on. I can manage the
ol' keow to-night, if yous want to go home."

The guests looked at each other doubtfully.

"What do you say, Bob? Shall we ride over?"

Bob pondered.

"All one to me, o' course," said Joe, getting up and stumping out. He
paused at the door. "On'y if yous mean ter stick on 'ere a bit you'll
find comin' back a bit 'ard, onced yous see Billabong."

"Just what I was thinking," said Bob, as the old man disappeared.
"I'm not going, Jim; I know jolly well I'd hate to come back
after--er--fleshpotting at your place. But look here, old chap--why
don't you go home and stay there? You've done quite enough of this,
especially as you've no earthly need to do it at all. You go home, and
I'll stay out my fortnight."

"What, leave you here alone?" queried Jim. "Not much, Bobby."

"But why not? I've Joseph, and we'd become bosom friends. And your
father must think it ridiculous for you to be kept over here, slaving--"

"Don't you worry your old head about dad," said Jim cheerfully. "It's a
slack time, and he doesn't need me, and he's perfectly satisfied at my
being here. Bless you, it's no harm for me to get a bit of this sort of
life."

"You'll never have to do it."

"No one can tell that," said Jim. "The bottom has dropped out of land
in other countries, and it may happen here. Besides, if you've got to
employ labour it's just as well to know from experience what's a fair
thing to expect from a man as a day's work. For which reason, I have
desired our friend Joseph to take me off scrub-duty, which I feel I know
pretty well, and to detail me for assorted fatigues, like yours, next
week. And anyhow, my son, having brought you to this savage place, I'm
not going to leave you. Finally, we couldn't go anywhere, because this
is the day that we must wash."

"I have washed!" said Bob indignantly.

"I didn't mean your person, Bobby, but your clothes. The laundress
doesn't call out here."

"Oh!" said Bob, and grinned. "Then I'd better put on a kettle."

So they washed, very cheerfully, taking turns in the one bucket, which
was all Joe could offer as laundry equipment. He had an iron, but after
brief consultation, "Major" and "Captin" decided that to iron working
shirts would be merely painting the lily. Old Joe watched them with a
twinkle, saying nothing. But a spirit of festivity and magnificence must
have entered into him, for when the washermen went for a walk, after
disposing their damp raiment upon bu