ortable
where we are."

"Comfortable, indeed! up a fig-tree with nothing to eat," groaned
Hector.

"Well, well, old fellow, things are not so bad as that. Here's a bit of
damper to stay your appetite until we can catch a 'possum or a laughing
jackass for dinner;" and Harry produced one of the dampers which he had
stowed away in his pocket.

This somewhat consoled Hector, who had hitherto declared that he could
never touch such doughy stuff, although he ate his share eagerly, as did
Reggy his.

"It may be a satisfaction for you to know that I have got some more,"
said Harry; "but it won't do to eat them all up at once; we must put
ourselves on an allowance, or we may have to starve at last. Now let us
see how things are getting along."

Harry looked out from the leafy covert in which the three lads had
ensconced themselves high up among the forks of the huge tree. The
flood was still surging on, setting towards the south-east, and
spreading farther and farther over the country. He was grieved to see a
number of bullocks floating by, showing that the flood must be sweeping
over some of the pastures, and have carried them off before they could
be driven on to the higher ground. They were in all probability his
father's. Their loss must inevitably be very heavy. Their house and
the greater part of their furniture was gone. How many heads of cattle
he could not calculate. Other settlers farther down must have suffered
in the same degree, perhaps in a still greater.

"We ought to be thankful that the lives of all the family have been
saved, and three drays full of property. If father hadn't been wide
awake, they would have been lost too," said Harry. At last he caught
sight of some pigs feeding on the shore. "Well, those fellows have
saved themselves, at all events, and I see some hens, too, in those
trees; well, matters might be worse, we must acknowledge that."

Reggy agreed with him, but nothing would comfort Hector; his only remark
was that--"It is a horrible, detestable country; if I can once get out
of it I won't come back in a hurry."

"Three little blackbirds sat in a tree--Singing, heigh-ho, heigh-ho,
fiddle-de-dee," sang Harry. "Now I vote we make a nest for ourselves;
as to the water sinking low enough to allow our getting on shore
to-night, that's out of the question. Come, Reggy, help me up with the
ladder, we must not let that go; we may find it useful in getting down
some day or other,