er the stakes, and then went back for
their swags, while the old man put on his shirt.

Then he calmed down, carried his swag to the side of the track, sat
down on it and talked rationally about bush matters for a while;
but presently he grew silent and began to feel his muscles and smile
idiotically.

"Can you len' us a bit o' meat?" said he suddenly.

They spared him half a pound; but he said he didn't want it all, and cut
off about an ounce, which he laid on the end of his swag. Then he took
the lid off his billy and produced a fishing-line. He baited the hook,
threw the line across the track, and waited for a bite. Soon he got
deeply interested in the line, jerked it once or twice, and drew it in
rapidly. The bait had been rubbed off in the grass. The old man regarded
the hook disgustedly.

"Look at that!" he cried. "I had him, only I was in such a hurry. I
should ha' played him a little more."

Next time he was more careful. He drew the line in warily, grabbed an
imaginary fish and laid it down on the grass. Sunlight and Co. were
greatly interested by this time.

"Wot yer think o' that?" asked Rats. "It weighs thirty pound if it
weighs an ounce! Wot yer think o' that for a cod? The hook's half-way
down his blessed gullet!"

He caught several cod and a bream while they were there, and invited
them to camp and have tea with him. But they wished to reach a certain
shed next day, so--after the ancient had borrowed about a pound of meat
for bait--they went on, and left him fishing contentedly.

But first Sunlight went down into his pocket and came up with half a
crown, which he gave to the old man, along with some tucker. "You'd best
push on to the water before dark, old chap," he said, kindly.

When they turned their heads again, Rats was still fishing but when they
looked back for the last time before entering the timber, he was having
another row with his swag; and Sunlight reckoned that the trouble arose
out of some lies which the swag had been telling about the bigger fish
it caught.

MITCHELL: A CHARACTER SKETCH

It was a very mean station, and Mitchell thought he had better go
himself and beard the overseer for tucker. His mates were for waiting
till the overseer went out on the run, and then trying their luck with
the cook; but the self-assertive and diplomatic Mitchell decided to go.

"Good day," said Mitchell.

"Good day," said the manager.

"It's hot," said Mitchell.

"Yes, it's