Harry had rescued his sopping footgear, the offenders were beyond
pursuit in the middle of the lagoon, so he contented himself with
annexing Jim's slippers, in which he proudly returned to the house. Jim,
arriving just too late to save his own, promptly "collared" those of
Wally, leaving the last-named youth no alternative but to paddle home in
the water-logged slippers--the ground being too rough and stony to admit
of barefoot travelling.

Norah, fresh from the bath, was prancing about the verandah in her
kimono as the boys raced up to the house, her hair a dusky cloud about
her face.

"Not dressed?--you laziness!" Jim flung at her.

"Well, you aren't either," was the merry retort.

"No; but we've got no silly hair to brush!"

"Pooh!--that won't take me any time. Mrs. Brown's up, Jim, and she says
breakfast will be ready in ten minutes."

"Good old Brownie!" Jim ejaculated. "Can't beat her, can you? D'you know
if she's got the swag packed?"

"Everything's packed, and she's given it all to Billy, and it's on old
Polly by now." Polly was the packhorse. "Such a jolly, big bundle--and
everything covered over with cabbage leaves to keep it cool."

"Hooroo for Casey! Well, scurry and get dressed, old girl. I bet you
keep us waiting at the last."

"I'm sure I won't," was the indignant answer, as Norah ran off through
the hail. "Think of how much longer you take over your breakfast!"

Ten minutes later breakfast smoked on the wide kitchen table, Mrs.
Brown, like a presiding goddess, flourishing a big spoon by a frying-pan
that sent up a savoury odour.

"I'm sure I hope you'll all kindly excuse having it in here," she said
in pained tones. "No use to think of those lazy hussies of girls having
the breakfast-room ready at this hour. So I thought as how you wouldn't
mind."

"Mind!--not much, Mrs. Brown," Jim laughed. "You're too good to us
altogether. Eggs and bacon! Well, you are a brick! Cold tucker would
have done splendidly for us."

"Cold, indeed!--not if I know it--and you precious lambs off for such a
ride, and going to be hot weather and all," said the breathless Mrs.
Brown indignantly. "Now, you just eat a good breakfast, Miss Norah, my
love. I've doughnuts here, nearly done, nice and puffy and brown, just
as you like them, so hurry up and don't let your bacon get cold."

There was not, indeed, much chance for the bacon, which disappeared in a
manner truly alarming, while its fate was speedily shared by