The Kangaroo, hopping very weakly, and little Dot trudging over the oozy
ground, followed the Bittern's directions and found the cave, which proved
a very snug retreat. Here they lay down together, full of happiness at
their escape, and worn out with fatigue and excitement, they were soon
fast asleep.
The next day, before the sun rose, the Bittern visited the cave. "Hullo,
you precious lazy pair! I've been over there," and it tossed its beak in
the direction of the blacks' camp. "They're off northward. Too frightened
to stay. I thought you might like the news brought you, since you're too
lazy to get it for yourselves!" and off it went again without saying
good-bye.
"Now isn't he a kind little fellow?" said the Kangaroo." That's his way
of telling us that we are safe."
"Thanks, Bittern! thanks!" they both cried, but the creamy brown bird paid
no attention to their gratitude: it seemed absorbed in looking for frogs
on its way.
All that day the Kangaroo and Dot stayed near the cave, so that the poor
animal might get quite well again. The Kangaroo said she did not know
that part of the country, and so she had better get her legs again before
they faced fresh dangers. Neither of them was so bright and merry as
before. The weather was showery, and Dot kept thinking that perhaps she
would never get home, now she had been so long away, and she kept
remembering the time when the little boy was lost and everyone's sadness.
The Kangaroo too seemed melancholy.
"What makes you sad?" asked Dot.
"I am thinking of the last time before this that I was hunted. It was
then I lost my baby Kangaroo," she replied.
"Oh! you poor dear thing!" exclaimed Dot, "and have you been hunted before
last night?"
"Yes," said the Kangaroo with a little weary sigh. "It was just a few
days before I found you. White Humans did it that time."
"Tell me all about it," said Dot. "How did you escape?"
"I escaped then," said the Kangaroo, settling herself on her haunches to
tell the tale, "in a way I could have done last night. But I will die
sooner than do it again."
"Tell me," repeated Dot.
"There is not much to tell," said the Kangaroo. "My little Joey was
getting quite big, and we were very happy. It was a lovely Joey. It was
so strong, and could jump so well for its size. It had the blackest of
little noses and hands and tail you ever saw, and big soft ears which
heard more quickly than mine. All day long I taught it jumping, and we
played and were merry from sunrise to sunset. Until that day I had never
been sad, and I thought all the creatures must be wrong to say that in
this beautiful world there could be such cruel beings as they said White
Humans were. That day taught me I was wrong, and I know now that the
world is a sad place because Humans make it so; although it was made to be
a happy place. We were playing on the side of a plain that day, and our
game was hide and seek in the long grass. We were having great fun, when
suddenly little Joey said, 'strange creatures are coming, big ones.'
"I hopped up to the stony rise that fringed the plain, and I thought as I
did so that I could hear a new sound on the breeze. Joey hid in the grass,
but I went boldly into the open on the hillside to see where the danger
was. I saw, far off, Humans on their big animals that go so quickly, and
directly I hopped into the open, they raised a great noise like the blacks
did last night, and I could see by the movement in the grass that they had
those dreadful dogs they teach to kill us: they are far worse than
dingoes. Joey heard the shouting and bounded into my pouch, and I went
off as fast as I could. It was a worse hunt than last night, for it was
longer, and there was no darkness to help me. I gradually got ahead in
the chase, and I knew if I were alone I could distance them all; for we
had seen them a long way off. But little Joey was heavy, though not so
heavy as you are, and in the long distance I began to feel weak, as I did
last night.
"I knew if I tried to go on as we were, that those cruel Humans (doing
nothing but sit quietly on those big beasts, which have four legs and never
get tired) would overtake us, and their dogs (which carry no weight and go
so fast) would tear me down before their masters even arrived, for I was
going gradually slower. So I asked Joey if I dropped him into a soft bush
whether he would hide until I came back for him. It was our only chance.
I had an idea that if I did that he would be safe--even if I got killed;
as they would be more likely to follow me, and never think I had parted
from my little Joey. So we did this, and I crossed a creek, which put the
hounds off the scent, and I got away. In the dusk I came back again to
find Joey, but he had gone, and I could not find a trace of him. All
night and all day I searched, but I've never seen my Joey since," said the
Kangaroo sadly, and Dot saw the tears dim her eyes.
Dot could not speak all she felt. She was so sorry for the Kangaroo, and
so ashamed of being a Human. She realised too, how good and forgiving
this dear animal was; how she had cared for her, and nearly died to save
her life, in spite of the wrongs done to her by human beings.
"When I grow up," she said, "I will never let anyone hurt a bush creature.
They shall all be happy where I am."
"But there are so many Humans. They're getting to be as many as
Kangaroos." said the animal reflectively, and shook her head.
