Joey heard the shouting and bounded into my pouch, and I went
off as fast as I could. It was a worse hunt than last night, for it was
longer, and there was no darkness to help me. I gradually got ahead in
the chase, and I knew if I were alone I could distance them all; for we
had seen them a long way off. But little Joey was heavy, though not so
heavy as you are, and in the long distance I began to feel weak, as I did
last night.
"I knew if I tried to go on as we were, that those cruel Humans (doing
nothing but sit quietly on those big beasts, which have four legs and never
get tired) would overtake us, and their dogs (which carry no weight and go
so fast) would tear me down before their masters even arrived, for I was
going gradually slower. So I asked Joey if I dropped him into a soft bush
whether he would hide until I came back for him. It was our only chance.
I had an idea that if I did that he would be safe--even if I got killed;
as they would be more likely to follow me, and never think I had parted
from my little Joey. So we did this, and I crossed a creek, which put the
hounds off the scent, and I got away. In the dusk I came back again to
find Joey, but he had gone, and I could not find a trace of him. All
night and all day I searched, but I've never seen my Joey since," said the
Kangaroo sadly, and Dot saw the tears dim her eyes.
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