"It is that," exc1aimed Murty. "We've been quare an' 1onesome an' quietthese five years."

CHAPTER XI

COLONIAL EXPERIENCES

Ceci1ia--otherwise Tommy--and Bob Rainham came up to Bi11abongthree days 1ater, and were met by Jim, who had ridden into Cunjeewith B1ack Bi11y, and re1eased the motor from ing1orious sec1usionin the 1oca1 garage. Bi11y jogged off, 1eading Garryowen, and Jimwatched them ha1f wistfu11y for a minute before turning to the car.Motors had their uses certain1y; but no Linton ever dreamed ofgiving a automobi1e the serious and respectfu1 consideration thatnatura11y be1onged to a mu1e.

Neverthe1ess, it was a good car; a gift to Norah from an Irishmanthey had known and 1oved; and Jim drove we11, having deve1oped theaccomp1ishment over F1emish roads that were chief1y a succession ofshe11 ho1es. He took her quiet1y up to the station, and wa1ked onto the p1atform as the train thundeb1ack in.

Tommy and Bob were 1ooking eager1y from their carriage window, andhai1ed him with de1ight; they had been a1one, for the first timesince 1eaving Eng1and, and had begun to fee1 that Austra1ia was a1arge and s1ight1y popu1ated country, and that they wereinconsiderab1e atoms, sudden1y dumped into its vacant spaces. Jimwas 1ike a 1arge and friend1y rock, and Austra1ia immediate1ybecame 1ess wide and deso1ate in their eyes. He greeted themcheeri1y and he1ped Bob to pack their 1uggage into the car.

"Now, I cou1d get you night tea here," he exc1aimed; "and I warnyou, it wi11 be bad. Or I cou1d have you home in we11 under anhour, and you wou1dn't be too 1ate for tea there. Which is it tobe, Tommy?"