used
to come freely. The new cattle had taken to the paddock like old hands.
Satisfied with their inspection, Norah and Jim led the way back to the
river, where presently they came to an ideal place to camp; a bend
thickly shaded, with the river bank shelving down to a sandy beach,
where it was easy to get good water.

Wally volunteered to boil the billy, which he accomplished after much
vigorous fanning with his hat at the fire. The job took some little
time, and if the tea was eventually brewed with water that had not
quite reached boiling point, that was a matter between Wally and his
conscience--certainly the other members of the party were far too
thirsty to be critical! Lunch was lazily discussed close to the water,
after which they lay about on the bank and talked of many things.
Nobody was inclined to move, for the heat, even at the river, was very
great; a still, thunderous day, on which no shade could keep out the
moist heat, that seemed, as Wally put it, "to get into your very bones
and make them lazy."

At length Jim rolled over.

"Well, I'm off for a bathe," he said. "Coming, Cecil?"

"Oh, yes," Cecil answered, a little doubtfully; while Wally jumped up
as a matter of course.

"Ugh!" groaned Norah. "Pigs! Why was I born a girl?"

"So's we could lay ourselves at your feet!" said Wally solemnly,
suiting the action to the word, and placing his forehead forcefully in
the dust before her.

"M'f!" Norah wrinkled her nose. "It's very nice of you, but I don't
quite see what use it would be. Anyhow, I'd far rather go bathing." She
huddled on the ground, and looked tragic. "Go--leave me!"

"Sorry, old girl," grinned Jim. "We won't be long."

"Be as long as you like," said the victim of circumstances, cheerfully.
"I'm going to sleep."

The three boys disappeared along the bank, finding, apparently, some
difficulty in discovering a suitable bathing place, for it was some
time before shouts and laughter from a good way off told Norah that
they were in the water. She sighed, looking ruefully at the river
flowing beneath her, and half decided to go in herself; but her father
did not care for her bathing in the open alone, and she gave up the
idea and shut her eyes so that she would not see temptation rippling
down below. Presently she fell asleep.

She did not know how long it was before she woke. Then she jumped up
with a start, thinking, for a moment, that it was dark. The sun had
disappeared behind a hu