t to believe him, for there
was a black face peering in at their window.

"Get out!" cried Tim, hurling a boot at his cousin, who dodged it, while
as soon as Norman had grasped the fact that the face belonged to Shanter
he made a rush at his brother, who laughingly avoided it, and then
hurrying on their clothes, they went out to find the captain and Uncle
Jack, each with a double gun in the hollow of his arm.

"Seen anything, father?" cried Norman.

"No, my boy, all peaceable, and Shanter says there are no black fellows
near."

"Baal black fellow," said that gentleman. "See plenty mine bunyip, baal
come again."

Here he burst into a roar of laughter, and began imitating the action of
a myall black creeping up to the storehouse, going close up to the
flour-tub, and looking in before uttering a wild yell, darting back,
tumbling, getting up, falling again, rolling over and over, and then
jumping up to run away as hard as he could.

He came back panting and grinning in a minute or two, looking from one
to the other as if for applause.

"I hope he is right," said Uncle Jack; "but we shall have to be more
careful."

"Yes," said the captain; "we have been too confident, boys, and I must
now declare the station in a state of siege."

"Won't it be time enough when the black fellows come, father?"

"Will it be time enough to lock the stable door when the steed is
stolen, sir?" replied the captain, sternly.

Rifle rubbed his right ear, as if his father's words had buzzed in it,
and said no more.

"Talk about steeds," said the captain; "let's go and have a look at the
horses. There'll be plenty of time before breakfast."

For the captain had of late given a good deal of attention to one of his
young horses which promised to prove of great value. The boys were
already well mounted and provided most satisfactorily. There were the
quiet mares, too, which the two girls rode, and Uncle Jack had a good
sturdy mount; but this graceful colt had thoroughly taken the captain's
attention, and he was looking forward to the day when some wealthy
settler would come up the country, see it, and purchase it, or make some
valuable exchange in the shape of articles as useful to them as money.

They reached the paddock, which was always increasing in size, when they
could find time to enclose more land with posts and rails, and the
horses came trotting up for the titbits they were accustomed to receive
from their owner's hand; an