o," said Rifle; "and I believe aunt used her flour in her sleep."

"Here, boys," cried the captain just then; "take the horses and go round
and fetch up that lot of bullocks from the plain. I fancy they have
gone right away some distance, or the dingoes have scared them; it will
be a good ride for you."

"And no Shanter here," said Norman, as they went off to catch and saddle
their horses.

"I wonder father hasn't made a bother about it. He doesn't seem to have
missed him."

"Too busy over getting down that big gum over yonder," observed Rifle.
"My word, what a time it seems to take!"

"Nice bit of amusement for Uncle Jack and old Sam. He is getting too
fat."

The others laughed, and then after they had caught, saddled, and bridled
their horses, they walked them up to where the captain was examining the
edge of a felling-axe, Uncle Jack and German being similarly armed.

"Off you go, boys," said the captain.

"And let's see whether you'll be back before we get down the great
gum-tree," said their uncle, smiling.

"We shall be back," said Rifle. "You will not get down the big gum for
a week."

German chuckled, and the boys sprang into their saddles.

"You'll have a long ride, boys," said the captain. "I was up on the big
rock yesterday," he continued, nodding toward the top of the precipice
whence Norman had seen the black fellows, "and I could not see them with
the glass."

"We'll find 'em, father," said Norman, confidently.

"Off then," said the captain; and away they went, riding now with
wonderful ease and skill; while, bent on getting down the great gum-tree
by the creek because it impeded part of the view from the house, and in
addition its trunk being wanted for boards and its branches for fuel,
the captain led his little force of axemen to the assault.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

"BUNYIP! BUNYIP!"

That same afternoon, soon after dinner, the captain and his
fellow-wielders of the axe again went down to carry on their
wood-cutting. The boys were not back, nor expected, and in the course
of the afternoon the girls proposed that Mrs Bedford and Aunt George
should go with them for a walk, and to take some refreshment to the
wood-cutters.

They refused, of course, and then gave way, and soon after the little
party left the house, and strolled slowly away toward the creek, all
enjoying the delightfully fresh breeze which came across the plains and
sent the blood dancing in the young girls' ve