the pack. These young
bloods, by the way, began to mutter now of the desirability of
banding together to beard old Tasman in his den, and rid themselves
of the shadow and tradition of tyranny, as well as its actuality.
But the counsel of the elders strongly favoured delay. "Let us wait
and see what the Great One will do when he is healed of his
wounds," was what they thought, and, after their own fashion, said
to the ambitious youngsters.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXVIII

DOMESTIC LIFE IN THE MOUNTAIN DEN

If a man succeeded in getting himself as much chopped about as Finn
had been since the evening of his departure from the boundary-rider's
gunyah and the severance of his connection with the world of men-folk, he
would require weeks of careful nursing and doctoring before he could be
said to have recovered. Fortunately for the people of the wild, who have
neither nurses nor doctors, and whose ways of life do not permit of
prolonged periods of rest, recovery from wounds is not so serious a
business with them as it is with us.

When the Wolfhound and his admiring mate between them had
thoroughly licked and cleansed his numerous wounds, he stretched
himself deliberately across the rear corner of the den, and there
lay, sleeping soundly, until the next morning was well advanced.
His body was lacerated by the wounds of three considerable fights:
the fight with Black-tip and his friend; the sufficiently violent
struggle with the mother-kangaroo; and lastly, the most serious
fight of the Wolfhound's life, which had ended in the death of
Lupus. But even the ten hours which Finn gave to sleep--he opened
his eyes two or three times during that period, but did not
move--brought a wonderful change in the aspect of these numerous
wounds. They had advanced some distance in the direction of healing
already. Now they were submitted to another thorough licking. Then
Finn crept out into the sunlight beside the cave's mouth, and slept
again, fitfully, till evening came. Then he sat up and licked all
his wounds over again with painstaking and scrupulous care. They
were healing nicely, and the healing process made Finn as stiff and
sore as though he had had rheumatics in every joint in his body. So
he crept painfully into the den again, and lay down to sleep once
more, while Warrigal, with a friendly, wifely look at her lord,
went out hunting.

In this way three full days and nights passed, and on the fourth
night Finn ki