remarked her amiable mamma. "Now, if you are coming into Flinders Street
with me, make haste, and don't sit grizzling."

Poor Juliette! Poor Mrs. Lee-Trappeme! When they descended the hill and
emerged out into Flinders Street, they found the side-path crowded with
people, who were all gazing into the great yard of the Queen's Hotel,
from which was emerging a cavalcade. First came four people--the
white-bearded Charteris with Myra, and Grainger with Sheila; after them
a sergeant and six white police, and ten Native Police with carbines on
thighs, and then Dick Scott and dark-faced Inspector Lamington; behind
followed a troop of spare horses.

As they swung through the gates, the crowd cheered as Charteris gave
the word, and the whole party went off at a sharp canter down the long,
winding street.

CHAPTER XII ~ SHEILA BECOMES ONE OF A VERY "UNREFINED" CIRCLE

The night wind was soughing mournfully through the dark line of she-oaks
fringing the banks of a small, swiftly-running creek, when Sheila was
awakened by some one calling to her from outside the little tent in
which she was sleeping. She sat up and looked out.

"Did you call me, Mr. Grainger?"

"Yes. There is a storm coming down from the ranges. Sorry to awaken you,
but we want to make your tent more secure."

Aided by Scott, whose giant figure Sheila could scarcely discern--so
dark was the night--Grainger soon had the tent prepared to resist the
storm. As they worked, there came such an appalling thunderclap that
it shook the ground beneath her, and for some minutes she was unable to
hear even the droning roar of the rain-laden tornado that came tearing
down from the mountains, snapping off the branches of the gum-trees,
bending low the pliant boles of the moaning she-oaks, and lifting the
waters of the creek up in sheets.

A hand touched her face in the Cimmerian darkness, and Dick Scott's
voice (he was shouting with all the strength of his mighty lungs) seemed
to whisper--

"Lie down, miss; lie down, and don't be afeerd. The tent will stand, as
we are pretty well sheltered here, and------"

Another fearful thunderclap cut short his words, and she instinctively
clutched his hand. She was used to terrific thunderstorms in New South
Wales, but she had neyer heard anything so awful as this--it seemed as
if the heavens had burst.

"Where is Mr. Grainger?" she asked, putting her lips to Dick's ear and
speaking loudly.

"Here, beside me, miss."