ry wound had
received its share of healing attention and antiseptic dressing,
Warrigal moved slowly off down the trail, throwing a winsome look
of unqualified invitation over her right shoulder to Finn, so that
the Wolfhound stepped grandly after her, with assumed unconsciousness
of his many wounds, as who should say--

"It is nothing, my dear child; nothing at all, this trivial
incident by the way. If there are any more champions of your tribe
about, let them come on while I am in the vein for such sport."

But, as a matter of fact, though it was true he would cheerfully
have fought all night at his mate's bidding, Finn was none the less
glad now to have peace and rest, for the dingo champions' methods
of attack were marvellously swift and telling, and the wounds they
had inflicted, while not very serious, were certainly numerous and
sore.

Immediately below the crest of a sharply rising spur of the great
mountain they came upon the entrance to Warrigal's own den, which
was masked and roofed-in by the spreading roots of a fallen tree.
The mouth of the den was narrow and very low for one of Finn's
stature, but he bent his aching body gladly and followed his mate
in, to find that the den itself was comparatively roomy and capable
of accommodating half a dozen dingoes. As a matter of fact, it had
been the den of Warrigal's mother, but it was more than a year now
since that mother had fallen to a boundary-rider's gun. The father
had gone off to another range with a second wife, and Warrigal's
brothers and sisters had each been vanquished in turn and given to
understand that this den was now the sole and exclusive property of
their big sister.

Finn sniffed curiously all round the walls of the den and, finding
them permeated with the scent of Warrigal and with that scent only,
he lay down there restfully, stretching himself to the full extent
of his great length, and sighing out his pleasure in being at ease.
Warrigal sat gravely erect beside him, admiring the vast spread of
his limbs. From tip of nose to tip of tail he covered practically
the whole width of the den, which was a shade over seven and one
half feet. The dingo looked over her mate's wounds once more,
giving an occasional lick here and there, and then, with a little
grunt of gratified pride and content, she curled herself round,
after circling three or four times, and went to sleep under the lee
of Finn's mighty hind-quarters, her muzzle tucked under the