The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1871-12-01


straneest sight ever saw in my l,fe-one
which seemed 10 qIite paralyEe the man
with the dogs for he stopped short, hold
ING tightly hy the leash, in spite Of the
angry struggles of the animals and his
masters anguished cries for help. There,
some flty yards in fFunt, was a fierce
struggle going on, apparently vain one
ON the part OF my host, who was tightly
elaspcd round the waist by tremendous
great kangaroo, such as We settlers call an
| old man'n
"'Rightp growled the sea captaia,
while the thin mans eyes twinkled mali
eiouSly.
alt was in q bnshy part, and from the
/ branch he held In his hand IL was evident
that my friend had been cllnging with all
/ his might 20 some tree or other, so as 20
hiuder his enemy, or else PIn afraid we
should have come too late,
Dropping the branch, he now began
kicking and struggling with the energy OF
/ despair, striking iercely az the beast
with his fists, and doing all that he could
10 get away but there is no doubt that,
/ Il we bad not come up, the next minute
would have been bis last for, in spite OF his
struggles, the old man kept ON slowly,
/ hop-hop-hOp, nearer and nearer 90 a
great water-hole; and though a strong
and hearty man, my friend seemed like
child in hia enemy'S grasp. ri
"'I.oose the dogs | shouted TO the
convict servant, but utterly confused, hs
only held ON tightly, letting the faithful
beasts drag him along with them ill, with
one cut Of his knife that he had held ready
To skin the dead kangaroo. the black sew
cred the leadcn throng, and coupled as
they were, the dogs dashed down apon the
old man.
"Then came fierce hurying rush and
a scramble frightlul howl-and one dog
turned over on It's back, disabled by
kick, and then haltsuangled1 hy being
dragged about by its companion. who had
made good his hold upon the kansarOo's
throat. The dog shook fleroely till, in its
agony, the beast loosed its hold upon my
( friend, who fell down exhausted just upon
the edge Of the water-hOle, as the dogs
and their enemy rolled from the bank into
the deep water, which directly after was
iashed into muddy foam by the herce
struggle going on. tE
"lt would have gone hard with the
poot dog if just then the leash had not
given way, leaying him free from The
weight Of his fellows earcase hung 20 his
neck and now, in spite OF the fierce tear
ing and kicking of the old man, he held
on tightly TO the place in his threat where
he bad first fixed his steel-strap jaws. BY
degrees they struggled into shallOwer
water, and 50 exciting was the battle that
my friend forgot his late peril, and sat up.
painting, 20 see the end. =
Suddenly. with one OF his tremendous
leaps, the kangaroo bounded right out,
cleaning the bank, and alighting amongst
some low scrub at the lower end. But
the dog still held on and, lodging about
till he could get chance, the black brought
down bis club with tremendous effect upon
the old mans head. when the poor brute
quiycred slightly and rolled over. dead; a
huge fellow, who had stood up over six
feet high. FH
a. That was a narrow escape I said, rs
helped my friend 10 his legs, while the
convict drew out of the water the earcase
Of the other dog. SF III
I'Yes, he said; let's get back. rTe
had enough Of il for one day. feel quite
sick and III. I'll had had knife, roald
have got on but, unarmed, | was as help
less as child
Z" had heard Of such adventures before,
but had never seen anything OF the kind,
so ! said, What do YOU think the brute
would have donep
"DoneT' echoed my friend. Drowned
me as dead as that poor dog there. Poor
brute one Of the best kangaroo dogs
ever had. An old beast he exclaimed,
kicking the dead body OF the kangaroo
yiciously, which was, after all, hardly 20
be wondered AZ. He came upon me all /
Of n sudden-hop-hop- hop-and before
had recovered iron my surprise, be had
me tightly round the waist, and then
began TO hop away. hardly know how
felt at first; but when the thought struck
me that he was making for the water-holc,
the feeling was awful, and my struggles
did hinder him n Bit
IA good thing too,' | replied. Then
we only came up just in timer
"'0nly inst, said my friend and he |
looked whittier than ever.N
snow, do you expect Us to believe ala
that "a broke IN the thin man, as he again |
winked at the company in general. But
the settler was busy relighting his cigar, |
which had Il ne out during the narration, |
And he made no reply.
81 say, sir" said the thin man again,
"do you expect us 30 believe that your
old kangaroo would have hoppcd INTO the |
water hole, and drowned the squatter
" The gentlemen present can do as they |
please, sir" said the settler with dignity |
"and ] have no doubt but that You will |
do the same. leave IL entirely TO my |
listeners good sense, for the story is true" |