e me pluck enough to speak to your father last
night. I thought I would go to him first. Perhaps I made a mistake?"

"No, indeed! He told me all that you said to him, and--oh! Mr Forde, we
shall all miss you so much," and as she spoke her eyes filled with
tears again. He looked at the gum tree branches overhead, and went on
meditatively, apparently not taking heed of her emotion, though his
heart was filled with love for the girl, who with bent head, rode by his
side.

"And I shall miss much--much out of my life when I leave this part of
the colony, Kate. But I was never intended to be a clergyman. I was
driven into the Church by my mother--good, pious soul--who, because
my father was in the Church, condemned me to it, instead of letting me
follow my own bent--which was either the Army or Navy or Commerce."

"But you made a good clergyman," said the girl artlessly.

He shook his head. "Well, the fact is, Kate, that I was always pretty
sick of it, although I must say that I like the free open life of the
bush, and the people; especially the working men, diggers, and stockmen.
And their frank hospitality and rough good nature I can never forget."

"Where do you think of going?"

"To Sydney first Then I'll decide what to do. I am very much inclined
to follow your father's example and go in for mining; either that or
cattle-breeding. But, of course, I shall write and let you know."

"Do!" she said, earnestly, and then they quickened their horses' pace,
as they saw that Fraser and Gerrard had pulled up at the turn-off to
Boorala, and were awaiting them.

"Well, Forde, old man," said the mine-owner, as he bade the clergyman
good-bye, "you will leave a big hole in the hearts of the people about
here. Kate and I especially will miss you. And I do hope that we shall
meet again."

"Nothing is more likely. I like Queensland too much to leave it
altogether," and then with another warm grasp of the hand, he said
good-bye to them all, and turned along the Boorala track.

"One of the whitest men that ever put foot in stirrup," said Fraser a
few minutes later to Gerrard.

"I'm sure of it!" assented Gerrard. And then they began to speak of
Kaburie, Fraser giving his visitor every possible information about the
country and its cattle-carrying capabilities. It was, he said, one of
the best-watered runs in the north, and a drought had never been known.

"See!" he said, pointing to a sandal-wood scrub, "that is one of the
must