tent.

The Hermit had a queer smile in his eyes, but Jim looked desperately
uncomfortable.

Jim favoured the others with a heavy scowl as he came out of the tent,
slipping behind the Hermit in order that he might deliver it unobserved.
It was plain enough to fill them with considerable discomfort. They
exchanged glances of bewilderment.

"I wonder what's up now?" Wally whispered.

Jim strolled over to them as the Hermit, without saying anything,
crossed to his fireplace, and began to put some sticks together.

"You're bright objects!" he whispered wrathfully. "Why can't you speak
softly if you must go gabbling about other people?"

"You don't mean to say he heard us?" Harry said, colouring.

"I do, then! We could hear every word you said, and it was jolly awkward
for me. I didn't know which way to look."

"Was he wild?" whispered Wally.

"Blessed if I know. He just laughed in a queer way, until Norah stuck up
for him, and then he looked grave. 'I'm lucky to have one friend,' he
said, and walked out of the tent. You're a set of goats!" finished Jim
comprehensively.

"Well, I'm not ashamed of what I said, anyhow!" Norah answered
indignantly. She elevated her tip-tilted nose, and walked away to where
the Hermit was gathering sticks, into which occupation she promptly
entered. The boys looked at each other.

"Well, I am--rather," Harry said. He disappeared into the scrub,
returning presently with a log of wood as heavy as he could drag. Wally,
seeing his idea, speedily followed suit, and Jim, after a stare, copied
their example. They worked so hard that by the time the Hermit and Norah
had the fire alight, quite a respectable stack of wood greeted the eye
of the master of the camp. He looked genuinely pleased.

"Well, you are kind chaps," he said. "That will save me wood-carting for
many a day, and it is a job that bothers my old back."

"We're very glad to get it for you, sir," Jim blurted, a trifle
shamefacedly. A twinkle came into the Hermit's eyes as he looked at him.

"That's all square, Jim," he said quietly, and without any more being
said the boys felt relieved. Evidently this Hermit was not a man to bear
malice, even if he did overhear talk that wasn't meant for him.

"Well," said the Hermit, breaking a somewhat awkward silence, "it's
about time we heard the dusky Billy, isn't it?"

"Quite time, I reckon," Jim replied. "Lazy young beggar!"

"Well, the billy's not boiling yet, although it's not