Page 56 - A Little Bush Maid

"Poor old Norah’s face fell about a foot. She begged and argued, but she
might as well have spared herself the trouble. At last Dad said she could

ride out in the first two paddocks, but no nearer the fire, she had to be
content with that. T think she was pretty near mopping her eyes."

"Wasn’t," said Norah indistinctly.

"Well, we went off. All of us had fire-beaters. You know we always have
them ready; and Field was driving the water-cart--it always stands ready

filled for use. We just galloped like mad. Dad didn’t wait for any
gates--Bosun can jump anything--and he just went straight across country.
Luckily, there was no stock in the paddocks near the house, except that in

one small paddock were about twenty valuable prize sheep. However, the
fire was so far off that we reckoned they were safe, and so we turned our

attention to the fire.

"We left old Norah in the second paddock, looking as miserable as a

bandicoot. Dad made her promise not to meddle with the fire. ’Promise me
you won’t try any putting out on your own account,’ he said; and Norah

promised very reluctantly. T was jolly sorry you were out of it, you know,
old kid," said Jim reflectively; and Norah gave him a little smile.

"We made great time across the paddocks," Jim continued. "Dad was ever
so far ahead, of course, but our contingent, that had to go round by the

gates, didn’t do so badly. Billy was on Mick, and he and T had a go for the
lead across the last paddock."

"Who won?" asked Harry.

"Me," said Jim ungrammatically. "When we got into the smoke we had to
go round a bit, or we’d have gone straight into the fire. We hung up the
horses in a corner that had been burnt round, and was safe from more fire,

and off we went. There were ever so many men fighting it; all Morrison’s
fellows, and a lot from other places as well. The fire had started right at our

boundary, and had come across a two-hundred acre paddock like a shot.
Then a little creek checked it a bit, and let the fighters have a show.