ped out. That I'm sure of."

"Oh, never mind, Mr. Gordon! Forget it! There's your brother, Hugh,
thinks we ought not to have come, and now you are turning sulky. Why do
all you Australian people amuse yourselves so sadly?"

"I don't know what you mean by sadly," said Charlie, huffed. "I think
you ladies had better go home soon. Things are likely to be a bit lively
later on. They have got a door off its hinges and laid on the ground,
and a fiddler playing jigs, and the men and women are dancing each other
down; it won't be long till there'll be a fight, and somebody will get
stretched out."

Sure enough, they could see an excited crowd of people gathered round
a fiddler, who was playing away for dear life, and the yells and whoops
told them that partisanship was running high. All the young "bloods"
of the ranges were there in their very best finery--cabbage-tree hat
(well-tilted back, and secured by a string under the nose), gaudy cotton
shirt, and tweed trousers of loud pattern, secured round the waist by
flaring red or green sashes. In this garb such as fancied themselves as
dancers were taking their turns on the door. They began by ambling with
a sort of strutting walk once or twice round the circumscribed platform;
then, with head well back and eyes closed, dashed into the steps of the
dance, each introducing varied steps and innovations of his own, which,
if intricate and neatly executed, were greeted with great applause. So
it happened that after Jerry the Swell, the recognised champion of
the Doyles, had gone off with an extremely self-satisfied air, some
adherents of young Red Mick, the opposition champion, took occasion to
criticise Jerry's performance. "Darnce!" they said. "Jerry the Swell,
darnce! Why, we've got an old poley cow would darnce him blind! Haven't
we, Mick?"

"Yairs," said young Mick, with withering emphasis. "Darnce! He can't
darnce. I'll run, darnce, jump, or fight any man in the district for two
quid."

Before the challenge could be accepted there was an unexpected
interruption. Hugh had put the big trotting mare in the light trap for
Miss Harriott and Mary to drive home. "Gentle Annie" was used to racing,
and Hugh warned the girls to be careful in starting her, as she would
probably be excited by the crowd, and then turned back to pack up the
racing gear and start the four-in-hand with the children. As they were
putting the racing saddle, bridles, and other gear into the vehicle,
Charlie