Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-30

with the dogs, for he stopped short, hold
ing tightly by the leash, in spite of the
angry struggles Of the animals and his
masters anguished cries for help. There,
some fifty yards in front, was fierce
struggle going on, apparently vain one
on the Part Of my host, who was tightly
claspcd round the waist by tremendous
great kangaroo, such as we settlers call an
'old man,"
"'Right!' growled the sea captain,
while the thin mans eyes twinkled mali
ciously.
at was in bushy part, and from the
branch he held in his hand it was evident
that my friend had been clnging with all
his might to some tree or other, so as to
hinder 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 fiercely at the beast
with his fists, and doing all that he could
to get away; but there isno doubt that,
If we had not come up, the next minute
would have been his last; for, in spite his
struggles, the old man kept on slowly,
hop-hop-hop, nearer and nearer to a
great water-hole; and though strong
and hearty man, my friend seemed like a
child in his cnemy's grasp.
"'Loosc the dogs!' shouted to the
convict servant, but utterly confused, he
only held on tightly, letting the faithful
beasts drag him along with them till, 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 upon the
odd man,
"Then came fierce hurrying rush and
a SCRAMBLED frightul howl-0nd one dog
turned over on its back, disabled by a
kick, and then half-stranglcd by being
dragged about by its companion, who had
made good his hold upon the kangaroo's
throat. The dog shook fcrcely 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
dashed into a muddy foam by the fierce
struggle going on.
ut would have gone hard with the
poor dog if Just then the leash had not
given way, leaving him free from the
weight Of his fellows carcasc hung to 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 throat where
he bad first fixed his sterl-strap jaws. BY
degrees they struggled into shallowtr
water, and 50 exciting was the battle that
my friend forgot his late peril, and sat up,
painting, to see the end
Suddenly, with one of his tremendous
leaps, the kangaroo bounded right out,
cleaning the bank, and alightmg amongst
some low scrub at the lower end. But
The dog still held on and, lodging about
till lie could get chance, the black brought
down his club with tremendous effect upon
the 'old MANS head, when the poor brute
quivered slightly and rolled over, dead; a
huge felloE, who had stood up over six
feet high.
90 That was a narrow escape ! said, as
| helped my friend to his legs, while the
convict drew out Of the water the carcasc
of the other dog.
"'Yes,' he said let's get back Pye
had enough of it for one day. | feel quite
sick and i'll. III had had a knife, J. could
have got on; but, unOrmed, | was as help
less as a child
81 had heard Of such adventures before
but had never seen anything Of the kind
so | said, what do you think the brute
would have donen
"Done!' echoedmy 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
viciously, which was, after all, hardly tc
be wondered at. He came upon me al
Of sudden-hop-hop-hop --and before
| had recovered IRON my surprise, lie hac
me tightly round the waist, and ther
began to hop away. hardly know how
felt at first; but when the thought struck
me that he was making for the water-hole
the feeling was awful, and my struggle
) did hinder him Bit
"'A good thing too l replied. 'Ther
we only came up just in timeF
"'0nly just said my friend; and he
looked winter than ever"
"Now, do you expect us to believe al
that ?" broke in the thin man, as he AGAR
winked at the company in general. But
the settler was busy relighting his cigar
which Lad gene out during the narration
and he made no reply.
81 say, sir" said the thin man again
edo you expect us to believe that YOU
old kangaroo would have hoped into the
, water hole, and drowned the squattcrF
; The gentlemen present can do as they
; please, sir" said the settler with dignity
land have no doubt but that you vii
: do the same. | leave it entirely to my
, listeners good sense, FOR the story is true