awakened from sleep,
and in so rude a way, that he swung one of his long legs back, and then
sent it forward.

"Don't kick him!" I said hastily; but I was too late, for the black
received the blow from Jack's foot right in the ribs, and starting up
with his teeth grinding together, he struck a tremendous blow with his
waddy, fortunately at the rock, which sent forth such an echoing report
through the gully that the doctor came hurriedly to our side.

"What is it?" he said in an anxious whisper.

"Big bunyip hit Jimmy rib; kick, bangum, bangum!" cried the black
furiously. "Who kick black fellow? Bash um head um! Yah!"

He finished his rapidly uttered address by striking a warlike attitude.

"It's all right now," I whispered to the doctor. "Come along, Jimmy;"
and taking the black's arm I pushed him on before me, growling like an
angry dog.

"All right!" the doctor said. "Yes, for our pursuers! Get on as
quickly as you can."

I hurried on now to the front, giving Ti-hi his order to proceed, and
then signing to th