Page 21 - A Little Bush Maid

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER III

A MENAGERTE RACE

The first time that Jim returned from school was for the Easter holidays.

He brought a couple of mates with him--boys from New South Wales and

Queensland, Harry Trevor and Walter Meadows. Harry was a little older
than Jim--a short, thick-set lad, very fair and solemn, with expressionless
grey eyes, looking out beneath a shock of flaxen hair. Those who knew him

not said that he was stupid. Those who knew him said that you couldn’t tell
old Harry much that he didn’t know. Those who knew him very well said

that you could depend on Trevor to his last gasp. Jim loved him--and there
were few people Jim loved.

Walter--or Wally--Meadows was a different type; long and thin for
fourteen, burnt to almost Kaffir darkness; a wag of a boy, with merry

brown eyes, and a temperament unable to be depressed for more than five
minutes at a time. He was always in scrapes at school, but a great favourite
with masters and boys notwithstanding; and he straightway laid his boyish

heart down at Norah’s feet, and was her slave from the first day they met.

Norah liked them both. She had been desperately afraid that they would try
to take Jim away from her, and was much relieved to find that they
welcomed her cheerfully into their plans. They were good riders, and the

four had splendid gallops over the plains after hares. Also they admired
Bobs fervently, and that was always a passport to Norah’s heart.

Tt was on the third day of their visit, and they were making the morning
round of the pets, when a brilliant idea came to Wally.

"Let’s have a menagerie race!" he cried suddenly.

"What’s that?" Norah asked blankly.