ded to spend the day in the company of

Hugh, "before you tackle the property. The youngster

t round and show her the way about the place; and they set off t

r goes anywhere without an object in view. So the children considered it the height of st

t, pointing with her dainty parasol along the wheel-track tha

id both child

r hand up towards the foothills and the blue mountains.

sn't," said

he said determinedly; and with her reluctant guides she set off, trudg

f the girls said, "

on, a youth of about eighteen or twenty was noticed on the horse's back, but he seemed so much a part of the animal that one

ting and sidling away among the timber, its rid

llen tree, and fled through the timber like a wild thing, with its rider s

y does he go away?

underalligo. He often comes here. They and their father live over t

wly round them in ever-lessening circles; the colt meanwhile eyeing them with every

came fairly close, and said,

lf into a kind of circle, and began a series of gigantic bounds at the rate of about a hundred to the minute; while in the air above him his rider described a catherine wheel before he came to earth, landing on his head at Miss Grant's feet. The horse was soon out of si

s!" said the child. "He chuc

"Makes me look a fair chump, doesn't it, getting chucked before a l

. "I hope you are not hurt. What a nasty be

buck," he added, in tones of the deepest contempt, "and he won't try when I've got a fair hold of him

ss Grant, looking for the vani

t to work proper. He went round and round the paddick at home, with me on him, buckin' like a brumby. Binjie had to come out with another horse and run me back into the yard. He's a pretty clever colt, too. T

tache growing on his upper lip. His frank and open face was easy to read. He looked with boyish admiration at Miss Grant, who immediately st

" she asked. "Isn

e in the nine-mile paddick. Binj an me and Andy Kelly had to muster all the sheep and shift 'em across to the home paddi

e over, then?"

days' work musterin' there? I must be off at daylight to-

he "knockabout" horse, always kept saddled and bridled about the station for generally-useful work, and set off at

ing to amuse you?" asked the ol

xperiences; and I went for a w

the jam a stir. "He's a young Hun

to do. I learnt that much. But who is Poss? a

d; they have lived here all their lives. Their father-well, he isn't very steady; and they like to get over here when they can, and each tries to come without the other knowing it. Binjie will be here before long, I expect. They're great admirers of Miss Harriott, both of

Grant saw a duplicate of Poss dismounting from a duplicate of Poss's horse. And Mrs. Gor

iss Grant, watching the new arrival ty

said the old lady. "He used to be very fat,

rs. Gordon.

dark," said the old lady. "

dock at the Crossing. There's five thousand sheep, and no water there; I'll have to go back and help him. I only came over to tell

is here," sa

muster that paddock I went to the top, and he went the other way, and he reckoned

d very much. This is Mr. G

t evening-or, as it is always called in the bush, tea-time-they had all made ea

ant talked to them. Put a pretty girl and a young and impressionable bushman together, and in

to have satisfactorily arranged the question of mustering. And when Miss Grant said, "Won't your sheep be dying of thirst in that pa

"and generally stay three days. I expect