trees. The waggons, four in number, were drawn 

 up a few yards off the road, two abreast. The grass 

 was sweet and plentiful ; the day was hot and still ; 

 and as we had had a very long early morning trek 

 there was not much inclination to move. The cattle 

 soon filled themselves and lay down to sleep ; the boys 

 did the same ; and we, when breakfast was over, 

 got into the shade of the waggons, some to sleep 

 and others to smoke. 



Buggins that was his pet name was a passenger 

 returning to " England, Home, and Beauty " that 

 is to say, literally, to a comfortable home, admiring 

 sisters and a rich indulgent father after having 

 sought his fortune unsuccessfully on the gold fields 

 for fully four months. Buggins was good-natured, 

 unselfish, and credulous ; but he had one fault he 

 * yapped ' : he talked until our heads buzzed. He 

 used to sleep contentedly in a rumpled tarpaulin all 

 through the night treks and come up fresh as a daisy 

 and full of accumulated chat at the morning outspan, 

 just when we unless work or sport called for us 

 were wanting to get some sleep. 



We knew well enough what to expect, so after 

 breakfast Jimmy, who understood Buggins well, told 

 him pleasantly that he could " sleep, shoot, or shut 

 up." To shut up was impossible, and to sleep again 

 without a rest difficult, even for Buggins ; so with 

 a good-natured laugh he took the shot gun, saying 

 that he " would potter around a bit and give us a treat." 

 Well, he did ! 



We had outspanned on the edge of an open space 

 127 



