its speed, though it still managed to keep ahead. A pretty long chase
it led us altogether, still the excitement and prospect of catching it
at last induced us to proceed, Oliver and Ralph shouting and hallooing
in high glee, as they dashed over the ground, while Toby held his axe
ready to give it a finishing blow as soon as he could get up to it. I
was but a short distance behind the others, and supposed that Hector was
following me; but at last the hard-pressed emu showed evident signs of
giving in, and Oliver was springing towards it, when Toby shouted--

"Take care, him give kick one side!"

Fortunately Oliver followed this advice, when, in spite of its hurts,
the bird struck out so furiously behind and on one side, that it would
have broken his leg, or have inflicted a dangerous wound, had it struck
him.

The black now, getting in front of it, threw the axe with so sure an
aim, that the bird, its head almost cleft in two, fell dead to the
ground.

The two boys uttered a shout of triumph, in which I joined. I expected
to hear Hector's voice, but on looking round he was nowhere to be seen.
What had become of him, neither his brothers nor the black could say.
We were afraid that he must have hurt his foot, or fallen and been
unable to follow. We could scarcely calculate how far we had come.
Oliver declared that it must have been five miles at least; but I did
not think the distance was nearly so much. The question was now, what
to do with our emu while we went back in search of Hector, as we were
unwilling to abandon so valuable a prize to the dingoes, who were very
likely to find it out. Fortunately there were some bushes near which
would afford fuel for a fire, and Toby consented to camp on the spot,
while we returned to look for our companion.

I should have said that Guy and Bracewell had promised to ride after us
the next morning with a spare horse or two, to carry back the spoils of
the chase. I knew that they would come, although they had expressed
great doubt whether we should have any game to carry home. They had
settled to meet us at a spot with which Hector was acquainted; but if he
were lost we should be unable to find it.

After we had taken some rest and food we set off, leaving Toby to skin
and cut up the emu.

We had spent so much time in the chase, that it began to grow dark
before we had got a mile on our way; still, as we had a compass with us,
we were able to keep in the right dir