lling, and hard work,
settled down on them, and they made for the house. On the verandah the
two gins lay sleeping, their figures dimly outlined under mosquito nets;
the dogs crouched about in all sorts of attitudes. Considine turned in
all standing in the big rough bunk, while Carew and Gordon stretched
their blankets on the hard earth floor, made a pillow of their clothes,
and lay down to sleep, after fixing mosquito nets. Gordon slept as soon
as he touched the blankets, but Carew tumbled and tossed. The ground was
deadly hard. During the journey Frying Pan had got grass for their beds;
here he had not been told to get it, and it would have looked effeminate
to ask for grass when no one else seemed to want it. The old man heard
him stirring and rolling, and sat up in his bunk. "What's up, Mister?"
he said kindly. "D'you find it a hard camp?"

"Not too easy," said the Englishman. "Always seems to be a deuced hard
place just under your hip, don't you know?"

"I'll put you right in a brace of shakes," said Considine. "I've got the
very thing to make a soft bed. Half a minute now, and I'll get it for
you."

He went out to the back of the house, and returned with a dry white
bullock-hide, as rigid as a sheet of iron. This he threw down at Carew's
feet.

"Here y'are, Mister; put that under you for a hipper, and you'll be all
right."

Carew found the hide nearly as hard as the bare floor, but he uttered
profuse thanks, and said it was quite comfortable; to which the old man
replied that he was sure it must be, and then threw himself back on his
bunk and began snoring at once. But Carew lay long awake.

CHAPTER XVIII. THE WILD CATTLE.

Carew awoke next morning to find that it was broad daylight, and the
horses had been run in, caught, and saddled, all ready for a start to
the run. Breakfast was soon disposed of, and the cavalcade set
out. Naturally, the old man had heaps of questions to ask about his
inheritance, and made the Englishman ride alongside while he questioned
him.

"If I go to England after this money, Mister, I suppose they won't
be handin' me out ten years for perjury, same as they done for Roger
Tichborne, eh? I won't have no law case, will I?"

"Shouldn't think so. You've been advertised for all over the place, I
believe."

"Ha! Well, now they've got me they mightn't like me, don't you see? I
never took no stock in them unclaimed-money fakes. I never see any money
goin' beggin' yet, lon