em to move beyond a slow walk, so that if they were inclined to stray
they could not go far.

Toby quickly lighted a fire, while the stranger by our advice rested
near it. Guy and I taking our guns went out in different directions in
search of game, which is usually to be found near a water-hole in
Australia. We soon came back, Guy with a brace of pigeons and I with
three parrots, so that we had ample food for all hands. As we had
damper and tea, we enjoyed a satisfactory meal which greatly revived our
new friend. While we were seated round the fire--Toby watching the
horses--the stranger inquired if we were related to Mr Strong. This
led us to give him a brief sketch of our history.

"May I ask your name?" he said. "Mine is Norman Bracewell."

"And ours is Thurston," said my brother. "What! Guy Thurston?"
exclaimed Bracewell, leaning forward and grasping Guy's hand; "I thought
from the first that I knew your features. We were at school together.
`Little Guy' we used to call you, and you haven't forgotten me?"

"No indeed!" said Guy warmly, "you always stood my friend when the big
fellows tried to bully me, and I have a perfect recollection of your
countenance. I have often wished to know what had become of you, but
could only hear that you had gone abroad."

"I thought of writing to let you know, in case you should ever come out
to Australia; but I fancied that that was so unlikely and the chances of
meeting you so small that I did not carry out my intention. You must
stop at my hut. The longer you stay the better. We will have many a
talk about old times and I think I can put you up to all sorts of
information which will be useful to you in the country. To tell you the
truth, I doubt if you will find your cousin, Mr Strong, as I heard that
he had gone northwards to occupy a new station, some hundreds of miles
off, and if so you will probably find no one to give you a welcome at
his house except some old hut-keeper."

On hearing this, Guy and I gladly agreed to stop a few days with
Bracewell until we could obtain some definite information as to the
movements of our cousin.

We told him of our meeting with the two bee-hunters.

"This proves that there are some natives in the neighbourhood. They may
be honest, but they may also be ill-disposed, as are many of the blacks
in this region. I advise that we keep a strict watch at night, and I
offer to stand guard part of the time," observed Bracewell.