Page 22 - A Little Bush Maid

"Why, you each drive an animal," explained Wally, the words tumbling
over one another in his haste. "Say you drive the kangaroo, ’n me the

wallabies, ’n Jim the Orpington rooster, ’n we’ll give old Harry the
tortoise--turloise, T beg pardon!"

"Thanks," said Harry dryly. "The tortoise scored once, you know, young
Wally!"

"Well, old man, you take him," Wally said kindly. "Wouldn’t stand in your

way for a moment. We can use harness, can’t we?"

"Don’t know," Jim said. "T never studied the rules of menagerie racing. Use

bridles, anyhow. Tt’s a good idea, T think. Let’s see how many starters we
can muster."

They cruised round. Dogs were barred as being too intelligent--horses were,
of course, out of the question. Finally they fixed on the possible candidates.

They were the kangaroo, the wallabies, a big black Orpington "rooster,"
Fudge the parrot, Caesar the cockatoo, Mrs. Brown’s big yellow cat, Tim,

and the "turloise."

"Eight," said Harry laconically. The starters were all mustered in one

enclosure, and were on the worst of terms. "We’ll need more jockeys--if
you call ’em jockeys."

"Well, there’s black Billy," Jim said; "he’s available, and he’ll drive
whichever he’s told, and that’s a comfort. That’s five. And we’ll rouse out

old Lee Wing, and Hogg, that’s a ripping idea, ’cause they hate each other
so. Seven. Who’s eight? Oh, T know! We’ll get Mrs. Brown."

Mrs. Brown was accordingly bearded in her den and, protesting vigorously
that she had no mind for racing, haled forth into the open. She was a huge

woman, as good-natured as she was fat, which said a good deal. Tn her print
dress, with enormous white apron and flapping sun bonnet, she looked as

unlikely a "jockey" as could be imagined.