d the doctor.

"I will really, mother," said Nic. "I'll only go to-day and have a look
round."

"Shall we go with him and take care of him?" said Janet mischievously.

"Yes, I'll come," cried Hilda, exchanging glances with her sister, while
the doctor looked on quite amused, and waited for his son's reply.

"No, that you won't," cried Nic indignantly. "Just as if I were a
little boy! I know: you want to take me for a walk and each hold a
hand. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I begin to feel at home
in the place."

"Of course," said his father. "There, Nic, I'm going to trust to your
discretion. Of course the snakes are dangerous, and you must keep a
sharp look-out. You can take your gun with you."

Mrs Braydon started.

"Don't be alarmed, mamma. Nic can be trusted to carry a gun. It's of
no use to wince, my dear. Nic has come out here to grow into a man, and
he must begin to act like one. You'll be careful with the piece, of
course?"

"Yes, father: very."

"That's right. Now then, I'll tell you the great danger--one, however,
that you are not likely to fall into now, because you will not go far
enough--the danger is, being bushed."

"Being bushed, father? what's that?"

"Wandering into the bush and losing your way."

"But I'm not likely to do that, father."

"Old experienced colonists have been lost, Nic. I have myself."

"You have, my dear!" cried Mrs Braydon. "I never knew."

"No, I did not wish to alarm you," said the doctor quietly. "It was on
that occasion when I was a week away searching for stray cattle. You
remember now?"

"Yes, I remember now," said Mrs Braydon, turning pale. "There, don't
be alarmed now. Nic is not going anything like so far as the bush--not
much out of sight of the house. The danger is this, Nic: once a man
wanders into the scrub the trees and shrubs are all so much alike, the
hills and mountains so much the same, that the mind gets deceived and at
last confused. Then the country is so vast that, once he goes wrong, he
may wander on and on till he frightens his mother out of her wits and
makes his sisters cry," said the doctor merrily. "Now do you
understand?"

"Yes, quite, father. But I've got a pocket compass."

"Good! Learn to use it well."

"And I promise you, mother dear, that I will not go into the bush, or
anywhere to-day far from home."

"That's right, my boy," said the doctor. "Be off, then, and we shall
have a big meal at su