Page 65 - A Little Bush Maid

fond of Len, and it annoyed him to see his eye.

"The swaggie did not do any more resisting. He was like a half-dead,
drowned rat. Len and Sam brought him up to the men at the fire just after

we’d left to try to save Dad’s Shropshires, and they and Mr. Morrison could
hardly keep the men off him. He hid behind Sam, and cried and begged
them to protect him. They said it was beastly."

"Rather!" said Harry. "Where’s he now?"

"Melbourne Gaol. He got three years," said Jim. "T guess he’s reflecting on
the foolishness of using matches too freely!"

"By George!" said Wally, drawing a deep breath. "That was exciting,

Jimmy!"

"Well, fishing isn’t," responded Jim pulling up his hook in disgust, an

example followed by the other boys. "What’ll we do?"

"T move," said Wally, standing on one leg on the log, "that this meeting do
adjourn from this dead tree. And T move a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Jim
Linton for spinning a good yarn. Thanks to be paid immediately. There’s

mine, Jimmy!"

A resounding pat on the back startled Jim considerably, followed as it was
by a second from Harry. The assaulted one fled along the log, and hurled
mud furiously from the bank. The enemy followed closely, and shortly the

painful spectacle might have been seen of a host lying flat on his face on
the grass, while his guests, sitting on his back, bumped up and down to his

extreme discomfort and the tune of "For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow!"