ely before. The Wolfhound was conscious
that the boundary-rider was friendly; but, on the other hand, he
had points in common with the circus people, whose doings had
burned right into Finn's very soul; and, in any case, Finn saw no
particular reason for taking further risks where this man was
concerned. It was extremely pleasant to lie near the camp-fire with
Jess of a night, and to run with Jess in the bush by day; but
nothing would induce Finn to approach the gunyah more nearly, or to
allow Bill's hand to come within a yard of him. The possibility,
however remote, of confinement, of torture behind iron bars, was
something he could not bring himself to trifle with.

As for Bill, he seemed content. Finn brought rabbits to the camp
every day, with occasional bandicoots, and in the evening,
sometimes, a kangaroo-rat. And, more than once, Bill took these
kills from him, through Jess, and boiled them before giving them to
the hounds to eat. In this he was doubtless moved by friendly
thought for the dogs' welfare, since these little creatures, and
more especially the rabbits, are often inhabited by parasites of a
kind most harmful to dogs. Bill never thought of making any use of
the over-plentiful supply of rabbits for the replenishment of his
own larder. He regarded rabbits as English people regard rats, and
would never have eaten them while any other kind of meat was
available. And, as Finn found later, the same pronounced distaste
for rabbit's flesh holds good, not alone among the men-folk of the
country, but with practically all its wild folk, also; even the
highly carnivorous and fierce native cat paying no heed to bunnies
as game.

The fifth day of Finn's acquaintance with Bill and Jess was a
Sunday, and the boundary-rider was a strict observer of the
Sabbath. His observation of it might not have particularly
commended itself to orthodox Sabbatarians, but, such as it was,
Bill never departed from it. Directly after breakfast he washed the
shirt and vest he had been wearing during the previous week, and
hung them out to dry. Then he brought in his horse and trifled with
it a while, examining its feet, and rubbing its ears, and giving it
a few handfuls of bread. Then he took a very early lunch and went
off hunting. He had no gun, but he had a formidable sheath-knife,
his horse, and Jess. And now, in a way, he had Finn as well. He had
been wondering all the week about Finn's quality as a hunter, and
looking forward t