ds which I
thought no human being capable of, sprang over the bushes and attempted
to escape, which he no doubt would have done, as we were too much
surprised to think of checking his career with a bullet, had not the
hound, with a yell of satisfaction, followed in pursuit.

We started as fast as possible for the purpose of preventing the dog
from killing the man outright, as we feared he would, but our alarm was
groundless; for after a smart run of a quarter of a mile, we found the
hound standing over his victim, and exhibiting a wicked set of grinders
at every motion which his prisoner made to escape.

"Vot is the meanin' of this 'ere kind of a go?" demanded our prisoner,
as we gravely took seats upon fallen trees, and regarded him with great
interest.

The fellow was a curiosity, and I have often laughed at the ridiculous
appearance which he made upon our first meeting in the woods of
Australia.

His long legs and feet were encased in the skins of kangaroos, which
accounted for the ease with which he passed through the bushes and left
no scent but of the animal, for Rover to follow, and as I had often
punished him for chasing kangaroos without permission, it sufficiently
explained why the poor dog was so puzzled.

The skins of the animals appeared to have been fitted to the legs and
feet of our prisoner while green, and by drying them on his limbs he was
then unable to remove them without an hour's washing in water; a process
which, by the looks of the fellow, he seemed to have no relish for; the
dirt was glued upon his face as though it was warranted to wash,
although it's doubtful if he ever tried the experiment; and I may as
well observe here that water was his abhorrence, and he never drank it
unless he couldn't get something stronger. Upon the back of the scamp
was a new blue flannel shirt, which he had stolen from the wagon,
leaving his old one in exchange, and by the means of which we had traced
him to his resting-place. Around his neck was a silk handkerchief
belonging to Smith, and on his head was a skin cap, with a long tail
which hung over his shoulders and resembled the brush of a fox.

"Will ye call hoff the hanimal, and let me up?" cried our new
acquaintance, casting rueful looks towards us.

"Where did you come from?" asked Fred.

"Vy, didn't you see? I dropped down from the tree."

"Yes, we are aware of that; but how came you in this part of the country
alone?"

"How does you know I'se 'l