ing that particular song
_three_ times."

"I wish I had been there! Do you know, Miss Carolan, that that big man
who brought you here--Dick Scott--rough and uneducated as he is, is a
gentleman. On our way down from Chinkie's Flat we had to swim our horses
across the Ross River, which was in flood. When we reached the other
side I was, of course, wet through, and my hair had come down, and I
looked like a half-drowned cat, I suppose. There is a public-house on
this side of the Ross, and we went there at once to change our clothes,
which were in canvas saddle bags on a pack-horse, and came over dry.
The public-house was full of people, among whom were three commercial
travellers, who were doing what is called 'painting the place red'--they
were all half-intoxicated. As I came in wet and dripping they leered at
me, and one of them said, 'Look at the sweet little ducky--poor little
darling--with her pitty ickle facey-wacey all wet and coldy-woldy.' Ted
was not near me at the time, but Scott heard, and ten minutes later,
as I was changing my clothes, I heard a dreadful noise, and the most
_awful_ language, and then a lot of cheering. I dressed as quickly as
possible and went out into the dining-room, and there on the floor were
the three commercial travellers. Their faces looked simply dreadful,
smothered in blood, and I felt quite sick. At the other end of the room
were a lot of men, miners and stockmen, who were surrounding Dick Scott,
slapping him on the back, and imploring him to drink with them. It seems
that as soon as I had gone to my room to change, the valiant Dick had
told them that the 'drummers' had insulted Mr. Grainger's sister, and in
a few minutes the room was cleared and a ring formed, and Dick actually
did what the landlord termed 'smashed up the whole three in five
minutes.'"

"I'm sure I shall like Mr. Dick Scott," said Sheila. "I had to try hard
and not laugh when he pointed to you, and said in his big, deep voice,
'There they are, having a "cooler"'--I thought at first he meant you
were cooling yourselves."

"Any drink is called a 'cooler,' "explained Myra; "but, oh dear, how I
do chatter! The fact is, I'm so wildly excited, and want to talk so
much that I can't talk fast enough. But I _must_ first of all tell you
this--I'm really most sincerely glad to meet you, for I feel as if I
knew you well. Mrs. Farrow--I spent a week at Minerva Downs--told me you
were coming, and that she was longing to see yo