Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 5.djvu/406

374 the earth with blood. Powder is but a thing of yesterday, and war is as old as the human race—unhappily!"

"Faith, that's true, Mr. Spilett," replied the salior, "and I always speak too quickly. You must excuse me!"

Meanwhile, Herbert, constant to his favorite science, Natural History, reverted to the kangaroos, saying, "Besides, we had to deal just now with the species most difficult to catch. They were giants with long gray fur; but if I am not mistaken, there exist black and red kangaroos, rock kangaroos, and rat kangaroos, which are more easy to get hold of. It is reckoned that there are about a dozen species"

"Herbert," replied the sailor sententiously, "there is only one species of kangaroo to me, that is 'kangaroo on the spit,' and it's just the one we haven't got this evening!"

They could not help laughing at Pencroft's new classification. The honest sailor did not hide his regret at being reduced for dinner to the pheasants, but fortune once more showed itself obliging to him. In fact, Top, who felt that his interest was concerned, ferreted everywhere with an instinct doubled by a ferocious appetite. It was even probable that if some piece of game did fall into his clutches, none would be left for the hunters, if Top was hunting on his own account; but Neb watched him, and he did well.

Toward three o'clock the dog disappeared in the brushwood, and gruntings showed that he was engaged in a struggle with some animal. Neb rushed after him, and soon saw Top eagerly devouring a quadruped, which ten seconds later would have been past recognizing in Top's stomach. But fortunately the dog had fallen upon a brood, and besides the victim he was devouring, two other rodents—the animals in question belonged to that order—lay strangled on the turf.

Neb reappeared triumphantly holding one of the rodents in each hand. Their size exceeded that of a rabbit, their hair was yellow, mingled with greenish spots, and they had the merest rudiments of tails.

The citizens of the Union were at no loss for the right name of these rodents. They were maras, a sort of agouti, a little larger than their congeners of tropical countries, regular American rabbits, with long ears, jaws armed on each side with five molars, which distinguish the agouti.