prepared for them, and sat and talked over
the events of the day, and as to the work for to-morrow; and then,
wrapping themselves up in their blankets, laid down to sleep, listening
for some time dreamily to the hum of conversation of the men, who were
sitting smoking round the fire, and to the hoarse roar of the
innumerable frogs in the stream below.

In the morning they were up and abroad with daylight, and a cup of hot
coffee and a piece of bread prepared them for work. Mr. Hardy, his boys,
and the Yankee set-to upon the framework of the two huts; while the
others went down to the stream and cut a quantity of long, coarse
rushes, which they made into bundles, and brought up to the place of the
house in a bullock-cart. The framework for the huts, which were each
about fifteen feet square, was all ready fitted and numbered: it took,
therefore, a very short time to erect; and when one was done, Mr. Hardy
and the Yankee set-to to erect the other at a distance of from forty to
fifty yards, while Charley and Hubert drove in the nails and secured the
work already done.

By dinner-time the work was complete, and a perfect stack of rushes had
been raised in readiness. A great number of long rods had been cut from
the bushes, and as the most of them were as flexible and tough as
willows, they were well suited for the purpose.

After dinner the whole party united their labour to get one of the huts
finished. The rods were split in two, and were nailed at intervals
across the rafters of the roof. Upon them the long rushes were laid,
and over all the felt was nailed. The sides were treated in the same
way, except that the rushes were woven in and out between the wattles,
so as to make quite a close, compact wall, no felt being nailed on it.
The other house was treated in the same way; and it was not until the
third night that both huts were finished and ready for occupancy.

Mr. Hardy and his sons then took possession of the one near the brow of
the hill. This was to be merely a temporary abode, to be removed when
the house was built. The men had that lower down, and rather nearer to
the cattle. Beds of rushes were piled up in three corners, and the boys
thought that they had never passed such a delicious night as their first
in their new house. The next day Mr. Hardy told his boys that they
should take a holiday and ride over the place.

The press of work was over, and things would now settle down in a
regular way. Hans and