six months ago."

"Where is he now?"

"At home, with Aunt Elizabeth. He's been fractious, and is being
punished."

"Being punished?"

"Yes, he's locked up in the spare room."

"What did he do?"

"Put a saddle on the brindle bull calf, and tried to make it backjump."

"Did it?"

"Oh, yes, beautifully, and Jim had his forehead cut, and a lot of blood
came."

Gerrard laughed as he put down his pipe, "And what did Uncle Westonley
say?"

"Uncle Westonley is away in Sydney," said the child gravely, and as she
spoke her eyes filled with tears.

Gerrard understood. "Well, never mind, Mary; now you and I shall go and
get these pippies."

From his saddle dees he took a pair of green-hide hobbles, lifted off
the saddle with its valise, hobbled the horse, and then holding the
child's hand in his, set out towards the beach.

"Now, Mary, you and I are going to have a great old time. First of all,
you are going to show me how _you_ get pippies. Then we will come back
and cook them, and have some tea and some damper as well, for I have
both in my saddle-bags, and I have a wood duck too, which I shot this
morning. Did you see it?"

"Yes, Uncle Tom; and your gun, too. Jim loves guns."

"Does he, my chick? Jim must be a man after my own heart."

"What's that, Uncle Tom?"

"Oh, I'll tell you some day. Now come along for the pippies. You show me
how _you_ get them, and I'll show you how _I_ get them."

Holding his hand, the child led him down through the wild,
sweet-smelling littoral scrub by a cattle track to the beach, where
before them lay the blue Pacific, shining under the rays of the
afternoon sun. The tide was low, and the "pippies" (cockles) were easily
had, for they protruded their suckers out upon every few inches of the
sand. Gerrard, booted and spurred as he was, went into the water, dug
into the sand with his hands, and helped the child to fill the basket
she carried, and then, realising that she was excited, and being himself
determined upon a certain course of action, he walked slowly back with
her to where he had left the horses.

"Mary, dear, just sit down, and listen to me. I am not going to Marumbah
to-night, and you must stay with me. We shall be there early in the
morning."

"Oh, Uncle Tom! Aunt Elizabeth will punish me."

"Don't be afraid, chick--she won't. I will explain everything to her in
the morning."

In a few minutes he had lit two fires, and when the coals were glowing
on one, a