nds, their kangaroo, and
their emu, and then talk about their having no souls, just to excuse
ourselves from doing anything for them in return. Why, those very men
who will talk the most disparagingly of them, do not hesitate to make
use of them; ay, and trust them too. They will employ them as
shepherds, and even as mounted policemen. But let us stop a moment, and
hear what they have to say."

He drew up, and the natives stopped also, grinning from ear to ear.
They were very dark, a dusky olive colour; the older ones were hideously
ugly, and yet it was impossible not to be taken with the excessive good
humour of their laughing faces.

"What name you?" cried the foremost to Mr Oliphant.

"Abraham," was the reply.

"Ah, very good Abraham," rejoined the native; "you give me copper, me
call you gentleman."

"Them you piccaninnies?" asked one of the women, pointing to Hubert and
Frank.

"No," said Mr Oliphant; "there--there are some coppers for you; you
must do me some work for them when you come to my sit-down."

"Gammon," cried the black addressed; "me plenty lazy."

"A sensible fellow," cried Frank laughing, as they drove on; "he knows
how to look after his own interests, clearly enough; surely such as
these cannot be past teaching."

"No indeed," said the other; "we teach them evil fast enough; they learn
our vices besides their own. You may be sure they drink when they can.
Ah, that curse of drunkenness! Did you think you had run away from it
when you left England? Happy for you, Hubert, that you're an abstainer;
and I suppose, Mr Oldfield, that you are one too."

"Not a pledged one," said Frank, colouring deeply, "but one in practice,
I hope, nevertheless."

"Well, I tell you honestly that you'll find neither beer, wine, or
spirits in my house. To everything else you are both heartily
welcome.--Ah, that's not so pleasant," he exclaimed suddenly.

"Is there anything amiss?" asked Hubert.

"Oh, nothing serious!" was the reply; "only a little disagreeable; but
we may perhaps escape it. We'll pull up for a moment. There; just look
on a few hundred yards."

Ahead of them some little distance, in the centre of the road, a
whirling current of air was making the dust revolve in a rapidly
enlarging circle. As this circle widened it increased in substance,
till at last it became a furious earth-spout, gathering sticks and
leaves, and even larger things, into its vortex, and rising higher and
higher