ght make it a shade earlier than you meant to, while you're at
it, Nor," Jim observed. "Then we could turn off the track as we go in
to-morrow to let Tommy have a look at the place that has been offered
Bob--you know that place of Henderson's, off the main road. Bob can go
over the land with us when we're coming back. But once you and Tommy get
swallowed up in Cunjee, there's no knowing when we could get you out;
and Tommy ought to inspect the house."

"Oh, I'd love to," said Tommy enthusiastically. "No mere man can be
trusted to buy a house."

"Don't go to look at it with any large ideas of up-to-date improvements
floating in your mind," Jim warned her. "It's sure to be pretty
primitive, and probably there isn't even a bathroom."

"Don't you worry, Tommy; we'll build you one," said Mr. Linton.

"I'm not going to worry about anything; there are always washtubs,"
spoke Tommy cheerfully--"and thank you, all the same, Mr. Linton. I
didn't expect much when I came out to Australia, but I'm getting so much
more than I expected that I'm in a state of bewilderment all the time.
Someday I feel that I shall come down with a bump, and I shall be
thankful if it's only over a bathroom."

"Distressing picture of the valiant pioneer looking for discomforts and
failing to find them," said Bob, laughing. "It's so difficult to feel
really pioneerish in a place where there are taps, and electric
light, and motors, and no one appears to wear a red shirt, like every
Australian bushman I ever saw on the stage."

"Did you bring any out with you?" demanded Norah wickedly.

"I didn't. But honest, it was only because I had so many khaki ones, and
I thought they'd do. Otherwise I'd certainly have thought that scarlet
shirts were part of the ordinary outfit for the Colonies. And if you
believed all the things they tell you in outfitting shops, you would
bring a gorgeous assortment. We'd have even arrived here with tinware.
It was lucky I knew some Australians--they delicately hinted that you
really had a shop or two in the principal cities."

"I've often marvelled at the queer collection people seem to bring out,"
said Mr. Linton. "It's not so bad of late years, but ten years ago a
jackeroo would arrive here with about a lorry-load of stuff, most of
which he could have bought much more cheaply in Melbourne or Sydney--and
he'd certainly never use the greater part of it. Apparently a London
shop will sell you the same kind of outfit for a Me