Page 28 - A Little Bush Maid

"Billy," said Jim, indicating that sable hero. "Tn a common walk. Fed him
over. All right, now, Billy, you catch-um kangaroo, wallaby--d’you hear?"

Billy showed a set of amazingly white teeth in a broad grin, and departed

swiftly and silently.

"Where’s Lee Wing?"

"Had to tear him off Hogg!" Jim grinned. "You never saw such a shindy.

They’ve retired in bad order."

"Where’s Fudge?"

"Left at the post!"

"Where’s Mrs. Brown--and the tortoise?"

"Great Scott!" Jim looked round blankly. "That never occurred to me.
Where is she, T wonder?"

The course was empty.

"Tortoise got away with her!" laughed Wally.

"H’m," said Jim. "We’ll track her to her lair."

Tn her lair--the kitchen--Mrs. Brown was discovered, modestly hiding

behind the door. The tortoise was on the table, apparently cheerful.

"Poor dear pet!" said Mrs. Brown. "He wouldn’t run. T don’t think he was
awake to the situation, Master Jim, dear, so T just carried him over-- T didn’t
think it mattered which way T ran--and my scones were in the oven! They’re

just out--perhaps you’d all try them?"--this insinuatingly. "T don’t think this
tortoise comes of a racing family!"--and the great menagerie race

concluded happily in the kitchen in what Wally called "a hot buttered
orgy."