not, sir--so long as you treat him well, and he gets
treated right enough with soft tack and mutton. He comes to see our
other two as you know."

"But does his tribe live about here?"

"I dunno, sir. Nobody does know. These chaps is like the cockatoos:
they swarm about the place one day, and next day there isn't one, and
you might go for a hundred miles and never see one of their blessed
heads. He's wild enough. Hangs about the place, and does a bit of work
if he likes it. If he don't, he goes. These blacks is, to my mind, the
only real gents as there is. Look at him now. He don't want no clothes
nor no house, only a hut, as he makes out of a few bits o' bark and
calls a gunyah, perhaps only a mia-mia."

"What's a mia-mia?" said Nic.

"Sort of a hurdle thing as he puts up for shelter, and to keep the wind
from blowing his fire away. Then as to clothes--look at him now."

Nic turned to look, but the black had disappeared, and ten minutes later
he passed out of the thick growth to come in sight of the house, outside
which Mrs Braydon was standing, watching anxiously for the return of
her son.

"I wish he had been a real savage though, after all," thought Nic. "It
would have been far better fun."

Perhaps!

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

NIC SHOWS HIS TEETH.

Nic did not say anything about his adventure with Leather, and was
perfectly silent about his fright with Bungarolo, who showed his teeth
next time they met, pointed to the lad's gun, and shook his head, the
fact being that he was as much startled as Nic.

During the days which followed the boy had long rides with his father to
see cattle on distant ranges, to visit flocks grazing nearer home, and
gradually grew acquainted with the pleasant, patriarchal life the doctor
lived.

The weather was glorious, for there had been rain in abundance a month
earlier, and the consequence was shown in the rich pasture and abundance
of flowers flourishing in the bright sunshine. The air, too, was
deliciously invigorating, and Nic never knew that he was tired, even
when he had been a whole day in the saddle, until suddenly about bedtime
he discovered that he could not keep his eyes open. Then he would sleep
soundly till the piping crows and the poultry awoke him at daybreak for
another busy, happy day.

Nic determined that he would have no mare to do with Leather, who went
stolidly about his work. He was a convict, and the boy felt that the
man was a sullen, i