ir cases--and wins them, too. But he never comes here. He always
stays down at the hotel when he comes out this way."

"I intend to ask him here," said Miss Grant. "He saved my life."

Again the long eyelashes dropped so as to hide the sparkle of the eyes.

"Of course, if you like to ask him--"

"Do you think he'd come?"

"Yes, I'm sure he would. If you like to write and ask him, Peter could
ride down to Donohoe's to-day with a note."

From which it would seem that one, at any rate, of the Kuryong household
was not wholly indifferent to Mr. Blake.

CHAPTER IX. SOME VISITORS.

After breakfast next morning Mary decided to spend the day in the
company of the children, who were having holidays.

"Just as well for you to learn the house firsts" said Hugh, "before you
tackle the property. The youngsters know where everything is--within
four miles, anyhow."

Two little girls were impressed, and were told to take Miss Grant round
and show her the way about the place; and they set off together in the
bright morning sunlight, on a trip of exploration.

Now, no true Australian, young or old, ever takes any trouble or
undergoes any exertion or goes anywhere without an object in view. So
the children considered it the height of stupidity to walk simply for
the sake of walking, and kept asking where they were to walk to.

"What shall we see if we go along this road?" asked Miss Grant, pointing
with her dainty parasol along the wheel-track that meandered across the
open flat and lost itself in the timber.

"Nothing," said both children together.

"Then, what is there up that way?" she asked, waving her hand up towards
the foothills and the blue mountains. "There must be some pretty flowers
to look at up there?"

"No, there isn't," said the children.

"Well, let us go into the woods and see if we can't find something," she
said determinedly; and with her reluctant guides she set off, trudging
across the open forest through an interminable vista of gum trees.

After a while one of the girls said, "Hello, there's Poss!"

Miss Grant looked up, and saw through the trees a large and very
frightened bay horse, with a white face. On further inspection, a youth
of about eighteen or twenty was noticed on the horse's back, but he
seemed so much a part of the animal that one might easily overlook him
at a first glance. The horse had stopped at the sight of them, and was
visibly affected with terror.

They advanced