p a special prayer for the blessing and
protection of God upon their household. Afterwards Mrs. Hardy and the
girls were taken over the place, and shown the storehouse, and the men's
tent, and the river, and the newly planted field.

'The ground is getting very much burnt up, papa,' Charley said. 'It was
damp enough when we put in the crops, and they are getting on capitally;
but I fear that they were sown too late, and will be burnt up.'

'Ah, but I have a plan to prevent that,' Mr. Hardy said. 'See if you can
think what it is.'

Neither of the boys could imagine.

'When I first described the place to you, I told you that there was a
main stream with a smaller one running into it, and that I thought that
this last would be very useful. I examined the ground very carefully,
and I found that the small stream runs for some distance between two
slight swells, which narrow in sharply to each other just below the
house. Now I find that a dam of not more than fifty feet wide and eight
feet high will make a sort of lake a quarter of a mile long, and
averaging fifty yards wide. From this the water will flow over the whole
flat by the river in front of the house and away to the left, and we
shall be able to irrigate at least three or four hundred acres of land.
Upon these we shall be able to raise four or five crops a year; and one
crop in particular, the alfalfa, a sort of lucern for fattening the
cattle in time of drought, when the grass is all parched up. At that
time cattle ordinarily worth only L3 can be sold, if fat, for L9 or L10.
So you see, boys, there is a grand prospect before us.'

The boys entered enthusiastically into the scheme, and the party went
at once to inspect the spot which Mr. Hardy had fixed upon for the dam.
This, it was agreed, should be commenced the very next day; and Mr.
Hardy said that he had no doubt, if the earth was properly puddled, or
stamped when wet, that it would keep the water from coming through.

In the afternoon Mrs. Hardy, Maud, and Ethel were taken a ride round the
property, and were fortunate enough to see some ostriches, to the great
delight of the girls.

At tea Mr. Hardy said: 'There is one very important point connected with
our place which has hitherto been unaccountably neglected. Do any of you
know what it is?'

The boys and their sisters looked at each other in great perplexity, and
in vain endeavoured to think of any important omission.

'I mean,' their father said