oasis in the great wilderness was before him, and his former fears were
vain; for, yes--no--yes, out there in the clear air stood a group of
watching figures, and the next moment the boy's eyes grew dim--not so
dim, though, that he was unable to see white handkerchiefs waving him a
welcome--a welcome to his long-wished-for home.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

"SWEET, SWEET HOME."

Sour Sorrel wanted no reining in, but stopped short at the foot of the
great hillock, down which two bonny-looking, sun-browned maidens had
run, followed by a tall, grey, graceful-looking lady.

"It is Dominic, isn't it?" cried one of the girls.

"Yes, it is!" cried the other. "Oh, Nic, how you have grown!"

"And oh!" cried the other, "how you have distressed poor Sorrel! You
shouldn't have ridden him so hard."

This was in the intervals between kisses, as the lad was embraced by
first one and then the other. But as soon as he could free himself, Nic
ran to meet his mother, who was descending more slowly.

"My dear boy!" she cried.

"Mother!" and they were locked in each other's arms.

Mrs Braydon could say no more for some minutes, but stood with the
tears streaming down her handsome face, clinging tightly to her son,
while the two dogs looked on uneasily, whining and giving short,
half-angry barks, as if they did not quite understand whether the
attentions of the three ladies were friendly toward their young master.

The tears stood in the eyes of the two girls as well, but they were
tears of joy, and in a merry, laughing way the elder cried:

"Oh, mother, you must not keep him all to yourself!"

"No, no, of course not," cried Mrs Braydon, locking one arm now in
Nic's. "Poor boy! how hot and weary he is, Janet!"

"Yes; and he has nearly ridden poor Sorrel to death," cried the second
girl.

"In his eagerness to get home," said Mrs Braydon, clinging to her son
affectionately. "At last--at last! Oh, my boy, it has seemed so long!
But your father, is he just beyond the gully?"

"No, no!" cried Nic excitedly. "A day's journey away."

"And you have come alone?"

"Yes; but tell me," cried Nic. "The blacks: have they attacked you?"

"No, no," cried Janet quickly; "are they out?"

"Yes; we saw a large party this morning coming to attack the waggon.
Father was afraid that they might have been here, and he sent me on for
news."

"No," said Mrs Braydon, "they have not been near us. But your father?"

"I left him with the t