tance; but these had, upon nearer approach, turned out to be cattle,
and a feeling of disappointment began to make itself evident as they
rode on and on, till toward sunset, when the waggon was quite half a
mile ahead, Nic noticed that the bright greyish white tilt was glowing
and turning ruddier against the dark lines of a clump of trees, and a
minute later it still seemed to be in the same position.

Nic felt disposed to draw his father's attention to the fact that the
waggon was not moving, but his feeling of disinclination even to speak
was growing upon him, and he was riding bent forward in silence,
noticing what appeared to be a bed of whitish mist spreading among the
trees, when his father startled him out of his thoughtful musings by
saying laconically:

"Camp."

Nic turned and looked at him inquiringly.

"Camp, Nic," he said. "Don't you see that they've lit a fire?"

"Oh!" cried the boy, raising himself up. "I thought it was mist."

"No, Nic, smoke. That's the first thing we do out here when we halt for
the night: light a fire and put on the billy."

Nic gave another inquiring look, and his father smiled.

"You'll soon learn all our colonial terms, boy," he said. "A billy is a
large cross-handled saucepan to boil water in and make our tea. I'll
show you how that is done--when we get there."

"I know how to make tea," said Nic.

"Yes, but not our way."

Nic looked wonderingly at his father.

"You are on the other side of the world now," said the doctor. "Now
then, what do you say to a trot for the rest of the way?"

The boy winced, but he mastered his shrinking sensation.

"Very well, father," he said.

"No," said the doctor. "I'll let you off till to-morrow. You've done
enough for one day."

Ten minutes after they were dismounting in just such a spot as that
chosen for their mid-day halt. The cattle were unyoked, and had gone of
their own accord to a water-hole about fifty yards away; the fire was
burning brightly, and the kettle giving forth a few preliminary snorts,
suggestive of rising steam; and the waggon was drawn close up under a
huge, wide-spreading tree, among whose branches the soft cooing of
pigeons could be heard. The horses were hobbled, unsaddled, and rubbed
down, and when they were led off to drink, the travellers went a few
yards away for a refreshing wash.

"Now, Nic," said the doctor after their return and when the provisions
had been taken from the waggon, "you