is so black--Ashantee."

"Eh, you want Shanter?" cried the black sharply.

"No; but mind and drive those bullocks and horses down to Jennings', and
the gentleman will give you sixpence."

"You give Shanter tickpence?" he cried eagerly, as he lowered his rough
shock-head and peered in the captain's face.

"Yes, if you drive them carefully."

"Hoo!" shouted the black, leaping from the ground, and then bursting out
with a strange noise something between a rapid repetition of the word
wallah and the gobbling of a turkey-cock; and then seeing that the boys
laughed he repeated the performance, waved his clumsy spear over his
head, and made a dash at the bullocks, prodding them in the ribs,
administering a poke or two to the horses, and sending them off at a
gallop toward the port.

"No, no, no, stop him!" cried the captain; and the three boys rushed off
after the black, who stopped for them to overtake him.

"What a matter--what a matter?" he said coolly, as they caught and
secured him.

"Mind he don't come off black, Tim," cried Norman.

"Black? All black," cried the Australian. "White, all white. Not
white many."

"That's not the way to drive cattle," cried the young doctor, as he came
up with the captain.

"Not give tickpence drive bullockum?"

"Yes, if you are careful. Go slowly."

"Go slowly."

"No. Bullockum 'top eat grass. Never get along."

"You'll make them too hot," said Rifle.

"No, no," shouted the black; "no can get too hot. No clothes."

"Send the fellow about his business," said the captain; "we'll drive the
cattle ourselves. Good lesson for you, boys.--Here you are, Shanter."

He took out a bright little silver coin, and held it out to the black,
who made a snatch at it, but suddenly altered his mind.

"No, not done drive bullockum. Wait bit."

He started off after the cattle again, but evidently grasped what was
meant, and moved steadily along with the three boys beside him, and he
kept on turning his shiny, bearded, good-humoured face from one to the
other, and displaying a perfect set of the whitest of teeth.

"Seems ruin, doesn't it?" said Tim, after they had gone steadily on for
some time in silence--a silence only broken by a bellow from one of the
bullocks.

"Hear um 'peak?" cried the black.

"What, the bullock?" said Rifle.

The black nodded.

"Say don't want to go along. Shanter make um go."

"No, no, don't hunt them."

"No," cried the black, volubly; "hu