ous of being rid of him as soon
as possible. In fact, there was very little conversation at the table,
anyway, and as soon as they were through dinner he suggested to his
friend that they had better be moving. Their team was brought out, and
they continued their journey, their temporary hosts not even taking the
trouble to say good-day to him.

"When they were out of earshot of the place, the Melbourne gentleman
remarked to his companion, who, by the way, was a good deal of a
practical joker:--

"'I don't think much of your friends from a civility point of view. They
were as rude to me as a party of savages could be.'

"'I don't wonder at it,' was the reply. 'Just for the fun of the thing,
I told them you were president of the Sheep Shearers' Union.'

"'If you told them that outrageous lie,' said the other, 'I am not at
all surprised that they treated me as they did, but please don't do it
again.'

"I don't believe that the president of the Shearers' Union would
receive a hearty welcome at any sheep run in Australia. Sheep farmers
have good reason for a serious grudge against the whole concern; but,
after all, it is no worse than most of the other trade unions. Nearly
all of them are oppressive to a high degree, and are a great injury to
business and commercial prosperity."

Ned and Harry were especially interested in the place where the shearing
was done. The building was a large structure of quadrangular shape, with
a bulkhead running across the middle of it and dividing it into two
portions. There is a platform for the shearers around one of the
enclosures formed, and by the bulkhead at shearing time; this is always
kept full of sheep; in fact, it is crowded full, so that the shearer can
lay hands on a sheep at any time without the necessity of running after
it. The shearers stand at their work. They have tried various devices
for sitting down or for placing sheep on a bench or table so as to avoid
bending their backs, but none of the experiments have succeeded, and the
old process remains in use. It is decidedly fatiguing for a beginner,
but in course of time one gets used to it, as to everything else.

"What is that little door for, and the little yard outside of it?"
queried Ned, as he pointed to one of a series of low, small doors at the
outside of the shearers' platform, opposite the enclosure.

"Oh, that is for the shearer to let out his sheep after he has removed
the fleece. He takes the animal to be