e
a miracle if it misses Billabong! I've told the men--they're off to get
the horses."

Norah and Tommy had turned, with dismayed eyes.

"Will it be at our place, Murty?" Tommy asked.

"I dunno will it, Miss Tommy," the Irishman answered. "But as like as
not 'twill miss it--or anyhow, we'll get there first, an' stop it doing
much damage. Don't you worry your little head, now."

She looked up at him gratefully. Norah's hand was thrust through her
arm.

"It may not be near the Creek at all, Tommy dear," she said.

"Oh, I hope it isn't--my poor old Bob!" Tommy said, under her breath.
"Can we hurry, Norah?"

"They're bringing the horses," Norah answered. "We'll be off in a
minute--see, dad has gone to meet Bob."

Wally had turned to Murty.

"Murty, do you mind if I ride Shannon and take him across country? I'm
on Marshal to-day, you know, and he can't jump for nuts. But Shannon can
take every fence between here and the Creek, and I can cut the distance
in half if I go across. I'm about the lightest of us, I think."

"So ye are--an' the horse'll take ye like a bird," said Murty. "Don't
shpare him, Mr. Wally, if ye think ye can do any good. He's over there
under the big wattle."

"Right-o!" said Wally. "Tell Mr. Jim, will you, Murty?" He turned and
ran down the hill with long strides.

CHAPTER XV

HOW WALLY RODE A RACE

Already the cloud was growing in the western sky--so high that it
threatened to obscure the sun that still blazed fiercely down. At first
a dull brown, there was a curious light behind it; at the edges it
trailed away into ragged wisps like floating mist. There was something
mysteriously threatening in its dense heaviness.

There were other men running for their horses, as Wally raced towards
Shannon. The news of a grass fire had spread quickly, and every man
wanted to be on his own property, for the whole countryside was covered
with long, dry grass, and no one could say where a fire might or might
not end. Boone and Shanahan passed Wally, leading several horses--his
own amongst them. They hailed him quickly.

"We've got Marshal, Mr. Wally."

"Give him to Murty," Wally answered as he ran. "I'm riding Shannon." He
raced on.

"That means he's going across country," said Dave Boone. "For two pins
I'd go too."

"Don't you--you'd never get your horse over them fences," Shanahan said.
"An' it'll take Mr. Wally all his time to get across them wired paddocks
of Maclennan's. Hope he do