nd dirty, and the big leather mail-bag that he handed over had
evidently been under water.

"We had to swim, Mr. Hugh," the boy said triumphantly, "and this great,
clumsy cow" (the child referred to his horse), "he reared over on me in
the water, twyst, but I stuck to him. My oath!"

Hugh laughed. "I expect Kiley's River will get you yet, Patsy," he said.
"Go in now to the kitchen and get dry by the fire. I'll lend you a horse
to get back on to-morrow. You can camp here till then, there's no hurry
back."

The boy let his horse go loose, dismissing it with a parting whack on
the rump with the bridle, and swaggered inside, carrying his saddle, to
show his wet clothes and recount his deeds to the admiring cook. Patsy
was not one to hide his light under a bushel.

Hugh carried the bag into the office, and shook out the letters and
papers on the table. Everything was permeated with a smell of wet
leather, and some of the newspapers were rather pulpy. After sending out
everybody else's mail he turned to examine his own. Out of the mass of
letters, agents' circulars, notices of sheep for sale, catalogues of
city firms, and circulars from pastoral societies, he picked a letter
addressed to himself in the scrawling fist of William Grant. He opened
it, expecting to find in it the usual Commination Service on things
in general, but as he read on, a vivid surprise spread over his face.
Leaving the other letters and papers unopened, he walked to the door
and looked out into the courtyard, where Stuffer, the youngest of his
nephews, who was too small to be allowed to join in the field sports of
the others, was playing at being a railway train. He had travelled in
a train once, and now passed Hugh's door under easy steam, working his
arms and legs like piston-rods, and giving piercing imitations of a
steam-whistle at intervals.

"Stuffer," said Hugh, "do you know where your grandmother is?"

"No" said the Stuffer laconically. "I don't Choo, choo, choo, Whee-aw!"

"Well, look here," said Hugh, "you just railway-train yourself round
the house till you find her, and let me know where she is. I want to see
her. Off you go now."

The Stuffer steamed himself out with the action of an engine drawing a
long train of cars, and disappeared round the corner of the house.

Before long he was back, drew himself up alongside an imaginary
platform, intimated that his grandmother was in the verandah, and then
proceeded to let the steam hiss