shed, and the drought and financial
worries all but crushed Harrington under the weight of his misfortunes,
and his complaining, irritable wife rendered his existence at home
almost unbearable, her brave spirit kept his from sinking under the
incessant strain of his anxieties. Mrs. Harrington, after her third
child was born, had given up even the semblance of attending to the
children, and left them to Nellie and the servants. She was doing quite
enough, she once told her husband bitterly, in staying with him at such
a horrible place in such a horrible country. But she nevertheless always
went away to the sea-coast during the hottest months, and succeeded in
having a considerable amount of enjoyment, leaving the children and Jack
and Miss Alleyne to swelter through the summer at Tinandra Downs as best
they could.

IV

It was nearly midnight as Harrington took down the slip-rails and led
his horse through the paddock up to the house, which, except for a dimly
burning lamp in the dining-room, was in darkness. The atmosphere was
close and sultry, and the perspiration ran down his skin in streams as
he gave his horse to the head-stockman, who was sitting on the verandah
awaiting him.

"Terrible night, sir, but I'm thinking if it keeps on like this for
another hour or two we'll get a big thunderstorm. 'Sugar-bag'" (one of
the black boys) "was here just now and says that the ant-heaps about are
covered with ants--that's a sure sign, sir."

"God send it so, Banks! If no rain comes within two days, you'll have to
start away for Cleveland Bay with Mrs. Harrington and Miss Alleyne and
the children. We must find horses somehow to take them there."

Before Banks led the horse away for a drink, he stopped.

"Miss Alleyne went to Canton Reef, sir, this morning with little Sandy.
She ought to have been here before dark, but I expect the horses knocked
up. There's a couple of cows with young calves there, so Sandy says,
and Miss Alleyne said she would try and bring them in if I would let her
take Sandy. We've had no milk, sir, for the children since Tuesday, and
Miss Alleyne said that you would be vexed. I would have gone
myself, sir, but I couldn't well leave, and I know Miss Alleyne will
manage--it's only fifteen miles, and Sandy says that the two cows and
calves are pretty fat and can travel; there's a bit of feed at those
waterholes about the Canton. Most likely she and the little black boy
have yarded the cows at the