Page 107 - A Little Bush Maid

last.

"Well," he said, "it’s awfully nice being here, and T’m not in a bit of a hurry
to go--are you, chaps?"

The chaps chorused "No."

"All the same, it’s getting late," Jim went on, pulling out his watch--"later
than T thought, my word! Come on--we’ll have to hurry. Billy, you slip

along and saddle up the ponies one-time quick!"

Billy departed noiselessly.

"He never said ’Plenty!’" said Wally disappointedly, gathering himself up

from the grass.

"Tt was an oversight," Jim laughed. "Now then, Norah, come along. What

about the miserable remains?"

"The remains aren’t so miserable," said Norah, who was on her knees
gathering up the fragments of the feast. "See, there’s a lot of bread yet, ever
so many scones, heaps of cake, and the fruit, to say nothing of butter and

jam." She looked up shyly at the Hermit. "Would you--would you mind
having them?"

The Hermit laughed.

"Not a bit!" he said. "T’m not proud, and it is really a treat to see civilized
food again. T’ll willingly act as your scavenger, Miss Norah."

Together they packed up the remnants, and the Hermit deposited them
inside his tent. He rummaged for a minute in a bag near his bed, and

presently came out with something in his hand.

"T amuse myself in my many odd moments by this sort of thing," he said.
"Will you have it, Miss Norah?"