wound.
Leaving all the dogs behind, with the exception of the retrievers, Mr.
Hardy and the boys started for a walk along the river, leading with them
a horse to bring back the game, as their former experience had taught
them that carrying half a dozen ducks and geese under a broiling sun was
no joke. They were longer this time than before in making a good bag;
and after-experience taught them that early in the morning or late in
the evening was the time to go down to the stream, for at these times
flights of birds were constantly approaching, and they could always rely
upon coming home laden after an hour's shooting. Upon the present
occasion, however, they did not do badly, but returned with a swan,
three geese, and twelve ducks, just in time to find the men preparing
for dinner.

The next morning the two bullock-carts were sent off with Hans and
Terence to Rosario, to fetch the posts for the fence, together with two
more coils of wire, which had been left there from want of room in the
carts when they came up. Charley was sent with them, in order that he
might find out if the sailing vessel had arrived with the ploughs and
heavy baggage. While he was away, Mr. Hardy and Hubert were occupied in
making a complete exploration of the property, and in erecting a
storehouse for the goods.

In five days Charley returned with the carts he had taken, and with four
others which he had hired at Rosario, bringing the heavy baggage, which
had come in the day after he had arrived there. The goods were placed
for the present in the new store, and then all hands set to work at the
fence. Hans and Terence had already dug the holes; and the putting in
the posts, ramming the earth tightly round them, and stretching the
wires, took them two days.

The usual defence in the outlying settlements against Indians is a ditch
six feet wide and as much deep; but a ditch of this width can be easily
leapt, both by men on horseback and on foot. The ditch, too, would
itself serve as a shelter, as active men could have no difficulty in
getting out of it, and could surround the house by creeping along the
bottom of the ditch, and then openly attack all round at once, or crawl
up unperceived by those who were upon the watch on the other side.

The fence had none of these disadvantages. It was six feet high. The
wires were placed at six inches apart for four feet from the bottom, and
at nine inches above that. Then the upper wires were not stretch