South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-11-24
at a sverySOdy il. turn, as mach as to say,

I
complain: but it's as sure as nv name
james Smith, Forkshiiefnan born, AMI
that I failed at sheep-farming, but mad
ten Thousand pounds at the diggings; an,
that's what not one man in five hundred
who were there managed to bring away
for his share of the speil.n
The thin man winked again, but tn,
thoughts Of a sum of ten thousand COLDER
pounds seem to add so much weight Il
the respectability and veracity of tn,
bearded man, that had he felt disposed Il
enter into the borders not limited to vera
city, he would now have found plenty o
believers for anything he might choose tt
say.
ffhe settler paused, ignited his cigar
and then waited to enjoy few puff, while
the waiter Of the old Southampton Hotel
replenished several empty glasses.
ave were having a kangaroo-bunt,' >
continued he, "some years ago now, up at
place where / was. Kangaroos were not
so scarce then as they've grown since and
perhaps if our friend here were to 20 over
on purpose to have ONE, he might travel
some hundreds OF miles before he could
enjoy that pleasure. Being BIT If sport
ing man in a mild way, as / hsd dropped
in at quarters where the squatter was also
fond ofa bit of the field work, got STAY
ing on day after day for happened then
to have nothing to do, having been driven
out of my holding by drought that had
starved three parts of my beasts and sheep,
and food that hal drowned the rest. So
that was on the wander, looking out for
some fresh spot on which to locate myself,
and naturally feeling rather low-spirited |;
for, after working seven or eight years to
get together a decent bit of stock, it SEEM
ed rather hard for the climate to turn dead
against me, and to make me ruined man"
81 should think Stralia's nice place,
sir" said the thin man, lau. hing.
Very, if "a man has his wits about him" :"
said the settler coolly; and, what's more,
it's very hospitable place, as 1 found
then, for I'd fallen into good quarters,
my host being from my own county, and
having had many good galop with the
same pack Of hounds. So we talked over
old times, and flshed bit, and shot little,
and l helped him take stock; and we COM
pared notes about management, he being
able TO give me plenty of good hints, and
perhaps giving him two or three respecta-
bic little wrinkles.
"The day before | left him we went out
for kangaroo-hunt, for over night one of
his men had come in to report tracks that
he had seen near water-hole some few
miles away.
"Perhaps my friend here will think
that / am throwing the hatchet, when l
say that this was all on my hosts piece
for sheep-farmers they think more of
miles than they do of acres of land, and
have known gentlemen cut there whose
holdings were such that you might ride
twenty miles without getting to the last
6lazed tree.
The country about there was so woody
and rocky that nay host said he had better
go on foot, so we did, taking with us
black fellow, and one of his men-an old
convict who held the two dogs, in a
leash, after the fashion of grey hounds for
till we came to the spot-what
they call out there a creek-a long water |
hole that depended on the wet season to |
supply it afl esh after the long dry Aus
tralian summer.
I" 1t was glorious morning in glorious |
country. The sky was delightfully."- blue
while the atmosphere was SO clear and |
that you could see the very
leaves distinctly upon the trees, at an as
distance. All, gentlemen if
there's beautiful country in this world
t is Australia :"
"Where droughs and floods destroy the
whole Of mans stock,n sneereJ the thin
nan, as he whispered the words into the
'umbler he raised to his lips.
And where industrious hard-working
men may dig gold out of the ssft earth by
he creeks" sid the settler, who had
managed to hear every word.
"Good-good-goodI =. chorussed the
'onpany, so that any one but the thin
nan would have been crushed by the
weight of that gold but he only laughed,
norted, and took refuge in clouds of tobac-
% smoke.
"Perhaps Pm boring you with nv
tories, gentlemen said the settler, part
ng his beard.
"No, no-no, no-go on, SIR" came
rom all parts of the room, and he con-
inued:
swell, gentlemen, we soon got into the
uniting country, and were not long before
re pat up kangaroo, when felt almost
shamed to hunt it, for the poor beast sat
p on its hind-lcgs and tail for few mo-
lcnts, turning upon US its simple doelike =,
ice, as much as to say How can you be
uch brutes p but it turned directly, gave
bound that startled ME, and was off.
wing over rock and bush in a most sur. '
rising manner. Then the dogs were I
Tipped, and away we were scram5ling '
nongst bushes and rocks, tripped up now .
nd then, but making a rush over every
it of open ground, to try and keep the
ogs IN sight; but as to my host and self, 9
e were separated directly.
" | was not much used to this sort of
ling, but soon warmed up TO the chase,
nd, now getting peep at the dogs, and
ow led by the shouting and barking, :.
managed to get up in pretty good time II
, where the black fellow was dancing
bout with delight, and the convict was
)uplng up the dogs, as they lay painting +
I'D lolling out their great red tongues, be- s
de the kangaroo they had killed. c
Long as | had been in the country it I,
ad never fallen to my lot before to be at %
he death of kangaroo and once more 1 /,
'uld not help pitying the soft, mousey- a
Iinned animal, it looked so innocent. 8
lme, and simple. But, there it does not ii
, for men who hunt to be too sentimen- b
j, and besides, they may make a mistake Il
the character of their quarry for, Eve s.
ever seen the animal yet that was not, il
hen driven to bay, perfect savage, "
thcr from fear or natural courage. II
as Where's the governor, sir p said the Il
an, as csmc up. fC
"' have not seen bim, since tripped o
Ter creeper that came down crash o.
'uised myself awfully. He did not stop "
hen went down. thought that be b
ould be on here b
Help! help!' came faint cry from
Ie distance.
"' Dat a gubnerl' exclaimed the black g,
low: gTinning as if 1t was the most hu- h
orous thing that he had ever heard. c
'9es, that's him. said the convict. cr
Ianging color. He's among the blacks. h
ID we've no guns M
In moment there foated before me fc
cio-z of eoxzaorn- - 81