Seven Little Australians

the Light

him to be

y one that knows h

t's

d the so himse

not who

e palls after a time when one has to bowl and bat and backstop in solitary state. So presently he put his bat over into the garden, and began to throw the ball about in an aimless fashion, while he cogitated on what he should do next. His father's hack was standing away at the farther end of the paddock, and in an idle,

nd he turned hastily round with his usual idea of hiding in his head. But to his utter dismay, when he got half-way back across the paddock he saw his father and a

t, and, falling hurriedly upon his knees, began playing an absorbing game of marbles. His tre

m his shaking knees, and walk

's leg in his hand and was examining it anxiously. "If he's not about, sen

aid with chattering teeth, but his father was too occup

ables and sent Pat post

es and a bit of cake from the dining-room, and went

a double loft over it that was only to be reached by a ladder in the last stage of dilapidation. Bunty sc

same dirty-faced, heavyhearted one who sat with his small rough head against

ne he was in by a low partition. "Shoo-shoo, get away!" he called, thinking

!" he

un

, low whisper of his name, that strange r

un

he rustling grew louder, something was getting over the partition, crossing the floor, coming towards him. He gav

ce again, and a light

he shrieked. "Meg

ver his mouth and another pull

that he knew had come to punish him for his sin. But something made him o

s over his mouth, and Judy's se

. He stared hard at her to make sure she was r

e remaining apple and cake from his hand, a

-looking Judy it was. Her clothes were hanging round her almost in tatters, her boots were

eyes threatening to start out of his head

uavering voice. "I've walked all the way fr

ery!" Bu

hair in a weary moray. "I can't quite remember everything

with frightened eyes, as a visi

e, and you can all come to see me and bring me food and things, and then presently I'll go back to school." She sank

rom your school?

dded after a pause, and shut her eyes again for quite a long time. Then a tear or two of weakness and self-pity trickled from beneath her black lashes, and made a little clean mark down her cheeks. Bunty's th

he closed lashes, and the girl turned over and lay face downwards to hide th

g a fortnight at Katoomba-oh, BUNTY, you ought to see the curls Miss Marian Burton wears plastered at each side o

he got her breath-"you might remember I've had nothing to eat

"What could you eat? what shall I get?" h

straw, and crunch up the beams as if they were biscuits. I declare I've had to

but then she began to cough again, and, afte

d faintly, as his head was disappearing.

e away the pain her words gave him, for just at tha

ly, "but the others are all out. Would

le that accompanied the last word

rs trickled

with a sob. "They might have known I

aby's at the Courtneys', and Esther's gone to town with the General. Oh, and

ught, when she heard how everything seemed going on as usual,

, and she closed her eyes again and lay mot

ind, but he shook it off again and hurried on. The pantry door was locked. Martha, the cook, kept it in that condition generally on account of his

Nothing to eat sinc

is tea. And Judy had forgone three meals! He shut his lips tightly, and a light of almost heroic resolve came into his eyes. Round at the side of the house was t

the whole place seemed very quiet. Martha, as he had seen, was cooking in the kitchen, and the other girl was whiteni

one arm, his left stocking was ripped away and a deep red scratch sh

d the sill, and t

hen began to look around for provender. The pantry was remarkably empty-not a sign of cakes, not a bit of jelly, not a remnant of fowl anywhere. He cut a great piece off a loaf, and carefully wrapped some butter in a scrap of newspaper. There was some corned beef on a dish, and he cut off

ndow, and gave a look of despair at the cactus. And even as he

e doorway, and to his utter horror she was talking

ause it is the last place I should expect it to be in. I left it on my bedroom mantelpiece, but somebody

Martha retorted. "I don't mix the pastry with it

figure at the window. Now the door was only half open, and her master was st

g faces at her than she closed it again, and even began to examine the bot

minute and he would have been in the thick o

o dish. Which toppled over, and coolly pushed the great basin of milk off the shelf on to the floor. I don't know if ever you have tried to clean a board floor after milk, but I am sure you can imagine it would be a disagreeable task, especially if you had scrubbed it well only that morning. It w

nto the pantry and gave a roar o

n an agony of dre

nd his tongue a-lyin'," said Martha Tomlin

the Captain's hands, and Bunty had ducked under his arm

every step, but hugely commending himself f

ely noble, and the thought comforted him even while the cuts and scratches smarted. He tried to stifle his

ched, miserable face that bobbed

s were half open, and he knelt d

s, Judy-ain't you

er head ver

some currants; there's some

"Do take them away," she

pointment stole over

lf to get them! Well, you

tlessly from side to side. "Oh, how my feet ache! n

s, and wiping away tears of keen self-pity with his coat sl

emed to run into each other. "I've walked hundreds and hundreds, and haven't got home yet. I sup

idjut!" Bunty

ome back and no one will know. And lend me two shillings, can you? I've not got much left. Bunty, you selfish little pig, you m

y and horrid after I nearly got killed for you," Bunty said,

lled over and bega

ten miles a day I shall get home in eleven hundred and eighty-three times ten, that's a thousand and-and-oh! what is it? whatever is it? Bunty, you horrid little pig, can't you, tell me what it is? My head aches too

eked and the child struggled

n't you?" she said hoarsely. "I shall never get th

nd she fell down in a little senseless heap. "Meg-I'll fetch Meg," said the little boy in