Aborigines

　　The native people of Australia are called Aborigine s. Most of them live in the deserts of Australia, where they neither plant crops nor keep any animals. All the year round they move here and there through the deserts in search of food and water. They must depend on their own skill to track down wild animals to stay alive.

　　It has been said that an Aborigine has the "eye of an eagle". The following story shows how astonishing th e Aborigines' skill at track is: once a gold robbery in a small Australian town had left the police quite puzzl ed. They had to call on an old Aborigine tracker for he lp. The tracker found a set of footprints in the dusty street, and said he thought they were the tracks of the thief. Before the tracker could follow the prints very far, however, a rainstorm broke and washed the tracks a way. Sometime after that, the Aborigine was in another town, and his sharp eyes picked out the same footprints he had seen days before. The police could hardly believ e his story, but they went with him as he followed the tracks through dirty streets and past the outskirts of the town. After about half an hour's walk, the tracker stopped near a wooden house and simply pointed. And sur e enough, the wanted man was hiding inside.

　　When the sharp slap of the screen door awakened me, I was startled.

　　"Mama, where are you?"

　　I struggled to my feet and found Alice sitting at t he kitchen table, her head and shoulders bowed in dejec tion.

　　to be continued

　　by Elsie Phillips

　　Notes:

　　1. warily：警惕地

　　2. enameled：搪瓷的

　　3. bologna：波洛尼西亚香肠

　　4. swipe: v. 恶狠狠地切

　　5. frenzied：狂暴的，狂乱的

　　6. hassock：脚垫