“Hurrah!” cried Oliver, “it will soon be almost as light as day, and unless Hector has fallen asleep, we shall find him.”
We accordingly went on, shouting out as before. Presently my foot slipped into a hole, and I very nearly dislocated my ankle.
“What could have made that hole?” I exclaimed.
“Wombats, I’ve a notion,” answered Oliver. “Look, there’s one of the creatures!” As he spoke we saw an animal like a small bear waddling along over the ground. Presently we caught sight of another and another. We had evidently got into a colony of the creatures.
“I wonder we did not come across these when we were running after the emu,” I observed. “I am afraid that we have got out of our way.”
“We must have been close on one side or the other, for I’m certain that we were at no great distance from this,” answered Oliver.
“Hector, Hector!” he shouted.
“Listen!” cried Ralph: “I heard a voice. It came from the right—it’s not far off there!”
Again we shouted, when listening attentively we all three heard a reply and felt sure that we were not mistaken as to the direction from which it came.
On making our way towards the spot we caught sight of a dozen or more wombats, and presently of the head and arms of a person rising above the ground.