place in every
direction, he began to wish that he had brought the two dogs for a run.

"Father says that they are better at home, though, for a bit," he
muttered, as he trudged on again, looking for birds or other game, but
seeing nothing whatever, not so much as a snake.

His direction this time was parallel with the tremendous gorge whose
edge he had stood upon to gaze down; and as in comparison the present
part of the huge estate was, though beautiful, somewhat monotonous in
its constant succession of large ornamental trees and grassy glades, he
was beginning to wish that he had gone in the other direction, to
explore the gully down into which Samson had guided him on the way to
meet the waggon.

"I want to see that tree bridge, too, that we crossed. Never mind: that
will do for another time."

Nic kept on in and out among the trees, glancing at his pocket compass
from time to time, but satisfied of his ability to retrace his steps,
for he was convinced that the huge gorge must be away to his left, so
that if he kept it upon his right in returning he would be certain to
come out correctly.

Every now and then he obtained a grand view of the mountains, with their
prevailing tint of blue in the distance gradually becoming grey,
yellowish brown, red, and of many delicious greens, as the great spurs,
bluffs, and chasms came nearer and nearer till they plunged down into
the gorge.

It looked to be a very fairyland of tempting mystery, waiting to be
explored; and till the trees hid the towering eminences from his sight,
he went on planning endless excursions for the future.

"But it does seem so strange," he said to himself at last, as he wiped
his streaming forehead and stood in the shade of a great green tree,
gazing up in its forest of boughs. "One would think that such an
out-of-the-way place would swarm with birds and wild creatures; while
except flies and beetles nothing seems to live here. Ah!" he cried at
last.

For he had caught sight of something moving among the low scrubby bushes
beyond the next tree, and softly cocking his gun he began to stalk it.
But the next minute he had made up his mind not to fire at what would in
all probability be a kangaroo.

"And I don't want kangaroos," he said; "I want birds." But he wanted to
get as close as he could to the animal, and he stole on and on slowly
for about fifty yards, till, as nearly as he could judge, whatever it
was must be just beyond the next b