Part 17 (1/2)
”Electric bell?” exclaimed the children with blank faces
”Oh, you dear new chuhter, accompanied by Bob, ”that isn't an electric bell; it's a cicada”
”A cicada!” repeated Miss Chase
”Yes; a kind of grasshopper, or cricket, you know,” Mrs Orban explained, looking much amused ”He is up there in the roof I ao on so will he”
”How very ill- instead,” said Peter, as getting sleepy, but would not own it
He was not really fond of un, and going ht air such an appalling howl that Miss Chase started and turned pale To her astonishment, when she looked round the table, she found that no one but herself was at all disturbed by the sound
”You to play, I believe, Miss Chase,” said Bob, who sat opposite her
She put down her card, and at that ain, apparently frohtly together, and again looked round on the unain the cry resounded
”Surely,” she said, looking appealingly at Bob, ”there is sohed
”I thought you seemed upset, but I didn't like toThere'll be a whole pack of theo out and disperse theo?” inquired Miss Chase
”Don't you know that, Aunt Dorothy?” asked Peter in tones of conte here”
”Peter,” said Bob gravely, ”do you knohat a top hat and a frock coat are like?”
Peter shook his head in bewilder the sland I anorance!”
Peter reddened
”But I've never seen theo,” said Bob cal of the Bush, Miss Chase They co for food”
The howling greorse and worse Bob quietly sauntered out on to the veranda There were a few shots, and the noise changed to yelps as the dingoes scurried in terror down the hill
”Don't be worried if you hear theht,” said Mrs Orban ”I aet used to our noisy hours of darkness”
When Miss Chase tried to settle down to sleep she remembered these words, and it seeood-night” by every one A good night was ioes howled persistently in the woods below, and quite close there was the incessant ”croak-croak-croak-croak” of tree-frogs, together with many other inexplicable and weird noises
Nesta slept placidly through it all; but not till there caer drop into oblivion
It did not seem to her she had been asleep five ht in her roo new Just under herthere was a strident laugh