y and Hubert remaining at home--the latter laid up
with the wound in his leg.

It was an amusing sight to see three or four hundred sheep driven into
an enclosure, and then dragged out by the shearers. These men were paid
according to the number shorn, and were very expert, a good hand getting
through a hundred a day. They were rather rough, though, in their work,
and the girls soon went away from the shearing-place with a feeling of
pity and disgust, for the shearers often cut the sheep badly. Each man
had a pot of tar by his side, with which he smeared over any wound. A
certain sum was stopped from their pay for each sheep upon which they
made a cut of over a certain length; but although this made them careful
to a certain extent, they still wounded a great many of the poor
creatures.

A much more exciting amusement was seeing the branding of the cattle,
which took place after the shearing was over. The animals were let out,
one by one, from their enclosure, and, as they passed along a sort of
lane formed of hurdles, they were lassoed and thrown on to the ground.
The hot branding-iron was then clapped against their shoulder, and was
received by a roar of rage and pain. The lasso was then loosened, and
the animal went off at a gallop to join his companions on the plain.

Some caution was required in this process, for sometimes the animals,
upon being released, would charge their tormenters, who then had to make
a hasty leap over the hurdles; Terence, who stood behind them, being in
readiness to thrust a goad against the animals' rear, and this always
had the effect of turning them. For a few days after this the cattle
were rather wild, but they soon forgot their fright and pain, and
returned to their usual ways.

Mr. Hardy had by this time been long enough in the country to feel sure
of his position. He therefore determined to embark the rest of his
capital in agricultural operations. He engaged ten native peons, and
set-to to extend the land under tillage. The water-courses from the dam
were deepened and lengthened, and side channels cut, so that the work of
irrigation could be effectually carried on over the whole of the
low-lying land, the water being sufficient for the purpose for nearly
ten months in the year. Four ploughs were kept steadily at work, and the
ground was sown with alfalfa or lucern, as fast as it was got into
condition. Patches of Indian corn, pumpkins, and other vegetables, were
also planted. M