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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
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