Page 34 - A Little Bush Maid

of crisp doughnuts which Mrs. Brown presently placed upon the table with
a flourish.

"We don’t get things like this at school!" Wally said regretfully, pausing for

an instant before his seventh.

"All the more reason you should eat plenty now," said their constructor,

holding the doughnuts temptingly beneath his nose. "Come now, dearie, do
eat something!" and Wally bashfully recommenced his efforts.

"How’s Billy getting on?" Jim inquired.

"Billy’s in the back kitchen, Master Jim, my love, and you’ve no call to
worry your head about him, He’s had three plates of bacon and five eggs,

and most like by this time he’s finished all his doughnuts and drunk his
coffee-pot dry. That black image will eat anythink," concluded Mrs. Brown
solemnly.

"Well, T can’t eat anything more, anyhow," Jim declared. "How we’re all

going to ride fifteen miles beats me. Tf we sleep all day, instead of catching
fish for you, you’ve only got yourself to blame, Mrs. Brown." Whereat Mrs.
Brown emitted fat and satisfied chuckles, and the meeting broke up noisily,

and rushed off to find its hats.

Six ponies in a line against the stable yard fence--Bobs, with an eye looking
round hopefully for Norah and sugar; Mick, most feather-headed of
chestnuts, and Jim’s especial delight; Topsy and Barcoo, good useful station

ponies, with plenty of fun, yet warranted not to break the necks of
boy-visitors; Bung Eye, a lean piebald, that no one but black Billy ever

thought of riding; next to him old Polly, packed securely with the day’s
provisions. Two fishing-rods stuck out from her bundles, and a big bunch
of hobbles jingled as she moved.

There was nothing in the saddles to distinguish Norah’s mount, for she, too,

rode astride. Mr. Linton had a rooted dislike to side saddles, and was wont
to say he preferred horses with sound withers and a daughter whose right