ering camps on the Kaburie boundary, and there are some of Mrs
Tallis's cattle down there in the creek. Crack your whip, Kate."

Uncoiling the long stock-whip, the girl cracked it once only, but
loudly, and in a few seconds hundreds of cattle appeared from the creek,
and through the fringe of she-oaks that lined its banks; they clambered
up the steep side and stared at the disturbers, and then at a second
loud crack of the whip, trotted off quietly to the camp--bullocks,
steers, cows and calves, the latter performing the usual calf antics,
curving their bodies, hoisting their tails, and kicking their heels in
the air. Once under the cool, grateful shade of the dark green foliage
of the sandalwoods, they quietly awaited to be inspected, and Fraser and
Gerrard slowly walked their horses about among them. .

"What do you think of them?" asked the mine-owner, who was himself a
good judge of cattle.

"Very fair lot indeed, and all as fat as pigs," replied the squatter,
scanning them closely. "Now then, Bully boy, what are you staring at?"
he said to a sturdy twelve months' old bull calf, who had advanced to
him. "Ah! you want to be branded, do you? Quite so! Well, I think it
very likely you soon will be."

"There has been no branding at Kaburie for six months, Mr Gerrard," said
Kate, who added that there were now only Mrs Tallis's overseer, and one
black boy stockman on the station, who did nothing more than muster the
cattle occasionally on the various camps.

Gerrard nodded. "Ladies are bad business people as a rule. There will be
a terrible amount of branding to be done now."

Kate, unaware of the twinkle in Gerrard's eyes, was indignant. "Indeed,
Mrs Tallis was considered a very good business woman, and knew how
to manage things as well as Mr Tallis. What are you laughing at, Mr
Gerrard?"

"At Mrs Tallis's smartness. She has saved herself some hundreds of
pounds by dismissing her stockmen, and leaving the calves un-branded.
All the work and expense will fall on whoever buys the station."

"Oh, I see!" and Kate smiled. "But, after all, I suppose----"

"That all is fair in love and war. And buying a cattle or sheep station
is war in a sense between seller and buyer. I should have done the same
thing myself, I suppose."

"I don't believe you would," said the girl frankly. "Mr Aulain told
father and me that you were very Quixotic."

"Aulain doesn't know what a hard nail I am in money matters sometimes,
Miss Fras