"And I also," said Sam, "but what shall we do to-morrow?" "Let's have a hunt," said Jim. "Halbert, have you ever been kangaroo hunting?" "Never!--I want to go!" "Well, we can have a capital hunt to-morrow: Sam has got his dog Fly here, and I'll take one of my best dogs, and we'll have a good run, I dare say." "I shall come, too," said Alice: "that is," added she, looking shyly at Sam, "if you would be kind enough to take care of me, and let Mr. Halbert and Jim do the riding. But I'm afraid I shall be sadly in your way." "If you don't go," said Sam, "I shall stay at home: now then!" At this minute, the housekeeper came in bearing jugs and glasses. "Eleanor," said Jim, "is Jerry round?" "Yes, sir; he's coiled somewhere in the woodhouse," said she. "Just rouse him out and send him in." "Who is this Jerry who coils in woodhouses?" said Halbert. "A tame black belonging to us. He is great at all sorts of hunting; I want to see if he can find us a flying doe for to-morrow." Jerry entered, and advanced with perfect self-possession towards the fire. He was a tall savage, with a big black beard, and wavy hair like a Cornishman. He was dressed in an old pair of dandy riding breeches of Jim's, which reached a short way below the knees, fitting closely, and a blue check shirt rolled up above the elbow showing his lean wiry forearm, seamed and scarred with spear wounds and bruises. He addressed nobody, but kept his eyes wandering all over the room; at length he said, looking at the ceiling,-- "Cobbon thirsty this fellow: you got a drop of brandy?" "Jerry," said Jim, having produced the brandy, "you make a light kangaroo." "All about plenty kangaroo," said Jerry. "Yowi; but mine want it big one flying doe." "Ah-h-h! Mine make a light flying doe along a stockyard this morning; close by, along a fent, you see!" "That'll do," says Jim. "We'll be up round the old stockyard after breakfast to-morrow. You, Jerry, come with us." It was a fresh breezy autumn morning in April, when the four sallied forth, about nine o'clock, for their hunt. The old stockyard stood in the bush, a hundred yards from the corner of the big paddock fence, and among low rolling ranges and gullies, thickly timbered with gum, cherry, and sheoak: a thousand parrots flew swiftly in flocks, whistling and screaming from tree to tree, while wattled-birds and numerous other honeyeaters clustered on the flowering basksias. The spurwinged plover and the curlew ran swiftly among the grass, and on a tall dead tree white cockatoos and blue cranes watched the intruders curiously. Alice and Sam rode together soberly, and before them were Halbert and Jim, just up, ready for the chase. Before them, again, was the active blackfellow, holding the dogs in a leash,--two tall hounds, bred of foxhound and greyhound, with a dash of colley.