ered out on to
the veranda. There were a few shots, and the noise changed to yelps
as the dingoes scurried in terror down the hill.

"Don't be worried if you hear them in the distance most of the
night," said Mrs. Orban. "I am afraid it will take you some time to
get used to our noisy hours of darkness."

When Miss Chase tried to settle down to sleep she remembered these
words, and it seemed superfluous to her that she should have been
wished "good-night" by every one. A good night was impossible. The
dingoes howled persistently in the woods below, and quite close
there was the incessant "croak-croak-croak-croak" of tree-frogs,
together with many other inexplicable and weird noises.

Nesta slept placidly through it all; but not till there came a lull
just an hour or so before dawn did the weary stranger drop into
oblivion.

It did not seem to her she had been asleep five minutes, and there
was only the faintest glimmer of light in her room, when she was
awakened by something new. Just under her window there was a
strident laugh.

"Ha-ha-ha!" Then another, "Ha-ha-ha!"

Miss Chase listened in bewilderment.

"What extraordinary people," she thought, glancing enviously at the
undisturbed Nesta. "Who on earth can be out at this time?"

She supposed that it must be some of the plantation hands prowling
about outside; but she wondered at her brother-in-law allowing them
to behave in such a tiresome way when people were wanting to sleep.

"Ha-ha! ha-ha!" jeered the voice outside, as if mocking at her
annoyance. Then followed a chorus of chuckles, and Miss Chase sat
up in bed, and strained her ears to catch the joke, if possible.
But no words reached her. There was a little pause as if some one
might be speaking, and then another burst of delighted chuckles, so
very funny that they were quite infectious, and Miss Chase smiled
in spite of herself.

"Ha-ha! ha-ha! ha-ha-ha-ha!" laughed the voices. Now certainly
there were more than one.

"This is too ridiculous," thought Miss Chase, beginning to chuckle
softly to herself. "What can they be saying or doing out there?"

At last the hilarity became so boisterous that her curiosity got
the better of her, and slipping on a wrapper she opened the window
and crept out on to the veranda.

To her surprise there was no one to be seen--not a soul was about
either on the veranda or below, though she leant right over, and
strained her eyes to catch a glimpse of these queer pe