never eat Kangaroo-tail soup!" said the Kangaroo, solemnly.

"I never will," said Dot, earnestly, "I will be an improved Human."

This conversation had been so serious to both Dot and the Kangaroo,
that they had quite forgotten the perilousness of their position.
Perhaps this was because the Kangaroo cannot think, but it quickly
jumped to the conclusion that they were in danger.

Whilst they had been peeping at the corroborees, and talking, the dingo
dogs that had been prowling around the camp, had caught scent of the
Kangaroo; and, following the trail, had set up an angry snapping and
howling.

The instant this sound was heard by the Kangaroo, she made an immense
bound, and as she seemed to fly through the bush, Dot could hear the
sounds of the corroboree give place to a noise of shouting and
disorder: the dingo dogs and the Blacks were all in pursuit, and Dot's
Kangaroo, with little Dot in her pouch, was leaping and bounding at a
terrific pace to save both their lives!

CHAPTER VIII.

It was fortunate that the Kangaroo could not think of all that might
befall them, or she never could have had courage for the wonderful
feats of jumping she performed. Poor little Dot, whose busy brain
pictured all kinds of terrible fates, was so overcome with fear that
she seemed hardly to know what had, happened; and the more she thought,
the more terrified she became.

The Kangaroo did not attempt to continue the upward ascent, but
followed a slope of the rugged hill, leaping from rock to rock. This
was better than trying to escape where the trees and shrubs would have
prevented her making those astonishing bounds. But the clouds had left
the moon clear for a while, so that the black fellows and dogs easily
followed every movement, as they pursued the hunt on a smoother level
below. The blacks were trying to hurry on, so as to cut off the
Kangaroo's retreat at a spur of the hill, where, to get away, she would
have to leave the rocks and descend towards them. In the meantime
Dot's ears were filled with the sounds of snarling snaps from the dingo
dogs, and hideous noises from the blacks, encouraging the animals to
attack the Kangaroo. But what pained her most were the gasps and
little moans of her good friend, as she put such tremendous power into
every leap she made for their lives; crashing through twigs, and
scattering stones and pebbles, in the wild speed of their flight.

Then Dot's busy little brain told her