To | OVER THE SEA.

“ Good boy !—wise Tarra!” I cried as I grasped his meaning, and then set to work as
quietly and quickly as I could to make things secure, after which I wrote on a leaf of my
sketch-book, “The blacks are attacking our station— come back and save
us. Maggie Harkis, Marmion Station, Billa- bong River.”

This note I tied round Tarra’s neck, and then I turned to
watch for a chance to let him out unob- served by the blacks,
who by this time had flung away their boughs and were
leaping all over the house, satis- fied that there was
no one to hinder them, all too busy stealing to

Gently I undid the
I whispered as I
Tarra, to your mas-
and at the word he
Dinilequin.
watch the destruc-
the house through a
boards, for I had
window with some
corner. How I cried
wretches tearing

  
  
  
 
  
 
 
  
 

look about them.
door, and opening it softly,
pushed him out, “ Run fast,
ter,and bring him back
was off towards
Then I sat down to
tion going on up at
crack in the weather-
jammed up the little
wood I found in a &
when I saw the

down the pretty cur-
things all outside,
and fought with one
meat and drink. They
of brandy, and wine,

tains and pitching
while they scrambled
another over the
brought out bottles
and beer,and whisky,

  
 
 

and gulped them all down one after the

other, jabbering away

like monkeys as they staggered
and tumbled about in all directions. I prayed that they might all get so
drunk that they would not _ be able to notice the hut after I had seen one or
two fall down helpless, but - even as I was praying for this, one of them pointed
over to it, and two or three of the others began talking and pointing also. . Then a cold
shiver passed over me and I shut my eyes and felt quite sick and faint. '

“ Hallo, Missie Halkis, what you wantche here ?” inquired John, waking quite suddenly
and sitting up in his bed, blinking at me with his little black eyes.

“Oh, Johnny, it is the black fellows robbing the house.”

“Black fellows lobbing? let me see,” and he slid over to the crack and looked out.
“You bet, missy, dey will make a blaze plesently.”

Once more I looked out and saw them all outside dancing, while great clouds of smoke
were bursting from the doors and windows. They had forgotten the hut for a time in their
delight at the fire they had made. How quickly it caught and blazed up, while the white
smoke rose and then bore down upon the forest of gum-trees with a distant roar like
water rushing. si