Jean, Our Little Australian Cousin

ed to him excitedly, "Oh, Kadok,

d Kadok as he parted the bushes a

d at me and ran away!" she

k. "Brought little Missa meat for

ike curry curry," she said.

real child. Golden child. Think him not come again

her to-morrow?" her voice was full

no can help. Kadok got bad hurt on foot. No can wal

self?" she asked, as she saw that

th, that he had met a Black who had thrown his nulla-nulla[17] and st

er dress Fergus' wounds, for he was always doing things to h

e several days before he could walk well, he knew, and if the Black who had wounded him had discovered Jean he would certainly come back. Would t

ve, washed her pocket-handkerchief and tore it into strips, then

" said Kadok. "Feel

ght," said Jean. "It is time I

of matches which he had in his swag, and which he kept tied up in the skin of an animal to keep them from gettin

o-night. Save meal for so

nyway," said Jean. "How

with earth and he cook very tender," said Kadok, and she followed his receip

get water, Kad

st ten steps in the bushes, straight ahead f

e both so thirs

Black come long, see tracks, know whi

ockings. "I will be right back. I can find it, for you said it was only ten steps away," and she picked

hought she could have found

r our supper, afterwards I

k white man drop it, little Missa can have honey-water to drink." He cut a piece of the hone

t tastes like the sugar-water the America

at?" he ask

black woman. She was ever so black, not brown like you, Kadok, and so good and nice. I used to like her very much. That was the reason I wa

ome black face white heart, some black all way through. So

l fine," he said, sniffing the

cken. It was a queer supper for the little Scotch girl, seated cross-legged on the floo

squitos, and wrapped the rest of the meat in leaves to keep for breakfast. She bathed Kadok's foot, which was swollen and painful, and tied it u

about the cave and Jean had to wait on him as well as to care for herself. She made breakfast and gathered fresh leaves and branches and brought water enough to last all day. Then she made fresh damper and cut stri

to her, afraid that she would cry. "Little Missa no

are high and beautiful and there are no snakes nor wild things. It's all farms

snow?" as

eathers and it floats down from the sky when it's very cold and covers up the ground like a white blank

id," sai

claimed Jean, as a mournful

uup lives under the ground. He make evil. He makes lightning and spoils tr

n. "We had storm enough yesterday to last for

ame make. He want to smoke big pipe up in sky, strike match to ligh

bring water from the spring while I can go out of t

o run round by herself," said

h me, mustn't I? We've got to have water," and sh

y and stopped to gather a handful of leaves which grew nea

ng happens to

not good little Missa. You n

can't sit still all day," she

tle Missa have no water, chew these, not

tell me a story about when you were a lit

oods better than wuuries. Like hunt. Make many fine hunt, sometimes hunt animals, sometimes hunt other Blacks. Ver

pe not," cri

k not black man. Don't move!" They sat so quiet it seemed to Jean that she could hear her heart beat, but heard nothing more. Just as she was about

le of the forked stick which, to her horror, she saw held down by its neck a large snake. She shut her eyes tigh

dead now," and she looked with a shu

adok, calmly. "Him make v

, really, I couldn't," sh

opolo for Missa," he said. "Think dinner

the tail, roast it and eat with great enjoyment, but before

t waken until almost time for supper, when

he said, as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Little Missa

he said, "but I want som

pring. Kadok not like," he sa

drink the old water and c

said Kadok as he rose and tr

ne only a moment or two when she felt a strange feeling as of some one looking at her, and she raised he

h she could muster threw it straight into the Black's face. The man gave a loud "Wouf!" as the reptile struck his face, and darted back just as Kadok came up behind and struck him on the head with his waddy. Attacked bef

hurt?" he as

frightened. It was the s

Missa do?"

e and he ran away," she said simply. The boy looked

," he said. "One thing very much scare Black is

ut I had to do something," she sa

night. Go long early in morning before Black come back.

TNO

ick, like a

mall a

] H