ANE--ROOF OF THE HUT BLOWN OFF.

Some weeks passed away, and the new comers were getting accustomed to
bush-life. Even the unimpressible Evelina and Adela began to take an
interest in what was going on, though they were still open to the
criticism pronounced on them by Harry to Reginald--

"Those girls of yours are very well in their way, but it is a pity they
cannot learn to make themselves useful."

Aunt Emily was, however, delighted with all she saw--the trees, the
birds, the animals; and much indeed there was to admire during the rides
she and two or three of the girls were accustomed to take, either with
Mr Berrington or Paul, Harry or Reginald.

All apprehension of an attack from the blacks had subsided, and they
frequently rode to a considerable distance from Stratton. The country
beyond the scrub was open, or rather only sprinkled with tall ungainly
gum-trees, but there was to be found in many spots other and very
beautiful foliage. In some places groves of acacia-trees with yellow
blossoms, and in other spots tall coral trees with long pendulous red
flowers, looking exactly like strings of coral hanging from the dark
foliage. Sometimes they came upon the curiously-shaped bottle tree,
which greatly resembles a lemonade bottle placed in the ground. Then,
not far off, would be found the grass tree, from the summit of which
long pendants projected like enormous blades of grass. Even these trees
were of considerable height. Mr Berrington said that during the hot
months he always had a supply of the wood, as the smoke arising from it
emits not only a very pleasant odour, but is much objected to by the
mosquitos, and by burning it in the room those pests of Queensland are
always driven out.

One of the most remarkable trees they met with was the bunya-bunya, a
species of pine. It towered like a pinnacle above all the other trees,
reaching a height of upwards of two hundred feet.

Some of the young trees were peculiarly handsome, throwing out branches
all around close to the ground to a distance of many yards, and smaller
branches rising in regular gradation to the top, thus forming a perfect
cone with so dense a foliage that it was evident no animal could
penetrate it. At the top of the older trees grew an enormous cone of
fruit, each being the size of a chestnut. From some of these a bare
pole shot up nearly a hundred feet above the branches, with this
prodigious cone at the summit. Notwithstanding t