340 ALL ABOARD FOR SUNRISE LANDS.

he saw the path from the house, and this he followed awhile. In his
weariness, he turned aside to a lonely corner of the paddock to rest.
Throwing himself down upon the ground, he thought how nice it would
be if he had beneath his head one of mother’s “soft pillows,’ and as
he thought, his head sank lower and lower, his eyes shut— but let
us turn back to hunt up Ralph. He first went into a paddock, where
a drove of cattle had been turned loose.

“They are not coming this way, I hope,” he said to himself.

They were, however. Whether they considered Ralph as a keeper
that might be on the way to them, announcing the arrival of a first-
class meal, no one could say. Ralph did not relish this welcome
from such a lot of big-breasted, horned creatures. Just then, a dog
ran out from the bush near by, and began to bark. It was a ridiculous
contrast —that pert canine, with his small, shrill bark, and those
burly oxen! It diverted the oxen, though, and gave Ralph time enough
to gain a fence near by and go over it. The dog followed, and then
“wagging his tail, looked up in Ralph’s face, as if saying, “Come.
now! If you should guess could you possibly tell who I am? Did
you ever see a dog of my size with this kind of tail that goes so
so?” and here the dog gave an extra flourish of his tail.

“Paws!” shouted Ralph; “old Paws that I knew in Sydney !
Why, old fellow, where did you come from? Ah, now I know. Mr.
Bright says he bought a dog in Sydney lately, and you must be
the one. Come, will you help me hunt up my brother Rick?”

Paws wagged his tail, which meant “Let me think of it.’ Then
he wagged it furiously, which meant, “ Yes, yes, yes, I'll go with you.”

Crossing now into the wool-shed paddock, what did Ralph see on
the ground? It was the tired kangaroo-hunter! Ralph knelt down,
and laying a hand on Rick’s shoulder, began vently to shake him.
“Wake up, Rick!” The bare-headed hunter raised his head, and