antered round.

Paddy Maloney touched Nugget with the whip, and off he
went--"rump-ti-dee, dump-ti-dee." Dave rolled about a lot the first
time round, but soon got his equilibrium. He brandished the shears and
plunged the points of them into Podgy's belly-wool--also into Podgy's
skin. "Bur-UR-R!" Podgy blurted and struggled violently. Dave began
to topple about. He dropped the shears. The audience guffawed. Then
Dave jumped; but Podgy's horns got caught in his clothes and made
trouble. Dave hung on one side of the horse and the sheep dangled on
the other. Dave sang out, so did Podgy. And the horse stopped and
snorted, then swung furiously round and round until five or six pairs
of hands seized his head and held him.

Dave did n't repeat the act. He ran away holding his clothes together.

It was a very successful circus. Everyone enjoyed it and wished to see
it again--everyone but the Maloneys. They said it was a swindle, and
ran Dad down because he did n't divide with Paddy the 3s. 6d. he took
at the door.

Chapter XVI.

When Joe Was In Charge.

Joe was a naturalist. He spent a lot of time--time that Dad considered
should have been employed cutting burr or digging potatoes--in
ear-marking bears and bandicoots, and catching goannas and letting them
go without their tails, or coupled in pairs with pieces of greenhide.
The paddock was full of goannas in harness and slit-eared bears. THEY
belonged to Joe.

Joe also took an interest in snakes, and used to poke amongst logs and
brush-fences in search of rare specimens. Whenever he secured a good
one he put it in a cage and left it there until it died or got out, or
Dad threw it, cage and all, right out of the parish.

One day, while Mother and Sal were out with Dad, Joe came home with a
four-foot black snake in his hand. It was a beauty. So sleek and
lithe and lively! He carried it by the tail, its head swinging close
to his bare leg, and the thing yearning for a grab at him. But Joe
understood the ways of a reptile.

There was no cage--Dad had burnt the last one--so Joe walked round the
room wondering where to put his prize. The cat came out of the bedroom
and mewed and followed him for the snake. He told her to go away. She
did n't go. She reached for the snake with her paw. It bit her. She
spat and sprang in the air and rushed outside with her back up. Joe
giggled and wondered how long the cat would live.

The Rev. Macpherson,