ness, her smaller size and greater slimness of
build, combined with her evidently complete domestication, made
Jess's foolery sit naturally upon her; and, indeed, her movements
were without exception graceful in the extreme.

Wallaby Bill's pipe had burned itself out before the hounds tired
of their play and stretched themselves upon the ground, Jess lying
a good yard and a half nearer to the fire than Finn ventured. But
Finn moved only very slightly now, when Bill rose slowly to his
feet and stretched his arms, while taking careful observations of
the new-comer. In the bright firelight, he was just able to make
out the bigger among Finn's scars, where the Professor's iron had
burned through the Wolfhound's wiry coat. Finn half rose, with ears
cocked, and muscles ready for the spring, when Bill yawned and
said--

"Well, Wolf, you are the biggest thing in your line ever I did see.
But it seems to me you've been havin' a pretty rough house with
somebody. What township have you been paintin' red, Wolf, hey? Did
ye clear out the town? How many stiffs was there in the dead-house
when you struck the wallaby again, Wolf? I bet you jest made things
hum, old son--my oath--hey!" He took one slow step forward; and Finn
immediately took three backward, in one quick jump. "All right,
sonny; who wants to hurt ye? Keep your hair on now, do. I only want
to get the dish, an' wash up after your royal highness. Save me
soul alive! Can't I move, then? You're too suspicious, Wolf, my
son. I believe you're a bit of a Jew." And then, in a lower tone,
"My oath, but some one's handled you pretty damn meanly before
to-day, I reckon. All right, Wolf, you walk backwards, like a
Salvation Army captain, while I get the dish, an' then we'll both
be safe, an' the dish'll get washed."

Bill's notion of washing up was distinctly primitive. He took a
long drink of tea from the billy, and then used what was left to
rinse out the dish that Finn had polished. Then he wiped it
carefully on his towel, and hung it up inside the gunyah. Finn had
returned to his old place by this time, but hesitated to lie down
while Bill moved about.

"Now, just you take a rest, Wolf," said the boundary-rider,
satirically. "I'm goin' to turn in now, an' I don't attack
thunderin' great grey wolf-dogs while I'm undressin'; not on your
life I don't; so jest you take a rest, son. Look at fat Jess! You
couldn't shift her from that fire with a stock-whip! An' jest you
remember