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be fine

wrinkled and his face anxious. He turned presently; a tall, grizzled man, with the stooping shoulders and

s one of thim unchancy days that might b

by shrewd and twinkling blue eyes, dressed, as was her custom, in a starched blue print, wit

Billabong run. He looked again at the doubtful sky, and then back to Mrs. Bro

that she is but human. "But no-they ain't shootin' worth speakin' about,

heered. "I'll not look at the ould sky anny longer-leastwa

anliness and polish that it almost hurt the eye. "Kettle's boilin'-I'll have it made in a jiffy. No,

on them tins an' copper. And the stove is that fine it's a shame to be cookin' with it." He looked with respect at the black satin and silver of the stove, where leapi

in her hand. "And she wasn't much more than toddlin' before she was at me to teach her to cook. When she was twelve sh

ever see the bullock as could get away from her. And the ponies she'd ri

e huge brown teapot. "Sometimes I've wished she was, for me heart's been in me mouth

re the whole lot of 'em was killed," said Murty, grinning. "I'd com

it I've known catch an 'orse in the dark, an' go off to look for 'em when they were a bit

afther a sick bullock, or it might be 'possum shootin'." He raised his cup and took a deep draught; then, with a w

at the cup he held out, a

m his hand. "Don't you go an' tell Dave and Mick, Murty, or I'll never hear the end of it. Lucky there's plen

rinnin' at me like a hyener-it isn

s morning. I dunno, meself, am I on me head or me heels. All the men is much the same; they've been fallin' over each other, tryin' to get a little bit

bed. But bless you-these last three days she's up before the pair of us, rubbin' an' polishin' in every corner. An' she an' 'Ogg at each oth

"No union touch about his work. I reckon he's put in sixtee

y union touch about Bil

off," said Murty. "I'll bet no union wa

lways with a slight limp. He was accustomed to say 'twas a mercy it didn't hinder his profession-which, being that of a horsebreaker, freed him, as a rule, from the necessity of much walking. Other men Billabon

nodded at the men. "Tea's re

stioner's meaning. "I seen you an' Murty pokin' your heads up at them clouds, but there ain't nothin' in them."

," said Mrs. Brown. "Picksher them now, all flyin' round and

'twill be no bite he'l

ly. "I on'y stopped in a Melbin' 'otel once, and then I got pot-o'-mine pois

' what the digestions of them city people learn to put up with. Well, I suppose you won't be addin

now (w'ich I won't, along of knowin' you too well), there'd be no gettin'

aid Murty. "I niver see his aiqual-he

' brung meself to 'ave 'im killed for anythink less than them comin' 'ome. As it

there's nothing more certain than that they'll all be out at the stables d'reckly after dinner, wantin' to see the 'orses, you an' I'd better go an' shine 'em up

zing on them-pygmies, after the great English sheep; oases of irrigation, with the deep green of lucerne growing rank among weed-fringed water-channels; and so on and on, past little towns and tiny settlements, and now and then a stop at some place of more importance. But Norah did not want the towns; she was homesick for the open country, for the scent of the gum trees coming drifting in through the open window, for the long, lonely plains where grazing cattle raised lazy eyes to look at the roaring engine, or horses flung up nervous heads and went racing away across the grass-more for the fun of it than from fear. The gum trees cal

er see those fellows than the meet of the Coaching Club in Hyde Park-

jungly animal!

l again. But just now there doesn't seem to be anything to touch a fellow's own country-and that team of ol

nlight, its one street green with feathery pepper trees along each side. The train pulled up, and they all tumbled out hastily; presumably the express wasted no more time upon Cunjee tha

s; with instruments few and poor, and with not much training, so that the cornet was apt to be half a bar ahead of the euphonium. The Lintons had heard many bands since they had been away, and some had pla

as a great arch of gum leaves, with a huge WELCOME in red letters, and beneath it were the shire president and his councillors, and other weighty men, all with speeches ready. But the speeches did not come to much, for the shire president had lads himself who had gone to the war, and a lump came in his throat as he looked at the tall boys from Billabong, whom he had known as little children; so that half the fine things he had prepared were never said-which did not matter, since he had it all written out and gave it to the reporter of the local paper afterwards! Something of speech-making there undoubtedly was, but no one could have told you much about it-and suddenly i

illy!"

ded in a perfectly

red-and thereby doubled

ere were battered tin uniform cases of Jim and Wally's, bearing their rank and regiment in half effaced letters: "Major J. Linton"; "Captain W. Meadows"-it was hard to realize that they belonged to the two mer

in the township if you want it," he said. "

ce sake we'll have to shake down to using the motor. But I drove the ol

ently, and the volunteers found their work cut out in holding them. Norah was by him, Evans on her other hand; Jim an

ll see you soon-it's not good-bye no

ge, and wheeled out of the station yard and up the street. Behind them cheers broke out afresh, and the band blared once more-which acted as a further spur to the horses; they were pulling double as the high buggy flashed

der mouth. They danced merrily to one side when they met a motor or a hawker's van with flapping cover; when the buggy rattled over a bridge they plainly regarded the drumming of their own hoofs as the last trump, and fled wildly for a few hundred yards, before realizing that nothing was really going to happen to them. But the miles fled under their swift feet. The trim villas near the township gave place to scattered farms. These in their turn became further and furt

f nettles. Here Norah had dropped her whip when riding alone, and her fractious young mare had succeeded in pulling away when she dismounted, and had promptly departed post-haste for home; leaving her wrathful owner to follow as she might. A passing bullock-wagon had given her a lift, and the somewhat anxious rescue party, setting out from Billabong, had met its youthful mistress, bruised from much bumping, but otherwise cheerful, progressing in slow majesty towards

came out within view of a great park-like paddock where Shorthorn bullocks, knee-deep in grass, scarcely moved aside as the buggy spun past, with the browns pulling

on Garryowen," spoke Jim

e had to fight Murty for the job," said Evans. "And Garryowen's been groomed

r, with his eyes shining. He raised his voice in a shout as th

ement that his voice was shaky. "Ah, don't shtop, sir,

smile. Then, as they dashed up the paddock, her hand sought for her father's knee under the rug, in the little gesture that had been hers from babyhood. The track

breath. "I thought once I'd n

faithful people they loved. Mrs. Brown first, starched and spotless, her hair greyer than it had been five years before, with Sarah and Mary beside her-they had married during the war, but nothing had prevented them from coming back to make Billabong ready. Near them the storekeeper, Jack Archdale, and his pretty wife, with their elfish small daughter; and Mick Shana

ownie-B

eem to mind; they kissed her, patting her vast shoulders very hard. Then Mrs. Archdale claimed Norah, and Brownie f

e!" he said. "De

and once or twice a little sob. Indeed, Brownie only found her tongue when they had drifted across the yard in a confused gr

Whereat Wally howled with laughter, and Jim, scarlet, ki

to be remembered; the mammoth turkey flanked by a ham as gigantic, and somewhat alarming to war-trained appetites; followed by every sweet that Brownie could remember as having been a favourite. They drifted naturally to the stables afterwards, to find their special horses, apparently little changed by five years, though some old station favourites were gone, and the men spoke proudly of some new young ones that were going to be "beggars to go," or "a caution to jump." Then they wandered down to the big lagoon

ches, an' wonder wot you got to eat, an' if i

aughing. "We used to think of sitting on the table here, Br

t scone in sight. "Now, Master Wally, my love, ain't you ready for a

d six!" said Wally

Brownie, whose similes were always apt to be peculiar. "Just another, then,

Doesn't it make you feel light-headed to t

'elpin' on the war as 'ard as you could." Brownie's indifference to national considerations where her nurselings were concerned was w

Mick Shanahan drifted in. There was so much to tell, so much to ask about; they talked until the dusk of the short winter afternoon stole into the kitchen, making the red flames in the stove

inly to 'ear 'em a

e've been quare an' lonesome