"It is my country," answered Harry, "and I'll not have it abused. It is as fine a country as any in the world, or finer, I believe."

"You call that rocky range, which took us three days to get over, a fine country!"

"Ah! that's nothing! you must take the rough with the smooth. I dare say there are quite as many rugged places in England."

"From what I have seen of it, all I can say is, I intend to leave your beautiful country as soon as papa gets back some of his property. I hope to obtain a commission in the Guards."

"You'd better try and get a commission in our Black-guards," answered Harry, laughing. "They are a very useful body of men, and most of their officers are gallant fellows."

"Bosh!" cried Hector, who felt too indignant to make any other reply.

He, nevertheless, accompanied Harry to the stock-yard, where they found Mary and Janet with their milk-pails, and their two elder cousins and Miss Saville. Within the yard into which the cattle were being driven, on one side, were two strong posts, about five feet high, with a cross-piece on the top and another at the bottom, with a strong rail between them, which could be moved from side to side and fixed by means of a peg. Just behind this, but outside the yard, was a windla.s.s, with a rope pa.s.sing between the two posts.

"Do you see those posts?" asked Harry; "that's where we milk our cows."

As he spoke he patted a cow on the back, and crying, "Bail-up!" she walked quickly up and put her head between the posts, where it was so secured by the rail that she could not withdraw it. Taking one of the pails, and seating himself on a stool close by, he commenced the operation, which, to Hector's intense astonishment, he performed in a thoroughly efficient manner. Other cows walked up without the slightest trouble, and were milked in the same way by his sisters.

"Now, girls, you had better clear out of the yard!" shouted Paul; "we have two or three somewhat restive animals to deal with."

Mary and Janet, whose pails were by this time full, followed their brother's advice, and, accompanied by Miss Saville and their cousins, made their way out of the yard; while Mr Hayward, who summoned Harry and Reginald to his a.s.sistance, stood ready at the windla.s.s. Paul took hold of the rope, which was unwound, with a noose at the end of it fixed to a long stick, and approached one of the cows just before driven into the yard. Immediately he attempted to throw the noose over her head she swerved, now on one side, now on the other, taking care never to put her nose to the ground. At last, however, Paul succeeded in throwing the noose over her horns, when he drew it tight by a jerk.

"Haul away!" he shouted; and round went the windla.s.s, the cow, in the meantime, making every effort to free herself, leaping and bounding, throwing up her head and trying to shake off the rope. But all was in vain. Sandy sounded his stock whip at her flanks, now and then giving her a touch to remind her that it was at hand, until gradually she was drawn up to the posts and her head securely fixed, when Sandy approached with the milk-pail.

"I'm not going to trust you yet, my lady," he said, fastening her hind-legs up on the side on which he was about to take his seat. This done, he began the operation of milking. He had almost drawn as much as he expected to obtain, when the cunning cow, finding that she could not kick over the pail, came down on her side; and Sandy, with difficulty, made his escape from under her with the loss of the contents of his pail.

There were two other cows to be milked, which had been standing by watching attentively the treatment received by their companion. Paul, taking the rope, approached one of them. The creature seemed to have made up her mind not to be milked, and as he drew near she whisked round with wonderful rapidity, now and then making as if she would run at him; but Paul was far too active to be caught. Suddenly her eyes fell on Hector, who had been ashamed to leave the yard, although greatly longing to do so. Putting down her head, with a loud bellow she rushed towards him.

"Run for it! Spring on one side, and then make a bolt for the palings.

I'll help you over!" shouted Harry.

Hector, however, was too much frightened to follow the advice. Instead of facing the cow and watching what she was about to do, he turned round and ran across the slippery yard; before he got far, as might have been expected, down he fell. The next instant the cow would have been upon him, had not Paul, who had been following with the noose, succeeded dexterously in slipping it over her horns, when the windla.s.s being turned rapidly round, she found herself brought up by a violent jerk.

In vain she endeavoured to get free. The hide rope which had caught her was strong enough, as Sandy affirmed, "to hold a seventy-four," and she was quickly, in spite of her bellowings and kickings, hauled up to "the bail;" while Hector, much frightened and excessively angry at his accident, picked himself up, and ran to the paling towards which Harry was beckoning him.

Sandy took care on this occasion not to be caught by the cow, and managed to take all the milk he required. Several others were brought up in the same fashion. Two who had been looking on, seeing that, whatever they might do, they would have to submit at last, walked up quietly and poked their heads into "the bail."

"I should like to try and milk a cow," exclaimed Reginald, who felt ambitious to imitate his cousins' example and make himself useful.

"We have two more heifers to milk, and you shall try; but I don't think you will succeed at first," said Paul.

Reginald was determined to make an attempt. As the heifer showed no great inclination to submit to the process--being accompanied by her calf--she was caught by the horns, quickly dragged up to "the bail," and leg-roped. Here she stood quietly enough while Paul stroked her, patted her back, and scratched her about the ears.

"Now, Reginald!" cried Paul, "get your stool and milk-pail, and try what you can do." Neither Paul nor his cousin had observed that the calf-- only a few weeks old--which had remained on the other side of the yard, had been stamping and pawing the ground, and exhibiting other signs of indignation at seeing its mother made captive.

Reginald, with sleeves tucked up and eager face, commenced trying to milk, but not a drop could he produce. Suddenly, uttering a loud cry, the calf, with head lowered, made a dash across the yard, sending Reginald flying in one direction, his milk-pail and stool in others, to the great amus.e.m.e.nt of the lookers-on. Reginald picked himself up, not being really hurt; and although he at first looked very frightened, he soon recovered his equanimity.

"Now, Reginald," said Paul, "you will very likely succeed better this time. Try again."

Reginald had plenty of spirit, and getting the pail and stool, once more sat himself down; and Paul showing him how to work, he managed to draw milk from the heifer.

"Capital!" cried Paul; "but you had better let me finish--one cannot tell how long she may stay quiet."

At breakfast Hector and Reginald gave very different versions of the milking business of the morning. Hector described it as "a nasty, disgusting affair;" while Reginald declared "that it was very good fun, and that he was proud of his own performance, in spite of his misadventure."

CHAPTER FOUR.

PETS--A RAMBLE THROUGH THE SCRUB--ROB ACTS THE HERO--SEES A LURKING BLACK--THE PARTY HURRY HOMEWARDS--ALARMING INTELLIGENCE BROUGHT BY PAUL.

As much of the time of the young Berringtons was likely to be taken up by their newly-arrived cousins, it was arranged that they and Mr Hayward should make holiday. As soon, therefore, as Mary and Janet had finished their household duties they invited their cousins to take a walk round the gardens, which they had not yet seen, and along the bank of the river.

"We can show you some pretty views," said Mary.

"You shall see all our pets," added Janet.

"Pray take your sunshades, girls," murmured Mrs Berrington, who had just come out of her room. "Without them you will spoil your complexions to a certainty, and perhaps suffer from a _coup-de-soleil_.

You do not let your daughters go out without them?" she added, turning to her sister-in-law.

"We never think of such a thing," answered Mrs Hugh; "our hats are lined with pith, and broad-brimmed, and we do not mind a few freckles."

The young ladies, acting on their mother's suggestion, took their sunshades, which, it must be confessed, were not altogether useless, although their cousins did very well without them.

They had got a short distance from the house, when Evelina uttered a scream and pointed to a large animal with a long tail, pointed nose, and short arms, which came hopping along at a great rate towards them.

"Oh! what's that monster?" she exclaimed. "How can we get out of its way?"

"That's only our tame kangaroo, Jumper," answered Janet, laughing. "He is a great pet; he has been out with Sandy all the morning, and is now coming to pay his respects to us."

The kangaroo, which was upwards of five feet high, came bounding along, moving himself by the wonderful muscular power of his long hind-legs, though he had in addition to carry his tail, which he lifted off the ground when moving; this tail, however, a.s.sisted him to rest when he reached his young mistresses and waited to receive the piece of bread they had brought to give him. Close behind came an animal on four legs.

"Oh! here comes another horrid creature," cried Adela. "A wolf! a wolf!"

"No; we have no wolves here. That is our kangaroo dog Bruce. He and Jumper are great friends, though he would run down, and kill any of Jumper's relatives without the slightest remorse. Here, Bruce, Bruce."

A magnificent dog, a mixture of a Saint Bernard and greyhound, came up and licked Mary's and Janet's hand, and attempted to treat their cousins in the same way. The young ladies, not liking his looks, started back, and it was some time before they could be persuaded to pat him on the head. Although Janet called Jumper and Bruce to accompany them, the latter only obeyed; the former bounded towards the house.

"The rogue has gone to see what he can get in the kitchen; if he can catch Biddy off her guard, he'll s.n.a.t.c.h up anything he can find, and be away with it," observed Mary.

The menagerie was in the flower-garden, where several of their pets which could not be allowed to remain at liberty were confined. Among the prettiest was a flying squirrel, a little animal with beautiful fur, its legs united by a membrane which enables it to float from the treetops to the ground without injury, then to run up the trunk of another, once more to descend, and thus make its way along. Poor little "Fussy!" its habits were nocturnal, and it had been accustomed to roam about at large in the house; but Captain Berrington, fearing that it might disturb his guests, had turned it out of doors to live with several other animals which his children had tamed.

The young ladies had made their way along a path which had been cut through the scrub, close to the banks of the river, that Mary might show her cousins the views she had spoken of. They had been joined by Rob and Edgar, who considered that they could not let them go so far from home without an efficient escort.

"With such valiant guards we may, I think, venture further than we have been accustomed to," said Mary. "We shall have to stoop now and then to get under the vines, or squeeze ourselves between the trunks of the trees. We have no wild animals to fear, and need only be careful not to tread upon a snake."

"A snake!" exclaimed Evelina. "Oh, how dreadful! Let's go home."

"Oh, come on," cried Bob, "I'll clear the road, and kill any snakes which may show their ugly heads."