Part 7 (1/2)

”Not a word,” said his father; ”if he does not appear to-morrow I intend to ride out and try to discover him.”

Hector, meanwhile, was bitterly complaining to his mother of the sufferings he had endured. ”I wish that you'd let me go back to England, or try and get me some gentlemanly post in Sydney or Melbourne,” he said.

”I will ask your father,” was the answer.

The captain, to whom Mr Berrington communicated his son's request, laughed heartily. ”I am sorry for the poor boy. He would find that he had dropped out of the frying-pan into the fire. If he cannot find occupation in the bush, depend upon it he will not in the city. People there do not want fine young gentlemen any more than they do here. Do not let him go, as you will only be throwing your money away, but have patience with him, and by degrees he will get accustomed to our ways, and prove useful at last.”

Mr Berrington told his son ”that he would think about the matter,” and Hector used to talk to his cousins of the Government appointment he expected soon to obtain.

The heat had been very great. Not a cloud was in the sky, and not a breath of wind fanned the topmost boughs of the tallest trees. Captain Berrington had determined on starting to discover what had become of Paul. Rob and Edgar were awake before daylight. The whole family intended to be up to see the captain off. The window was left open on account of the heat. Presently, from the wood close at hand, there came forth a wild shriek of merry laughter, which made Hector start up.

”Where in the world did that come from?” he exclaimed.

Rob pointed to the wood.

”What can it be?” asked Hector.

Rob did not answer, amused at his cousin's astonishment.

Again, another jovial peal of laughter, followed by a self-satisfied chuckle, came from the wood.

”What is it? What is it?” asked the others.

”You would have heard it before, many a time, if you had been awake at this hour,” answered Rob. ”That is the settler's alarum--the laughing jacka.s.s.”

”Laughing jacka.s.s!” exclaimed Hector. ”I never heard that a jacka.s.s laughed, and I don't see one there,” for in his eagerness he had jumped up, and gone to the window.

The dawn, it should have been said, had just broken.

”Wait until we have more light,” said Rob; ”perhaps you will then see our friend. I can just make him out. He is not down on the ground, where you are looking for him--he is up in yonder tree.”

”Up in a tree?” exclaimed his cousins, in chorus.

”Yes; he generally lives up there, but he does not indulge in such uproarious laughter until early in the morning. I suppose he laughs at the folly of people lying in bed, and so tries to wake them up.”

Hector and Edgar were more mystified than ever. At last they caught sight of a large brown bird with a big beak, sitting on a bough and nodding its head, and then laughing away with all its might. They could now no longer have any doubt whence the sound proceeded.

Just then Harry, arriving from the hut, came into the room.

”Come along, Harry,” cried Reggy, ”you said there would be time for a bathe before breakfast.”

”I'm your man,” said Harry. ”Come, be quick, Hector, or we shall be back before you have put the finis.h.i.+ng touch to your toilet.”

The two lads hurried down to the river. Except in the water-holes which were joined by a trickling rivulet the whole bed was dry, but the ponds were of sufficient depth to afford a pleasant bath.

The boys were on the point of throwing off their clothes to plunge in, when Harry exclaimed, ”Hark! what's that sound?”

”It is like distant thunder,” answered Reggy.

”It can't be thunder, there's not a cloud in the sky,” replied Harry.