ns sporting around her."

A closer scrutiny revealed the presence of two kangaroos, who were
playing about their mother, unconscious of all danger. They were of a
much lighter color than the old one, and the fur upon their bellies was
nearly pure white. For some time we watched them, and then, desirous of
obtaining fresh meat for supper, Fred and myself crawled a little
nearer.

"Remember our wager," the convict cried, as we moved along on our hands
and knees.

Fred nodded in reply, but after we had got a few rods from Smith, the
latter suddenly started to his feet and uttered a loud yell.

So rapidly that our eyes could hardly follow their movements, did the
young animals run towards their parent and disappear from view; but we
had no time to wonder at that, for the mother, after a hasty glance
around, and comprehending the danger in which she stood, suddenly sprang
from beneath the shelter of the tree, and with the most extraordinary
bounds, some of which would measure over thirty feet in a straight line,
and nearly ten feet high, was passing us like a streak of lightning,
when Fred raised his rifle and fired.

The kangaroo continued her bounds without relaxing her speed; when,
thinking that I might be more successful, I also fired.

I heard the convict laugh heartily at our failures; but before his
merriment ceased, another gun was discharged, and with a mighty bound
the poor brute sprang into the air, alighted on the ground, and, rolling
over and over as though even in her death struggle she sought to escape,
yielded up her life.

We looked towards the stockman to see if he had discharged his gun. He
was leaning on his old musket, and a bright blue smoke was curling over
his head. For a moment he seemed to be warmed into life by the
excitement of the sport, but before the kangaroo had breathed her last,
his head sank upon his breast again, and he appeared no longer to take
an interest in the affairs of life.

We hastened to the animal, and wondered at her immense muscular power.
Her legs appeared like springs of steel, while a powerful tail, long and
bony, was also used to help the animal make those tremendous bounds,
which have become proverbial in Australia, and have excited the
attention of the most eminent naturalists.

"But where have the young 'uns disappeared?" I asked, after we had
sufficiently admired the animal.

"You would hardly think that they are still about her person," Smith
said.

We