w with passion. "How dare you! How
dare you speak to me like that! Insult you--you common, foul-mouthed
bully. Go on with your work, sir. I'm your master's son, and if I'd a
horsewhip here instead of this gun, I'd lay it across your back."

Brookes stooped, picked up the brush viciously, and rolled up his
sleeves.

"Oh," he cried; "that's it, is it? Horsewhip me, eh? We'll soon see
about that. Here, you convict."

"Do you want me to strike you?" cried Nic.

"Yes; you'd better," growled the man, dropping on his knees. "We'll
soon see about that. Here, you, bring me another sheep."

"No. Stop!" cried Nic, turning to Leather, who was bringing on the
sheep; "let him fetch them for himself. While my father's away I'm
master here. Go away. You shall not be bullied like that, whatever you
have done. Go and find some other work amongst the sheep."

Leather looked at him strangely.

"You heard what I said," cried Nic.

"Yes, sir," said the man, in a husky voice.

"Then go at once. Nic was treating you worse than he would dare to
treat a dog."

Brookes banged down the brush and rose to go.

"You stop," cried Nic. "My father said those sheep must be dressed
to-day, and you know it. Finish them, every one."

Brookes dropped upon his knees again.

"I beg your pardon, sir," said Leather quietly. "It is very hard work
for one man. I'm used to this sort of thing. Hadn't I better stay?"

"No," said Nic firmly. "You heard my orders. Go." He pointed across
the enclosure, and Leather went without a word.

"Now," said Nic, "finish those sheep."

Brookes muttered low threat after threat of what he would do, but he
went on dressing the sheep; and Nic turned, walked back to the house,
altered his mind, and went right away toward the bush, but his nerves
were all of a quiver, as he thought over the meeting to come with his
father, and he did not fire his gun that day.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

LEATHER'S OTHER SIDE.

"Well, Nic, what does all this mean?" said the doctor on the following
day. "Brookes has been complaining to me that he was busy yesterday
dressing those sheep, when he found Leather, as they call him, my
assigned servant, lazy, careless, and insolent. He was speaking to him
rather sharply, when you suddenly appeared from behind the fence, flew
in a passion, abused him, defended the other man, talked in a way that
would make Leather disobedient in the future, and finally ordered the
man