t; and after we had gratified our curiosity, we left the room, and
bidding the stockman good-by, started on our return to the team.

The poor man did not reply to our salutation, and after we left the
house a number of rods behind, we turned and saw that he was still
buried in profound reflection, and that his head was, as usual, resting
on his breast.

"Poor fellow!" I muttered; "his unjust sentence has broken his heart."

"He feels the wrong keenly," Smith said. "He has but one wish on earth
now; and that is, to see his daughter before he dies."

"He then has children living?" Fred asked.

"Only one, and she was a mere child when he left home. After his
misfortunes the girl was placed with a respectable family in
Lincolnshire. He has often heard from her--she married a hard-working
man, and now has one or two children. The stockman has saved every
shilling of his earnings for the last few years, for the purpose of
paying their passage to this country, where he thinks the husband can
prosper, and where he will have the privilege of seeing his
grandchildren grow up around him. Ten months since a hundred pounds were
sent for the object he had in view, but during the whole of that time no
word has arrived that the money reached its destination."

"A hard case, and one deserving of our warmest sympathy," cried Fred,
once more stopping to look at the solitary man, who still stood with
folded arms and bowed head, meditating upon his wrongs.

"A kangaroo! a kangaroo!" cried the convict, suddenly, pointing with his
hand towards a tall, slim animal, that was standing under a tree, as if
to shelter itself from the sun.

We looked at the kangaroo with considerable interest. It was nearly six
feet high, when standing upon its hind legs, of a dark red color, with
small spots of white upon its breast, while two short arms, or flippers,
were dangling from its fore-shoulders, which were narrow and lean, as
though, clipper-like, it was intended for speed.

The animal watched our movements narrowly; but as the distance was too
great for a rifle shot, we slowly edged towards it with the expectation
of getting within range.

Cautiously we crept along the prairie, sometimes partly concealed by
tall, rank grass and sweet-scented shrubs, until we were forty rods from
the tree under which the kangaroo was sporting.

"Hist!" said Smith, holding up his hand, to command our attention. "The
poor brute is a female, and has her young 'u