Page 55 - A Little Bush Maid

"Dad looked. Tt didn’t take him long to see what was up when be spied that
big cloud of smoke.

"’Great Scott!’ he shouted. ’Jim, get Billy to run the horses up. Where are

you all? Burrows, Field, Henry! Get out the water-cart--quick. All of you
get ready fire-beaters. Dress yourselves--quickly!’ (You could see that was
quite an afterthought on Dad’s part.) Then he turned and fled inside to

dress."

"How ripping!" Wally said, wriggling on the log with joy.

"Ripping, do you call it?" said Jim indignantly. "You try it for yourself,

young Wally, and see. Fire’s not much of a joke when you’re fighting it
yourself, T can tell you. Well, Dad was out again in about two shakes, ready

for the fray, and you can bet the rest of us didn’t linger long. Billy had the
horses up almost as soon, and every one got his own. Things were a bit
merry in the stockyard, T can tell you, and heels did fly.

"After all, Norah here was the first mounted. Bobs was in the stable, you

see, and Norah had him saddled before any of us had put our bridles on.
Goodness knows how she dressed. T guess it wasn’t much of a toilet!"

Jim ducked suddenly, and a chip hurled by Norah flew over his head and
splashed into the water.

"Get out--you’ll frighten the fish!" he said, grinning. "My yarn, old girl."

"Might have had the sense to keep me out of it," said Norah impolitely.

"You be jiggered," said Jim affectionately. "Anyhow, boys, you should
have seen Dad’s face when Norah trotted over from the stable. He was just
girthing up old Bosun, and T was wrestling with Sirdar, who didn’t want his

crupper on.

"’My dear child,’ Dad said, ’get off that pony and go back to bed. You can’t
think T could allow you to come out?’