brother
Reginald attempting to round up cattle, riding after stray horses, or
milking cows. And there are two other boys--Edgar and Albert. I wonder
what they will be like; they are about the same ages as Bob and Tommy,
and if they are as great pickles they will manage to lead each other
into all manner of scrapes; but we shall have rare fun with the girls if
they have got any life in them."

The two speakers were fine, active-looking lads, sons of Captain Hugh
Berrington, who had settled in the colony of Queensland a short time
before Paul, the eldest, was born. They might have been known as young
gentlemen by the tone of their voices rather than by their costume,
which consisted of a red serge shirt, loose trousers fastened at the
waist with a leathern belt, large boots coming up to their knees, and
broad-brimmed cabbage-tree hats. Each carried in his hand a heavy whip
with a long thick thong. The elder, in addition, had a brace of pistols
in his belt, which weapons were necessary in case of the sudden
appearance of any strange natives. They were mounted on strong, active
little horses, which evidently got but a small amount of grooming.

The lads had just left their home, which was situated on the banks of
the Burnett river. It is worthy of a short description. The
house, though built entirely of wood, and on one floor, was a
substantial-looking building, containing ten rooms, with a broad
verandah running entirely round it. The frame-work was of rough timber,
and the walls were composed of slabs, which are boards split out of the
iron-bark or blue gum-tree. The roof was covered with shingles, or
tiles of wood, split like the slabs and sawn to the required size.

Bound the homestead was a field of Indian corn, an orchard full of
fruit-trees of various descriptions, a kitchen-garden supplying all
sorts of vegetables, and a smaller space devoted to flowers, most of
which would have been highly prized in an English conservatory. There
were several out-buildings beyond the cultivated ground, with yards and
pens for cattle and sheep.

Altogether, Stratton was considered a very flourishing little homestead,
of which the owner was justly proud. The sun had scarcely risen, when,
after a hurried breakfast, the two young Berringtons had set out on an
expedition in search of "Old Bolter," one of their horses, well
so-called, who--no unusual circumstance--was reported missing. They had
a difficult task before th