"Shanter fine bull-cow fellow all 'lone."

"Where? when?"

The black pointed with his stick.

"Bulla (two) day. Come along bull fellow slow, Big white Mary gib
Shanter soff damper; no eat long time. Fine sugar-bag--kill poss? No;
Shanter come along bull-cow fellow."

"I can't make out his jargon," said the captain, tetchily.

"He says, father, he found the cow two days ago, and couldn't stop to
eat because he wanted to bring it along. He's hungry and wants damper."

"Soff damper," said the black, correctively.

"Soft bread because he's hungry. Isn't that what you mean?" cried
Norman.

"Soff damper. Big white Mary gib damper. Marmi gib Shanter tickpence
bring bull-cow fellow all along."

"That I will," cried the captain. "Tut, tut! How I am obliged to eat
my words. You're a good fellow, Shanter," he cried, clapping the black
on the shoulder. "Go and have some damper.--Give him some meat too."

However badly Shanter expressed himself, he pretty well comprehended all
that was said; and at the captain's words he began to rub his front,
leaped off the heifer, and followed the boys to the fire, round which
the party gathered as soon as they found there was no danger, and where
Aunt Georgie, in her satisfaction, cut the fellow so big a portion of
bread and bacon, that his eyes glistened and his teeth gleamed, as he
ran away with it amongst the bushes to lie down and eat.

Half an hour later they found him fast asleep, and the first thing the
boys saw the next morning, after a delightful night's rest, was the
shining black face of Shanter where he was squatting down on his heels,
watching them and waiting for them to wake.

Norman lay for some minutes, still half asleep, gazing at the black
face, which seemed to be somehow connected with his dreams and with the
soft sweet piping of the magpie crows, which were apparently practising
their scales prior to joining in the morning outburst of song, while the
great kingfishers--the laughing jackasses of the colonists--sat here and
there uttering their discordant sounds, like coarse, harsh laughter, at
the efforts of the crows.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

"I AM SATISFIED."

Norman sprang up rested and refreshed, and then glanced round uneasily,
expecting to see his father come and order the black to be off.

But the captain was busy examining the cattle, the horses and their
harness, and the loading of the wagons; helping German to tighten a rope
here, and rea