ly advances of the two girls.

"Hi! Sam!" cried Hilda, as a diminutive grey old man came hurrying
down, smiling and touching his hat. "Take Sorrel, and give him a feed
of corn and a good rub down. Hardly any water."

"All right, miss. So this is young master? How do, sir? Glad to see
you. Master close home?"

"No, no, Samson," said Mrs Braydon anxiously. "What do you think? My
son was sent on to see if we were safe here. The blacks are out, and a
party surprised them by the waggon."

To Nic's annoyance the man showed a few very old yellow teeth in an ugly
laugh.

"Master'll surprise some o' them if they don't take to their legs mighty
sharp, missus."

"Then you don't think there's any danger?"

"Yes, I do--for them," said the man. "Some on 'em'll be howling while
t'others picks shot-corns out o' their black hides with a pynted stone."

"Yes, of course," said Hilda coolly.

"Then you don't think I ought to send over to Mr Dillon to get help for
him?"

"Help? Tchah! Don't you be so narvous, missus. They blackfellows
don't know no better. They comes out with some streaks of white chalk
on their black carcadges, and they goes up to a waggon flourishing their
hop-poles and making faces, and frightens some people, and then they
steal flour and stores; but if they've gone to our waggon, I 'magine
they've gone to the wrong un. Take a precious ugly face to scare the
doctor. Tell you what he'll do, ladies all. He'll shoot over their
heads _first_."

"Yes, of course," said Hilda.

"That's right, Miss Hil. Then if that don't do no good, he'll give 'em
a dose o' number six. And then, missus, if that don't do, he'll try
swan shot; but don't you be frecken. Master knows how to manage strange
blackfellows. Come along, my lad. Say, young master, you have give him
a sweating, and no mistake."

The horse went and placed its muzzle over the little old man's shoulder,
and gave a puff like a deep sigh of satisfaction.

"Knows me, young master," said the man, grinning. "Ay, nussed you,
Sorrel, when you was on'y a babby, didn't I?" he continued, patting the
arched neck and carefully turning a few strands of the mane back in
their place.

"There, mother dear," said Janet affectionately; "you see it is not
necessary."

"But I feel as if, now I know you are all safe, I ought to go back,"
said Nic.

"You couldn't do it, sir," said the old man. "Why, you don't s'pose I
should be talking like this if