ks of Mrs Bedford and the girls, he added with a
merry laugh: "If they have to fight. Bah! if the black scoundrels come
on, it only means a few charges of swan-shot to scatter them, and give
them a lesson they will never forget."

Soon after this the captain and Uncle Jack went outside with the glass
to sweep the edge of the scrub and the ridge, as well as every patch of
trees, leaving the boys alone in the back part of the house to keep
watch there.

"I say," said Rifle, in a low tone, "it's all very well for father to
talk like that to them, but he doesn't think a charge of swan-shot will
scatter the blacks, or else he wouldn't have the bullets ready."

"No," replied Norman, quietly. "He looks very serious about it all."

"Enough to make him," said Tim; "after getting all this place so
beautiful, to have a pack of savages coming and interfering.--I say,
Shanter, think the savages are gone?"

"Mine no pidney," said Shanter, starting up from where he had been
squatting in one corner.

"Are the black fellows gone?"

"Baal black fellow gone along. Wait till piggi jump down and can't
see."

"Think so? Come along all dark?" said Rifle. "Yohi. Come along, get
flour, numkull chicken fellow. Make big fight."

Norman frowned.

"Mine glad Marmi Rifle. Mine like plenty stop along here."

"Well, I don't," grumbled Rifle. "I don't like it at all. I say, Man,
don't you wish we were all safe somewhere else?"

"Yes. No," said Norman, shortly; "we mustn't be cowards now."

"'Tisn't cowardly not to want to fight like this," grumbled Rifle. "If
I shoot, perhaps I shall kill a black fellow. I don't want to kill a
black fellow."

Shanter nodded admiringly, for he did not quite grasp the speech.

"Kill a black fellow," he said. "Mumkull. Go bong."

"Oh, bother; I wish he wouldn't muddle what a fellow means. I say, Tim,
feel frightened?"

"Horribly," replied Tim. "I say, I hope they will not come."

"Perhaps they will not," said Norman. "If they do, it may only mean to
drive away some of the cattle."

"Well, father don't want his cattle driven away, does he?"

"Don't talk so," said Norman, who was standing with his face to a small
square window, which he reached by standing on a case. "I say, come
here, Tim."

The boy went and stood by him.

"Look straight along the garden fence, and see if that isn't something
moving; there, by those bushes."

Tim looked intently for a few moments, and shook