intention of interfering with them. Whether or not they
understood him, however, we could not tell, for they stood without
altering their position, and not wishing to have an encounter with them
which must have ended in bloodshed, we made a wide circuit beyond the
reach of their weapons. When we looked back we saw them joined by a
large number of their fellows who were employed in dragging off the
bodies of the kangaroos.

"I am afraid you will be in some danger from them on your return," I
observed to Bracewell.

"No fear of that," he answered. "They will be too busy in gorging
themselves with the flesh of the kangaroos; besides they will not be on
the look-out for me, and a well-mounted man, provided he doesn't come
unexpectedly on a mob, need have no fear of them. My rifle can carry
farther than their throwing-sticks, a fact of which they are well
aware."

We soon lost sight of the blacks, and after riding on several miles
further, our friend told us that he must bid us farewell, promising,
however, to ride over to Mr Strong's station, should he find he could
leave home, to see how we were getting on. "And remember," he added, "I
shall be glad if one or both of you can join me, should you not find
yourselves comfortable at your relative's; and if he has moved on, as he
intended doing, to another station, come back if you think fit at once;
though probably, if he expects you, he will have left word that you may
be forwarded on to him. He has, I understand, a large family, but as we
have never met I cannot give you a description of them. I need not warn
you to keep as good a watch at night as you have hitherto done, and to
avoid either blacks or suspicious looking white men, though I do not
mean to say that you are to look upon every traveller you meet with as a
bushranger."

We having again thanked Bracewell for his advice and the hospitality he
had shown us, he turned his horse's head towards his home, and we
proceeded on our journey.

CHAPTER FOUR.

We had already, according to our calculation, performed the distance to
Mr Strong's station, but no signs of it could we discover. The heat
was oppressive, and seeing a wood on our left, we were assured from the
nature of the trees, that either a water-hole or a stream would be
found. We agreed to camp there for a couple of hours to let our horses
feed and to take our dinner, hoping then by pushing on that we should
before evening at all events arri