guage,
and were admiring the display of his rare talent, when the proprietor of
the bird came to the door, evidently awakened from a nap by his protege.
He first told the parrot to "shut up," and then turned his languid
attention on his visitors, whom he did not appear pleased to see, or
indeed displeased. In fact, he seemed too lazy to exhibit much emotion
any way; and the only energy he displayed was when he used his long,
dirty finger nails on his head, the hair from which hung down on his
shoulders in tangled masses, and afforded refuge to thousands of
animals, that would have been homeless, had he had those locks clipped
close to his skull.

The stockman was barefooted, and his feet looked tougher than any sole
leather ever brought to market. Dirt, a hot sun, and an entire absence
of water as a cleansing agent, had rendered them of an indescribable
color, and us he afterwards boasted, he was "not afeerd of any varmin
biting them 'ere, 'cos they was toughened."

An old flannel shirt, and a pair of canvas trousers, completed the
costume of a man who said he preferred to live on a cattle station, and
receive about ten dollars per month, than to trust to luck, and work
hard at the mines.

"Hullo, Bimbo," shouted the lieutenant, as the stockman came in sight,
and leaned languidly against the door, as though too lazy to support his
own weight.

The fellow muttered something which we did not hear, and Murden shouted
again,--

"Did we disturb you from a refreshing nap, Bimbo, or have you grown
lazier than ever? Come, stir yourself, and start a fire; we want
breakfast. In a few minutes there will be a dozen more here, and they
will eat you out of house and home, unless you are smart. Bushrangers
always have good appetites."

It might have been fancy, but I thought I saw the indolent Bimbo
suddenly start at the word "bushrangers," and his apparently
heavy-looking eyes were lighted up with an energetic look that I little
expected from a man such as his outward appearance denoted. Whether my
surmises were correct or not, the man resumed his old habit in a moment,
and if possible looked more fatigued than ever.

"I don't see what you want, coming here at this hour in the morning,"
Bimbo said, with a yawn. "I was just dreaming that I could live without
work, when you roused me. What is up that takes you from Melbourne?"

The question was asked in the most indifferent tone that a person can
imagine; but I thought I det