"No; but we've got no silly hair to brush!"

"Pooh!--that won't take me any time. Mrs. Brown's up, Jim, and she says breakfast will be ready in ten minutes."

"Good old Brownie!" Jim e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. "Can't beat her, can you? D'you know if she's got the swag packed?"

"Everything's packed, and she's given it all to Billy, and it's on old Polly by now." Polly was the packhorse. "Such a jolly, big bundle--and everything covered over with cabbage leaves to keep it cool."

"Hooroo for Casey! Well, scurry and get dressed, old girl. I bet you keep us waiting at the last."

"I'm sure I won't," was the indignant answer, as Norah ran off through the hail. "Think of how much longer you take over your breakfast!"

Ten minutes later breakfast smoked on the wide kitchen table, Mrs.

Brown, like a presiding G.o.ddess, flourishing a big spoon by a frying-pan that sent up a savoury odour.

"I'm sure I hope you'll all kindly excuse having it in here," she said in pained tones. "No use to think of those lazy hussies of girls having the breakfast-room ready at this hour. So I thought as how you wouldn't mind."

"Mind!--not much, Mrs. Brown," Jim laughed. "You're too good to us altogether. Eggs and bacon! Well, you are a brick! Cold tucker would have done splendidly for us."

"Cold, indeed!--not if I know it--and you precious lambs off for such a ride, and going to be hot weather and all," said the breathless Mrs.

Brown indignantly. "Now, you just eat a good breakfast, Miss Norah, my love. I've doughnuts here, nearly done, nice and puffy and brown, just as you like them, so hurry up and don't let your bacon get cold."

There was not, indeed, much chance for the bacon, which disappeared in a manner truly alarming, while its fate was speedily shared by the huge pile of crisp doughnuts which Mrs. Brown presently placed upon the table with a flourish.

"We don't get things like this at school!" Wally said regretfully, pausing for an instant before his seventh.

"All the more reason you should eat plenty now," said their constructor, holding the doughnuts temptingly beneath his nose. "Come now, dearie, do eat something!" and Wally bashfully recommenced his efforts.

"How's Billy getting on?" Jim inquired.

"Billy's in the back kitchen, Master Jim, my love, and you've no call to worry your head about him, He's had three plates of bacon and five eggs, and most like by this time he's finished all his doughnuts and drunk his coffee-pot dry. That black image will eat anythink," concluded Mrs.

Brown solemnly.

"Well, I can't eat anything more, anyhow," Jim declared. "How we're all going to ride fifteen miles beats me. If we sleep all day, instead of catching fish for you, you've only got yourself to blame, Mrs. Brown."

Whereat Mrs. Brown emitted fat and satisfied chuckles, and the meeting broke up noisily, and rushed off to find its hats.

Six ponies in a line against the stable yard fence--Bobs, with an eye looking round hopefully for Norah and sugar; Mick, most feather-headed of chestnuts, and Jim's especial delight; Topsy and Barcoo, good useful station ponies, with plenty of fun, yet warranted not to break the necks of boy-visitors; Bung Eye, a lean piebald, that no one but black Billy ever thought of riding; next to him old Polly, packed securely with the day's provisions. Two fishing-rods stuck out from her bundles, and a big bunch of hobbles jingled as she moved.

There was nothing in the saddles to distinguish Norah's mount, for she, too, rode astride. Mr. Linton had a rooted dislike to side saddles, and was wont to say he preferred horses with sound withers and a daughter whose right hip was not higher than her left. So Norah rode on a dainty little hunting saddle like Jim's, her habit being a neat divided skirt, which had the double advantage of looking nice on horseback, and having no bothersome tail to hold up when off.

The boys were dressed without regard to appearances--loose old coats and trousers, soft shirts and leggings. Red-striped towels, peeping out of Polly's packs, indicated that Jim had not forgotten the possibilities of bathing which the creek afforded. A tin teapot jangled cheerfully against a well-used black billy.

"All right, you chaps?" Jim ran his eye over the ponies and their gear.

"Better have a look at your girths. Come along."

Norah was already in the saddle, exulting over the fact that, in spite of Jim's prophecy that she would be late, she was the first to be mounted. Bobs was prancing happily, infected with the gaiety of the moment, the sweet morning air and sunshine, and the spirit of mirth that was everywhere. Mick joined him in capering, as Jim swung himself into the saddle. Billy, leading Polly, and betraying an evident distaste for a task which so hampered the freedom of his movements, moved off down the track.

Just as Wally and Harry mounted, a tall figure in pyjamas appeared at the gate of the back yard.

"There's Dad!" Norah cried gleefully, cantering up to him. The boys followed.

"Had to get up to see the last of you," Mr. Linton said; "not much chance of sleeping anyhow, with you rowdy people about."

"Did we wake you, Dad?--sorry."

"Very sorry, aren't you?" Mr. Linton laughed at the merry face. "Well, take care of yourselves; remember, Norah's in your charge, Jim, and all the others in yours, Norah! Keep an eye to your ponies, and don't let them stray too far, even if they are hobbled. And mind you bring me home any amount of fish, Harry and Wal."

"We will, sir," chorused the boys.

Norah leant from her saddle and slipped an arm round her father's neck.

"Good-bye, Dad, dear."

"Good-bye, my little girl. Be careful--don't forget." Mr. Linton kissed her fondly. "Well, you're all in a hurry--and so am I, to get back to bed! So-long, all of you. Have a good time."

"So-long!" The echoes brought back the merry shout as the six ponies disappeared round the bend in the track.

Down the track to the first gate helter-skelter--Billy, holding it open, showed his white teeth in a broad grin as the merry band swept through.

Then over the long gra.s.s of the broad paddock, swift hoofs shaking off the dewdrops that yet hung sparkling in the sunshine. Billy plodded far behind with the packhorse, envy in his heart and discontent with the fate that kept him so far in the rear, compelled to progress at the tamest of jogs.

The second paddock traversed, they pa.s.sed through the sliprails into a bush paddock known as the Wide Plain. It was heavily timbered towards one end, where the river formed its boundary, but towards the end at which they entered was almost cleared, only a few logs lying here and there, and occasionally a tall dead tree.

"What a place for a gallop!" said Harry. His quiet face was flushed and his eyes sparkling.

"Look at old Harry!" jeered Wally. "He's quite excited. Does your mother know you're out, Hal?"

"I'll punch you, young Wally," retorted Harry. "Just you be civil. But isn't it a splendid place? Why, there's a clear run for a mile, I should say."

"More than that," Jim answered. "We've often raced here."

"Oh!" Norah's eyes fairly danced. "Let's have a race now!"

"n.o.ble idea!" exclaimed Wally.

"Well, it'll have to be a handicap to make it fair," Jim said. "If we start level, Norah's pony can beat any of the others, and I think Mick can beat the other two. At any rate we'll give you fellows a start, and Norah must give me one."

"I don't care," Norah said gleefully, digging her heel into Bobs, with the result that that animal suddenly executed a bound in mid-air.

"Steady, you duffer; I didn't mean any offence, Bobsie dear," She patted his neck.

"I should think you wouldn't care," Jim said. "Best pony and lightest weight! You ought to be able to leave any of us miles behind, so we'll give you a beautiful handicap, young woman!"

"Where's the winning post?" Harry asked.

"See that big black tree--the one just near the boundary fence, I mean?

It's a few chains from the fence, really. We'll finish there," Jim replied.

"Come on, then," said Norah, impatiently. "Get on ahead, Harry and Wally; you'll have to sing out 'Go!' Jim, and sing it out loud, 'cause we'll be ever so far apart."

"Right oh!" Jim said. "Harry, clear on a good way; you're the heaviest.

Pull up when I tell you; you too, Wal." He watched the two boys ride on slowly, and sang out to them to stop when he considered they had received a fair start. Then he rode on himself until he was midway between Wally and Norah, Harry some distance ahead of the former. The ponies had an inkling of what was in the wind, and were dancing with impatience.