Page 32 - A Little Bush Maid

"School was never like this," Jim grinned. "There’s the squirt, Wal."

The squirt was there; so was the jug of water, and a moment sufficed to
charge the weapon. The nozzle was gently inserted into the sleeper’s

pyjama collar, and in a moment the drenched and wrathful hero arose
majestically from his watery pillow and, seizing his tormentors, banged
their heads together with great effort.

"You’re slow to wake, but no end of a terror when once you rouse up," said

Wally, ruefully rubbing his pate.

"Goats!" said Harry briefly, rubbing his neck with a hard towel. "Come on

and have a swim."

They tore down the hail, only pausing at Norah’s door while Jim ran in to
wake her-- a deed speedily accomplished by gently and firmly pressing a
wet sponge upon her face. Then they raced to the lagoon, and in a few

minutes were splashing and ducking in the water. They spent more time
there than Jim had intended, their return being delayed by a spirited boat

race between Harry’s slippers, conducted by Wally and Jim. By the time
Harry had rescued his sopping footgear, the offenders were beyond pursuit
in the middle of the lagoon, so he contented himself with annexing Jim’s

slippers, in which he proudly returned to the house. Jim, arriving just too
late to save his own, promptly "collared" those of Wally, leaving the

last-named youth no alternative but to paddle home in the water-logged
slippers--the ground being too rough and stony to admit of barefoot
travelling.

Norah, fresh from the bath, was prancing about the verandah in her kimono

as the boys raced up to the house, her hair a dusky cloud about her face.

"Not dressed?--you laziness!" Jim flung at her.

"Well, you aren’t either," was the merry retort.

"No; but we’ve got no silly hair to brush!"