would
have put his arm round her.

"'Tis for thee to have a word in the matter, father," she shouted all at
once in the direction of the house; "this swain here would fain wed me."

And she drew him hastily towards the hut door.

There sat a little grey-clad old fellow, with a cap like a milk-can on
his head, staring at the livestock on the mountain-side. He had a large
silver jug in front of him.

"'Tis the homestead westward in the Blue Mountains that he's after, I
know," said the old man, nodding his head, with a sly look in his eyes.

"Haw, haw! That's what they're after, is it?" thought the swain. But
aloud he said, "'Tis a great offer, I know; but methinks 'tis a little
hasty too. Down our way 'tis the custom to send two go-betweens first of
all to arrange matters properly."

"Thou _didst_ send two before thee, and here they be," quoth she
smartly, and produced his drumsticks.

"And 'tis usual with us, moreover, to have a look over the property
first; though the lass herself have wit enough and to spare," added he.

Then she all at once grew so small, and there was a nasty green glitter
in her eyes---

"Hast thou not run after me the livelong day, and wooed me right down in
the enclosure there, so that my father both heard and saw it all?" cried
she.

"Pretty lasses are wont to hold back a bit," said the swain, in a
wheedling sort of way. He perceived that he must be a little subtle
here; it was not all love in this wooing.

Then she seemed to bend her body backwards into a complete curve, and
shot forward her head and neck, and her eyes sparkled.

But the old fellow lifted his stick from his knee, and she stood there
again as blithe and sportive as ever.

She stretched herself out tall and stiff, with her hands in her silver
girdle; and she looked right into his eyes and laughed, and asked him if
he was one of those fellows who were afraid of the girls. If he wanted
her he might perchance be run off his legs again, said she.

Then she began tripping up and down, and curtseying and making fun of
him again.

But all at once he saw on the sward behind her what looked like the
shadow of something that whisked and frisked and writhed round and
round, and twisted in and out according as she practised her wheedling
ways upon him.

"That is a very curious long sort of riband," thought the drummer to
himself in his amazement. They were in a great hurry, too, to get him
under the yoke, he thought; but