Captain Jim

r train, managed to catch the one before it; and so arrived at Homewood unheralded and unsung. Norah and Captain Hardress, who had been knocking golf-balls about, were cros

iving the newcomers, smiled

her doing a hundr

figure came upon them, round a bend in t

!" sai

hand. "I say, Norah, you haven't changed a bit. You're just the

and fat?" Norah laughed. "Oh,

ttle," said he. "Goodness knows

certain that he'll be here as soon

" He suddenly remember

st in the botanical fe

Norah, this is Jack B

lly glad to

or ourselves, digger," said the two,

llows, lean and bronzed, with quiet faces and deep-set eyes, Blake bore a serge

aid. "My word, that's a lonesome place, if you don't happen to know any

et," said Norah. "It's the

o, I think they'd know we came out of a d

orah answered. "But come on to the house. Da

he house, David Linton was seen co

athon runner at the sight of three big hats!" he sai

shook hands warmly, and

changed eithe

of it," said Mr. Linton, laughing. "She b

illabong for an hour! How's Brownie, Nor? and Murty O'Toole?

ly they want us back. We can't allow ourselves to think of

down Collins Street again, with the crowd cheering us-keeping an eye out for

ck, we took cattle there last year. Over the Haunted Hills-aren't they jolly in the spring!-and do

ey were at the house, and a buzz of conversation floate

d there are your friends! Dear me, how large they are, and so brown! Do introduce them to me: I'm planning to hear all about Australia. And a sergeant and lance-

y subsided upon a sofa, and listened solemnly while Mrs. West opened all her conversational batteries upon them. Norah hear

with a cup of tea, his l

taking it from him. "Sure

est day I have had for many a month. I don't know when I

ble to drive in Picca

ra

e never started the car at all-he made me learn everything

get on?" asked

wanted of it at all, and any steed but Brecon would have strongly resented me. But he stood i

ly on Brecon," Norah smi

ng on. It's not hard, with a steady horse, once you find o

on to Brunette," Norah

the bla

I'm going to hunt her in the w

id. "She ought to make a good polo-pony." He sigh

m. "This morning you didn't think y

hope into me: I feel a different being." He stopped, and a smil

e ranches," Mrs. West was saying. "And the de

e prefer them frozen," Blake said

ried to command her wits-hearing, as she turned, Mrs. West's shrill pipe-"And what is a

l afternoon; planning all the things he means to do on that farm-Hawkins', isn't it? But I suppose you don

it dances now, Norah? No more quick things over the grass after a cros

ong," Norah said laughi

to it, th

do them as a girl-to ride over long leagues of plain on a fiery mustang, among your

" said Har

ith spears, is it not? And wallabies. We live in dear, quiet little Engla

id Dick Harrison,

because his father died and he came into the baronetcy, but some day he means to write a book on Australia. That is why

ke gravely. "I wish we kne

? Outposts of Empire: that is what I call you: outposts of Em

uely. "But a lot of us just

ood deal for a st

he's not a bad fighting-man, old Abdul; we don't mind how ofte

e Fritz-that he's taken all the decency out of war. It used to be a man's game, but

l of crawling to get back among decent people after the war;

id Garrett longingly. They drew together and talked as fighting men will-vet

me from the drive, far-off; a

y-riding," sai

outside the porch crunched as it drew up; and then came cheery voices,

h! Where's

ach, and submitting to mighty pats

Where did you come from, you old

her people in the hall, and made apologies-interru

s," said Jim, with his

en Trevor for years, an

xciting to meet him

and-

anage to come?" No

til we got your message this morning. Since then he has been w

it was all I could do to keep him from slapping the

h laughed. "Whose car di

vagant, but we agreed that it w

a thing nicely!" He smote Wally affectionately. "I say, you were a k

etorted. "And now you're a hardened old

re gassed,

war before they gassed us.

e private war in Ireland? What

lly. "Such a lark-only for one thing. But w

nder if they'll send any of us to France-it would be r

the Melbourne Cricket Ground; boat-racing on the Yarra; Billabong and other stations; bush-fires and cattle-yarding; long days on the road with cattle, and nights spent watching them under the stars. All the grim business of life t

me: her responsibilities as housekeeper weighed up

ejaculated the cook-lady. "That's what I call real

"I've told Bride to p

ouple extra for dinner in a household of this size. Just tell the maids

I came down to tell you with the same scared feeling that I h

e time I want you to make a list for me of the things those big boys of yours like most: I might just as well cook

end them hampers before, of course, but it seemed so unsatisfactory just to order them at the

up here for a day, now and then, and have awful bouts of co

n Ireland." At which Katty, who had just entered with a saucepa

," remarked that lady. "

ttle the likes of them 'ud give you to do in the kitchen: if you asked them for a job, barring it was to wash the floor, they'd pitch you to the Sivin Divils. 'Isn't

liked them, Kat

ack to me, and she says, 'They're all ate,' says she: ''tis the way ye had not enough made,' she says. I did

ter put some coal on the fire, or the oven won't be hot enough for my pa

aid. "Jim said they must

t at seven-thirty. Will y

-if it's not to

ertainly not an early

on't worry ab

th her father listening happily in a big chair. No one saw her: she withdrew, and went in search of Mrs. West, but failed to find her. Bride, en

well go and dre

g the corridor, and stopped at her door. Jim's fi

Jimmy," No

ng huge in the da

dressed," he said. "

. This electric heater isn't as jolly to yarn by as a good old l

ad kid!" said Jim. He sat down, and

everything," he said.

Mrs. Atkins," said Nora

sa

! But

ry, and he listened wi

rked. "It gave one the creeps to look at her sour face, and

orah said. "And it's going to be great fun to house

her up to all the Australian ways, and see if we

d be a shock to Brownie if she sugge

ing. "I say, tell me about

the time the gong boomed out its summons from the hall, there was ver

te interesting, and there's a very nice lot of fellows: but I'd like to look in at you two and s

t up a hand and caught hi

you'll have to leave all your Tired People and come and paint London red." He gave a queer laugh. "Oh, I don't know, though.

aid Norah. "We'll have to look after you an

ink about this business too much. I thought I'd better tell you

t; he's s

of you less happy," Jim said in a tro

can't, Jimmy. D

table before the second gong goes." He paused. "You're all ready aren't you? The