ny mistake now.'

There was no more chaff. They weren't afraid. There were two or three
of them pretty smart with their hands, and not likely to take much from
anybody. But Jim was a heavy weight and could hit like a horse kicking;
so they thought it wasn't good enough, and left him alone.

Next day Mr. Falkland came down and wanted to give Jim a cheque for a
hundred; but he wouldn't hear of so much as a note. Then he said he'd
give him a billet on the run--make him under overseer; after a bit buy
a farm for him and stock it. No! Jim wouldn't touch nothing or take a
billet on the place. He wouldn't leave his family, he said. And as for
taking money or anything else for saving Miss Falkland's life, it was
ridiculous to think of it. There wasn't a man of the lot in the shed,
down to the tarboy, that wouldn't have done the same, or tried to. All
that was in it was that his horse was the fastest.

'It's not a bad thing for a poor man to have a fast horse now and then,
is it, Mr. Falkland?' he said, looking up and smiling, just like a boy.
He was very shy, was poor Jim.

'I don't grudge a poor man a good horse or anything else he likes to
have or enjoy. You know that, all of you. It's the fear I have of the
effect of the dishonest way that horses of value are come by, and the
net of roguery that often entangles fine young fellows like you and your
brother; that's what I fear,' said Mr. Falkland, looking at the pair of
us so kind and pitiful like.

I looked him in the face, though I felt I could not say he was wrong.
I felt, too, just then, as if I could have given all the world to be
afraid of no man's opinion.

What a thing it is to be perfectly honest and straight--to be able to
look the whole world in the face!

But if more gentlemen were like Mr. Falkland I do really believe no one
would rob them for very shame's sake. When shearing was over we were all
paid up--shearers, washers, knock-about men, cooks, and extra shepherds.
Every soul about the place except Mr. M'Intyre and Mr. Falkland seemed
to have got a cheque and a walking-ticket at the same time. Away they
went, like a lot of boys out of school; and half of 'em didn't show as
much sense either. As for me and Jim we had no particular wish to go
home before Christmas. So as there's always contracts to be let about
a big run like Banda we took a contract for some bush work, and went at
it. Mr. M'Intyre looked quite surprised. But Mr. Falkland praised us up,
a