e gunyah at that moment; and that,
therefore, quite apart from the presence of the huge strange beast
near the fire, it would never do to investigate the shelter at the
gunyah's side just then. The dingoes ate where they made their
kills that night, within a couple of miles of the camp, thereby
spreading terror wide and deep throughout that range; for the
little folk feared these fiercely cunning killers far more than
they had learned to fear big ghostly Finn, who roamed their country
more in student fashion than as a serious hunter of meat, so far.

When the dawn came, the three dingoes were crouched in a favourable
watching-place opposite the gunyah, and saw Finn rise, stretch his
great length, and stroll off leisurely in the direction of the bush
on the shanty's far side. They looked meaningly one at the other,
with lips drawn back, as they noted Finn's massive bulk, great
height, long jaws, and springy tread. They decided that the
Wolfhound might, after all, be of the wild kindred, since he
evidently had no mind to face the owner of the gunyah by daylight.
Then, with hackles raised, and bodies shrinking backward among the
leaves, they saw Bill come out, and yawn, and stretch his arms, and
go to look at Jess, under her shelter. Now as it happened, Finn
stumbled upon a fresh wallaby trail that morning, a trail not many
minutes old; and he followed it with growing excitement for a
number of miles. To his nose it was more or less the same scent as
that of the old-man kangaroo; and there was hot desire in his heart
to pit his strength against such an one, without the sport-spoiling
assistance of Bill's knife. Finn's hunting of the wallaby took him
a good deal farther from the humpy than he had been before, since
his first arrival there; and so it fell out that Bill left upon his
day's round without having seen the Wolfhound that morning.

"I guess he's after an extra special breakfast of his own,"
muttered Bill, before he left; "but I'll leave him this half a
rabbit, in case." And he left the hinder part of a boiled rabbit on
the big log beside the fire, and rode away. The patient dingoes
watched the whole performance closely, licking their chops while
Bill ate his breakfast, and again when he placed the cooked
half-rabbit on the log. The whole proceeding was also watched by
several crows. It was largely as a protection against these, rather
than against the elements, that Bill had given Jess her substantial
bark shel