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

them often too"
The thin man Snorted and winked again
at everybody in turn, AS much as 60 say,
Now it's coming"
You must believe whatl IN going 60
tell yon, gentlemen, or you may be rude
enough 90 doubt IL it You Ike; | shan't
complain but it's as sure as INV names
James Smith. a Norkshieman boul and
that | failed az sheep-iarmiue, but made
ten thousand pounds al the diggings; aud
that's what not one man in five hundred
who were there managed 20 bring away,
for his share Of the spoll.n
The thin man winked again, but the
thoughts Of sum ct ten thousand golden
pounds seem 20 add so much weight 20
the respcctabihty and ycraeity Of the
bearded man, that had he telt disposed 10
enter into the borders not limited 20 vera
city, he would now have gound plenty OF
believers for anything he might choose 10
say.
The settler paused, ignited his cigar,
and then waited 90 enjoy a few puts, while
the waiter Of the old Southampton Hotel
replenished several empty glasses.
ave were having kangaroo-hunt,r =
Continued he. "Some years ago now, up az
place where was. KAngaroos were not
so scarce then as they've grown since aud
perhaps il our friend here were TO 20 over
on purpose 10 have one, he might travel
some hundreds Of miles before he could
enjoy that pleasure. Being b.t { a sport.
ing man in a mild way, as ! had dropped
in al quarters where the squatter was also
fond ola bit Of the field work, got stay
ing on day after day for happened then
TO have nothing 20 do, having been driven
out OF my holding by drought that had
starved three parts Of my beasts and sheep.
and hJod that ha / drowned the rest. So
that was on the wand,r, looking out for
some fresh spot on which 20 locate myself
and naturally feeling rather low-spirited ;
for, after working seven or eight years 90
get together decent bit of stock, il SeeR-
ed rather hard for the climate to turn dead
against me, and to make me a ruined man y
" 1 should think Stralia's nice place,
sir, said the thin man, lau hing.
Very, il a man has his wits about him. "
said the settler cOolly; {" and, what's more.
ITS very hoSpitable place, as | 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 tished bit, and shot little,
and helped him take stock and we COM
pared notes about management, he being
able 20 give me plenty OF good hints, and
perhaps giving him two or three respeeta-
ble little wrinkles.
"Tbe day before LEFT him we went out
for kangaroo-hunt, for over night one OF
his men had come in 20 report tracks that
he had seen near a water-hole some few
miles away.
perhaps nv friend here will think
that am throwing the hatchet, when
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 20 the last
blazed tree.
The country about there was so woody
and rocky that my host said he had better
go on foot, so we did, taking with US 4
black fellow, and one Of his men-an old
convict who held the two dogs, in n
leash, after the fashion Of grey hounds for
coursing, till VIC came 10 the spot-what
they call out there creeks long water
hole that depended on the wet season to
supply-it af. esh after the long dry Aus
tralian summer.
" 1t was a glorious morning in glorious
country. The sky was delightfully."- blue
while the atmosphere was so clear and
transparent that you could see the very
leaves distinctly upon the trees, at an as
tonishing distance. All, gentlemen II
there is beautiful country in this world
il is Australia y
''Where droughs and floods destroy the
whole of n mans stock sneered the thin
man, rs he whispered the words into the
tumbler be raised TO his lips.
"And where industrious haId-working
men may dig gold out Of the soft earth by
the creeks" sid the settler, who had
managed TO hear every word.
"Good-good-good ~ choruSsed the
company, so that any one but the thin
man would have been crushed by the
weight Of that gold; but he only laughed,
snorted, and took refuge IN clouds Of oftobac-
co smoke.
" Perhaps Pm boring you with my
stories, gentlemen" said the settler, part
ing his beard.
NO, no-no, no-go on, SIR came
from all parts Of the room, and he con-
tinued:
"Well, gentlemen, we soon got into the
hunting country, and were not long before
we put up a kangaroo, when felt almost
ashamed to hunt it, for the poor beast sat
UP on its hind-legs and tail for few mo-
ments, turning upon US its simple doelike
face. as much rs TO say How can you be
such brutes p but il turned directly, gave
a bound that startled me, and was oil,
flying over rock and bush in n most sur
prising manner. Then the dogs were
slipped, and away we were scrambling
amongst bushes and rocks. tripped up now
and then, but making q rush over every
bit Of open ground, to try and keep the
dogs in sight; but as 10 my host and self,
we were separated directly.
aI was not much used to this sort Of
thing, but soon warmed up to the chase.
and, now getting peep at the dogs, and
now led by the shouting and barking,
| managed TO get up in pretty good time
10 where the black fellow was dancing
about with delight, and the convict was
coupling up the dogs, as they lay painting
and IoIiing out their great red tongues, be-
side the kangaroo they had killed.
Long as | had been in the country il
had never fallen to my lot before to be at
the death Of n kangaroo and once more
could not help plying the soft, mpusey-
skinned animal, il looked 30 innocent,
tame. and simple But, there il does not
do for men who hunt 10 be too sentimen-
tai. and besides, they may make mistake
In the character Of their quarry for, Ive
never seen the animal yet that was not,
when driven to bay, perfect savage,
either from fear or natural couraegt.
Where's the governor, sir 2 said the
man, as | came up.
al have not seen him, since tripped
over a creeper that came down crash
bruised myself awfully. He did not stop
when went down. / thought that he
would be on here.
@iHeIp! help!' came faint cry from
the distance.
"sDat gubner!' exclaimed the black
fellow. erinning as If 1T was the most hui
morous thing that he had ever heard.
AYES, that's him. said the convict,
changing color. He's among the blacks,
and we've no guns
ain a moment there foated before me
visions of savagcs in their war paint, their
black bodies strcaked with white, TO re-
semblc skeletons, while boomerangs and
spears seemed to come whistlIng through |